Maggie's Farm

The following stats are from a February 2007 article in Commentary on the U.S. health care system: "On average,
a family that loses its coverage will become insured again in about five months, and only one sixth of the uninsured lack coverage for two years or more. In addition, about a fifth of the uninsured are not American citizens, and therefore could not readily benefit from most proposed reforms. Roughly a third of the uninsured are eligible for public-assistance programs (especially Medicaid) but have not signed up, while another fifth (many of them young adults, under thirty-five) earn more than $50,000 a year but choose not to buy coverage."

Thus, the bottom line is the famous "uninsured" are actually closer to 4 million people rather than 46 million. The remaining uninsured remain so by choice. Why, then, is it necessary for taxpayers to send additional money to the USG to pay for those who will not spend their own money to provide themselves with health care? The problem, however, is that polls show that 90 of the U.S. public believes the uninsured are a critical national health problem. To square the circle it is necessary for the free market supporters to demonstrate to the public that government cannot provide the most cost effective solution.

The "price" of medical care, both insurance and the medical services themselves, are artificially inflated because the current system, based on third party payers and government mandated "one size fits all" insurance coverages, is not allowed to respond to actual supply and demand. In spite of the many roadblocks the U.S. health care system finds ways to respond to needs of those with low incomes, e.g. the free or reduced price supply of drugs by pharmaceutical companies. The free market, if allowed to function, would find efficient, private methods for dealing with the "'scandal' that our rich society so fails its disabled and vulnerable [citizens]."

Also, how does government deal better with "low end preventive medicine?" I guess by making people eat healthier diets, limit drug and alcohol consumption, engage in less violent behavior, only perform "protected" sex, attend appropriately to symptoms in the home, reduce waiting time for general intern services, etc. Sorry, don't see the advantage of big government there.