More Obamacare fuckups

[Whirlin]

I think it's also shady as fuck that I have 4-5 insurance carriers to choose from instead of the thousands in this country... that there are restrictions put in place to severely limit the amount of competition for my business.

Are you saying that insurance should no longer be state-centric, and that national insurance providers would reduce costs and be more efficient?

[Warriorbird]

Are you saying that insurance should no longer be state-centric, and that national insurance providers would reduce costs and be more efficient?

Trust the corporations. They're people too my friend.

[Parkbandit]

Are you saying that insurance should no longer be state-centric, and that national insurance providers would reduce costs and be more efficient?

No, I am saying that if there are hundreds of health insurance companies to choose from, let the market bear the pressure of all these consumer choices instead of only 4-5 insurance companies.

[Thondalar]

Trust the corporations. They're people too my friend.

Open competition would keep them in check. Something our Healthcare system has never had. Check out Singapore's system to see something that works. Yes, there is government oversight and some amount of price controls, but for the most part it's just open competition. They spend 3-4% of their GDP on healthcare, and yet have the best infant mortality rate and among the highest life expectancies from birth in the world. As a comparison, the US spends 17.2% of it's GDP on healthcare (by far the highest in the world), and ranks 50th in life expectancy.

It's typical of US domestic policy since the 70's or so...just throw more money at it!

[Atlanteax]

Because the fact that there are bad people in the world should totally stop us from doing anything to help people. Also, a program actually getting help to do better at fighting fraud is clearly worthy of immediately being shut down instead of actually implementing the suggestions of that help.

Yes, that's the answer.

So you think it is prudent to spend $1 billion for every $100k in actual assistance?

[Latrinsorm]

Open competition would keep them in check. Something our Healthcare system has never had. Check out Singapore's system to see something that works. Yes, there is government oversight and some amount of price controls, but for the most part it's just open competition. They spend 3-4% of their GDP on healthcare, and yet have the best infant mortality rate and among the highest life expectancies from birth in the world. As a comparison, the US spends 17.2% of it's GDP on healthcare (by far the highest in the world), and ranks 50th in life expectancy.

It's typical of US domestic policy since the 70's or so...just throw more money at it!

I would like to hear you explain how a system with outright price controls is more of a free market than our system.

[Thondalar]

I would like to hear you explain how a system with outright price controls is more of a free market than our system.

I already explained it. Open competition is not only allowed, but encouraged.

I'd also suggest you read a little more into their system than the first paragraph of the Wikipedia article before you attempt to comment on it.

[Warriorbird]

Open competition would keep them in check. Something our Healthcare system has never had. Check out Singapore's system to see something that works. Yes, there is government oversight and some amount of price controls, but for the most part it's just open competition. They spend 3-4% of their GDP on healthcare, and yet have the best infant mortality rate and among the highest life expectancies from birth in the world. As a comparison, the US spends 17.2% of it's GDP on healthcare (by far the highest in the world), and ranks 50th in life expectancy.

It's typical of US domestic policy since the 70's or so...just throw more money at it!

Singapore is far more willing to slap down monopolistic companies than we are. The comparison doesn't really work. I know you think that companies can do no wrong. I'm quite sure that it'd just be another excuse for prices to rise and consolidation to happen.

So you think it is prudent to spend $1 billion for every $100k in actual assistance?

If this were actually true it might be something.

[Latrinsorm]

I already explained it. Open competition is not only allowed, but encouraged.

I'd also suggest you read a little more into their system than the first paragraph of the Wikipedia article before you attempt to comment on it.

It seems like a pretty simple question to answer. One system has price controls, one doesn't, how is the one with price controls more of a free market? You can continue to parrot that open competition is encouraged, but if you refuse to address specific criticisms the words are hollow.

I recall you were perfectly happy to deride price controls when it came to wages, and I'm sure you would be perfectly happy to deride price ceilings if Obama set them for any reason. For whatever reason you're convinced that Singapore's health care counts as the free market at work, so those price controls don't really count. I assume you won't bother to address any of this, so I will move on to speculating as to what that reason is: out of the various "best health care in the world" lists Singapore is the only that even comes close to a free market, as the others are outright socialist. That makes sense, at least.

[Warriorbird]

It seems like a pretty simple question to answer. One system has price controls, one doesn't, how is the one with price controls more of a free market? You can continue to parrot that open competition is encouraged, but if you refuse to address specific criticisms the words are hollow.

I recall you were perfectly happy to deride price controls when it came to wages, and I'm sure you would be perfectly happy to deride price ceilings if Obama set them for any reason. For whatever reason you're convinced that Singapore's health care counts as the free market at work, so those price controls don't really count. I assume you won't bother to address any of this, so I will move on to speculating as to what that reason is: out of the various "best health care in the world" lists Singapore is the only that even comes close to a free market, as the others are outright socialist. That makes sense, at least.

He very badly wants to avoid giving any of them credit. He'd just explode.