The real cost of government controlled health care – human lives.

An article from National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) has a devastating list of figures revealing the true cost of government run health care. This is a must read for everyone no matter where they stand on the issue.

Look for the chart: 10 Most Important Medical Innovations (with country of origin). A lot of people are alive today because of these innovations and we should be careful not to destroy the incentive system that made all of them possible in our attempt to improve health care services in the United States.

Rather than expanding the already large government presence in health care, I suggest a reduction in government control to allow free markets to function. Free market capitalism is a proven way to spur development of new and better services, lower costs, and increase availability of supply. There is no reason to think it wouldn't do the same for health care.

AMA Opposes Government Takeover of Health Insurance UPDATED! AMA Now Endorses Dem Plan

“As the health care debate heats up, the American Medical Association is letting Congress know that it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake the health care system.”

Our system isn’t perfect, but it seems to work better than most and helps spur innovation. If cost and availability are the main concerns then I suggest reducing government intervention in the health care industry. Free markets help lower costs and increase availability of supply as where government meddling and price controls have only ever decreased supply while doing nothing to lower costs.

Take the mobile phone for example. Free markets have taken the mobile phone from a bulky, expensive, and featureless toy for the very rich and made it ubiquitous, inexpensive, and feature packed. Heck, phones are even available in grocery stores for $10.

Update: Well, that didn't last long. AMA endorses House Democrats' health care bill

Read the bill for yourself and decide if it will clobber private insurance or not. It seems clear to me that it will. Heck, Sec.111 alone should be enough incentive for most insurance companies to simply drop health insurance altogether. If buying insurance would cost me more per year than paying the fine for not having it, why bother. They can't turn folks away if they get sick so why bother.

This is a very bad idea.

New Posts Soon

Hello everyone! I’m back! Although I doubt anyone missed me as almost no one, aside from search robots, ever visits here. Heh heh - Anyway, I should have some new posts up today or tomorrow.