A few thoughts on Health Care

[hugh_mannity]

1. Health Care is not a right. The reason it's not a right is because someone has to provide it. Free speech is a right -- it doesn't cost anyone anything to let you speak (though it does tend to cost money and effort to stop people from speaking). Freedom of religion is a right -- because again, it doesn't require any effort or expense from a 3rd

Comments

[stefka]

Thunderous applause!

[alobar]

I know several people here on LJ who have health insurance. The docs are always talking her into things which harm them. One got panceatitis as a "side effect" of something else she was treated for. She can't sue because it is a "known side effect

Point 1, para 1

[bytchearse]

The best and most concise definition of a right I've ever heard.

[pelgar]

There's a reason why they call it "practicing" medicine afterall, eh?

[siderea]

6. Linking health insurance coverage to employment was the worst move that could have been made

A-freaking-men.

One niggling correction:

But needless to say, there was benefit inflation, and what used to be a perk for upper management, became something middle management wanted. The unions weren't going to be left out eitherThere was a fabulous detailed article about the history of health insurance as a job bene in the B. Glob about a year or two ago, and it explained something which sounds very plausible to me. During WWII in the US, because of the hit the labor market took from so many men serving in the armed forces, Los Federales imposed price fixing on labor, so that the plummeting supply didn't cause massive inflation of wages leading to financial collapse. They left a loophole, however: instead of competing for employees on the basis of cash wages, employers were free to offer whatever benes you wanted to. At the time, health insurance was cheap (especially bought in bulk, aka group policies) and thus a cost-effective,

[hugh_mannity]

Oh that makes sense.

I'd still call that benefit inflation -- just with a different cause from what I'd suspected. This was after all something of a late night rant and thus a bit light on research...

[lillyflowers]

I had remembered the same thing but couldn't find a link to the info.

[albreda]

The parts where I agree with you I agree with you wholeheartedly; the parts where I don't, I'm not going to dither with you over. ;)

[unixronin]

Would you be willing to unlock this post? Alternately, may I repost it elsewhere with attribution?

[hugh_mannity]

Unlocked.

[unixronin]

Thankee, sir.

[yndy]

Thank you.

That first part? The definition of a right? I've been trying to say that for years without nearly as much efficacy.

The rest of it is also amazing.