But I grew up with socialized medicine, and I know what a disaster it is. It's coming, of course. -AS
Maybe, this is some evidence that AS hasn't 'done his homework' on health care.
I haven't read all of the plans for health care (nor all that I intend to on the upcoming, massive healthcare debate); but no leading candidate, on either side of the isle, is proposing what Andrew grew up with. (Besides, Andrew himself seems to have somehow come away from the British system without having been mutilated...)
ENDING THE GOP MEME ABOUT "SOCIALIZED MEDICINE"
I've heard Rudy Giuliani repeat the 'talking point' that the Dems are proposing 'socialized medicine'.
Tell me, when employers create a 'insurance risk pool', what is that except a 'socialization'? Everyone in the pool benefits by sharing / 'socializing' the risks in the pool.
The only difference with Giuliani (and others) is that companies set up (and cull?) these pools for profit.
What smart people are talking about is recognizing that the "Nanny Employer" model is bust, and building a single pool for most risks (but maybe not ALL).
Cutting out the financing costs associated with private risk pools will (a) reduce the amount spent on healthcare by tens of billions, (b) realize that savings in terms of access for a greater number of people, and (c) keep the current system of misallocated private physicians and seriously overpriced lab services, medical equipment, and prescription drugs largely unchanged.
