Sunday, May 3, 2009

Splitting the check

This is a great article on the negative consequences that result from a drift toward collectivism in health care. Most people have unrealistic expectations from the health care industry, in that they want the very best medical services available and they want someone else to pay for those services (be it a private insurer or the government). But this means that few people will be willing to say "this particular treatment is not worth the cost".

If you go to dinner with a large group of strangers and you know that the bill will be split evenly, aren't you more likely to order pricier dishes and drinks than you would order if you, and you alone, were responsible for picking up your full tab?


Add into this mix a supply of health care providers that is heavily restricted by medical labor unions and government regulation, and we have a complete disaster. We have a large number of medical services consumed at a high cost and with low benefit relative to the costs.

It is truly frightening that some people think health care problems can be fixed by allowing the government to manipulate the actions of others as carelessly as one might manipulate pieces on a checkerboard. If government intervention worked, health care would be a model industry today. The reality is that government manipulation is responsible for the majority of problems with health care.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Parody on a certain article in a certain newspaper.

The Two Critics in Howard are Critical
By Carry Larson

A persistent and determined extreme minority of two decry Howard as imperfect, much to the chagrin of some elected officials.

These critics site facts that link county leader decisions repeatedly with special access and money for favors from a select group of land developers. They site local government ignoring benign food impurities.

The vast majority of residents don’t mind sitting in traffic, never knowing when they’ll get to their child’s doctor appointment or make it to work. Residents don’t mind eating rat droppings at local eateries. Howard residents are automatons who are not cognizant about the fact that increased density leads to increased taxes, increased government, increased frustration or paying local government to do a job that the citizens pay for a second time (after lunch). It’s only these two complainers who keep pointing that out, and it’s annoying to county leaders and others.

One of those others is Chamber of Monarchy president, Little Bo Klahr who, on the day of a reporter’s interview wore her signature bonnet, though the draping cotton dress didn’t fully cover the wolf’s tail sneaking out the back. Bo Klahr pointed out that her members are saints from on high (not high or drunk with power as some claim). In fact, they celebrate with legislators each year to reward, er, support the work of the legislators that may have or had not been done on behalf of the Chamber.

Not to be outshined by cash and connections, activists are well schooled and accurate regarding their evidence to support claims that Howard is a tiny bit corrupt in insignificant areas such as voting and eating. Most people don’t care about voting or food and so the tiny group makes noise and evidence mounts while the real players in the inner circle smile with amusement.

So a reporter asked the top official in the county, are you corrupt? He flat out said no.

End of story.

Orpheus C. Kerr said...

"Chorties"

Anonymous said...

What'r ya doin'? Quittin' on us here?

Your posts are getting far apart lately.

Freemarket said...

yes

FreeMarket said...

Hmmmmm. It's pretty lame to steal my moniker. This is my first comment on this thread.

FreeMarket said...

That's really not cool.

Freemarket said...

no it isn't, please stop.

Anonymous said...

It's not at all funny when someone steals your moniker. That's one of the reasons I'll always be anon.