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RE: Ending the Debate on Government Healthcare
Okay, back up a little, and never equate Oxycodone with marijuana ever again. Marijuana is medicine, oxycodone is soul poison.
Also, my point was rhetorical. Where do you draw the line between what we are entitled to and what we aren't? Should people have a right to complex, arduous brain surgeries? What about preventative care? If healthcare is a right, then the state ought to provide me with a personal trainer.
At the very least, the government needs to be providing much better consumer protections. I called a doctor once and asked how much a procedure would cost. They couldn't tell me. If I go to the mechanic, they can give me an estimate....
Other countries bargain with pharma companies to get good deals for the citizens, and they put limits on profit margins. In some places, like France, medicines are treated as a public good, and therefore they are regulated so that all people can access them.
Cannabis is a real medicine, and yes, everyone should have access to it, whether they grow it themselves or not.
You really think you have an honest mechanic? Lol I thought the joke was that there were none. Doctor's can't give you an estimate precisely because healthcare is regulated out the ass, and at any given time they don't know how much it is going to cost—only that it will be expensive. And it doesn't help the doctor do their job if the person they are helping is aware of the hole they're in. Things would be much cheaper without any government regulation. Look at OKC surgery center. They started accepting cash payments only and no insurance. As a result, the price of surgeries has gone down drastically. You can get a new hip for the cost of a used car.
And you missed my point. Access to cannabis and free cannabis from the government are two very different things. Also, I don't hear of too many people going to France for their exceptional healthcare or benefitting from their miraculous pharma...
I was diagnosed and treated in France for MS for three years. Far superior to what is available here.
Did you go to France for their exceptional care? Or did you just happen to be there? Because people come to the US from all over the world for special treatments and surgeries. And they get drugs made by (German)American pharma.
I was just there. But I met many people on medical visas while I was in the hospital. American health care is almost impossible to pay for. A lot of my friends go to Tijuana or Costa Rica for care.
I agree. The reason why is because of Medicare, Medicaid, insurance regulations, and government micromanagement. I wish it were cheaper here, too. The ACA not only fucked the healthcare system, but sends me a bill for opting out of the destruction? What the heck?
It is so bad! I joined Liberty Health Share this year. It is $200/month and has way better coverage than insurance plans, but I had to sign a waiver saying they wouldn't treat my MS. Luckily I treat myself with plant medicines now, so I don't anticipate having any problems.
There are two ways to see this though - Government regulation in Europe is what keeps things affordable for people. Governments bargain with all of the care providers, insurers are non-profits, and pharma is heavily regulated. In less developed nations, costs stay low because insurance isn't a thing (to the extent that it is here), and demand is lower because people have fewer resources. The lack of gv't money going into health makes it so that prices can't inflate.
So, either no government involvement to keep costs down, or high government involvement to keep prices down. What we have is some terrible Frankenstein that just screws all of us over so bad. I hate it so much.
And don't get me started on the FDA, DEA, Pharma trio that has been terrorizing all of us for decades. That actually might be even worse than what they've done with health care services because they actually put people in jail over substances that are known healing compounds while making themselves disgustingly rich.
Don't be ridiculous. Governments don't have to bargain with anyone because there isn't consent in the first place. Furthermore, in the past 30, years, big pharma has produced countless miracles, increased the length of life and quality of life for millions, and saved millions of lives. And I am a firm believer in plant medicines—most of the miracles big pharma produces are synthesized or isolated from plants.
I see where you are coming from, though. Although I think that more government involvement will only make the problem worse. Also, compared to the US, Europe is functionally decentralized, which is another reason why single payer would never work in the US. I'm glad you can see how repealing government regulation might fix our healthcare system, though.