Dear Brian;
People always keep forgetting two things : there are no free lunches and the unintended consequences of any legislation dreamed up and worse actually enacted by politicians.
This article from lew rockwell tells the tale. He had to get a copy y of his birth certificate because he ids now retired and was required to file for social security. His birth certificate was in a shoe box along with the hospital bill for his birth. When he was born in 1941 his mother had to have a cesarian section. She spent 11 days in the hospital. The total bill for the 11 days was $73.75.
Yes $73.75 and he has the bill for proof.
Based on the CPI adjustment for inflation today the bill would be expected to run for $1,000. However, based on actual hospital billings it would be expected to run $13,000.
The difference is the government involved with medicine with medicare and medicaid and the HMO Act of 1970. and further aggravated by unions getting 3rd party payers for health insurance for union workers. Ever since then it has been down hill. HMO's by their very nature are more concerned with
revenue than reimbursement. Revenue being how much the executives get paid against how much is paid to hospitals and doctors in reimbursement.
As I have had published before healthcare and medicine will cost dramatically less when radically serious changes are made legislatively on how medicine and healthcare is provided.
Eliminate all licensing standards for hospitals, pharmacies, doctors, nurses, medical personnel, medical colleges and medical clinics. Licensing standards are nothing more than blocks to medical competition. Competition means price reduction.
Eliminate the FDA. Deregulate the medical insurance industry. Repeal the HMO Act of 1970. Eliminate Medicare and Medicaid. Eliminate any other government program of any kind providing any type of medical benefits.
Compel the states to do likewise and stop states from mandating health insurance companies to cover every damn thing under the sun. Repeal any laws requiring any employer to provide health insurance of any kind under any circumstances. This would include workers compensation medical benefits.
Radical - yes - but necessary.
Ron Getty
SF Libertarian