From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Mon Dec 23 2002 - 21:13:46 MST
In a message dated 12/23/2002 8:56:17 PM Central Standard Time,
bradbury@aeiveos.com writes: The brutal truth (and I know I'm going to get
called every name in the book for this) is that we either have to find (a) a
cure for long term diseases that make people unproductive; (b) a cheaper way
to care for them; or (c) when their lives become a severe net drain on
society that we put them down just as we do cats or dogs.
To the extent you have offered us a model for health care I seem to
sense an underlying assumption that society is going to pay for each
individuals health care.
I believe that to be a faulty assumption to base a national health
policy upon. If you look back to 1993 or there abouts when Hillary was
pushing her health care plan ABC introduced her plan with a program either
put on by Nightline or that preempted Nightline. It ran for about 90 minutes
and included one person that spoke against her plan -- a scared student from
the University of Chicago with libertarian leanings. <G> -- otherwise every
speaker I can remember was heavily behind her plan.
One of the speakers or commentators was ABC's medical correspondent
(is Dr. Johnson the proper name, they still use the same guy ASAIK) He made
a revealing comment. He said that there were five components to our health
care system -- the patients, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, insurance
companies and I believe the attorneys. He said that Hillary's system was
designed to provide the funding for all five components.
I think if you reworked your assumptions with two changes you might
not come to the same conclusions. I suggest two different assumptions.
First that we will not pay for any health care as a nation, state or
municipality except where there is an existing contractural obligation to do
so. Second that we rewrite our tax code to allow everyone to deduct all of
their health insurance and health expenses just a when companies provide
insurance to us.
Please note that my assumptions both gives and takes away. The
government loses an expense but it also it loses a source of income.
As I am 68 Y.O. let me also remind you of one unpleasant but
unavoidable fact. Eventually all of us come to the point that no amount of
medical care will save our lives whether we be everyman, wealthy businessman,
President, King or Pope -- get used to it. Most of the elderly have done so
long since.
Ron h.
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