"Dave" wrote
On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 10:11:45 -0400, "Vito" said:

This approach offers only two alternatives for a sprained ankle - pay the
MD
or hurt; or in the case of diabetes or cancer pay the MDs and drug
dealers
whatever they want to charge or die.

You're missing something here. .....

I understand that - it just doesn't go far enough to be called a competative
free market. Which brings up a point about insurance. MDs historically
charge "all the market will bear" meaning wealthier patients pay more than
poor ones. After sizing me up my MD decides I'm good for say $100/visit.
Then I mention that $100 is exactly what my insurance will pay. Guess what?
I just became a $200/visit patient. That's one reason MDs never advertise
prices. It follows that any/all insurance plans raise medical costs so long
as MDs charge every penny the patient can afford.

That's hardly "free market". In a free
market, I'd be able to buy my medicines over the counter at *competative*
prices and bargain with MDs for rates but US law forbids the former and
AMA
the latter.

Please explain the second part. How does the AMA prevent you from
selecting
someone with lower fees, or a reduction by the doc?

By "recommending" fees and "sanctioning" MDs who bargain or advertise their
prices. An MD who refuses to obey could well loose his license. The proof?
When is the last time you saw an MD advertise his fees?


So, whether I have a HMO or pay myself, I really have no
choices. Under either Bush's or Kerry's plan I (or my HMO) still have to
pay
an MD $400 or more a year for permission to buy medicines I already know
I
need.

Good point. There's really no reason to have an annual toll to buy
medicines
you know you need.

But that's the law!

Then I have to pay 2 - 10 time more for them than in Canada and
Mexico. Kerry says he'd at least let us shop Canada ..... (c:

That's simply snake oil. One of two things happen. Either you create a
shortage in Canada, or the Canadians prohibit export. .....

You'd be right if I enjoyed a free, supply & demand driven drug market in
the USA but we do not. Thanks to laws against reimportation US drug
companies charge US druggists 2-10X more than they do foreign druggists. US
druggists could buy medicines at retail from Canada at a fraction of the
wholesale price they pay in the USA if our law allowed reimportation but it
does not. Often part of this 'gouge' funds the kickbacks drug companies pay
the MDs for prescribing their brand vs another. Hey - its enough to make
the mob jealous!