"Dave" wrote
On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 16:03:18 -0400, "Vito" said:


Wrong. Neither one wants to bring market forces to bear, altho that is
what
we need.

Gotta disagree there. Combine medical savings accounts with true insurance
(the kind with a high enough deductible so that it covers risks instead of
being a system of pre-payment) and you inject a healthy market input. Why?
Because you get to keep whatever you don't pay the Dr. or hospital from
the
MSA. That means you're not gonna run to the doctor every time you sprain
an
ankle, because you know what to do for a sprained ankle, and would just as
soon keep the money. On the other hand with the present system of
prepayment
there's essentially no cost for the Dr. visit, so why not go. Reduce the
demand for medical services, and you reduce the cost.

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. 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. 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. 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: