A REALLY bad day for liberals

[jaeger19]

You have to ask why we can't afford something that costs the equivalent of the average family income, or close to it?

The average family income is 9000 a year? Hardly.

Come on now.

Not on top of that expenditure, but a part of that expenditure, which is one reason the health care system we have is so expensive.

No.. on top of that expenditure. Not part of it.. but on top of it. they are making a lot of profit ON TOP of it.. that's why its profit.

No doubt that's true, but the total expenditure is way more than just what the patient spends out of pocket.

Actually no.. using your figure of all of healthcare spread out over everyone (per capita) ... if you do the same with entertainment .. you will find out that its darn close per capita. Throw in tobacco and alcohol and americans spend more per capita than on healthcare

The doom is in paying for those older Americans along with the profits of the insurance industry.
Oh, and Japan has a higher average age than the US, yet spends less per person on health care

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Yep.. shall we compare health risks, such as obesity?

Yes, and put that money into other areas

Great... what? What would you "put the money into"...

Hey.. I think houses are too expensive.. lets have universal housing and reduce prices by 66%.

How about cars... I looked at a suburban the other day... 75,000 dollars... yet middle class families in my area drive them around.. (crap and I am in the 1% and "think no way.. too expensive"). Lets drop the price of cars by 66%.

The federal government spends about 21% of the GDP. Of that, about 9% is Medicare, Medicaid, and VA. That leaves 12% for everything else. Health care overall costs 50% more than the entire federal bureaucracy exclusive of the overlap (what it spends on health care), including everything from wars to welfare to Social Security.

I see.. so the answer is to add another bill to the government for universal single payer? Please explain your rationale on that one.

If the money were to be spent instead on infrastructure, on education, on a variety of other things it would help the economy. Those profits going to the health insurance industry that you mentioned, on the other hand, how much do they contribute to the economy? How much do all of the annoying commercials pushing pills actually add to the economy?

How much? A TON... do you realize that medical technology is one of the few things that we export. By the way.. medical facilities ARE infrastructure. Healthy employees means more productivity. Imagine what would happen if when you got injured you didn't get shoulder surgery but had to go on disability? And all that money STAYS HERE. Those annoying commercials? they are largely American made pushing American made products.
And all those wages are good wages.. and they pull everyone elses wages UP.

That's a likely explanation. The bottom line of all of that is that the Danes have a better system than we do, and still pay less. Personally, I'm against paying more for less.

Well.. I seriously question whether the Danes actually pay less. As I point out.. many countries on paper pay less because they spend more in other areas.. like physician education, security nets, malpractice systems etc.. that don't end up on the "healthcare" side... like they do in the US.

yes, and other nations have the same factors.

Yep.. and in many cases those factors COST LESS.. than they do in the US..

but that one not so much.

You have no idea.. that increase for delivery.. probably coincides with a decrease say in meniscal repair.. and insurance companies emulate medicare in being "budget neutral"..

Thirty grand for major surgery and two weeks of hospitalization, including neonatal care, doctor's fees, and everything? That sounds like a bargain to me.

Great you understand my point... whats worth more.. your child and wifes, life or driving a brand new car every couple of years.

I bought a new VW bug in 1968 for two grand before taxes. A compact car today costs about ten times that much. By that scale, the normal delivery and overnight stay should cost about $2,500. Moreover, technology has vastly improved in the auto industry as well. That new sub compact will perform rings around the old VW bug.

Okay...

On average, U.S. hospital deliveries cost $3,500 per stay, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.

Factor in the costs of technology which are WAY more than a car.especially a cheap car. Factor in that the hospital has to get paid to make up for all the people that don't pay them (unlike a car company that can repo your car... "if only I could reherniat that disk if you don't pay me)

costs of liability, education and so on.. .