I hate to break this to the author of the article, but this is exactly what one of the key points of the "health care reform" bill is all about . . . to start cutting back on the money being spent for health care for people who aren't paying their own way anymore.
The examples the author cited to illustrate the principles of supply, demand and pricing . . . involving the professor, his class, and the sale of a car . . . is appropriate for a discussion about general economic principles, but has no bearing on the discussion about health care. The reason for this is that health care services in this country rarely ever involve an interaction between a single buyer and a single seller. The presence of an intermediary (an insurance company or a government agency) throws everything out of kilter.
A more appropriate example would have involved a professor who offered to buy a car from his class . . . but would have the government or another third party pay for it instead of paying for it out of his own pocket. At that point, he really wouldn't care how much it cost but would be adamant that he had to get his hands on the best car anyone ever owned.
Lest anyone think I'm exaggerating, let us note that the hate campaign against anyone opposing health care "reform" has ramped up with its passage in the House instead of abating. Opposition to 0bama is now openly smeared as racism and that will continue until 2012. They're setting up critics as scapegoats for the inevitable shortages and failures, and it's going to get very much nastier before it's all over.
The Dems want the system to break. That is the fastest course for them to achieve a single payer system.
what the hell does “the truth will out” mean?
Which is when he chooses a single buyer and informs the rest of the class that he will extract an equal amount from each student's checking account to fund his purchase.
Good article.
But less than .000100% of America will read it and less than 3% understand it.
When the DemonRats next get on TV screaming about evil Fill in the blank here) companies or Parties or Voters
53% of America will sagely nod their heads and mutter
Dat Right! Go get ‘em ‘Rats.
What do we do in a situation like that???
I predict a vast supply of private medical clinics, staffed by former US physicians, cropping up in Mexican border towns. Cuba offers opportunities too, once the old tyrant is out of the world’s misery.
Socialists and communists, when faced with the abject failure of their programs have two choices. One is to fall back and retrench admiting at some level they failed, the other is to apply limitless force as required.
Ask the Ukranians of the 1930’s about Stalin’s reconsidering the wisdom of collectivization.
In order to make any part of this bill work - THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO CONTROL PHYSICIANS, HOSPITALS AND PHARMACIES.
How do they propose doing that?
The poll from Friday showing that something like 46% of US physicians would quit rather than practice under CommieCare is a perfect example of supply being reduced as the amount offered for that supply is reduced.
Will Dumb0 do like France and start importing “doctors” from Africa in order to replace the American doctors who will quit (or who will decide not to enter in the first place?)
Excellent explanation, basic 1st year economics.. how nice would it be if more people understood it.
Hmmmm. Yes, I can see my doctor 3 times a day soon?
That should bring this sucker down. I am a very good talker, I can tie 2-3 doctors up for 3 hrs for each visit./sarc
What good is free healthcare if no one can see a doctor?
Actually, my doc said he is quitting healthcare and just retiring. I am trying to make an arrangement that he can continue to see us under the table at his house.
The thing is depravity + crashing health care will mean total catastrophe. Because the demand will SKYROCKET as a result of the depravity inducing the illness. My “free stimulus” pay check mentality is going to have people get AIDS and screw around.
What is going to happen is death quarantine camps or complete national obliteration of the crops. Because sometimes it is better to burn half the crops than let it all rot at once under a plague.
Thus my prediction is that Political Correctness since AIDS came out, and now along with lack of medical isolation and closing hospitals, it’s going to be a prime vector for one of the 4 horsemen of the Apocalypse.
I can’t wait to see this whole thing regressing into middle Ages type ghettoing of the sick from the healthy.
Took the kids to their pediatrician this morning. I asked her opinion.
While she supports the notion of health care available to all, she lamented it will wreck costs. There is a minimum figure needed to maintain a good medical practice, and financing must be arranged to encourage continuation of that practice. Biggest complaint is where patients used to show up at their doc subject to a $20 co-pay, now they’ll just start hitting the emergency room at their convenience for everything - at say $800/visit, paid by the gov’t.
Supply and demand indeed. By “lowering” the cost of all health care, people will clamor for ever more expensive care because they won’t have to pay for it (duly ignoring that _everyone_ will end up paying far more, as the price must be paid).
The biggest insanity of this entire healthcare debate is the premise that a monopoly will yield better service at a lower price than a competitive market. There isn’t a single example throughout human history where this is true.
A very good article! The comments are excellent as well.