Comments on: Unhealthy Distortions http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/unhealthy-distortions.html where orders emerge Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:06:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/unhealthy-distortions.html/comment-page-1#comment-177704 Anonymous Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:46:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=5834#comment-177704 My original point was that health care is already controlled by the government, either overtly or covertly. When laws are passed mandating certain types of care, then someone must pay. This is reflected in our (including my own) premiums and copays. We are all sharing the cost of the uninsured citizens and non citizens already. Look at the history of State run mental health institutes and the aftereffect of deinstitutionalization. It was a boon for privately run correctional facilities as poorly treated patients were released to the communities and ended up with no infrastructure in place for adequate support. If a law is passed, there must be the will to back it up with resources. We must all agree to the consequences both public and personal no matter which way this issue goes. Regarding market forces-end of life care, emergency care, care for chonic health conditions all take a great share of the existing health care pie. I don't think the traditional economic principles apply in these situations. For example, when my car breaks down, I am inconvenienced, but I can find ways to get good car care at a reasonable price, because there are other ways to get around. When I wake up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath or a 103 degree fever, I'm in no position to call around and find the best deal. I'm not an economist, so I don't know what this sort of model is, but it doesn't strike me as a clear supply-demand model. My original point was that health care is already controlled by the government, either overtly or covertly. When laws are passed mandating certain types of care, then someone must pay. This is reflected in our (including my own) premiums and copays. We are all sharing the cost of the uninsured citizens and non citizens already. Look at the history of State run mental health institutes and the aftereffect of deinstitutionalization. It was a boon for privately run correctional facilities as poorly treated patients were released to the communities and ended up with no infrastructure in place for adequate support. If a law is passed, there must be the will to back it up with resources. We must all agree to the consequences both public and personal no matter which way this issue goes.
Regarding market forces-end of life care, emergency care, care for chonic health conditions all take a great share of the existing health care pie. I don’t think the traditional economic principles apply in these situations. For example, when my car breaks down, I am inconvenienced, but I can find ways to get good car care at a reasonable price, because there are other ways to get around. When I wake up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath or a 103 degree fever, I’m in no position to call around and find the best deal. I’m not an economist, so I don’t know what this sort of model is, but it doesn’t strike me as a clear supply-demand model.

]]> By: Sam Grove http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/unhealthy-distortions.html/comment-page-1#comment-177335 Sam Grove Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:12:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=5834#comment-177335 Nope, I experimented and can't strike. Nope, I experimented and can’t strike.

]]> By: Methinks http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/unhealthy-distortions.html/comment-page-1#comment-177310 Methinks Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:26:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=5834#comment-177310 <i>will decide not to sell you a particular plan at *any* price because you don't qualify.</i> My understanding is that they will sell you a plan at <i>some</i> price but they a prohibited from selling a plan at a price high enough to cover their costs and that price won't be much different from you paying out of pocket. Since all conditions include some randomness, if you remain uninsured, you bear the volatility of spending on your condition. "Insuring" yourself merely reduces the volatility, I think. will decide not to sell you a particular plan at *any* price because you don’t qualify.

My understanding is that they will sell you a plan at some price but they a prohibited from selling a plan at a price high enough to cover their costs and that price won’t be much different from you paying out of pocket.

Since all conditions include some randomness, if you remain uninsured, you bear the volatility of spending on your condition. “Insuring” yourself merely reduces the volatility, I think.

]]> By: Max http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/unhealthy-distortions.html/comment-page-1#comment-177289 Max Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:47:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=5834#comment-177289 I think you misunderstood their idea of "decide whether to give you coverage", by which they mean that coporations don't want people that are unhealthy (or have a genetic disease that might get costly). They don't argue that there is no choice, but that people with pre-existing conditions or already sick people won't get an insurance they can afford. Though I see this rather as not a failure to insure, but rather a failure of welfare, because it is not insuring against a risk, if the event has already occured. But boiled down this is the major criticism of your opponents. I think you misunderstood their idea of “decide whether to give you coverage”, by which they mean that coporations don’t want people that are unhealthy (or have a genetic disease that might get costly).
They don’t argue that there is no choice, but that people with pre-existing conditions or already sick people won’t get an insurance they can afford.

Though I see this rather as not a failure to insure, but rather a failure of welfare, because it is not insuring against a risk, if the event has already occured. But boiled down this is the major criticism of your opponents.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/08/unhealthy-distortions.html/comment-page-1#comment-177276 Anonymous Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:41:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=5834#comment-177276 Considering the embarrassment he's made of himself at the Cafe, I actually feel sorry for him being outed--if that really is him. Considering the embarrassment he’s made of himself at the Cafe, I actually feel sorry for him being outed–if that really is him.

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