tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post3486280516959752114..comments2023-11-26T00:39:22.902-08:00Comments on The Bodyweight Files: Health Care Reform Dead? I Hope So...Justin_PShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07819478474074071804noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-54148041040180987642010-01-22T11:35:33.499-08:002010-01-22T11:35:33.499-08:00Tom, why don't you have a blog? I think you c...Tom, why don't you have a blog? I think you could get me interested in growin grass... if you wrote about it. <br /><br />How about it? <br /><br />Okay, I've had enough of politics... for a week or so. We'll be back to exercisin' soon @ the BWF's.Justin_PShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07819478474074071804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-13479209909113533692010-01-22T10:27:51.193-08:002010-01-22T10:27:51.193-08:00Sam says: "The argument that the government ...Sam says: "The argument that the government can't manage healthcare is a legitimate one. However, it's important to remember that it's legitimate because of flaws in our system of government, not because government writ large is unable to manage healthcare."<br /><br />Government does not manage private transactions (healthcare provision). It regulates. It provides incentives for desired conduct (desired by who?). It punishes for deviation from regulations (even if deviation saves lives).<br /><br />What is Government? A thing? People acting in the public interest? Folk employed at your expense without incentive to produce jack in return? Only incentive is to keep job (rule with exceptions).<br /><br />To suggest that the gov does anything in your best interest is silly. Even national defense is not in "your" best interest. It is in the nation's interest. All systems of gov are based on involuntary compliance with it's man made framework of rules, laws and regulations. I would rather a relationship that impacts my health be voluntary in it's foundation. The details of this relationship agreed to through trial and error and continued agreement.<br /><br />Our problem isn't fat folk. They contribute to the problem. The problem isn't insurance hiding the true cost of medical care. It is part of the problem. All these parts, and the many other unmentioned parts, are to be addressed by the interested parties voluntarily. The gov cannot exist if all relations and contracts are voluntary. This is why the gov wants to insert itself further in this area. To ensure survival of those dependent on your (my) tax dollars for income and influence.<br /><br />By the way, there is no way a healthcare bill will lower deficits. Besides the key is debt not deficit. It is a spending bill. When spending is less than income then we reduce debt.<br /><br />Deficit: Last month I gave out 9 IOU's. This month I only gave 8 IOU's. I have reduced my deficit. But I still haven't paid the 9 from two months ago.<br /><br />Debt: I owe on 17 IOU's and can't pay them.<br /><br />I the answer to increase debt? Really? House of cards!Tom Moellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864962958231180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-25232984996785026882010-01-21T13:44:06.059-08:002010-01-21T13:44:06.059-08:00Arguing that the reason healthcare costs are so hi...Arguing that the reason healthcare costs are so high is because of obesity is a tricky proposition. It's true that people need more healthcare when they're obese. But that only looks at one issue. The prices of medical care in general is increasing at a far higher rate than other products. So while as a nation we are likely using more healthcare because of the obesity epidemic, we're also paying far more for that coverage than expected. At least part of the increases have to do with price and not quantity. <br /><br />This is a quick primer on healthcare costs from the Kaiser Foundation (http://www.kff.org/insurance/upload/7670_02.pdf) and does a good job of showing that obesity rates are just one small part of the problem.<br /><br />It's not necessary to make the actual provision of healthcare (i.e. Medicaid and Medicare) the government's responsibility. Subsidizing healthcare purchases doesn't mean that the government is the one providing healthcare. It just gives people money to buy healthcare that they couldn't otherwise afford, people receiving subsidies are perfectly free to find a new insurer if the one they have isn't doing a good job. That's the essence of the free market.<br /><br />The argument that the government can't manage healthcare is a legitimate one. However, it's important to remember that it's legitimate because of flaws in our system of government, not because government writ large is unable to manage healthcare. This graph shows healthcare spending vs. life expectancy (http://blogs.ngm.com/.a/6a00e0098226918833012876a6070f970c-800wi). The countries with higher life expectancies than the U.S. all have healthcare systems that feature heavy government intervention. The flaw is with our government, not government in general.<br /><br />Finally, having spent some time living in Scandinavian countries, I can speak from personal experience that they're healthcare systems are excellent and the graph demonstrates that they're cheaper than the U.S.'s as well.Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14384318281697719074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-45581432227750761022010-01-21T12:41:12.597-08:002010-01-21T12:41:12.597-08:00Wow! There's been a lot of interesting points...Wow! There's been a lot of interesting points brought up and made.<br /><br />The point that I was trying to make is that I believe that the reason why our health care system is on the verge of collapse has a root cause: we need too much of it to sustain a collectively unhealthy lifestyle. Look at those diabetes numbers. That is Diabetes ONLY! It's in the hundreds of billions of dollars... a 12 figure number. Just. One. Medical. Condition. $117,000,000,000. <br /><br />How is shifting it to the government's responsiblity going to make it cheaper? Since when does the government do anything cheaper and more efficiently? Medicare? Medicaid? Both have run well over 40-times overbudget. <br /><br />Dirty little secret: our health car isn't free market either. The government already subsidizes 41% of our health care. They heavily regulate who can-sell-what-where, what they can cover, what they can charge, etc. Call this whatever you want, but don't call it free market. <br /><br />Back to my auto insurance analogy... <br /><br />We all know someone who is obese and requires a lot of medical care. I know one who need weekly doctor visits, takes 4 prescriptions, and needs at least one procedure or minor surgery a year. This person is about 100lbs overweight. If this person had to pay for all of this, would they be eating poorly? They wouldn't be able to afford it! <br /><br />Like Mr T said, the treasury is empty. <br /><br />Oh, and the junkfood-is-all-they-can-afford line is 100% pure, organically-grown, and made in the USA... BULLSHIT!!!<br /><br />It's very possible to eat healthy, if a person is knowledgable and motivated. Most people don't have the latter... at all.Justin_PShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07819478474074071804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-28204791497251219212010-01-21T10:05:25.118-08:002010-01-21T10:05:25.118-08:00Though not an American myself, I've heard from...Though not an American myself, I've heard from American friends that for a lot of people junk food is the only food affordable to them.<br /><br />If you're not willing to help them with their problems caused by being overweight how will you help them prevent becoming overweight and what with those for whom it's too late? If I may ask?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-5976220947862589832010-01-20T13:59:57.105-08:002010-01-20T13:59:57.105-08:00That's a fair question, the upper bound of tha...That's a fair question, the upper bound of that approximately 40,000 number is taken from this study done by Harvard Med. School researchers: http://pnhp.org/excessdeaths/health-insurance-and-mortality-in-US-adults.pdf<br /><br />However, on face value, that argument doesn't seem to hold water. It seems pretty reasonable to assume that if people are able to afford life-saving medical care, then they'll purchase it instead of dying. I don't know of any studies that ask that particular question, but if I can find anything I'll post is.<br /><br />You're right that no one's cause of death is "lack of insurance", but I assumed that the distinction was trivial enough that it didn't need clarification. Still, people definitely do die from medical issues that remain untreated because of lack of insurance.<br /><br />I'm not trying to fall back on an emotional argument here because I think the facts aren't on my side. I just think it's important to remember that there's a human side to this debate as well.<br /><br />Finally, the bill itself will actually help reduce the deficit. Over the next 10 years it brings the deficit down by 100 billion dollars. That's not a huge number compared to a national debt of 12 trillion, but it's important to note that this doesn't increase our national debt in anyway. The bill is fully funded as it's written.Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14384318281697719074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-78830660688745397972010-01-20T13:18:27.105-08:002010-01-20T13:18:27.105-08:00Sam, you are so good with the stats I wonder if yo...Sam, you are so good with the stats I wonder if you would provide the breakdown of how many of the 27k - 40k who die each year, while not owning any health insurance, could afford to purchase said insurance and chose not to buy?<br /><br />People die from heart attacks, drowning, massive trauma, gsw, toxic shock but not lack of insurance. (I know the point you are making but you are tugging at the squishy emotions so well I thought I would break your rules for shaming the oppo)<br /><br />The treasury is bare. How does the gov intend to pay for all these good intentions?Tom Moellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17256864962958231180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-90493745913889339062010-01-20T11:22:39.034-08:002010-01-20T11:22:39.034-08:00Setting up health insurance like auto insurance wo...Setting up health insurance like auto insurance would be a terrible idea. Every credible health economist agrees that preventative care (i.e. regular check-ups with a doctor and prescription drugs to manage ongoing conditions) saves substantially more money than the current system we have. One of the reasons that healthcare costs are so high is that ER care is incredibly expensive in the U.S. and it makes sense when you think about it. It's far cheaper to give someone a cheap pill to manage their high blood pressure than it is to manage the heart attack and month long stay in the ICU that results. This isn't really a matter of opinion it's an empirical question.<br /><br />Also, fat people do pay more for health insurance, that's what a free market dictates. If you're obese then you likely have accompanying health problems that make your premiums more expensive, thus the fact that you're unhealthy is reflected what you pay for insurance. And as I've said, making sure that overweight people have insurance is actually cheaper than leaving them uninsured.<br /><br />Furthermore, your opposition to coverage seems to be based only on the fact that you're irritated with obese people for making poor lifestyle choices. There's a basic question of humanity to be answered. Estimates of the number of people that die due to lack of health insurance range from 27,000 to 40,000 per year. These are people that would be alive if they could afford health insurance. To often this debate ignores that simple fact. We live in the United States of America and somehow at the moment it's acceptable that at least 27,000 poor people die every year because they can't afford to see a doctor.Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14384318281697719074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3897774470372565730.post-35830115092561469402010-01-20T07:13:24.306-08:002010-01-20T07:13:24.306-08:00This is a good and speedy blogflection after yeste...This is a good and speedy blogflection after yesterday's message to Washington by the voters of MA.<br /><br />I've said it often that the health care proposals of unsuccessful Presidential candidate John McCain were better and the way this country has to go because they promote competition and consumerism, both needed to reign in health care costs. The problem was that he (McCain) couldn't article his ideas well, the media wouldn't give him a chance to be heard, and those who were content with their status quo health coverage gave him a deaf ear.<br /><br />As someone who has a high deductible health insurance plan costing over $800 per month with $4,000 per year deductibles for both my wife and me, I know all aobut medical health care consumerism and it has a huge impact on my lifestyle choices and the questions I ask (like "how much") before choosing a health care provider's service.<br /><br />I said early in the game that I didn't think President Obama's health care reform, as originally proposed, would ever become law and based this on what I recall with President Clinton's failed attempt. <br /><br />Let's both continue to hope so.Pierini Fitnesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16489699354449195198noreply@blogger.com