Smokey,
Pure price competition for elective procedures is not a fair comparison to policies to provide basic health care for all citizens.
Medicare services are less expensive under government auspices. Private health care insurance and its associated costs are much more expensive in the U.S. than other developed economies with various forms of universal health. Furthermore, measurable outcomes for the U.S. system are worse. So we deliver less care (many do not have it), deliver worse outcomes, and pay a higher price. And this is an argument against universal health care? Somehow I am unconvinced.
Health care providers in this country do not compete on price. Even we do not have a free market model. We have a system that is tragically broken.
Just look…just look…more smoke and mirrors. The added wait time is offset to a great degree by the facts that (a.) one will eventually receive the care from a qualified professional, and (b.) one will not have to hide assets (cheat) or declare bankruptcy to obtain needed care.
Universal care in other developed countries is an unqualified success. If the pure price model (which doesn’t exist anywhere anyway) was so great…wouldn’t we see it? Somewhere, anywhere?
Frankly, we do not. cough, cough.
