Comments on: Reform, American Style

By: What We Can Learn from the Swiss « See First Blog

What We Can Learn from the Swiss « See First Blog — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:37:49 +0000

[...] we can learn from the health care systems of other countries. But the truth is that one of the uniquely American aspects of the U.S. system today, and the one we will have tomorrow, is we like to try to do things [...]

By: Lessons from Israel, Continued « See First Blog

Lessons from Israel, Continued « See First Blog — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:41:46 +0000

[...] circumstances of that country’s economy, culture and history. It’s an obvious, but important, insight, and Israel is no [...]

By: Should Insurance be Regulated by the Feds or the States? « See First Blog

Should Insurance be Regulated by the Feds or the States? « See First Blog — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:51:46 +0000

[...] to make her point (readers of the See First blog will have heard about the Utah Exchange when I blogged about it in [...]

By: The Economy, from a Diverse Perspective « See First Blog

The Economy, from a Diverse Perspective « See First Blog — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 04:56:02 +0000

[...] among a group of leaders like this reflects the views of businesses across the country, it is further evidence of the difficulties the federal government faces in implementing any big and comprehensive [...]

By: efalchuk

efalchuk — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:05:14 +0000

You make a fair point, Dr. T.

But I don’t think it’s right that the problem of unclear definitions is either intentional or malicious. It’s reflective of the fragmentation of our health care system, and the many conflicting interests pulling it in different directions.

This lack of consensus, along with the many state initiatives, are I think the biggest barriers to something big and comprehensive at the federal level.

By: Dr. T

Dr. T — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:16:51 +0000

The problem is, once we give them the go-ahead for “reform” the government will just bulldoze everything you’ve spoken about. All the concerns about quality and choice and individualization will be turned over into the soil along with the physicians.

Right now, this administration is just seeking a hole, a crack, to validate via its “mandate” which will then be used to squeeze through that first piece of top-down legislation. At that point the game will be over.

The reason that the language is so nebulous (health care reform — means nothing) and the proof of crisis is so tendentious (longevity data / infant death rates, etc)is precisely because they want to keep us chasing figments long enough the hammer a law through. And they will. Unless doctors really get tough — which I don’t see happening.

That’s why these issues cannot be reasonably discussed with them