🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <RLM.93Sep26101408@helen.surfcty.com> rlm@helen.surfcty.com (Robert L. McMillin) writes:
>On Fri, 24 Sep 1993 16:04:54 GMT, tse@foolish.apple.com (Gary Tse) said:


>> I was not and am not happy with Kaiser.  So I am using another
>> health provider now. 
>
>Clinton and his state-happy minions will be loathe to allow you *any*
>choice in the future.  You will get what you get, which will be
>provided for by the insurers and the HMOs.  This is absolutely *not*
>the kind of reform that's needed.  What we do need is to make health


Well, you certainly have the right to believe or disbelieve Clinton's
pronouncements, but he made a definite *point* about his conviction that
the plan he proposes giving excellent _choice_ to those covered.  Let's not
start tilting at windmills until we know they exist, OK?


>If people are given resources that behave as though they were
>infinitely cheap, they will abuse them.  That's why single-payer
>health-care is such a sham.  Even reducing the number of payers, as
>Clinton is suggesting, will ultimately have negative effects, because
>the payers are not the users.  Until this happens, we can count on
>costs continuing to skyrocket and nobody being very satisfied.

If you listened to the speech, you would know that he also suggested a
small co-payment fee, for just the purpose of reminding people each time 
they go to the doctor that it isn't entirely "free".  Whether this fits
your definition of not behaving as if they are "infinitely cheap", I don't
know - but once again Clinton *specifically* addressed those concerns in
his proposal.

Your contention that single-payer systems are a "sham" is ridiculous, and
most likely borne out of ignorance of the rest of the world.  Single-payer
systems have been used for years in the rest of the world, and given the
informal discussions I have had with several people from western and
eastern europe, as well as elsewhere, they seem generally quite satisfied 
with their respective "shams".   :-)




Phil Koenig
pjk@netcom.com