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A great example of the market at work
I thought that this was very interesting. It is the culmination of competition and private enterprise unfolding before our eyes. Only a few short years ago, cellular phones were available only to the ultra-rich in First World countries. Now, a middle-class citizen in Bombay can buy one.
This has implications beyond cell phones, though. Think health care. If it took less than a decade to provide nearly anyone in the First World with a cell phone- and providing phones for the second and third world not far behind- how long would it take to provide nearly everyone in the USA with health care?
With increased competition, anything is possible. I hope that the next president realizes that compeition is vital, and cuts bureaucracy and waste before instituting an unfair, short-sighted universal health care plan.
-Matt Hittle
Posted at 09:10AM Feb 14, 2008 by College Republicans in Economics | Comments[2]
Cheap cellphones, excellent!
But what does that have to do with universal healthcare and the price of tea in china?
A more interesting study would be a comparison between the total marginal benefit of outright providing universal healthcare and that of maintaining our current system.
My only gripe would be the tens of thousands of unneeded jobs that would be cut without all the insurance and Medicaid/Medicare overhead.
Truth be told, universal health care would make our healthcare system less competitive. But who cares when we know everyones basics are cared for. It simply means less money for hospitals and insurance companies and more where it counts, the lower middle-class's pockets.
Posted by Jesse Bethke on February 15, 2008 at 09:56 PM CST #
Your analysis is too simple for the health care debate.
Cheap cellphones, cheap televisions, and cheap computers are ALL examples of the free market at work. It is obvious that, through the free market, items and services become cheaper over time- and therefore available to an ever-larger number of people. If competition were allowed to a larger extent in the health care industry, the price of health care would decrease, as well as become available to an ever-increasing amount of people.
Who cares when we know that everyone's "basics" are cared for? Those people care who are aware about how basic government works.
Take a gander at other wasteful government programs. Take a look at other nations who have universal health care. It has not worked even one-tenth was well as was hoped. The government will not ensure that everyone is cared for. It hasn't in the past in the realm of disaster relief, child services, welfare, Social Security, other entitlements (need I continue?). What makes you so sure that this universal health care scheme will suddenly bring out the best in government. The truth is, it won't.
Also, you are incorrect regarding money.
Insurance companies are so few in number and make so much money because of an excess of government regulation that deters competition. If sufficient competition were allowed, this would not be the case.
In addition, the lower-middle class is most likely taken care of through Medicade. For other Americans, they will actually pay MORE in taxes to fund universal health care than they pay currently. As author PJ O'Rourke said: "If you think heath care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!"
Posted by Matt Hittle on February 16, 2008 at 01:46 AM CST #