On the Nature of Things | Forum

Nonc Hilaire wrote:

noddy wrote:

Mr. Perfect wrote:

Nonc Hilaire wrote: This is a crisis today! All insurance has been kneecapped by ACA and Obama job losses. The number of people who write a check for private insurance is so tiny it is irrelevant.

Your thinking is several years old. Right now anyone who shows up in the ER can have the government pay their entire bill. That is single payer. The only things the taxpayer does not pay for is orthopedics and dentistry. Private insurance (or ACA) gives the hospital the right to sue you or your estate. Smart people say they are uninsured, refuse to sign anything except an authorization to treat and avoid that voluntary exposure.

The FSA knows exactly how this game is played. They get free tx and laugh at the hospitals stealing the life savings of the insured. ER people know this, but when ACA fails in four months it will become common knowledge. Then the functional reality will become the official reality.

While you are out catching ideological and political butterflies I get daily reports from the ER. A homeless junkie in withdrawl can call 911 and get a free ambulance ride to an ER he could easily walk to. They will be given a complete workup, get a new prescription for dope and sent out the door while the taxpayer pays the bill.

This has been going on for over twenty years.

60-80% of the population want their private insurance. People have been abusing the er for a generation or more. None of this means single payer. It will never happen.

his point was that walk ins at ER get free coverage paid for by the tax payer so you do have single payer with opt out private just like everyone else does.

however for political reasons its best not to call it that or it gets knickers in a knot - so this means nothing is done about streamlining the costs or dealing with the realities of whats happening.

this is the australian system, by another name, but with rorts on top.

Not exactly. My point is when ACA fails there will be no congressional argument. No ideologies. The current caid/care system will have some patches applied and will be used by everybody by executive order.

The ideological discussions are over, abandoned by both parties.

Mr. Perfect wrote:The er thing has been around for a generation. In no way will it trigger single payer.

Mr. Perfect wrote:No.

Mr. Perfect wrote: . . .

After that, eventually the market will fix it once people have to pay enough of their own premium. Costs are so high because of regulation. Under the employment model voters are shielded from the real costs of care. When they are no longer shielded the political reality will change and massive deregulation will occur, costs will drop an we'll be in a capitalist paradise.

. . .

Mr. Perfect wrote:Ok. But what do you know about US healthcare.

Been spending most their lives,
Dreamin' 'bout a capitalist's paradise.

Mr. Perfect wrote:Capitalism produced the device you are using, cheap and powerful. No reason we can't do the same for healthcare.

NapLajoieonSteroids wrote:This is an area we hold our breath on robotics.

NapLajoieonSteroids wrote:This is an area we hold our breath on robotics.

noddy wrote:

NapLajoieonSteroids wrote:This is an area we hold our breath on robotics.

yep, quick lube change and kick em back out the door.

Typhoon wrote:

NapLajoieonSteroids wrote:This is an area we hold our breath on robotics.

The first impact of machine learning will be on diagnosis, rather than treatment.

For example, given that the median income of a US based diagnostic radiologist is about USD 500,000,
there is plenty of opportunities for cost savings through automation.

With regards to treatment, the cost of new drug development and testing through clinical trials can prohibitive: about USD 1,000,000,000 per drug
If machine learning can assist in new drug discovery and improve the probability of demonstrating efficacy and safety during trials,
then this may lead to further cost reductions.