Ever wonder why the “progressive” community is so monolithic in its support for socialized medicine? Having pondered this mystery for some time, I’m unable to avoid the conclusion that it is all about piety. Progressives favor government-run health care not because it makes sense medically or economically, but because it gives them a sense of […]
The most succinct response to the inevitable fate of Maine’s universal health care boondoggle comes from Hillbilly White Trash, in an entry titled “I’ve sawed that board off three times and it’s still too short”:
The program failed, as it was guaranteed to fail just like all other top down “solutions” to problems are doomed to […]
Since last week’s Democrat debate, the “progressive” blogosphere has been abuzz with chatter about former Senator Mike Gravel. Having perused his positions on a variety of issues, I’m not surprised that the wackier elements find him so alluring, but I’ll let the political blogs deal with his nutty pronouncements about terrorism, Iraq, etc. I’ll focus […]
Via Healthblawg, Ted Kennedy and accomplice John Dingell are promoting a Medicare for All bill. According to Senator Kennedy’s press release, the legislation would morph the current Medicare program into a cradle to grave project:
Their bill will extend Medicare to all Americans, from birth to the end of life and will reduce costs and improve […]
The only presidential candidate, on either side, who speaks with candor on health care is Rudy Giuliani. Via FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog, Guiliani stated the obvious about the Democrat hopefuls who debated last night:
Giuliani said Democratic calls for mandatory universal health care would only exacerbate the cost of care by putting the system in the hands […]
Although most of last night’s debate was devoted to crawfishing about Iraq, the various candidates did take a few moments to avoid questions about “universal health care.” Here, for example, is how Senator Obama responded to the moderator’s question about how he would pay for his plan:
I think we should have a national pool that […]
Most students of economics will confirm that shortages follow price controls with the grim inevitability of Greek tragedy. Anyone in denial about this stubborn fact should peruse this study by Nadeem Esmail of the Fraser Institute. Speaking specifically to Canada’s well-known physician shortage, he writes:
The shortage of physician services in Canada is not the result […]
One of the weirder features of the health care debate is assumption by many otherwise thoughtful commentators that most hospitals are under no great financial stress. This phenomenon often manifests itself in a “Yea, Right” response to policy concerns raised by the AHA. A good example can be found in yesterday’s post at Healthblawg:
If you […]
The WSJ opinion page outs the State Children’s Health Insurance Program for what is, a Trojan horse for government-run health care:
What began as a hard-cap grant to cover the working poor is evolving into an open-ended entitlement … Instead of debating government-run health care on its merits, Democrats are building it step by step on […]
The Medicare Trustees released their annual report today, and the news isn’t good. It seems that the program can’t be sustained financially without serious reform:
Medicare’s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is projected to be exhausted in 2019 … These projections demonstrate the need for timely and effective action to address Medicare’s financial challenges …
And what […]
