Comments on: Universal Health Care a la Steyn http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/06/24/universal-health-care-a-la-steyn/ Cleaning the Augean Stables of the Health Care Debate Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:37:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Catron http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/06/24/universal-health-care-a-la-steyn/#comment-3581 Catron Sat, 30 Jun 2007 21:54:18 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/06/24/universal-health-care-a-la-steyn/#comment-3581 Their argument about "administration and paperwork" is deeply ironic, as <a href="http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2007/03/23/in-praise-of-administrative-costs/" rel="nofollow">this</a> discusses in greater detail. Their argument about “administration and paperwork” is deeply ironic, as this discusses in greater detail.

]]> By: James Lansberry http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/06/24/universal-health-care-a-la-steyn/#comment-3560 James Lansberry Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:56:09 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/06/24/universal-health-care-a-la-steyn/#comment-3560 While I agree that socialized medicine is a horrible alternative, Steyn misses an important part of their argument. The argument they're making, and which we must engage and refute, is that the 1 out of 4 dollars involved in health care spending right now that goes to administration and paperwork, etc. can be reduced in a changeover from private to socialized system. After the changeover, yes, the only way to reduce costs is lowering wages (resulting in worker shortage) or lowering consumptions (via waiting lists). But their argument is that the changeover will reduce costs enough that access will be expanded--and we need to engage that argument in order to be heard. One way to do that is to point to the costs related to the government takeover of education--compared to the private school which provides a better output for less per student. While I agree that socialized medicine is a horrible alternative, Steyn misses an important part of their argument. The argument they’re making, and which we must engage and refute, is that the 1 out of 4 dollars involved in health care spending right now that goes to administration and paperwork, etc. can be reduced in a changeover from private to socialized system.

After the changeover, yes, the only way to reduce costs is lowering wages (resulting in worker shortage) or lowering consumptions (via waiting lists). But their argument is that the changeover will reduce costs enough that access will be expanded–and we need to engage that argument in order to be heard.

One way to do that is to point to the costs related to the government takeover of education–compared to the private school which provides a better output for less per student.

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