Medical Reality

     Providing medical services has been a hot political issue
for decades.  The issue isn't about to go away.  A big part of the
problem is that many, if not most, people are a long distance call
removed from reality.

     Government can't possibly do what politicians promise
and what most people want and expect.  This would be true even
if those in government were all knowing, well intentioned,
perfect, uncorrupted individuals.  We will get far less from the
self serving, semi competent (at best), cronyism that is inevitable
when individuals get to spend other people's money.

     First consider some realities that most people prefer not
to think about.  People are suffering and dying for the lack of
medical services.  No matter what we do, people will continue
suffering and dying for lack of medical services.  It is humanly
impossible to prevent all people from suffering and dying from
lack of medical services.  Those who claim we can have
unlimited medical services are either deluded or deliberate liars.

     If everyone on earth spent all of their time providing
medical services, some would still go without services that could
reduce suffering or prolong their lives.  Of course, if everyone
spent all of his time providing medical services, the lack of
medical services would soon cease to be a problem.  Everyone
would soon starve to death.

     The only options we have in the real world are to decide
how much medical service to provide and how to provide the
services.  How we provide the services will have a big impact
on how much service we can provide.

     Twenty-five percent or more of medical expense is
already devoted to paper work.  More government means more
paper work.  In turn this means less to spend on actual medical
services.  Less than one-third of welfare spending goes to poor
people.  The US Postal Service is going bankrupt.

     It is foolish to expect that government will be better and
more efficient providing medical services.  In the end
government provided medical services will mean less service
doled out by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

     We have limited capacity to  produce all of the things we
want.  Trade offs are inevitable.  More medical services mean
less of something else.  How many people are willing to increase
the availability of medical services by giving up everything
beyond the minimum of food, clothing and shelter essential for
survival?

     People risk their lives to enjoy driving, skiing, swimming,
biking and a zillion other things.  Giving up all, or even many,
of these things to live a little longer is a deal that just about
everyone has rejected.  What is the point in living long if you
have nothing to live for?

     The only answer is to work out a balance and produce
the things we want the most.  For each individual that balance
will be different.  "One size fits all" will be wrong for just about
everyone.

     Some people don't want organ transplants.  Should they
be forced to sacrifice what they want to pay for organ
transplants for others?

     If we leave people free to choose how much to spend on
medical services, everyone can 0pursue his most important goals,
be they providing medical services or something else.  This
freedom includes the right to choose how much to spend on
medical services for others.

     Even in the overtaxed, statist environment in which we
live, individuals contribute many millions of dollars to provide
medical services for others.  With lower taxes and the
recognition that government isn't going to do it, people would
contribute much more.

     The road to government control of medical services may
seem to work for a while.  In the end it will mean national
bankruptcy and few medical services for anyone.  Medical
services aren't priority one for starving people.

                                 * * * * *
                                  * * * *
                                   * * *
                                    * *
                                     *
Copyright 2012
Albert D. McCallum
18440 29-1/2 Mile Road
Springport, Michigan 49284