billbays.com
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Video Archives
  • Contact

Big "Shakedowns"

4/12/2012

0 Comments

 
Legitimate government entries into the private lives of individuals involve healing and teaching. Maybe it is no irony that these two noble endeavors have become two of the nations largest and most penetrating “shakedowns”.

It is professed on most public stages, that our ills can be resolved by more proficient and enlightened education.  If we fail to compete economically with the emerging countries it must be due to failures at  the schoolhouse, etc.  So, we must make new investments in teacher pay and brick and mortar. Never mind, we have been doing this plan for decades without any remarkable and overall improvement outcome. As an example, our nation is plagued with crimes and corruption, that many feel could be overcome by higher education standards. Yet, some of  our most celebrated criminals are very well educated in most ways we evaluate learning.

No, education is not a panacea for our ills. But, directing our problems toward the schoolhouse is palatable for politicians. Politicians can spend money, ostensibly, for advancing education and get re-elected while waiting for the results of their policy. Thus, we have the grand illusion that more money for education can fix anything. There are other places to look for resolutions to the ills of education and society, but we dare not look there.

Likewise, the healing arts and healing sciences have enjoyed a rate of growth that exceeds most everything else. Health Care, is now at near 18% of GNP. And, projected (CBO) to be 25% in 2025.

These big increases in per capita costs have not made big changes in mortality. Mortality rates have inched up some, with the event of medical spending habits in the last few decades. Mortality rates didn’t budge in the first ten years of Medicare(1965-75). Yet,  many countries, throughout the world, have greater life expectancy than Americans, which is now at 78 years. Same with infant morality. We are well behind the leaders.

Meanwhile the consumers, be it the third party payers or individuals, are being grossly overcharged for most any medical purchase.

Pharmaceuticals hail the miracle drugs that can dupe some people when they are advertised on the national media. Incidentally, we are one of the two countries in the world where promoting drugs this way is permitted.

The medical field suffers from a lack of competition or any other form of discipline. So, it is natural for costs to expand. The Affordable Care Act(ACA), might have laudable features, but offers too few solutions to runaway costs which everyone agrees is unsustainable. Everyone is making too much money ; the doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and especially insurance companies.   These interests are monopolistic ! The free market has little or no influence on these powerful interest groups. In some states one insurance company writes 80% or more of the private policies.

It is also estimated that combined Medicaid  and Medicare fraud could be in the 100 billion a year range.  Apparently, the honor system is not working so well.

It is not right that healing should be a rogue business, but that is where it is landed !



0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Bill Bays

    Archives

    April 2016
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Website by Creative Cat
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Video Archives
  • Contact