----- Original Message ---- From: Mario Goveia <[email protected]>
Marlon wrote: The focus of any reform in the US should be to tackle the issue of high costs. I don't see how the current government options alleviating this problem. The focus should be streamlining medical records and processes, tort reform and reducing the grip of the American Medical ASSociation, to name a few. Mario responds: Here we see some glimmer of wheat among all the chaff. However, this self-proclaimed paragon of libertarianism and free market principles, who nevertheless thought it wise to help the most radical left winger in US history elected President by relentlessly attacking his opponents with a barrage of selected half-truths, doesn't think it is a priority that the 1,300 health insurance programs who control payments for most private medical services in the US are not allowed to freely compete nationwide as all other insurance programs have to do. ----- Sure I want insurance companies to be able to sell insurance across state lines. When did I said I was against it? It would not have helped me when I had my injury though, because I was able to get medical treatment within the state I was visiting - I just had to drive 2.5 hours to a nearby city with a busted shoulder to get it. Maybe the problem is that there are 1300 health insurance programs around. The damn system is so fragmented and inefficient. One of the biggest strikes against a government system is that there can be very little incentive to control costs, specfically because the govenment can in theory "print" unlimited amounts of money to fund it. No private company can compete against the Government of the United States. As for the US elections that you keep shedding tears about, last time I checked, I was not supporting Obama - not that I liked Bimbo Palin either. My choice was Republican candidate Ron Paul. He is one of the few who as a good grasp of economics, history while lacking the illusions of reckless foreign empire building like the previous administration. The fact remains that the mostly incompetent and sometimes, immoral and anti-constitutional policies of the Cheney administration led to vast disillusment of the US replublican party, leading to an extreme counter revolt by the US electorate and hence the current left leaning US president. This is a normal self/over correcting mechanism that happens in most functioning democracies, including India. If only the same would take place in Goa! Never mind, in Goan politics, there is no choice between left or right, but rather a choice between corrupt and communal. Marlon
