Quote:
Originally Posted by Azure
The only thing they don't rank is cost, but based on what zuluking said there is no real difference in cost.
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I have to tell you, I almost stopped reading there. What you're saying is that they don't rank the only criterion that I was ever talking about, EVER. I'll say this again: Universal, single-payer health care is more efficient. I await actual evidence to the contrary. No more beating around the bush, no more goalposts. You said I was "simply wrong"--but the only evidence you could provide required you to distort my argument beyond recognition. So, since you called me out, let's see your evidence. My guess is, you haven't got any--and that's fine. But in that case, all you have is your supposition that somehow, two-tier health care would result in huge cost-savings across the board in Alberta. This just amounts to magical thinking: because you prefer idea X therefore the stars will align to make it a better idea than the evidence would suggest.
I'm even more puzzled by your claim that the U.S. is NOT a two-tier system. (I'll leave alone the fact that you are again distorting my words by claiming that I'm somehow holding them up as a "good" example) Your claim is that they're not two-tier because they have "so much frickin' red tape."
News flash: they have a lot of red tape
because they have a two-tier, multi-payer system. You're trying to move the goalposts again, but you've run out of field.
The fact that you
keep moving the goal posts just tells me that you already secretly agree with me, and are just waiting for the opportunity to say so without losing face. Well, go ahead: I won't think less of you. Here, I'll even start by saying some of the things that we clearly agree on:
1. Few health care systems around the world are less efficient than the one in the U.S., which provides horrible access but costs nearly twice as much as a percentage of GDP than other developed nations.
2. The inefficiency in the U.S. is largely due to unnecessary bureaucracy.
3. Some health care systems are two-tier. Some are multipayer. Both of these create more bureaucracy because they add complexity.
4. Canada has a multi-payer system, but universal access to most services.
5. The U.S. is multi-payer
and two-tier.
6. We should not try to be more like them. That would be
very, very foolish. And that's generally the model that is proposed by reformers on the right in Alberta. If you have a different one, let's hear it.