Insurance and IVF

[MeowingCows]

But if we go to single-payer that's not a monopoly just because its the feds? The same feds that got scammed for $200B of fraud in the covid loan programs?

(I actually like single-payer in theory, but in practice I don't trust the USG to do it very well at all)

Health care is super complicated. Anything you change, causes problems and unintended consequences somewhere else.

e.g. requiring coverage for something raises demand for that something, which will in turn raise the price and delay the service because supply hasn't changed. Which in turn requires premiums to go up to cover not just the additional volume, but also the price increases. Not good. Reverse it- don't cover that service at all, demand falls because less people can afford it. That should cause prices to decrease. But there will be a lot of people that can't get the service at all. Also not good. Is there a balance to find? If so, how?

It's a big messy challenge, and there are no simple answers.

You need a single payer that is not motivated by profit. None other exists worldwide in this industry that isn't tied to a citizenry-accountable government.

Until that changes, the US will continue playing Monopoly with health insurance and healthcare outcomes while pretending it's Candyland and nobody else out there has it better... despite ample evidence that many places already do.

Healthcare is just about the only field in existence where America has collectively decided that it simply cannot do better than everyone else and refuses to try. Exceptionalism at its finest.

 

[nfrine]

Same as utilities.

Every $1 spent on advertising by your sole-source choice gas company, is $1.07 you pay to your sole-source choice gas company.

MidAmerican Energy (Field) says hello....

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Ah yes, we had the same medical and technological capabilities 100 years ago as we do today.

We can solve the IVF problem with bloodletting and limb amputations. Recommend tobacco products and cocaine as medicines during the procedures.

We actually have cocaine in the hospital still and it’s still used although not as frequently

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Many many many procedures are covered that are about quality of life and not ability to live. Erectile dysfunction. Joint replacements.

Totally agree with your point but wouldn’t personally put joint replacements in that category.

 

[GMackey32]

We actually have cocaine in the hospital still and it’s still used although not as frequently

Side note: We had 100% pure caffeine powder in a lab I worked in after college. Stuff terrified me.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Side note: We had 100% pure caffeine powder in a lab I worked in after college. Stuff terrified me.

Same actually and they were very lax with letting us have access to it

 

[GMackey32]

Same actually and they were very lax with letting us have access to it

Nothing like having pure caffeine powder and perchloric acid in the same room in the lab. You just pray the fume hood doesn't quit while you're working with it.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

It makes sense to include for big tech because the people they pull in are more likely to utilize.

Also our insurance is typically seen as the best amongst the big tech. In fact I don't technically pay a dime as they fund my HSA over my max deductible/out of pocket (probably some weird tax breaks they get doing it that way).

 

[FancyRex]

People seem to forget that a monopolist company already has the resources to price out any other upcoming competition. It's too late. They have the economic scale necessary to eat full losses on product sales just long enough to sink any other disrupter.

Paging ticket master. Are you there ticket master?

 

[Cyclonepride]

This is a really interesting take, explain for the rest of the class how it was "nimble competition" and not government regulations that ended the Standard Oil and AT&T monopolies.

Should have “would have” (barring active cooperation with the regulators, which is often a root of the problem.

 

[FancyRex]

There’s always a chance you can get diabetes, somewhat common with older people. Always a chance that a medical condition can happen to you. If I choose to not cover IVF because I don’t want to have kids, when would my life be at risk from not having that covered?

Again.

What happens to the people who need it? I want you to answer that question. I've asked it like 4 times and you refuse to answer it.

 

[FancyRex]

You know that Medicare has several choices to chose from, right?

Welcome to supporting a single payer system

 

[bluestarcyclone]

Side note: We had 100% pure caffeine powder in a lab I worked in after college. Stuff terrified me.

 

[FancyRex]

Microsoft basically saved Apple from bankruptcy because it was the only thing keeping them from total monopoly in the mid to late 90s. It was a no brainer for them because at the time it was only token competition anyway.

Computer OS in the 90s was a pretty big thing to dominate so thoroughly.

You could make arguments that Microsoft to this day largely dominates the OS market.

Apple is extremely niche in industry application

 

[FancyRex]

Side note: We had 100% pure caffeine powder in a lab I worked in after college. Stuff terrified me.

I heard someone died from ingesting that stuff at ISU.

 

[GMackey32]

The LD50 of pure caffeine is crazy. Something like 200 mg per kg of body weight. So if a hundred men all weighing 220 pounds ingested 20 grams of pure caffeine, you'd expect half of them to die.

 

[GMackey32]

Should have “would have” (barring active cooperation with the regulators, which is often a root of the problem.

Wait, you think regulators are the problem?

 

[3TrueFans]

The LD50 of pure caffeine is crazy. Something like 200 mg per kg of body weight. So if a hundred men all weighing 220 pounds ingested 20 grams of pure caffeine, you'd expect half of them to die.

I like those odds.

 

[FancyRex]

Wait, you think regulators are the problem?

If only the regulators had all of their regulations available to the general public so we could find these exact corrupt regulators and regulations. (Fun fact. The FDA posts every single warning letter they issue on their website for public consumption and their regulations are publicly available.)

 

[GMackey32]

I like those odds.

You should try your luck with botulinum toxin.