Choice, both at the doctor level and at the plan level.
At least in theory, if I don't like the coverage I'm getting I can go buy a different plan. Now, because insurance is tied to employment (a bad thing), that's not always true in practice without spending huge piles of money, but the system does not preclude it. With socialized medicine, on the other hand, there is one plan, one standard of care, and if you don't like it that's too bad unless you're rich enough to go to another country for treatment (like some Canadians do in the US -- I wonder if they're lobbying against socialized medicine here 'cause it'll screw them up?).
My Canadian in-laws tell me that the waits for anything deemed "elective", no matter how severe, can be quite long. In a system where providers compete at least some, that time goes down.
I'd love it if we could reform health care in this country, kicking out the huge middlemen and letting people pay reasonable fees to doctors they choose. I don't think a one-size-fits-all plan is going to work, though.
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Date: 2006-03-08 04:31 am (UTC)At least in theory, if I don't like the coverage I'm getting I can go buy a different plan. Now, because insurance is tied to employment (a bad thing), that's not always true in practice without spending huge piles of money, but the system does not preclude it. With socialized medicine, on the other hand, there is one plan, one standard of care, and if you don't like it that's too bad unless you're rich enough to go to another country for treatment (like some Canadians do in the US -- I wonder if they're lobbying against socialized medicine here 'cause it'll screw them up?).
My Canadian in-laws tell me that the waits for anything deemed "elective", no matter how severe, can be quite long. In a system where providers compete at least some, that time goes down.
I'd love it if we could reform health care in this country, kicking out the huge middlemen and letting people pay reasonable fees to doctors they choose. I don't think a one-size-fits-all plan is going to work, though.