This is why we need single payer health care

[JLee]

In what other business can you walk in, have no idea of the price of the goods or service, purchase said goods and services, and have a third party negotiate the price for you. I have no idea why this is acceptable in the healthcare world and no where else.

You struck a nerve there.  There have been many times I've had routine blood tests ordered by the doctor.  I show up and get it done.  Invariably, the people there have no idea what it costs.  In the past, I've had some of them say," You have insurance don't you?"  It is as if you should not even consider the cost if an insurer is paying for it. 

Although I am in favor of publicly funded medicine, this attitude is one of my fears that would ruin it.  I think people should bear some of the cost.  This would also help prevent people from running to the doctor for relatively insignificant problems.  I don't want my tax dollars to be paying for folks that leach from an otherwise good system.

I do not know about public water systems, but I am quite certain that FERC (now called the Federal Energy Regulatory Corporation) would make the municiipal electric works comply with the rules of ANSI C2, the National Electric Safety Code (NESC).    ((Not to be confused with the NEC))  FERC also has certain maintenance rules that must be complied with.  This is to ensure safety and reliability.  These facilities may, in fact, be better maintained since they operate in the public interest rather than the profit motive.

The other side of that coin is that if health care was not expensive, preventative care may become more commonly used and it would end up saving money in the long run.

[pecunia]

The other side of that coin is that if health care was not expensive, preventative care may become more commonly used and it would end up saving money in the long run

You Bet - There is evidence that this is the case in other countries.  It's been my experience that a doctor will tell you to lose weight and hand you a poorly copied diet that you could have obtained on the internet.  I guess they get little dietary training in medical school.

An ounce of prevention is worth a lb of cure.

I am not sure our junk food industry would be in favor of these effects of socialized medicine.

[MasterStache]

I am all for single payer. Its one the major reasons I liked Bernie Sanders.

But, admittedly a very small part of me thinks we deserve the healthcare system we have because as a developed nation, we absolutely suck at food (to play on the MMM version that we all suck at money).

[Hula Hoop]

All I can say is that health care is one of the main reasons I never moved back to the US.  I was very sick about 9 years ago so I have a major pre-existing condition.   The Italian health care system is not perfect but when I was very sick it was there for me and I got excellent treatment that did not bankrupt me.  We are both getting older and I can't imagine going back to a system where a major health issue could jeopardize my finances.


Here in Italy, emergency health care is free - even to people who are not resident here (like tourists).  I was in the ER a few years ago and there was an American tourist there who had fallen over and broken her nose in a restaurant.  Since the doctor didn't really speak English, I stepped in the translate.  The doctor was amazed as the woman was more stressed out about how she was going to pay for her treatment at the hospital than about the pain she was in.  He kept saying (and I kept translating) that emergency healthcare is free in Italy so it will cost $0 but she just didn't believe it.  Crazy.

[RetiredAt63]

I am also boggled (in reference to something earlier) by private prisons.  Some things should be done by government.

[pecunia]

Retired at 63:

.I am also boggled (in reference to something earlier) by private prisons.  Some things should be done by government.

ditto