User: Mike Liveright

THANKS... I expected you would be more "libertarian".

Re: your "Government has no right...", I'd wonder if it would be somewhat more acceptable if:

You would not have to purchase health insurance if you don't get subsidized health care, Emergency Rooms, Bankruptcy, Cost transferring, etc.. As I don't think America is willing to prevent the poorer uninsured to be left untreated, we are just breaking even in insuring them. and perhaps benefiting if their preventative treatment saves money in the long run. If one is rich enough so that they could cover all insured costs, then, of course, it seems reasonable that they would not have to purchase insurance, and could get their voucher back.

You can choose any Doctor, but an insurance company that prevents you from choosing a competent Doctor or getting a base level of treatment is not a "HealthCareUS insurance provider", and thus will not get the voucher.

Of course, I disagree with you, so I'd like to explore how far you feel the Government should not interfere with the Medical System. (My general idea is that unless one is willing to reduce the government's involvement a lot, then the HealthCareUS system is a reasonable way to improve what we have now satisfy our Humane and Economic objectives)

So should the Government try to withdraw, as rapidly as reasonable from

1) The Medicare/Medicaid/SCHIP system?

2) Requiring ER's to treat all who "need" care?

3) Permitting the AMA, etc. to require licensing medical care givers?

4) Permitting states to set standards for health insurance?

5) Setting standards for levels of health insurance, e.g. Specs?

6) Testing drugs and determining their Safety and Effectiveness? (FDA)

7) Preventing people from purchasing their drugs over the Internet from other countries?

8) Preventing people from purchasing and using Illegal, Abortion, or Euthanasia drugs?

9) Protecting the patents of Drug companies?

10) Requiring us to give Taxable income credit to the corporations and perhaps individuals who have medical expenses or insurance.

11) Controlling the Malpractice lawsuits and suits against Drug companies that satisfy the Government regulations for their drug testing

I'm sure that there are other ways that the State controls, subsidizes, etc. the medical system, Please add your own set that I have missed, and it seems to me that we both probably agree the current, impure, system has major problems. The way I look at it, you see BASIC Medical care as a normal Free Enterprise product which should not be control or paid for by others, where as I see it as a Social Good that should be regulated, paid for, and required to be transparent by the society.