Prescription Meds Cost
- Thread starter frankiesayswhat
- Start date
EdRooney
Registered
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2009
- Messages
- 1,137
- Likes
- 2,065
Sure perhaps all the other countries in the developed world are incredibly more advanced and thus capable of this super-human and intricately complex feat, and it's just folks in the US who cannot do what every one else has done.
*raucous laughter ensues*
Then again, it will take certain efforts that estadounidienses have consistently disdained: organising, working together, refusing to be ruled by an elite, democracy... Not complex, but not for the lazy either.
*raucous laughter ensues*
Then again, it will take certain efforts that estadounidienses have consistently disdained: organising, working together, refusing to be ruled by an elite, democracy... Not complex, but not for the lazy either.
nlaruccia
Registered
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2010
- Messages
- 2,005
- Likes
- 1,432
Health care should be a human right, but in Argentina you have people coming from all over the place to use the free health care and not pay taxes. Hence, bankruptcy. I was surprised the first time I traveled to Australia, to discover that you have to buy health insurance in order to enter the country. They have private and public health care but if you want to use the public health care you better be paying taxes. Otherwise you have a ton of illegal immigrants abusing the system that hard working, tax and law abiding people pay for.
Matiasba
Registered
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2012
- Messages
- 2,298
- Likes
- 1,069
The "theres no money" it should never be a problem.
How does the state work everywhere? how can we have enormous states, in Europe, in China, some in Latin America? where do they get the money from?
Simply: from taxes.
So you re saying the US, the land where the richest fortunes have been made, the country that represents like 50% of the world wealth can not tax?
How does the state work everywhere? how can we have enormous states, in Europe, in China, some in Latin America? where do they get the money from?
Simply: from taxes.
So you re saying the US, the land where the richest fortunes have been made, the country that represents like 50% of the world wealth can not tax?
EdRooney
Registered
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2009
- Messages
- 1,137
- Likes
- 2,065
Sorry Matìas, that's incorrect; you are applying an Argentine solution to a US problem.
The problem with the US healthcare system is not a lack of revenue, it's exorbitant costs. If you raise more money to throw at the problem, the costs will just go up accordingly, and you will be right back where you started.
They do not need to raise more taxes; they need to make basic policy changes to better allocate their resources, and that will save them money.
The problem with the US healthcare system is not a lack of revenue, it's exorbitant costs. If you raise more money to throw at the problem, the costs will just go up accordingly, and you will be right back where you started.
They do not need to raise more taxes; they need to make basic policy changes to better allocate their resources, and that will save them money.
Matiasba
Registered
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2012
- Messages
- 2,298
- Likes
- 1,069
Argentine solution?!?!?! Argentina taxes NOTHING compared with big European States, like the UK, Sweden, Germany, etc...
DontMindMe
Registered
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2011
- Messages
- 561
- Likes
- 550
Huh, interesting. I wasn't aware that the government was doing that, but I'm certainly not surprised. When I was running around I got confirmation that one medicine was from another country and unavailable city-wide. The guy said it had been en falta for a while and that it was unlikely that I was going to be able to find it anywhere. Indeed, I did not. The other, the heart medication, was manufactured in Sweden by AstraZeneca, so that's why I assumed it was an issue of import restriction as well. But I didn't ask about that one because by that point I just wanted my tour of pharmacies that take Medicus to end so I could go home and take the damn medicine already!
EdRooney
Registered
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2009
- Messages
- 1,137
- Likes
- 2,065
OK let me be more specific:
In Argentina, one of the huge problems is tax evasion. This is a drag on the economy because it hampers the government's ability to control the money supply (and thus inflation), which means that less money can be spent on things like healthcare, education, buitres, etc. without having inflation spin further out of control.
Therefore, the common response here is: we need to plug the holes in the revenue system, so that we can use that money to fund the projects we would like to implement. Let's make sure people pay their taxes!
On the other hand, if we were to transpose this solution to the US: suddenly we get Amazon to pay taxes, Mitt Romney to bring his money back from the Caymans, Boeing gets taxed on its profits, Warren Buffet has to pay more than his secretary... Now we have a whole lot more money in the treasury, and decide to spend it into the healthcare system. The pharmaceutical companies say: great you want to spend 3x as much money? Fantastic, here's a 300% price increase. The insurance companies do the same, the overpaid doctors do the same... and we're still spending the same 20% of GDP on crappy sub-standard healthcare.
In Argentina, this wouldn't be a problem because there is public healthcare, so the state is able to keep the costs charged by pharmaceutical firms, insurance bureaucracy, doctors down to a reasonable level.*
That's why I said the solutions are different for the 2 countries; they have 2 different sets of problems.
*at least in theory; we can talk about what happened with the Illia presidency another day.
In Argentina, one of the huge problems is tax evasion. This is a drag on the economy because it hampers the government's ability to control the money supply (and thus inflation), which means that less money can be spent on things like healthcare, education, buitres, etc. without having inflation spin further out of control.
Therefore, the common response here is: we need to plug the holes in the revenue system, so that we can use that money to fund the projects we would like to implement. Let's make sure people pay their taxes!
On the other hand, if we were to transpose this solution to the US: suddenly we get Amazon to pay taxes, Mitt Romney to bring his money back from the Caymans, Boeing gets taxed on its profits, Warren Buffet has to pay more than his secretary... Now we have a whole lot more money in the treasury, and decide to spend it into the healthcare system. The pharmaceutical companies say: great you want to spend 3x as much money? Fantastic, here's a 300% price increase. The insurance companies do the same, the overpaid doctors do the same... and we're still spending the same 20% of GDP on crappy sub-standard healthcare.
In Argentina, this wouldn't be a problem because there is public healthcare, so the state is able to keep the costs charged by pharmaceutical firms, insurance bureaucracy, doctors down to a reasonable level.*
That's why I said the solutions are different for the 2 countries; they have 2 different sets of problems.
*at least in theory; we can talk about what happened with the Illia presidency another day.
I think you're missing my point. I never said that the US can't tax nor that the US doesn't spend enough on health care.
My point is simply that if you provided unlimited universal health care with no restrictions or limitations then the cost of doing so will increase to infinity.
Matiasba
Registered
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2012
- Messages
- 2,298
- Likes
- 1,069
Ok I understood what you meant originally and the problem of healthcare in the US. (and I think that you re right, but I dont know very much of that)
My post was to Phillip who said that there is no money, and I said that that should never be a problem, especially in the US. Not that I was saying that the solution to "healthcare" is more taxes, but the solution for "no money" is more taxes.
I too think that Argentinas problem is private corruption and thats even more important in numbers than public corruption. A lot bigger.
My post was to Phillip who said that there is no money, and I said that that should never be a problem, especially in the US. Not that I was saying that the solution to "healthcare" is more taxes, but the solution for "no money" is more taxes.
I too think that Argentinas problem is private corruption and thats even more important in numbers than public corruption. A lot bigger.
