Cowen: My worry is that U.S. national health insurance will be used to win votes, and not to correct micro-imperfections in the insurance market. Let's say that you are a left-wing blogger, and, for purposes of argument, that your entire critique of the Bush Administration is correct. Remember, this guy was re-elected. You are relying on these very same voters, and this very same "policy correction mechanism" to make politicians accountable for a well-functioning health care system.Okay, but the most egregious part to Cowen's idiocy is right out in the open. Go back and read it again:
Angelica: Erm...that's a new one. Yeah, sure nationalized healthcare is good policy and might work elsewhere, but the American people are especially feeble-minded. How else can you explain Bush's re-election? (Well, actually I suppose Tyler's got a point there...)
By doing a minimum amount of digging on google, I see that the per capita GDP in Taiwan is $25,300, in contrast to our per capita GDP of $40,100. And of that much-lower GDP, they only spend about 6% of it on healthcare in total, as opposed to 15% for the United States. Yet they manage to cover the primary healthcare of all Taiwanese including dental, while about 45 million U.S. citizens remain uninsured.
My worry is that U.S. national health insurance will be used to win votes, and not to correct micro-imperfections in the insurance market. Let's say that you are a left-wing blogger, and, for purposes of argument, that your entire critique of the Bush Administration is correct. Remember, this guy was re-elected. You are relying on these very same voters, and this very same "policy correction mechanism" to make politicians accountable for a well-functioning health care system.Did you catch it? How about now:
My worry is that U.S. national health insurance will be used to win votes, and not to correct micro-imperfections in the insurance market.Micro-imperfections? There are 45 million Americans who lack any health insurance whatsoever, and whose life expectancy is shorter as a result. 45 million people dying early is a "micro-imperfection"? Tyler Cowen can go to hell. Here are some facts about the 45 million "micro-imperfections" that Cowen is okay with, from CampusProgress:
45 million uninsured Americans is more than..."Micro-imperfections", each and every one.
• All Americans age 65 and older (35.9 million)
• All African Americans (37.1 million)
• All Hispanic or Latino Americans (39.9 million)
• 12 million more than the population of Canada (32.2 million)
• Nearly 5 million more than the population of Spain (40.2 million)
• 20 million more than the population of Iraq (24.7 million)
• Nearly five times more than the number of Americans living with cancer (9.2 million in 2001)
• 2.5 times higher than the number of Americans with diabetes (18.2 million in 2002)
• 7 million more people than those living with HIV throughout the world (38 million)
There are...
• Nearly 150 uninsured Americans for each physician in America
• Nearly 7,500 uninsured Americans for each hospital in America
• Over 84,000 uninsured Americans for each Member of Congress
What a douche.
2 comments:
In defence of Tyler, I think when he said micro-imperfections he meant "microeconomic imperfections" as opposed to "macroeconomic imperfections." Microeconomics is the study of individual (firms or people) economic behavior. And as the whole economy is made up of individuals, "micro-imperfections" could be significant indeed.
But given Cowen's style, I would not be surprised if he chose to say "micro-imperfections" as opposed to "microeconomic-perfections" precisely because the double meaning allows him minimize the significance of the blotch on his beloved markets while giving him an out if anyone calls bullshit.
Saying "45 million uninsured Americans" is actually still underestimating the problem as even Americans with insurance can have financial difficulties using it.
When teaching in Florida I had what would be considered a decent healthcare plan. However, it still became a significant financial burden anytime I had to use that healthcare plan as even with a plan there are still co-pays that must be paid every time a service is used. When you're getting by on a first-year teacher's salary having to pay $40 to see your doctor, paying $50 to then get referred to a specialist, and then $20 for each prescription that results can be a hardship (and if you're a first year teacher you're going to be using those healthcare benefits a LOT). Often I would put off seeing a doctor just because it was going to going to cost so much.
If even the people who HAVE insurance sometimes can't afford to use it and there's millions who don't even have insurance at all then that's a massive imperfection as far as I'm concerned.
What's so sad is so many people I worked with in the US (a pile of Bush supporters, might I add) thought that the Canadian system was so bizarre. I guess it must be because the word "socialized" was involved... I still have yet to understand why Americans are so afraid of that word.
(Hope you don't mind some commentary on an older post... it's a subject that rather close to home and Ian only just gave me the link to your Blog the other day. May I never have to use the American healthcare system again!)
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