Decius wrote:

] More people with treatable illnesses will die, but warbling
] about that is a bunch of liberal bullshit. Its possible that
] one might argue that as technology advances it no longer makes
] sense for everyone to have access to top notch care, and that
] the level of care that people receive will not regress. I have
] some sympathy for that perspective, but I don't beleive it. I
] think the level of care will regress. Anyone who gets an
] expensive and suitably rare condition will be shuffled out of
] the system by any means available because our society really
] does not care. The system will move from treating sick people
] via insurance to providing maintainance to people who aren't
] sick. There is simply a lot more money in it.

And this will drive medical out-sourcing for the middle class. Its already happening. Why pay $4,000 for elective Lasik surgery in the US, when you can fly to Thailand for about $1,000 round trip, stay basically for free on a beach in paradise because its so cheap, and have the procedure done for $1,000, with identical equipment that your American doctor would have used, by western trained doctors? I mention that example because I met a women yesterday who did just that. She was thrilled with the experience, and the money she saved on the procedure is allowing her to see all of India.

Another example: Dental tourism is hot in Goa right now. Dentists here have all the latest equipment, and are very skilled. This is going to grow, and expand beyond health tourism. We are going to make healthcare unaffordable, so that all but the most critical and immediate healthcare needs (where you can't be medivaced), or those that are trivial and thus affordable, will be accompanied by a plane ride to a developing nation, for those who can afford a few thousand dollars.

Hell, I think you can get brain surgery in Bombay/Mumbai for $10-15K by a very talented surgeon. At the high end of Indian medicine, survival and complication rates are comparable to those in the US. Compare that to the price tag for brain surgery in the US, and you get what I'm talking about.

We're going to lose another industry. Go India. Christ, I'm reminded of Neuromancer, where everyone comes to Japan to get their elective cyborg surgeries.

RE: Decoding Health Insurance