From: rwh@moose.cccs.umn.edu (RICHARD HOFFBECK)
Subject: Re: Is Microsoft the next Standard Oil?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Reply-To: rwh@moose.cccs.umn.edu
Organization: Colon Cancer Control Study, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 15:23:00 GMT

In article <1992Dec31.140006.5472@wam.umd.edu>, rsrodger@wam.umd.edu (Yamanari) writes:
> In article <1992Dec30.193602.12123@spang.Camosun.BC.CA> dbarker@spang.Camosun.BC.CA (Deryk Barker) writes:
> >helz@ecn.purdue.edu (Randall A Helzerman) writes:
> >: In article <1992Dec29.193954.27752@spang.Camosun.BC.CA>, dbarker@spang.Camosun.BC.CA (Deryk Barker) writes:
> >: |> I don't think that's what I said. The fact is that your free market
> >: |> system fails to provide some 25% of your population with any medical
> >: |> care whatsoever.
> >: 
> >: I'll repeat myself and please read it this time, WE DON'T HAVE A FREE
> >: MARKET IN HEALTH CARE.  We have a "mixed system" in which the federal 
> >: goverment pays for and therefore mandates 60% of the health care. 
> >
> >No need to shout. If you examine those countries whose health care is
> >the envy of the rest of the world, you will find not only that they do
> >not espouse a free market in health care, but that the entire health
> >care system is run by the government. Case closed.
>  
>  
> 	What, the German system that is in desparate need of reform due
> 	to rising costs?  Or do you mean the Canadian system--you know, 
> 	the same one that has it's patients coming down to the US
> 	to get CT scans, MRI's and bone scans done because Canada
> \	has insufficient hardware?

In spite of that fact Canadians, on the average, are healthier and live 
longer than those of us south of the border.  Its called managed health
care.

>  
> 	The other day (about three weeks ago) I went to the doctor because
> 	my knee was immobile.  So, the doctor took some xrays and determined
> 	that we needed anMRI done because there was obvious swelling, but
> 	nothing to be seen on the xrays.  So I called the MRI center to schedule
> 	an appointment.  "When would you like to come?" "Oh, well, when are
> 	times available?"  "*Oh, anytime, just about."

That's nice :-( Do you have a clue what it costs to maintain that level of
excess capacity?  I'd like my own lane on the freeway but I doubt that society
will pay for it. Maybe Canada could use a few more scanners, but don't you
think that when most major US cities, Minneapolis-St. Paul for one, have more
scanners than the entire Canadian medical system things have gotten just a bit
out of hand!

>  
> 	Thank you, yes--theUS does need reform.  Medicare reform.  Insurance
> 	reform.  But I'd rather have a system o' plenty than a deficient
> 	system o' "let's all wait in lines like shoppers in a soviet
> 	supermarket".

We can't afford a system of plenty. Reform is going to entail all of us
getting less medical service, having fewer options and waiting longer for the
service we get, i.e. there is no free lunch.

To at least have one on topic paragraph.  Do the folks who fear having Novell,
Lotus, Borland, et al becoming extinct think we should maybe lobby for some
form of software subsidy program?  We spend billions to keep the 'family'
farm from becoming extinct.  Maybe we could do the same for software so 
traditional software like CP/M or VisiCalc could be competitive with NT,
OS/2 and Excel :-(

--rick

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Richard Hoffbeck               INTERNET: rwh@moose.cccs.umn.edu |
| Colon Cancer Control Study     ATT     : (612) 627-4151         |
| University of Minnesota        CIS     : 72406,521              |
| Minneapolis, MN 55455                                           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+


Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy