To each according to their needs, I guess is the philosophy behind this policy. The beneficiaries of these transfers are shown in the table below. The medical center is, in effect, double dipping, taking funds out of liberal arts tuition to pay for instruction, and also taking funds from the university s general fund to pay for federal research overhead. The power of the medical center is based on its ability to bankrupt the university overnight. The average medical center needs a large liberal arts college to support it.
All medical centers tend to be tremendous absorbers of cash.
What they give back in return is their immense prestige. It s a delicate relationship of parasite and host. A parasite mustn t drain its victim to the point of death, or both parasite and victim will perish. But, while we probably have the finest health system in the world if you are above a certain income level, it is also one of the worst, if you are below that level. Despite their reputation as healers, the medical profession has not done much to make doctors human, reduce costs, or make health care abundant for all segments of society.