tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12257856.post3048939289317334802..comments2024-01-20T12:46:47.740-05:00Comments on To Get Rich is Glorious: Vet care vs. health careColinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03573575140584770666noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12257856.post-13267851104460656612009-07-14T22:13:35.624-04:002009-07-14T22:13:35.624-04:00Great thoughts, appreciated.Great thoughts, appreciated.Colinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03573575140584770666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12257856.post-73730015308260621152009-07-14T20:12:12.104-04:002009-07-14T20:12:12.104-04:00That's a major screw-up on the part of the AEI...That's a major screw-up on the part of the AEI. I know the thinking that went into that graph's layout as I run into it with work-related data all the time, they just remedied it in the wrong manner.<br /><br />If they had plotted the data on the same axis and used the absolute numbers they showed, it would have made comparisons very different given that human medical expenditures are several orders of magnitude different in size. The graph would have been illegible. Thus, they thought it would be better to plot on two different axes. The only time that makes sense is when one data set is showing periodic data while the other shows cumulative, or perhaps two data sets that are related but completely separated in magnitude and units (like engine torque and horsepower - a product of torque and speed - vs. engine speed on the x-axis).<br /><br />What AEI should have done is taken a common starting point, and normalized each data set by using that starting point as the baseline and all subsequent years as a percentage of that starting point. Because that's really what they are trying to show - the relative increase in costs from one year to the next.<br /><br />These are the "deep thoughts" that I have from spending way too much time in data as a Six Sigma black belt.<br /><br />Finally, while I agree with much of Josh's logic, I disagree with his semantics on health care. Basic health care is NOT a right - I challenge him to show me where in the Constitution it is defined as such. I only make this quibble because as Mary Ann Glendon points out in the book Rights Talk, even mis-phrasing things as rights has a skewing effect in discussing contentious issues with serious effects. If basic health care is a right, what is basic health care and how can someone deny another one of such care as that person sees fit if it is a right?Paradigm Shifterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16232345229349032268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12257856.post-17967001812086999302009-07-14T14:32:13.639-04:002009-07-14T14:32:13.639-04:00Why shouldn't healthcare get more expensive? A...Why shouldn't healthcare get more expensive? A lot of medical spending is on luxury services. As heartless as this is to say, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to save a patient with a 10% survival rate is a luxury. And I'm being generous and assuming that elective surgeries are left out of the calculations of growth in medical costs. I'm not sure they are and that would add even more luxury cost to the total bill.<br /><br />Why should we be surprised that as the nation became more affluent (and got to keep more of their paycheck), expenditures on luxury items increased. Over the last 20 years Americans have spent much more money on the non-essentials: larger houses, leasing expensive cars, etc. <br /><br />The concern shouldn't be overall spending. What we should worry about is: spending for <b>basic</b> care and burden on the taxpayer. If individuals, or their companies are paying for gold-plated care why should we care. We don't care about nice cars, trips, clothes, etc. In fact these things stimulate our economy. <br /><br />The current problem is the government is paying, either through Medicare or tax breaks for employers. Basic care is a right, expensive all-covered care is not. If there is an insurance firm that wants to cover the latest and greatest as part of your plan . . . so be it. Just don't provide tax incentives that drive employers to these plans.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16105605650445667269noreply@blogger.com