Originally Posted by
SomedayRJ
Even in the present economy we're better off than many other nations. One set of expenses that will need to be contained is healthcare costs, especially through Federally-guaranteed programs that can/will bankrupt the Republic in another 30 years. That doesn't mean that there aren't fundamental problems with the economy—but we're alright, all things considered.
The loss of pensions hurts but the real problem IS GOING TO BE HEALTHCARE SPENDING FOR RETIREES. Unless Congress takes action to better regulate the costs of healthcare or changes the provisions of Medicare/Medicaid, the rest of us working-age people are hosed.
You are right. Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies have proliferated a generation through offering "cures" for all sorts of this that may not even be sickness. Healthcare ethics have also added to this (i.e. homeless man needed triple bypass not paying for it, etc), especially malpractice lawsuits... often very liberal agendas that are in favor of free healthcare are in favor of laws that make it easier to sue a doctor for malpractice... this is of course a paradox that will need to be answered in the near future.
SomedayRJ... as much as I agree with you about everything else, I would have to disagree with you about regulating the healthcare industry...The market must naturally pop the inflated healthcare bubble... If someone can't pay for something, they just simply can't pay for it, if more people can't pay for rising costs.. the costs will have to come back down to what a consumer can pay for... healthcare is the most extreme case, the personal cost is unfortunate...however people have been without groundbreaking medicine in the past and they will need to again until the market stabilizes. Asking for government regulations is opening pandora's box for everyone. Americans simply overuse healthcare, especially on things that simply could be prevented (i.e. obesity, smoking, etc). Regulations will not prevent this if it isn't taken to the end of the market.
The Great Republic has been bankrupt, at least since the FDR administration.