The US Free Market
Submitted by Peter McCaffrey on 2 June 2009 - 1:27pmThe main argument against a free market health system is usualy the simple claim of:
"Look how bad the US is."
Unfortunately, in the same way everyone claims that the banking system in the US was unregulated, this argument assumes that the US health system is a free market and doesn't bother to prove it.
Here is a video (from 1993 - things are even worse now) that neatly shows just how free the US health system really is:
July 21st, 2009 at 5:25pm
To What extent Are ACT policies truly free market?
To what extent would you regulate insurance and drugs, keep Pharmac going, maintain state funding with bureaucratic criteria etc. etc?
August 12th, 2009 at 2:23am
Hey Sally,
ACT's policy can be found here:
http://www.act.org.nz/health-policy
It allows the public to opt out of the current system, and get a tax-rebate to the amount that they spend on health insurance.
It's not completely libertarian, as it keeps the existing system in place (at least until everyone realises how bad it is by comparison) and of course a tax-rebate is never quite as good as a tax-cut.
However, the private side of the opt out system would be pretty much free market with the government only really playing a regulatory role, ensuring hospitals are safe. (Though maybe we don't need that either? Who would want to go to an unsafe hospital?)
August 23rd, 2009 at 2:19am
hey anyone know where this lecture came from im keen 2 see more addicted2hayek@mises.com
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