Our Future Under the Federal Thumb

It's Not So Pretty

By Daiwa on February 10, 2009 5:19:08 PM from

Daiwa

Join Date 07/2001

+191

I'm not a particular fan of the American Medical Association. In my view, it is too enmeshed with currying favor with the federal government (also known as partnering) to be an effective advocate for either patients or physicians. But occasionally the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) publishes some worthwhile reading. The latest issue has a commentary about the collision of scientific principles with interest-group advocacy politics and an editorial about the futility of central or top-down micromanagement, which are very interesting and say a lot about the future of healthcare, in particular our ability (or lack thereof) to make informed decisions for ourselves, in our increasingly federalized system.

I can't republish the articles here but the references (links) for those interested are:

Science, Politics, and Values: The Politicization of Professional Practice Guidelines
Kraemer and Gostin
JAMA. 2009; 301: 665-667.

The Elusive Quest for Quality and Cost Savings in the Medicare Program
John Z. Ayanian, MD, MPP
JAMA. 2009; 301(6): 668-670.

Another interesting article on what's coming thanks to H.R. 1.

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In a bit of fortuitous timing, the lovely Lady Ann writes today, as only she can, about the 'benefits' of this Trojan Horse known as H.R. 1.

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I know there are some serious people out there willing to read a little bit.

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The federal thumb is rapidly enlarging, from the 'civilian military force' in case we need to 'restore order,' to the regulation of content of all forms of media in case an epidemic of common sense breaks out.

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A rather sobering article for those who still believe government can do it better & who continue to push for Nationalized Healthcare.

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It's disquieting that nobody has any interest in these issues.

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A year later. We now have this lovely example of what we will have to look forward to if BO manages to somehow ram it down our throats.

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I saw that article on Drudge. Do not expect it to make it to the rest of the MSM. If they print it, they run the risk of a scolding from Obama.

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Looks like BO intends to try laying the biggest thumb in history on us. The cartoon at the bottom cuts too close to the bone to be funny.

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This is the first time I've seen this topic hit the first page.

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I wish I could say I was making this stuff up.

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He must feel terribly out of place, but there remains one sane columnist at Newsweek.

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What to look forward to when 'mandates' fail to force everyone under the thumb.

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Not related to health care directly, but another example of the increasing heaviness of that thumb.

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Back to health care. Once they believe they are footing the bill, there is nothing they can't find a way to justify.

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Ah, but that quaint, trite 'goose, gander' thing.

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It ain't like anybody warned us this would happen or anything.

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It's certainly working out well in the Massachusetts test run (thanks Mitt!).

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Another wonderfully concise article by Thomas Sowell. The money quote:

Elites may have more brilliance, but those who make decisions for society as a whole cannot possibly have as much experience as the millions of people whose decisions they preempt. The education and intellects of the elites may lead them to have more sweeping presumptions, but that just makes them more dangerous to the freedom, as well as the well-being, of the people as a whole.

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Thomas Sowell's error in logic is the first part - "May have more brilliance". Einstein was recognized as a genius, yet he was an idiot when it came to economics. Likewise, my Doctor is great in his treatment of me, but I would not let him touch my car or computer.

The truly brilliant people are those who know that they know not.

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He's not positing it as a given. Hence the term 'may'. And his whole point is that brilliance alone confers no guarantees of common sense or competence.

I had a partner at one time who was 'brilliant' by most people's definition - board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. One Monday (early '90's) she let us know how proud she was of the vehicle purchase she had made over the weekend.

She told us how she'd spent considerable time studying safety ratings of family vans as she had small kids & wanted the most highly rated one. She was also frugal, so she wanted to purchase a used one in good condition. After completing her research, she had decided on a Ford Windstar, so went to a local Ford dealer & asked to see his inventory of used vans. She settled on one & bought it.

She wanted to show it off when we left the office for lunch that day so we accompanied her to do the courteous thing & Ooh/Ahh over her new/used Ford Windstar. Only one problem: it was a Chevy Aerostar.

When we gently informed her of that fact, a shocked look of disbelief crossed her face and she said (I kid you not), "Wait a minute. I bought it at a Ford Dealer. How could he sell me a Chevy?"

The topper: She actually took it back to the dealer that evening & got a Windstar. Not sure what explanation she gave, but I'd love to have been there to hear it.

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Not sure what explanation she gave, but I'd love to have been there to hear it.

hey! the story was good enough!

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The answer to 'skyrocketing' healthcare costs has been right under their noses all along and is incredibly simple. But why do that when we can spend a few trillion dollars trying to stuff a square peg in a round hole.

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Quoting Daiwa,

reply 23

The health care law does nothing to stop rising costs. Indeed, it is designed to increase them. The answer, as the article points out, is to simply stop going to doctors for hang nails. But the current law will not stop that, it will exacerbate it.

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Time for a little more necrophilia.

The skyscraper in the corner:

Healthcare, Simplified

Is a printout of all (just) the regulations issued pursuant to the "Affordable" Care Act (Obamacare) as of late last week. An additional 882 pages were released the following day. The above printout does not include the 2000 or so pages of the law itself. Many regulations authorized have yet to be promulgated in print, so there's who knows how many more pages to come.

I know I look forward to the simplification of healthcare embodied in that pile. /sarc

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