taxes and health care

Is it just me or is any health care system, anywhere based on the assumption that a majority of people will get less than what they pay for in any given time frame so that a minority can get vastly more than they pay for? In other words if every person in great Britain availed themselves of even the minimum level of care, the system would be completely overwhelmed. Isn't that so? And isn't it also true, that having the government run the system does nothing to alter this fundamental flaw?

It's not a "flaw", it's the fundamental nature of a risk sharing pool. You do the same with homeowners insurance, auto insurance, life insurance, etc.

But stemming from this strange post of yours I am deriving a point: however you choose to share the risk (through government or through private means), it does nothing to change the underlying costs of delivering care.

The nation must face this simple fact: healthcare science & technology has gotten so advanced and expensive that it just flat out costs a buttload. You can bring down some costs, like malpractice claims, and if you simplified reimbursement you'd need far fewer financey people like me supporting providers. But ultimately, if you want drastic cost reduction the only way to get it is through drastic reductions in utilization. How?

1) Stay healthy.
2) If you're a vegetable just pull the plug.
3) If something hurts flat out suck it up.

All way easier said than done.

OK name any major goverment program that runs well, cost efficient, or has not not grown way out of wack.
the post office

schneed, i have a question. why does any other insurance offer price breaks for people that really dont use it. except for medical?

the post office
Stamps keep going up in price and have you been to a post office in the past 10 years? I order stamps by fax to avoid going to the post office and the mail man delievers them in a couple of days. The few times I do go there is always 3 people doing snail work and a very long line.

the only reason that the post office even works anymore (of course i would argue it doesn't) is because the load is reduced thanks to email faxing and a boatload of other technologies. Likewise, UPS ships 2 day ground, and I can track it with amazing accuracy, ship something USPS 2-3 day priority and try tracking it. Even if you pay for the ability too. Good luck
The government is meant to --- GOVERN, not efficiently run a business.

.42 cents for a letter to travel from coast to coast. cant beat that

.42 cents for a letter to travel from coast to coast. cant beat that

email works for me-fax does too.

Some people will be getting visits from Wilfred Brimley:

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schneed, i have a question. why does any other insurance offer price breaks for people that really dont use it. except for medical?

It's an incentive for less risky people to become customers. They're not going to use/abuse your service as much as other customers therefore they're the kind of customers that will help your bottom line. They're less likely to default, get into an accident, suffer health issues (life insurance), etc...cash-cow customers as opposed to deadbeat customers (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2Ftemplates%2Fstory%2 Fstory.php%3FstoryId%3D101152431&ei=8uW-SeC4KIqmsQOioIWvDA&usg=AFQjCNFY7B6ngKxRczI4Jd1xfwNwdtltWQ&sig2=3zhsey_XFdHyS51ZXd0eiA).

.42 cents for a letter to travel from coast to coast. cant beat that
Well OK it would be tough to say weater the Posat Service is good or bad but is that the best you can do with all that goverment does now days?