Post by jacquelope on May 10, 2011 9:41:07 GMT -6
I swear, this "W.W" guy does seriously not get it.
www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/04/sacred_and_profane
This poster in the comments area nails it right to the wall (around page 2):
Edit:
And so did this poster:
www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/04/sacred_and_profane
This poster in the comments area nails it right to the wall (around page 2):
5NjnfaB2GL wrote: Apr 27th 2011 12:19 GMT
Has anyone here actually "shopped" for healthcare when under mental or emotional duress? That's what Krugman is getting at with the "special relationship"/touchy-feely stuff. When I need elective surgery, say a nose job, i take the time to research my surgeon, the procedure, the nose I want, whatever. When my doctor tells me I have a lump in my breast, I make like Nancy Reagan and say, "take it all, take 'em both, take 'em NOW." Not exactly an educated decision here, is it? It's the emotional decision-making model, and I'm willing to bet it's more SOP than any "consumerist" process. If we truly were "consumers" of healthcare (in the sense of following a rational decision-making process of evaluating treatments, docs, outcomes, cost, etc.,) why would we be spending 80% of our total healthcare costs in the last few years of our lives? Our bodies are breaking down then, and we want to live. Screw reason, spend the bucks. That's what PK is getting at. Docs understand that, even if their empathy is routinely trained out of them. To the extent that condescension occurs (and of course it does, on both sides), it's mostly a function of lived experience. PK has probably buried irrational but well-loved healthcare consumers. I don't know if WW has yet.
Has anyone here actually "shopped" for healthcare when under mental or emotional duress? That's what Krugman is getting at with the "special relationship"/touchy-feely stuff. When I need elective surgery, say a nose job, i take the time to research my surgeon, the procedure, the nose I want, whatever. When my doctor tells me I have a lump in my breast, I make like Nancy Reagan and say, "take it all, take 'em both, take 'em NOW." Not exactly an educated decision here, is it? It's the emotional decision-making model, and I'm willing to bet it's more SOP than any "consumerist" process. If we truly were "consumers" of healthcare (in the sense of following a rational decision-making process of evaluating treatments, docs, outcomes, cost, etc.,) why would we be spending 80% of our total healthcare costs in the last few years of our lives? Our bodies are breaking down then, and we want to live. Screw reason, spend the bucks. That's what PK is getting at. Docs understand that, even if their empathy is routinely trained out of them. To the extent that condescension occurs (and of course it does, on both sides), it's mostly a function of lived experience. PK has probably buried irrational but well-loved healthcare consumers. I don't know if WW has yet.
Edit:
And so did this poster:
Calivancouver wrote: Apr 27th 2011 3:42 GMT
I think you missed it. What krugman criticized was the efforts by republicans to treat healthcare as a commodity, something that is not necessary for human life. Something that if you simply raise the price then marginal customers will rationally choose to reallocate consumption, like a car or a steak. The fact that in such hugely inelastic markets where matters of life and death are regular, and decisions are often not made by rational, much less conscious 'consumers' IS relevant
I think you missed it. What krugman criticized was the efforts by republicans to treat healthcare as a commodity, something that is not necessary for human life. Something that if you simply raise the price then marginal customers will rationally choose to reallocate consumption, like a car or a steak. The fact that in such hugely inelastic markets where matters of life and death are regular, and decisions are often not made by rational, much less conscious 'consumers' IS relevant