Remember When the VA Healthcare System Was Held Up As a Model of Efficient Care?

[MediumTex]

I guess maybe that system wasn't quite as efficient as some people thought it was.

In light of recent disclosures of tragic incompetence in the management of the VA healthcare system, we are reminded once again that you get what you pay for.

[dualstow]

Tragic situation.

[Pointedstick]

Yeah, I remember back during the Obamacare debate, before it was passed, how they were talking about how we already had government-run health care in the form of the VA system. Oops.

Every time I have this kind of discussion with someone who is in favor of putting the U.S. government in charge of health care, either in the form of a single-payer system or even something like the UK's NHS, my response is always to remind them of colossal incompetence of the U.S. government. Interestingly, I have never had anyone challenge this; pretty much everyone agrees!

At that point they usually bemoan this and point to the supposedly more competent, effective and efficient governments of other countries; often Sweden is used as an example. However, whenever I ask, none of them seem to have any real plan for transforming the U.S. government into one that looks more like the supposedly better Swedish government. So then I ask why they still want to put a government they acknowledge is incredibly stupid and incompetent in charge of everyone's health care. At that point, they usually start ranting about how evil Republicans are, sometimes implying that I must be one for not agreeing with them.

I have had this conversations many times and it almost always goes this way.

[Mountaineer]

I guess maybe that system wasn't quite as efficient as some people thought it was.

In light of recent disclosures of tragic incompetence in the management of the VA healthcare system, we are reminded once again that you get what you pay for.

And, we are reminded once again that you get what you vote for.

... Mountaineer

[Benko]

Yeah, I remember back during the Obamacare debate, before it was passed, how they were talking about how we already had government-run health care in the form of the VA system. Oops.

Every time I have this kind of discussion with someone who is in favor of putting the U.S. government in charge of health care, either in the form of a single-payer system or even something like the UK's NHS, my response is always to remind them of colossal incompetence of the U.S. government. Interestingly, I have never had anyone challenge this; pretty much everyone agrees!

At that point they usually bemoan this and point to the supposedly more competent, effective and efficient governments of other countries; often Sweden is used as an example. However, whenever I ask, none of them seem to have any real plan for transforming the U.S. government into one that looks more like the supposedly better Swedish government. So then I ask why they still want to put a government they acknowledge is incredibly stupid and incompetent in charge of everyone's health care. At that point, they usually start ranting about how evil Republicans are, sometimes implying that I must be one for not agreeing with them.

I have had this conversations many times and it almost always goes this way.

Implementation i.e. real world is not their strong point.  but they mean well.

[Mountaineer]

Yeah, I remember back during the Obamacare debate, before it was passed, how they were talking about how we already had government-run health care in the form of the VA system. Oops.

Every time I have this kind of discussion with someone who is in favor of putting the U.S. government in charge of health care, either in the form of a single-payer system or even something like the UK's NHS, my response is always to remind them of colossal incompetence of the U.S. government. Interestingly, I have never had anyone challenge this; pretty much everyone agrees!

At that point they usually bemoan this and point to the supposedly more competent, effective and efficient governments of other countries; often Sweden is used as an example. However, whenever I ask, none of them seem to have any real plan for transforming the U.S. government into one that looks more like the supposedly better Swedish government. So then I ask why they still want to put a government they acknowledge is incredibly stupid and incompetent in charge of everyone's health care. At that point, they usually start ranting about how evil Republicans are, sometimes implying that I must be one for not agreeing with them.

I have had this conversations many times and it almost always goes this way.

Reminds me of one of life's principles:  You can't win a pissing contest with a skunk.

... Mountaineer