The Future of Healthcare?

[Do you agree with the message of personal *health* accountability highlighted byt theMaclean's article?]

Do you agree with the message of personal *health* accountability highlighted byt theMaclean's article?

Yes.

No.

[TinaTina]

Interesting article in this week's Maclean's. 

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/health/article.jsp?content=20060424_125702_125702

The general theme: "Well private healthcare is going to come into Canada because our public system is going broke over obesity."

[Alamo]

Interesting article in this week's Maclean's. 

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/health/article.jsp?content=20060424_125702_125702

The general theme: "Well private healthcare is going to come into Canada because our public system is going broke over obesity."

Very interesting.  I didn't vote because I don't understand the question.  In a world of unlimited resources, I would condemn doctors who selectively treat healthier patients; but since we don't live in such a world, I say if a person won't stop killing himself, why treat him?

[philibusters]

I voted yes, though I don't think its necessarily the fault of all obese people that they are obese, and to a lesser extent smokers, but for the ones who are somewhat culpable, I have no problem with doctors demanding them to change their way before treating them.

At least in a public healthcare system teh people who get discriminated against our the people who make bad decisions (in other words its within their control), whereas in a private system its the poor who get f*cked, its not in their control.

[philibusters]

How much do you think obesity in gentic and how much do you guys think its personal choices.  I am a little chunky (20 pds overweight maybe) but its casue I over eat, but I know some dudes that are downright fat (solid 80-100 pounds overweigh) who are as tall as me and who eat around the same amount of food as I.

["Legapp" Stands for "Legal Application"]

And yet, the crux of the problem is here:

Dr. Ruth Collins-Nakai, president of the Canadian Medical Association, stresses that doctors will always provide care in emergency situations.

So what happens?  Like America's system, people are discouraged from seeking health case until it become an emergency, thus costing the system far more than if they would have sought preventative/earlier care.  In this case, the people who won't seek early care (or are denied early care) are the most likely to experience serious problems!

It's all well and good to say people should take care of themselves, but when you're developing a system of care, it's not just about morality: it's about doing what's most cost-effective.  Anything that discourages care in the early stages of a problem, when treating it is cheapest, is a mistake (including HSAs, insurance with high copays for office visits, etc).