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Jim Brown's avatar

One of the problems with Medicare and Medicaid is that the promise to provide future services is open-ended. In other words, regardless of how much technology advances, these programs promise to deliver state-of-the-art service to everyone. If a new life-saving product is invented, we expect everyone to have access to it regardless of cost. But this expectation means we can never control costs, and can never know what those costs will be. To phase out these programs, we must put a cap on the basic services offered. Private funds must bear anything above that basic service level.

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Russell Shurts's avatar

What I always like about your pieces are that they always state the moral ideal, but always acknowledge the practical consequences of reaching that ideal after so many, many years of whatever immoral practice needs correction. And finally, you always propose a reasoned, measured solution to the practical problem. Compare this approach to the approach taken by virtually every other "activist' pushing for reform and you have your answer as to why things rarely improve. Well done. as usual!

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