Comments on: The Most Important Fiscal Chart You’ll See Today

By: Tom in MN

Tom in MN — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:25:26 +0000

There might also be a structural component in that some medical technologies are becoming mature. I’ve heard from friends at a pacemaker company that they have caught up with all the existing people that needed them and now growth is down as they only need to provide enough devices as people age and need them. This slowing of demand must have some effect on prices. This is probably also true for other medical technologies as well. I think I also saw something about a drop in the number of new drugs and hence more drugs are available as cheaper generics.

By: PeonInChief

PeonInChief — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:50:29 +0000

Uh, I don’t think the idea is to reduce medical costs by having people decide to live with their illness, rather than go to the doctor. This is not, no matter how much an economist might want it to be so, “efficiency.” It is unnecessary suffering.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:32:13 +0000

The recent shift is because people are choosing to remain sick or die, instead of seeking care. This is what happens when you turn a First World country into a Third World country.

By: wkj

wkj — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:45:46 +0000

Very slightly off topic, but have you written anything about the “doc fix”? How bad would it really be if the fix lapsed?