Thread: Are We Incrementally Losing Our Freedom?

Besides what MistressNomad said about hypochondriacs and people with recognized psychological disorders, I'll just mention that we already have overprescription of antibiotics, overprescription of Ritalin and various psychotropics for children, and far too many C-sections, to name a few examples, under our expensive system of for-profit health insurance. On a casual reading it may very well seem logical that cheaper and more readily available medical care would lead to overuse, but in fact the experience of countries that have such care (the entire developed world except us) doesn't appear to bear that out.

~Rich

Originally Posted by rastewart

Besides what MistressNomad said about hypochondriacs and people with recognized psychological disorders, I'll just mention that we already have overprescription of antibiotics, overprescription of Ritalin and various psychotropics for children, and far too many C-sections, to name a few examples, under our expensive system of for-profit health insurance. On a casual reading it may very well seem logical that cheaper and more readily available medical care would lead to overuse, but in fact the experience of countries that have such care (the entire developed world except us) doesn't appear to bear that out.

~Rich

You bring up a very good point about medications. Our medical system is so money-focused that we are drugging people when they don't need to be drugged, with medications that are not FDA approved for the way they're being used. It's abusive and insane.

On the C-section front, I was just reading the blog of a friend of mine the other day (American). She advised women who are pregnant, or want children, to have a "spokesperson" in the hospital when they're ready to give birth, because the hospital will likely try to force a C-section on her whether she needs it or not. That is also abusive and insane.

This is what happens when you turn people's lives into a money game. Health comes second. Actually, not even that. Money first, lawsuit coverage second, then health.