do republicans agree that rising health care costs are dangerous to the USA's economy?

[kingcrab2879]

the only people benefiting from the current health care system are: drug companies raising the price of drugs that sell for dollars less all over the world, doctors performing multiple unnecessary (or unsure) tests for extra money, and insurance companies that raise rates and deny applications for the sick and elderly. these uncontrolled costs lead straight to bankruptcy like GM & Chrysler are dealing with.

so do republicans agree changes to the USA's healthcare system are necessary?

[patrick g]

Nope.

Healthcare cost were derailed by unchecked and unlimited tort claims. We do not need healthcare reform in this country we need tort reform.

It's not only drug companies that benefit (which isn't true), personal injury lawyers and claimants have benefitted from baseless lawsuits for years.

I resent the accusation you make that physicians perform multiple unnecessary tests for extra money. But I'll with hold my judgement until you are the patient demanding that everything possible be done to diagnose and treat you.

You make a claim that the healthcare industry has had a catastrophic financial meltdown like GM and Chrysler... but also claim that it is benefiting from higher costs.... it can't go both ways.

Do some research and stop listening to the party line. It's not a republican or democrat issue.

[Marvin the Martian]

Depends why they are rising. If we are buying more and better health care than rising costs are not unreasonable.

The problem with US health care is what happens whenever you restrict supply, be it the medieval guild that restricts the number of health care providers, laws that make it difficult to drive down the price of pharmaceuticals, or tax policy that keeps consumers from shopping the best costs, what we have here is interference in the market. Let's fix that first and then worry about ancillary issues.

[JakeMcKoffer]

They do not. What you listed only helps people. They care about corporations getting rich vs the average person not going bust over medicine.

[DrewC]

Actually Nyssa your idea of what conservatives want for the health care system are inconsistent. Republicans want health care to be profitable yes, everyone should. But what they want is to create competition, allow health care providers to compete to provide the best care at the lowest cost to people. And as for Republicans wanting to tax employee health care benefits, well, I think you are confusing Republicans and Democrats.

To answer the question:

Yes, but they do not see it as the melodramatic mess that you do. They see the best health care system in the world (believe it or not) that can be made better. They do NOT agree that a government-monopoly of the health care system is a good thing. In fact it is quite scary.

[Eric]

Nothing should be done with an old or new health care systems until we address the actual problems of cost, ever increasing cost.
I believe one of the main reasons health care is so expensive is the court system. It has become like Lotto. The same for drug companies and hospitals.
For example, you said Dr.s perform unnecessary tests for extra money. Actually they perform a very large battery of tests, beyond what the symptoms call for, for CYA.
If you go in for symptom X, it’s not a mystery, the Dr pretty much knows what it is. To confirm, he only needs to do 4 tests. BUT there is ALWAYS a chance it could be something else. So he call for 16 tests. So if you DO take him to court, he can say he went beyond due diligence, please don’t make my malpractice insurance pass 7 figures a year.
Its like a war. Can you imagine how many lawsuits are going on right now involving Dr.s Hospitals and drug companies in the USA? YOU and I are paying for it.
But most of our elected officials are lawyers or married to one. So they will continue to ignore the root problem of the cost of health care.

[Anthony W]

Don't know, but when you need an operations such as a knee replacement or bypass surgery or heart transplant and the government tells you sorry you are too old and the costs is too high therefore you must die. Don't complain to the people smart enough to not vote for this crap. Changes in heath care may be necessary but one of them that isn't necessary is to have the government run it. The government couldn't run a lemonade stand let alone heath care.