On 1-9-2009 2:10, Neeum Zawan wrote:

> 
> http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=all 

It is also a nice analysis why sometimes when everybody strives to get 
the best for themselves the whole community suffers. Very obviously at 
the level of the doctor/entrepreneur, something close to fraud already 
and where laws and regulations are possible to tip it over the edge.
More subtle at the level of the patient. It seems in every patients 
interest to get the best tests and treatment available, yet it evidently 
harms the entire community, even the patient itself. You can not 
legislate against that directly. Both because it is technically too 
difficult but more importantly it is so counter-intuitive that you can 
not pass the law by an elected body.

There are also tons of examples where looking preferentially at the 
majority will have very detrimental results. (although in the case of US 
health care specifically it seems more FUD than fact. But in other 
fields, sure).

Don't expect me or anybody else (e.g. Obama) to come up with solutions 
that always work. Common sense might be the best solution, but sense is 
not the most common thing in these health care discussions.

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