On 10/11/2013 12:11 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>
> Or are you saying that hospitals should leave the sick, injured, and
> dying on the doorstep if they don't have insurance?
>

The question isn't what hospitals should do, but what I would /force/ 
them to do.

Would I force a hospital to allocate resources to _preventive_ health, 
knowing this would take resources from trauma care?

Would I force a hospital to treat a diabetic, knowing this would prevent 
the purchase of a new breast-cancer-screening machine?

Would I force a hospital to hire a cancer specialist instead of a heart 
specialist?

Would I force a hospital to provide helmets at a motorcycle rally if I 
believed this would lower the necessity for expensive trauma care?

Would I force a hospital to build a mental-health wing instead of a 
pediatric wing?

The only sane answer is that I would not force a hospital to do any of 
these. I would let the hospital decide.

In the same way, I would not force my neighbor to buy a pacemaker for me 
instead of an AED for you, even though either could save a life.

In the same way, I would not force my neighbor to buy a cell phone for 
me instead of snow tires for you, even though either could save a life.

In the same way, I would not force my neighbor to buy a kick plate for 
my door instead of an alarm for your door, even though either could save 
a life.

I suppose the only non-selfish proposal is pacemakers, AEDs, cell 
phones, snow tires, kick plates, and door alarms for everyone.

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