[wayoverontheright]

Plus, the government plan also could use its market power to impose much lower reimbursement rates on doctors and hospitals -- Medicare and Medicaid do that now, to the point where they often pay less than cost.

Every country that has tried this has ended up with a mass shortage of doctors and other health care providers. One simply cannot simultaneously reduce costs and increase the supply of caregivers. This is the argument we must make in opposing the Obama version. The plan increases the demand for services while reducing the supply of service providers, a recipe for disaster every time it's tried.

[maica]

This is the argument we must make in opposing the Obama version. The plan increases the demand for services while reducing the supply of service providers, a recipe for disaster every time it’s tried.

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Yes, this is the key, and unfortunately too many people cannot imagine how one kind of change (less money) will affect another kind of change (fewer doctors and other health care providers.)

I don’t like the argument that uses “more demand” because that sounds like medical care should be for some people and not for others, contravening the American principle of “fairness.” More insured people accessing medical care should not create shortages if the system remains in the private sector, because demand creates jobs, when jobs are rewarded appropriately!!