Shevar:

Yes, there is an elegant argument about equipment. High capital costs require the equipment to be used as much as possible so that the capital cost per patient can be reduced. That is why doctors and dentists often form partnerships so they can share the x ray machines, etc., resulting in less idle time for the equipment. A rich patient does not spend more time in the machine than a poor one.

Very expensive machines are located in places where you can bring patients there. Again, so the machine is in use all the time. Rural patients may have to pay more for the trips, but then, most poor people live in big cities and they wouldn't have to travel as far to use the machine.

Evidence for overinvestment in capital is if the machines have too much idle time. Evidence for underinvestment in capital is if there are long queues to use the machines.

skrum

i was talking about PET, because there the capital cost per patient remain high no matter how many people use it. The production of the carbon isotopes required to do a PET is complicated and expensive. And it will stay like that for a while, since nuclear physics is not exactly experiencing breakthrough at the moment.
Yet those scanners are built and used, therefore they are profitable. With 3000$ or more dollars for a PET it obviously classifies as upper class medicin.

Shevar:

$3000 for a PET is pretty piss-ant compared to the benefits received. Going to the emergency room for a broken wrist can put you back $1000.

In regard to the European perspective on health insurance, all those tired, poor, huddled, wretched refuse from the teeming shores decided to leave their health insurance behind to come to America. The Statue of Liberty is not in Bremenhaven.

The city's name is Bremerhaven.


And I must say that your last comment was quite beaneath your usual standards, Professor Skum.


Besides, I don't think that the Statue of Liberty is either in places like Rhode Island...

yeah... I know that the correct spelling is "beneath".

It's not in Bremerhaven, either.

My last statement must have hurt.

Skrum is right that it's been well documented that europeans immigrants had US health policies in mind when they decided to leave their war-ridden nations. He would be crazy if he didn't throw this fact in every european's face when they try to argue about healthcare reform.

Also +1 for regarding every german as blind followers of orders, shame on them. It fits well with him resorting to Goodwin's Law some threads back, which makes skrum one of the most consistent politics commentators on this site.

Good job, now back to the spreadsheet.

i was really trying to keep the discussion objective. i failed.

@ Skrum: It IS BremeRhaven.
Otherwise, make it clearer if you are not talking about the city in northern Germany.


@ Nunes: I can see that you used letters and punctuation, but I have no idea what you are talking about.

moon if you dont understand nunes comment you should update sarcasmometer.