Healthcare (was Re: John in Alaska)

From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Tue Jan 22 2002 - 09:00:56 MST


>From: Anders Sandberg <asa@nada.kth.se>

>Which (in an attempt to make this thread extropianism relevant)
>brings up the interesting issue of what an extropian health care
>system would involve and how to bring it about.

>Clearly the current systems, both the heavily socialized ones in
>Sweden and Norway, and the far less socialized US system, are
>suboptimal in many ways both at providing desired care and in the
>forms of care we as transhumanists would like to have. It would
>useful to identify the basic assumptions (like only supplying
>'health', not improvement, and that 'health' is the same for
>everybody) made that make them diverge from what we want, and the
>practical implementation issues that mess things up (ranging from
>public choice effects leading to bloated bureaucracies to
>organisational structures that promote an operational rather than
>humanistic view of patients).

The usual criticism leveled at the U.S. system is that it is not
"universal" so this is a refreshing change.

I think the point of improvement for U.S. health care is to take a
more pro-active approach. People should see their doctors regularly
and as the old adage goes "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure". The system should be structured economically to make this
happen.

Brian

Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W



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