So I have bid my farewell of the EUOT.

[Fate]

From what I've seen so far it'll cost me $200,000 in loans for four years of medical school.

I now endorse the do nothing plan given Yi's comment on salaries.

[Ed Anger]

I am in favor of Ed's avatar.

it's too small for me to see.

Woody, Archie. I think Chick Harley and Senator Tressel.

Suck my nuts.

[DGuller]

So health insurance is not really insurance per se. It's something else. Like a subscription.

That is very true, and is a source of some of the problems with health insurance.  It's not really insurance by the strict definition of the term.

[DGuller]

From what I've seen so far it'll cost me $200,000 in loans for four years of medical school.

I now endorse the do nothing plan given Yi's comment on salaries.

Don't worry, no one is even mentioning the AMA in all this.  Once you make it as a doctor, your guild will take care of you by making sure that not too many other people make it after you.

[Sheilbh]

Don't you usually get insurance with the hope that you will never use it?

I think this is why all mention of the word 'insurance' is no-go in the UK, even if you mean a French style social insurance system. 

[Eddie Teach]

Oddly enough, I'm still able to be surprised by the twists Languish threads can take. Health care now?  

[katmai]

Oddly enough, I'm still able to be surprised by the twists Languish threads can take. Health care now?  

Well it does fit in with Languish is Dieing! motif

[DisturbedPervert]

Who is the US system good for besides the insurance industry?

the rich

[crazy canuck]

Who is the US system good for besides the insurance industry?

the rich

[Admiral Yi]

It's also good for the rest of the world.  They get cheapo drugs after we eat the R&D costs.

[Fate]

We could have cheaper drugs in America if companies had a longer window on their patent to recoup R&D costs.

[Rasputin]

We could have cheaper drugs in America if companies had a longer window on their patent to recoup R&D costs.

How would extending someone's monopoly cause a manufacturer to charge less?

Sure they could charge less but why would they?

[Iormlund]

It's also good for the rest of the world.  They get cheapo drugs after we eat the R&D costs.

Any idea how much of that is for real drugs in contrast with Viagra, Propecia and the like?

[Admiral Yi]

Any idea how much of that is for real drugs in contrast with Viagra, Propecia and the like?

None whatsoever.

Point being?

[DisturbedPervert]

We could have cheaper drugs in America if companies had a longer window on their patent to recoup R&D costs.

Can already have cheap drugs.  Buy online.