Should the road to Universal Health Care be paved with free Higher Education?

[Ghost in the Machine]

The high cost of tuition for medical school is one of the reasons given to justify the high salaries of doctors. A specialist incurs even more tuition costs and commands an even higher salary.

Free higher education would open the doors to many talented people who have the desire, but not the means, to better their lives. Grades alone, not the ability to pay tuition, would weed out those who don't take their education seriously. Lets face it, *some* people go into the medical field solely for the money. How many doctors in this country graduate with a C or D, yet go on to practice medicine? How many "rich kids" get to barely squeak through the system because mommy & daddy were able to pay their tuition?

Free University level education could also help drive down costs associated with the medical field, as well as many other fields, including Chemists, Engineers, etc. High salaries make the cost of manufacturing medical equipment, such as x-ray machines or MRI machines, high, also.

I know that I could be totally wrong on this... what do you think?


Peace,

Ghost

[amyrose2712]

1. I don't think the Drs are the biggest obsticle...

That would be the insurance companies and pharma. It would be easier, I would think, if we could get them completely out of the picture. Not that I don't agree with your premise.

[ddeclue]

2. YES - everybody should be able to get as much medical education as they desire

provided they can prove they understand it.

[JDPriestly]

3. Absolutely. A lot of medical professionals would choose to work

in less prosperous communities if they didn't have to pay back such onerous student loan debts. The programs that forgive student loans in exchange for accepting jobs that don't pay so well don't begin to make up for the burden of the student loans. A medical student gives up a lot of his or her life to become a doctor. They shouldn't have to repay such huge amounts for the cost of medical school.

[stray cat]

4. Nothing is free but I'm sure people would appreciate someone else paying for it

of course if tax payers pay for it the salary of doctors should go down.

[MrMickeysMom]

5. That theory may have been true up until the mid 1970's...

... and I can assure you that people putting themselves through medical school are having a hell of a time with their decision to enter medicine, due to high tuition costs and long term loans tied to being the health care systems' "employee". Doctors were never anyone's "employee", but they sure are now, and they are liking it less and less. The number of needed physicians are more likely to plunge because why should you be a primary care doc when you can specialize under a prospective payment system. Staff and offices that used to be stationary are no more. You go where you're told and see the number of patients you're supposed to see.

Even with the higher number of specialties doctors enter, we have a dearth of the kinds of physicians we need. In the old days of health care reimbursement which was "fee for service", you made a real good life...

Be mindful that there is a difference between the models of universal health care and single payer. It can be best compared by the following-

Single payer has no private subcontractors (Medicare/Medicaid are THE payors). Because Medicare works so well and is so popular, it would be "for all"with a govt issued card.

Universal Care is a misnomer. Includes privatization, insurance companies, which is in the Obama plan and IMO is utter Bull Shit.

Medicare for all should be the option because it's less expensive and is apopular program.

Higher education should be offered for ALL. We need skilled workers, not just good primary care doctors.

[Ghost in the Machine]

6. kick