That was not a criticism; it was answer to your contention that
averages are unimportant. Because both systems are financed
regressively, average cost reflects actual to cost to most people
(very roughly -plus or minus some large percent an approximation
nonetheless.)
>
> > I note that your example of Tenncare:
> > A) had no comparison to other nations (including Canada)
> > so there is no way to tell if this accounts for any of
> > difference between Canadian costs and U.S.
>
> The point I was trying to make was that (yes, anecdotally, but I think
> it's representative) there's no such thing as "average consumption" ...
> the variance is so high that it makes the notion of "average dollars per
> person" meaningless.
But those dollars are pooled both in the U.S. and in Canada. Average
consumption does affect total consumption for most people.
>
>
> > But we know where most of the higher costs come from:
>
> Yes, the total costs are higher in the US. For a long list of reasons.
> Great. I don't know what it is you think I'm saying that you're
> attempting to correct, but you haven't said anything new yet. But by al
> l means, please keep adding to the list of differences between the US
> and Canada.
Why are the differences you chose not to quote unimportant: Administrative costs are higher as percent of TOTAL costs in the U.S..
Drug cost are higher PER PRESCRIPTION for the same drugs. These two differences together account for ALMOST ALL of the cost difference between average Canadian and U.S. costs. (Remaining differences are accounted for by differences in prevenative care due to no uninsured in Canada and slightly (very slightly) lower wages for Canadian doctors.)If Canada spent as much as the U.S. did on administration, and paid big Pharma as high a price for their drugs they would spend almost as much as the U.S. Doesn't this pretty much invalidate that it is all because the U.S. is the "800 pound gorilla" argument.
>
> /jordan
>
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