

A bizarre new medical technique may help some victims of impaired vision








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RE: Damned socialized medicine!
By epobirs on 9/21/2009 12:56:56 PM , Rating: 2
You're making a stupid assumption about this being a matter of funding. Many procedures and drugs become available overseas first because the countries have far less regulation in regard to testing new procedures and medicines.

There is a downside to this. Consider Thalidomide and its tendency to cause horrific birth defects. Of the 10,000 children born with severe defects due to their mothers taking the drug during pregnancy, only 17 occurred in the US. The FDA had yet to approve its use in any context when news broke of the birth defects in Europe. This lead to the addition of pregnancy to the conditions under which new drugs are tested.

Remember, freedom includes the freedom to screw up.

"Not tested on animals. You'll be the first!"

RE: Damned socialized medicine!
By adiposity on 9/21/2009 1:26:20 PM , Rating: 3
Remember, freedom includes the freedom to screw up.

So you are admitting that we are less free than a lot of other nations, I guess.


RE: Damned socialized medicine!
By sigmatau on 9/21/2009 4:35:07 PM , Rating: 4




RE: Damned socialized medicine!
By Kenenniah on 9/25/2009 5:19:09 PM , Rating: 2

According to that logic, I'd be better off with no insurnace right? I mean if insurance companies provide nothing......
What insurance companies provide is spread risk. Some insureds may pay more for health care through insurance premiums than they would have without, while others pay less. Unfortunately noone knows if they are going to have major health issues that cost a lot of money or not.

Government run health care or insurance would follow the exact same principle. Inusrance premiums are just paid through taxes instead. The money has to come from somewhere.

Now if you want to argue that government run would be cheaper due to no profit motive, then there's a valid debate. But to say insurance companies provide nothing is just ridiculous.

If we really want to fix healthcare, we need to lower the costs. Regardless of whether its private insurance or government run insurance, if nothing changes with regard to how much surgeries, hosiptal stays, etc. cost..... well as I said before, the money has to come from somewhere.

RE: Damned socialized medicine!
By sigmatau on 9/21/09, Rating: 0
RE: Damned socialized medicine!
By Shadrack2 on 9/22/2009 7:49:22 AM , Rating: 2
I would kinda hope that some of the funding came from the drug company responsible for the "unexpected reaction" that caused her blindness in the first place, but I doubt it since they would have FDA approval for it's use.

RE: Damned socialized medicine!
By goddamnit on 9/22/2009 11:08:05 AM , Rating: 2
It amazes me how it can be that America seems to have the most vigorous regulations of the world (speaking ironically) and at the same time its people are taking pills, medicine and other kind of medical additions like eating burgers. Not to mention the excessive use of genetic engineering with obious risks to humanity. I'm by no way opposing scientific advantage, mind that. But just when America seems to be second to someone it's always the same with some of you:

It's because of safety.
If America's number one, the other countries are "ruled by little girls" and that's why they are second.

Just accept that sometimes you are beginning to be second. Look at face transplants for example.

My 2 cents.

PS: I'm from Europe and there's definitely a lot going well in the US and it sure is a great country. Just be a little more open to other ways in other countries.

RE: Damned socialized medicine!
By MrPoletski on 9/25/2009 8:54:47 AM , Rating: 2
Americans have the biggest and best everything, didn't you know?

