Category: Politics

Canadian healthcare stands paralyzed in a Robert Frost poem:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth; 

– The Road Not Taken

Wooly-minded people pretend binary choices do not exist. They think we can choose both roads. Or they think one road will always be clearly wrong, as long as we use logic, facts and good will in choosing.

Doctors face two roads every day:

Do we do what’s best for the patient and prescribe an expensive treatment, or do we do what’s best for society and save the money for something else?

Until recently, doctors just prescribed what patients needed. Continue reading “Healthcare System vs Patients – Stewardship Part II”

Almost 50% of couples divorce, but 90% never fight about money, according to a new study.

Government has fought with doctors for almost 50 years now, and it looks like all they do is argue over money. This assumption is reasonable, and wrong.

Money is a Distraction

Most grownups pay attention to their accounts. They limit debt and make payments on time. They know that money runs out.

Government takes a different approach. In part, government does not need to worry; it can always raise taxes. But voters will not tolerate anything. Taxes run out, too.

When doctors and government fight about money, observers often miss an important point: Government does not really need to worry about the money it spends on doctors. Continue reading “Not About the Money”

Smart kids learn to distract and stay out of trouble. They know Mom won’t bother about overdue homework, as long as she stays stressed about something else.

Politicians do the same. They distract voters with new handouts, or even better, stoke anxiety about Zika, Global Warming or some other ominous event.

Just do not let voters ask about things that government can impact, like patient wait times.

How to Gain Control

If government wants to shape society, instead of just serving it, politicians need the power to tell people what to do. Continue reading “Distract Doctors, Gain Control”