[LordHumungous]

>I believe the way forward is to shift the discussion away from procedures and more toward outcomes, and give medical professionals more operational and financial freedom to run their practices using tried-and-true free-market principles

Holy meaningless platitudes Batman. How do you have a system that is simultaneously profit driven and that allows everyone a fundamental right to healthcare? Short answer: you can't! You can either have a system that avoids treating the most expensive (free market), or you have a system that ensures a certain level of care for all (socialism), or you have some bastardized hybrid that costs ungodly amounts of money and does not serve the sick and poor well. (the system we have).

[eldavido]

I don't think it's either-or. Conditional and unconditional cash transfers [1] have many of the benefits of free-market competition (focus on efficiency and cost reduction) with many of the social benefits of an expanded welfare state. I could easily see a system where people get "medical vouchers" to spend on their most pressing care problems, and providers compete to supply care at the lowest possible price to either vouchered payers, or those paying in cash.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditional_cash_transfer

See also: http://www.economist.com/news/international/21588385-giving-...