[Front Matter and Table of Contents]: Front matter for the 1993 publication 'Politicized Medicine' by the Foundation for Economic Education, including the copyright information and a detailed table of contents. The table of contents outlines three major sections: The Right to Command, The High Price of Experience, and The Inaptitudes of Politics, featuring various authors discussing medical markets and international healthcare systems. [Introduction by Hans F. Sennholz]: Hans F. Sennholz introduces the volume by challenging the philosophical premise that medical care is a 'right' provided by the state. He argues that accepting government control in any sector, such as education, logically leads to the socialization of medicine, which he views as a form of tyranny and wealth confiscation. Sennholz calls for consistency among professionals in rejecting federal subsidies and questions the validity of state licensing procedures that restrict competition and raise costs. [The Economics of Medical Care]: Dr. George Yossif analyzes medical care through the lens of market economics, contrasting voluntary and involuntary markets. He argues that medical care is largely an optional service that is affordable in a free market, but political interventions like licensure, government subsidies (NIH), and tax-advantaged employee benefits scramble price signals and create artificial inflation. Yossif contends that 'competitive' models like HMOs are actually bureaucratic entities that destroy medical professionalism and individual liberty. [The Best Things in Life Are Not Free]: John C. Sparks examines the economic reality of scarcity, arguing that the 'best things' in medicine—skills, research, and technology—cannot be free because they require significant human effort and capital. He critiques Medicare for removing market discipline, predicting that it will lead to ballooning costs, bureaucratic red tape, and a decline in the quality of care and medical innovation. Sparks emphasizes that only a return to freedom of choice and exchange can sustain the 'miracles' of modern medicine. [The Medical Market Place]: Dr. A.R. Pruitt provides an economic history of American medicine, tracing its transition from a competitive free market to a 'discriminatory monopoly' controlled by the AMA following the 1910 Flexner Report. He explains how licensure and medical school standards restricted the supply of physicians, making the industry vulnerable to the massive demand shocks caused by government inflation and programs like Medicare/Medicaid. Pruitt argues that further intervention will only result in lower quality care and the eventual use of less-qualified practitioners to meet artificial shortages. [Medical Care Is Not a Right]: Dr. Charles W. Johnson defines rights as the conditions necessary for human survival according to nature, specifically life, liberty, and property. He distinguishes between rights (which are inherent) and privileges or services (which must be produced or traded). He concludes that because medical care is a service provided by others, it cannot be a right, as claiming it as such would necessitate the theft of another's labor or property. [The Right to Health]: Dr. Thomas S. Szasz critiques the concept of a 'right to treatment,' particularly in the context of psychiatry. He argues that the medical profession is a state-protected monopoly and that the 'right to treatment' often masks compulsory intervention and social control. Szasz distinguishes between 'rights' (protections from injury) and 'claims' (demands for services), asserting that a right to treatment for one person implies the enslavement of the physician. He advocates for a free market in medicine and the protection of a 'right to health' as a limitation on state power rather than a mandate for state provision. [Notes and References for The Right to Health]: Endnotes and extended commentary for the preceding section on the right to health. Includes a discussion on the state's role in protecting the sick as a form of wealth expropriation and a warning from Tocqueville about government intervention. [Political Intervention in Medicine]: Dr. Richard E. Hunt argues that medical care is a privilege earned through effort rather than a right to be seized by force. He contends that political intervention in medicine leads to moral degradation, slave-master relationships between producers and 'needers', and the erosion of the free market which is the only moral choice for rational men. [Collectivism in Medicine: An Exception or a Hook?]: Dr. Jane M. Orient examines how medicine is used as a 'hook' to introduce socialist ideas by exploiting the fear of illness. She compares medical services to other industries, arguing that the profit motive is universal and that socialized systems replace the patient-as-employer model with bureaucratic rationing and 'gatekeeping' that harms the quality of care. [Notes for Collectivism in Medicine]: Citations and references for Dr. Jane Orient's essay, including sources on Soviet medicine, hospital use in fee-for-service systems, and Marxist views of medical care. [The High Price of Experience: The British Nationalized Health Service]: George Winder provides a detailed critique of the British NHS fourteen years after its inception. He highlights the massive discrepancy between initial cost estimates and reality, the decline in hospital bed availability relative to population, the erosion of the doctor-patient relationship, and the 'brain drain' of young British doctors emigrating to escape the system's bureaucratic constraints. [The British Way of Withholding Care]: Harry Schwartz uses the deaths of children awaiting transplants in Birmingham to illustrate how socialized systems inevitably ration care due to limited resources. He also critiques the Soviet health system and warns that similar rationing is entering the U.S. through Medicare's DRG system and HMO incentives. [Why I Left England]: Dr. Edward L. McNeil recounts his personal transition from the British NHS to private practice in the United States. He describes the frustrations of being a GP in England, including the inability to order basic diagnostic tests directly, the ten-year waiting lists for elective surgeries, and the lack of professional advancement opportunities that drive doctors to emigrate. [Socialized Medicine: The Canadian Experience]: Pierre Lemieux analyzes the Canadian health system, specifically in Quebec, arguing that 'free' care results in high taxes, bureaucratic uniformity, and severe shortages. He describes how the government monopoly on basic insurance prevents private alternatives, leading to long waiting lists for surgery and the rationing of care by political rather than market processes. [National Health Care: Medicine in Germany 1918–1945]: Dr. Marc S. Micozzi traces the evolution of German medicine from Bismarck's social insurance to the atrocities of the Third Reich. He argues that the transformation of physicians into state functionaries during the Weimar Republic created the infrastructure for Nazi policies of sterilization, euthanasia, and lethal human experimentation, warning that modern bureaucratization of medicine carries similar risks. [Health Planning in Fort Wayne—The Six Million Dollar Fizzle]: Joe Hochderffer provides a case study of how federal health planning laws (P.L. 92-603 and P.L. 93-641) obstructed hospital expansion in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He details how bureaucratic delays and 'consumer' dominated boards added millions in inflation costs and prevented the construction of needed facilities, ultimately serving as a mechanism for federal control rather than cost containment. [The Coming Push for National Health Care]: Terree P. Wasley warns of a renewed push for national health care in the 1990s, driven by rising costs and support from unexpected sources like big business and physicians. She argues that mandated benefits and government intervention have destroyed access to efficient care and that only a return to the free market can break the cycle of increasing costs. [Free Medicine Can Make You Sick]: Dr. Charles G. Jones argues that 'free' medicine removes the material incentive for rapid recovery, leading to slower healing and increased malingering. He uses clinical examples to show how insurance coverage can prolong hospital stays and recovery times compared to patients who pay their own bills. [Socialized Medicine by Dan Smoot]: Dan Smoot traces the history of socialized medicine from Bismarck's Germany to post-war Britain. He argues that compulsory programs inevitably fail because they turn medicine into a political activity and encourage patients to over-utilize services in an attempt to get their 'money's worth'. [The Price of Free Medicine]: Colm Brogan critiques the British NHS for prioritizing the mass distribution of drugs over fundamental medical research. He notes that while millions are spent on medicine bottles, research into mental health is neglected, and the dental service has been reduced to 'hasty pulling and patching' due to arbitrary fee cuts. [Medicine and Citizen]: Max S. Marshall examines four principles of medical relationships: indoctrination, compulsory participation, trespass, and organization. He argues that public health has shifted from education to coercive indoctrination and that the increasing bureaucratization of medicine threatens the independent judgment of physicians. [Why Deny Health Care?]: Dr. Robert K. Oldham challenges the idea that medical services should be denied to individuals with resources if they cannot be provided to everyone. He argues that individuals should have the right to use their own assets to access new, research-based treatments for cancer or AIDS, rather than being forced into government-managed waiting lists. [Third Party Medicine]: Dr. James L. Doenges argues that the entry of any 'third party' (government, union, or insurance company) into the medical relationship destroys the essential bond of confidence between doctor and patient. He contends that third-party control leads to the erosion of personal responsibility and the destruction of the market economy. [Health Care: Cross Questions and Crooked Answers]: Clarence B. Carson argues that the primary aim of medicine should be to restore individual independence, a goal that is thwarted by government intervention. Through a personal narrative about his father's care, he illustrates how Medicare can create a 'Dependency Syndrome' where physicians and patients become locked in a cycle of perpetual, unnecessary care. [Index and Foundation Information]: Comprehensive index for the book 'Politicized Medicine', followed by a price list for FEE publications and a brief history of the Foundation for Economic Education.
Front matter for the 1993 publication 'Politicized Medicine' by the Foundation for Economic Education, including the copyright information and a detailed table of contents. The table of contents outlines three major sections: The Right to Command, The High Price of Experience, and The Inaptitudes of Politics, featuring various authors discussing medical markets and international healthcare systems.
Read full textHans F. Sennholz introduces the volume by challenging the philosophical premise that medical care is a 'right' provided by the state. He argues that accepting government control in any sector, such as education, logically leads to the socialization of medicine, which he views as a form of tyranny and wealth confiscation. Sennholz calls for consistency among professionals in rejecting federal subsidies and questions the validity of state licensing procedures that restrict competition and raise costs.
Read full textDr. George Yossif analyzes medical care through the lens of market economics, contrasting voluntary and involuntary markets. He argues that medical care is largely an optional service that is affordable in a free market, but political interventions like licensure, government subsidies (NIH), and tax-advantaged employee benefits scramble price signals and create artificial inflation. Yossif contends that 'competitive' models like HMOs are actually bureaucratic entities that destroy medical professionalism and individual liberty.
Read full textJohn C. Sparks examines the economic reality of scarcity, arguing that the 'best things' in medicine—skills, research, and technology—cannot be free because they require significant human effort and capital. He critiques Medicare for removing market discipline, predicting that it will lead to ballooning costs, bureaucratic red tape, and a decline in the quality of care and medical innovation. Sparks emphasizes that only a return to freedom of choice and exchange can sustain the 'miracles' of modern medicine.
Read full textDr. A.R. Pruitt provides an economic history of American medicine, tracing its transition from a competitive free market to a 'discriminatory monopoly' controlled by the AMA following the 1910 Flexner Report. He explains how licensure and medical school standards restricted the supply of physicians, making the industry vulnerable to the massive demand shocks caused by government inflation and programs like Medicare/Medicaid. Pruitt argues that further intervention will only result in lower quality care and the eventual use of less-qualified practitioners to meet artificial shortages.
Read full textDr. Charles W. Johnson defines rights as the conditions necessary for human survival according to nature, specifically life, liberty, and property. He distinguishes between rights (which are inherent) and privileges or services (which must be produced or traded). He concludes that because medical care is a service provided by others, it cannot be a right, as claiming it as such would necessitate the theft of another's labor or property.
Read full textDr. Thomas S. Szasz critiques the concept of a 'right to treatment,' particularly in the context of psychiatry. He argues that the medical profession is a state-protected monopoly and that the 'right to treatment' often masks compulsory intervention and social control. Szasz distinguishes between 'rights' (protections from injury) and 'claims' (demands for services), asserting that a right to treatment for one person implies the enslavement of the physician. He advocates for a free market in medicine and the protection of a 'right to health' as a limitation on state power rather than a mandate for state provision.
Read full textEndnotes and extended commentary for the preceding section on the right to health. Includes a discussion on the state's role in protecting the sick as a form of wealth expropriation and a warning from Tocqueville about government intervention.
Read full textDr. Richard E. Hunt argues that medical care is a privilege earned through effort rather than a right to be seized by force. He contends that political intervention in medicine leads to moral degradation, slave-master relationships between producers and 'needers', and the erosion of the free market which is the only moral choice for rational men.
Read full textDr. Jane M. Orient examines how medicine is used as a 'hook' to introduce socialist ideas by exploiting the fear of illness. She compares medical services to other industries, arguing that the profit motive is universal and that socialized systems replace the patient-as-employer model with bureaucratic rationing and 'gatekeeping' that harms the quality of care.
Read full textCitations and references for Dr. Jane Orient's essay, including sources on Soviet medicine, hospital use in fee-for-service systems, and Marxist views of medical care.
Read full textGeorge Winder provides a detailed critique of the British NHS fourteen years after its inception. He highlights the massive discrepancy between initial cost estimates and reality, the decline in hospital bed availability relative to population, the erosion of the doctor-patient relationship, and the 'brain drain' of young British doctors emigrating to escape the system's bureaucratic constraints.
Read full textHarry Schwartz uses the deaths of children awaiting transplants in Birmingham to illustrate how socialized systems inevitably ration care due to limited resources. He also critiques the Soviet health system and warns that similar rationing is entering the U.S. through Medicare's DRG system and HMO incentives.
Read full textDr. Edward L. McNeil recounts his personal transition from the British NHS to private practice in the United States. He describes the frustrations of being a GP in England, including the inability to order basic diagnostic tests directly, the ten-year waiting lists for elective surgeries, and the lack of professional advancement opportunities that drive doctors to emigrate.
Read full textPierre Lemieux analyzes the Canadian health system, specifically in Quebec, arguing that 'free' care results in high taxes, bureaucratic uniformity, and severe shortages. He describes how the government monopoly on basic insurance prevents private alternatives, leading to long waiting lists for surgery and the rationing of care by political rather than market processes.
Read full textDr. Marc S. Micozzi traces the evolution of German medicine from Bismarck's social insurance to the atrocities of the Third Reich. He argues that the transformation of physicians into state functionaries during the Weimar Republic created the infrastructure for Nazi policies of sterilization, euthanasia, and lethal human experimentation, warning that modern bureaucratization of medicine carries similar risks.
Read full textJoe Hochderffer provides a case study of how federal health planning laws (P.L. 92-603 and P.L. 93-641) obstructed hospital expansion in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He details how bureaucratic delays and 'consumer' dominated boards added millions in inflation costs and prevented the construction of needed facilities, ultimately serving as a mechanism for federal control rather than cost containment.
Read full textTerree P. Wasley warns of a renewed push for national health care in the 1990s, driven by rising costs and support from unexpected sources like big business and physicians. She argues that mandated benefits and government intervention have destroyed access to efficient care and that only a return to the free market can break the cycle of increasing costs.
Read full textDr. Charles G. Jones argues that 'free' medicine removes the material incentive for rapid recovery, leading to slower healing and increased malingering. He uses clinical examples to show how insurance coverage can prolong hospital stays and recovery times compared to patients who pay their own bills.
Read full textDan Smoot traces the history of socialized medicine from Bismarck's Germany to post-war Britain. He argues that compulsory programs inevitably fail because they turn medicine into a political activity and encourage patients to over-utilize services in an attempt to get their 'money's worth'.
Read full textColm Brogan critiques the British NHS for prioritizing the mass distribution of drugs over fundamental medical research. He notes that while millions are spent on medicine bottles, research into mental health is neglected, and the dental service has been reduced to 'hasty pulling and patching' due to arbitrary fee cuts.
Read full textMax S. Marshall examines four principles of medical relationships: indoctrination, compulsory participation, trespass, and organization. He argues that public health has shifted from education to coercive indoctrination and that the increasing bureaucratization of medicine threatens the independent judgment of physicians.
Read full textDr. Robert K. Oldham challenges the idea that medical services should be denied to individuals with resources if they cannot be provided to everyone. He argues that individuals should have the right to use their own assets to access new, research-based treatments for cancer or AIDS, rather than being forced into government-managed waiting lists.
Read full textDr. James L. Doenges argues that the entry of any 'third party' (government, union, or insurance company) into the medical relationship destroys the essential bond of confidence between doctor and patient. He contends that third-party control leads to the erosion of personal responsibility and the destruction of the market economy.
Read full textClarence B. Carson argues that the primary aim of medicine should be to restore individual independence, a goal that is thwarted by government intervention. Through a personal narrative about his father's care, he illustrates how Medicare can create a 'Dependency Syndrome' where physicians and patients become locked in a cycle of perpetual, unnecessary care.
Read full textComprehensive index for the book 'Politicized Medicine', followed by a price list for FEE publications and a brief history of the Foundation for Economic Education.
Read full text