Freepers and Healthcare

Amazingly stupid people.

Just use that socialized medicine when it benefits you.

Every single one of the people responding has used drugs from Canada - or has solutions how to.

They want a Free Republic, right?

Where things are free?

Maybe that question should come from "stupidnotretarded".

Freeploaders.

Drug prices in Canada are regulated, not subsidized, so online pharmacies are not part of a "socialized medicine" scheme that taxes pay for

facts: they're what's for dinner.

I have a hard time believing believing this guy can't afford 200$ for a three month supply. That's about $66 dollars a month. Even at minimum wage, he should be ablt to manage that. Not knocking him for going for the lowest price, but let's not confuse his situation as desperate.

Perhaps he's fatandlazy?

What does that have to do with anything?

The point is that this guy is a hypocrite, along with just about everyone replying to him.

Let's do a little math here: Minimum wage = $7.25/hr. At 40 hours a week, that works out to $15,080 a year, $1257 a month, or about 1.5x poverty level. Figure he's probably paying $500 a month for rent, we'll say $100 on groceries if he's cheap and cooks at home, $50 for his internet connection - let's make that $100 for the internet/tv/phone bundle, another $100 for utilities, so we're at $950. That leaves $400/month for incidentals, like car insurance, gas, etc. I'm willing to bet that my estimate of $100/month for food is significantly understated.

Now, since you didn't bother to check his profile, the man has been on disability for 2+ years. Chances are he's probably living on less than the above figure. If he's on disability, I'm willing to also bet that this new medication is not the only one he's on.

Yup, he's likely also taking massive doses of Beckex and Hannityl.

So you're claiming the guy in the original article was buying drugs under the Newfoundland 65 Plus Plan?

Sales of drugs over the internet from Canadian pharmacies, such as the guy in the original post was talking about, are not subsidized as any part of Canadian healthcare.

You're starting to get into the same bad arguments that you laugh at the right about.

ha! i wouldn't go that far, but you're correct--the 65 Plus plan is irrelevant here. it remains, however, that pricing in the drug industry is tightly limited by government control. so no, the Canadian government may not be paying for the drugs, but they are *gasp* messing around with the free market. i somehow doubt that would go over much better with freepers than would actual subsidies.

So, they pay the same as us for drugs. then?

For some values of arguing your way out of a corner, "regulated" is apparenly suddenly not some government-driven interference with free-marketism.

And if "regulated" means the price is held below what it would be in the unregulated case, how is it that there is sufficient supply being provided to allow some of it to flow across the border?

Usually (all other things equal) the amount supplied at the regulated price will be insufficient to meet the amount demanded at the regulated price.

So, what am I missing here?

regulated pricing does not equal subsidizing aka socialized medicine. The Canadian Government does not pay a portion of the drug costs for regular pharmacy sales.

The question at hand was not about government regulation, but socialized medicine. I believe the common phrase around here is "quit shifting the goalposts".

You came nowhere near answering his question. So, whence the regulations? Explain, as best you can, the mechanism by which the drug prices are regulated.

We are all aware that subsidization is a different beast. Hell, you even got motorfirebox to recant a point. Now answer Reaper's question.

Ah, so your semantic pickiness with what Reaper posted is apparently now a high-handed method of debate? The point stands. Free Republic people don't like government price-fixing (it's come up quite a few times in the health coverage debate lately, perhaps you've heard about all that?) any more than they like direct governmental subsidization...

...until, as demonstrated in the linked thread, those regulations and subsidizations make their lives better.

Did I spell it out well enough for you this time?

well, yes, if you limit your definition of "socialized medicine" to only mean "government-subsidized drugs", then no, government price regulation of drugs is not socialized medicine. most people on the left and right use a somewhat wider definition, though.

Okay, so take out the socialized medicine.

Point still remains. You know it. I know it. They are 100% against what they use.

oops

It was obvious from the beginning. He's trolling.

And in a rather pathetic manner.