LETTER TO THE EDITOR Response to Editorial in Neurourol Urodynam 17(2) To the Editor: Dr. Blaivas blasts government’s role in health care but offers no real alternatives or solutions. It’s fashionable in the current environment to knock the government, so let’s start with medicine. Let’s eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the Federal Drug Administration, federal loans to medical and nurs- ing students, federal grants and subsidies to hospitals and private and public research- ers. Then let’s let the free market work its wonders. Libertarians unite!! How long do you think it would be before the overwhelming majority of Americans including pseudolibertarians would be screaming for government intervention in health care? Has government made significant mistakes in its role in health care? You bet. Could its role be more streamlined, more patient and physician friendly, and respon- sive? You bet. Do we have to scrap the whole system and turn health care over to the HMO gurus? No. By the way, the reason our government got involved in health care was because our glorious profession never was interested in the health care needs of society. Our main concern is our own economic well-being. This left a huge number of Americans without access. Maybe now its incumbent upon our profession to design a quality, affordable, universal system friendly to docs and patients. Jerry Frankel Center for Bladder and Prostate Disorders Carrollton, Texas Neurourology and Urodynamics 17:639 (1998) © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PROD #1053

Response to editorial in Neurourol Urodynam 17(2)

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Response to Editorial in NeurourolUrodynam 17(2)

To the Editor:

Dr. Blaivas blasts government’s role in health care but offers no real alternativesor solutions. It’s fashionable in the current environment to knock the government, solet’s start with medicine. Let’s eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, the Department ofVeterans Affairs health care system, the National Institutes of Health, the NationalCancer Institute, the Federal Drug Administration, federal loans to medical and nurs-ing students, federal grants and subsidies to hospitals and private and public research-ers. Then let’s let the free market work its wonders. Libertarians unite!! How long doyou think it would be before the overwhelming majority of Americans includingpseudolibertarians would be screaming for government intervention in health care?

Has government made significant mistakes in its role in health care? You bet.Could its role be more streamlined, more patient and physician friendly, and respon-sive? You bet. Do we have to scrap the whole system and turn health care over to theHMO gurus? No. By the way, the reason our government got involved in health carewas because our glorious profession never was interested in the health care needs ofsociety. Our main concern is our own economic well-being. This left a huge numberof Americans without access. Maybe now its incumbent upon our profession to designa quality, affordable, universal system friendly to docs and patients.

Jerry FrankelCenter for Bladder and Prostate DisordersCarrollton, Texas

Neurourology and Urodynamics 17:639 (1998)

PROD #1053