jackback52 t1_ithic9z wrote
I really hope we get to that Star Trek 4 future where a elderly lady tells dr McCoy that she’s in the hospital for kidney dialysis. McCoy gives her some pills and says see ya.
Next scene, we see she’s all well spouting “dr gave me some pills and I grew a new kidney”
One can hope.
Iorith t1_ithn6yv wrote
In some places, those pills would be $500k and only some insurance companies would help pay for them.
Kraeftluder t1_iths0rj wrote
In most western countries treatments expensive as that are not uncommon, and equally free to their inhabitants. At least in the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium. In The Netherlands one of the most expensive treatments is one which costs 2.4 million, but it completely cures a formerly 100% deadly degenerative nerve or muscular disease.
Besides, I've got a feeling that that 500k for one pill would still be cheaper for society as a whole than someone who regularly fall ill because of symptoms that accompany organ failure, desperately waiting for a transplant, and then of course hoping for it not to be rejected, which is still a sizeable risk these days for a 'resource' this scarce.
That woman was feeling like a teenager in that clip, no other recovery necessary. Straight back to being a member of society. Yes, more of this black magic technology please.
towngrizzlytown t1_ithzzus wrote
It's also interesting to me how diverse universal healthcare systems can be. For example, the UK approach has government-operated healthcare providers, while the Netherlands has universal coverage through private health insurance.
Anyone interested in reading about different country profiles can do so here: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries
YaAbsolyutnoNikto t1_itk1h4m wrote
Yes, every country does it a slightly different way. Which is great because, winning systems (be them political systems, economic systems, etc.) tend to converge over time to the most successful one.
So, in a few decades, we might know if the German system (health insurance) is superior to the French one (government services), or vice versa.
Kraeftluder t1_itkdlwt wrote
I'm going to say something which is very much not controversial in the UK but relatively controversial in NL and the US: Systems that are closer to the NHS work better than systems like the Dutch one which is closer to the US system. So the French system is better by design than the German one. The German one resembles the former Dutch system if I'm not mistaken.
There is absolutely no need pumping around billions of public money in private companies' administrative systems and compete over a few tens of thousands of clients they can't refuse to insure anyway.
YaAbsolyutnoNikto t1_itke5va wrote
I agree. My country (Portugal) also uses a system like the one on the UK or France.
ItsAConspiracy t1_iti6si7 wrote
That's about 50 months on dialysis, not counting the cost of the complications you'll get, and the kidney transplant you'll still need if you want to live longer than six or seven years, and the anti-rejection drugs you'll need after transplant. That $500K pill would be a bargain.
MadeMeMeh t1_itimnar wrote
The only problem is the dialysis for end stage renal disease is covered by medicare and not insurance. So this would be a medicare problem.
Saloncinx t1_iticcmo wrote
This is why we need Starfleet!
Pufflekun t1_its1aoo wrote
I'd be in favor of this technology if, and only if, we've also figured out a way to deal with the overpopulation problem.
Being young at 50 works for the Star Trek timeline, because you can go live on any planet or starbase you want to, and not have to worry about money.
On Earth, wouldn't typical countries start to become like India? And if India is already the way it is, wouldn't it devolve into a complete hellscape?
Yes, it sounds selfish of me to say I would be against life-saving technology, because it works too well. But if the alternative is letting much of the world become as overpopulated as India already is, then that's not a price we can afford to pay, even to save millions of lives.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments