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From: berman@psuvax1.UUCP (Piotr Berman)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Credentials, State vs. private
Message-ID: <1815@psuvax1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 12:19:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: psuvax1.1815
Posted: Tue Sep 24 12:19:49 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 08:25:05 EDT
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Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ.
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> >Remove the restrictions on medical practice, and you open up a huge can
> >of worms of this sort.  People will choose the quack who makes them feel
> >best about their medical service; because he tells them "yes, take that
> >drug", because he makes outrageous claims for their health if they follow
> >his advice, because he tells them their aura gets better and better every
> >time they visit.  And how could anyone sue for malpractice, without some
> >implicit standard of medical practice?  "You didn't diagnose that cancer!"
> >"That wasn't a cancer, it was an evil spirit, and the patients will wasn't
> >strong enough.  I can't cure everybody."
> 
> Good point.  But it is their business.  And, as for malpractice suits, I don't
> see the problem.  Welders aren't certified, but you can certainly sue for a
> faulty weld.  Mike, why don't you get over this nasty itch you have to run
> other people's lives?
> 
> 					-- Rick.

It not as simle as it sounds.  First, I doubt that you may sue a welder.
It makes sence to sue a construction company.  If you hire a construction
company, then you are a developer with suficient recources to perform
checks on financial standing, performance history and bussiness insurance
of the construction companies available.  An individual customer does
not have the recources to do it.  
The truth is that the medical credencials ARE can of worms even now,
but most of the existing worms would be alive and well under "free market" 
system, plus many new would appear.
If the free-market of medical services would work as the market for car
repair is doing it now, I say "No, thanks".  If it would work as it is
doing now, all the abuses would remain in place, with less possibility
for recourse.  Do not think that you would be let free to run your life
as you see it fit.  Insurance companies, professional associations and
legislators would do it for you anyway.
Insurence companies need credential for service providers anyway.  The
abuses here are of the following nature: dominant professional 
organizations try to eliminate minor providers, like midwifes and 
chiropractors.  The lobbying and politics occur in the "free market"
as frequently as in the legislatures.
In the free-market the dominant regulatory role would be placed in
the legal system, the tort law regulations.  You would not change that.
In fact, the American health care system is one of the least regulated
and most expensive in the world.  Complete deregulation would:
a. create even more expensive "legimitate medicine";
b. create a variety of less expensive substandard providers for
   the poor, with great possibilities for quacks;
c. create a dangerous jungle in the market of medicines.

Piotr