Lately I have been reading free Philosophy course notes from MIT here.  I have been surprised by how much I have enjoyed the section on Justice, and particularly course notes that address justice and healthcare here.  The notes are about 12 pages long, and I would like to summarize them below.

What is the problem with health care in America?

1 – To much money being spent on it.  Americans pay more money, and a higher percentage of their money on health care than any other nation.

2 – Not enough value for the money.  When it comes to things like life expectancy, infant mortality, and general health issues, America ranks quite low amongst industrialized nations.

Why is it this way?

The current insurance system leads to being less health conscious, and to over-consumption of health care services which are sometimes unnecessary.

How can it be fixed?

If we want to try and fix it through some type of government action, then a just system would be based on:

- How much insurance would people have if they had good information about health care costs and actual health risks?

- How much insurance would people have if there was a balanced distribution of resources?

- How much insurance would people have if they had no knowledge of their own susceptibility to health problems?

Thoughts?