Bahamas Government debates a "Free" Prescription Drug Plan

Rick Lowe

Well the FNM, not to be out done by the PLP, has taken the first step toward socialised medicine.

We're told the comprehensive plan the PLP had proposed before they were voted out of office in 2007 was found by all concerned to be far too ambitious, and was bound to fail.

So the FNM is introducing socialised medicine, one step at a time. Their first step is a free drug plan that has been passed in the House of Assembly and is now before the Senate for approval.

Of course, this plan includes price controls and a government take over of the purchasing of the 93 drugs identified for this scheme through a new government tendering agency and several other government committees to oversee the programme.

To paraphrase Professor Don Boudreaux from over at Cafe Hayek:

(1) intentions are not results, and (2) to oppose a government program is not necessarily to object to the intentions stated by that program's advocates.

The FNM and PLP clearly believe that (1) if government intends for Bahamians to have universal health coverage, then the result will be that Bahamians actually GET universal health coverage, and (2) anyone who opposes a government program promising universal health coverage is a person who objects to Bahamians actually getting universal health coverage.

A couple friends knocked me down recently for recommending vouchers to take care of the poor that need help rather than this idea that has failed throughout the world. I suggested they appear to support this government programme after years of working on committees dealing with decades of government failure in education and other areas.

Go figure!

I for one, do not believe that those in authority are any more prescient or capable than society in general, but as Hayek noted in his ground breaking work, they do possess a Fatal Conceit. As he put it:  The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.

As I've said before, the present crop of politico's will not be around when future generations have to bear the burden of good intentions run amok. And this is something these "do-gooders" should give some honest thought to.

Happy Halloween!!!

Don't miss the following John Stossel video that lends an interesting perspective on the British, Canadian and US systems.