It is not a flawed design, it is a protection feature to stop current from entering the transformer and possibly damaging it. Every tube amp of competent design has a 10 ohm resistor, or there about, on the cathode to ground return...in effect when the resistor blows out...it turns off the tube because the tube failed.
If your amp is other than a strictly triode amp, then it also has screen resistors, value between 450 and 2500 ohms depending on the amp and power, as well as number of output tubes. If one should blow out the screen has shorted, and the power will drop so low that you can't bias the tube anymore.
In both cases, it is more a matter of the owner not keeping track of the tube condition with a quality tube tester that can measure LEAKAGE on an element. Most testers including low end Hickok can only measure 250K leakage and buy then you are close to a short. Only better or well conceived testers can register leakage above that 250K. Hickok would be 539 types, KS or RD, or 752(a), Triplett 3444 or 3444a, Heathkit TT1, Eico 666 or 667 ( emission only), and a few others like Better Jackson, AVO, and a few European ones.
The simple answer to expensive repairs is a good quality tester. Keep track of tube hours, and watch out for a red plate on a tube, beware of flashing that has grayish edges.
