Between the insurance companies and hospitals profit mongering healthcare, we are just pawns in their world.
All started with Medicare back in the 60s. Medicare laid the groundwork for the quasi fascist system we have now. Still the best in the World. But the focus is wrong. We look to treat when the problems occur rather than treat to keep the problems from happening. For example…a lot of money is made prescribing drugs for Type 2 diabetes. A disease that is reversible without medications. So many issues can be addressed without waiting to use the amazing abilities we have to save people who wait until the event occurs.
Realizing its not fascist enough for you? Or that something you call fascist could be the best in the world to you? I already knew that.
There are better systems but Cubans have a higher life expectancy than Americans ... and its not because of the weather. That a tiny country with little wealth can produce results like that is really an indictment of the USA's system.
You know that I think we could improve a lot of things. At the same time we have the best healthcare in the world. And it is a quasi fascist system now. Groundwork laid by Medicare. Those with means can absolutely navigate it better. But you have to be willing to pay for the best. Which in many cases will save you in the long term. There is a reason healthcare is recession proof. If you put off treatment or making lifestyle changes. It will catch up to you and then you typically end up with a much larger bill. Last week we had a patient who had not been in our office for over a year. They called in great pain looking to get seen as soon as possible as a tooth blew up on them which had them in the ER. Check the notes and right there is said to have the tooth removed. Instead of listening to the doctor and spending a couple hundred dollars. They will end up with thousands of dollars in medical bills along with a very long few days and still pay the couple hundred dollars to get the tooth removed now. All for making steps to simplify the system and remove the corporate takeover that has happened.
The US does not have the best Healthcare in the world. Our outcomes aren't even close to the top. Factor in how much we spend on Healthcare and the US system starts to look pretty bad. Mirror, Mirror 2021: Reflecting Poorly
You really don’t know what Fascism is do you. Not only is Medicare NOT Fascist, it actually fights against Fascism. Fascists will say they can do all the things people need to have done and it won’t cost them a single dime, but in reality will do none of those things while blaming groups (minorities, immigrants, Muslims, liberals, Democrats, etc) for it not being done. Medicare for all would kneecap any Fascist movement to eliminate it. “Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the good of the nation and race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy”
Spend more to get less, and this is what some people call the best? Kind of calls into question their judgment.
Medicare laid the groundwork for the system we have. Ever notice who you work with once Medicare eligible? It has been a decades long expansion of the corporate system from insurers/providers/pharma. It is unfortunate. And the corporates have the resources and lobbying ability to manipulate the system to their benefit. Thankfully in dentistry we are behind the shift. I do not view corporate dental providers as competition. And as we shift and grow our practice with Integrative Dental Medicine…corporate providers will not be who we typically look to work with. But they have massive influence on the system. And the government has provided them tools like Medicare to use in gaining more influence.
