“The Price We Pay” Healthcare

Or not

 

The investment guru Jim Roger's says he told his wife if he ever gets sick when he's in America "Please try to get me to Singapore." In Singapore hospitals Healthcare workers wash their hands a lot.

As a pharmacy student I did grand rounds at Shands where we'd walk around and sometimes examine patients. I washed my hands every time I entered a patients room. Most people didn't.

My dad died from cdiff that he contracted at a hospital in Altamonte Springs, FL. An employee at the hospital told me, "That's on us." Imagine having to take a relative to the bathroom 15-25 times a day for 3 years because they have diarrhea that never goes away.

If you work in a hospital WASH YOUR HANDS

 

Powerful counterargument.

 

Or perhaps more accurately, an "illness profit system."

(Health is unprofitable; illness... quote lucrative).

 

Well it's failing at that because healthcare debts are the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy in the US.

 

If you have a service plan (insurance), you would. Or, at least you'd expect to be compensated after the fact. Also, a heart attack and faulty alternator are kind of non-comparable in terms of. . . . importance.

 

It would be nice to at least have the discussion. We have Medicare already in place. We fund it with 1.4% payroll deduction (matched by employer) and it covers somewhere between 1/5th and 1/6th of the population. What would that deduction have to rise to if we want to extend to everyone. Also, already being a public/private system, I imagine it would already be better than the egalitarian/one-size-fits-all systems in England and Canada.

So what's the holdup? Why can't we just look at the numbers and decide for ourselves. The fact we can't even have this discussion is pathetic, but, along with this shooting of the UHC CEO, is kind of telling. IMO, the minute you put it on the table, the insurance companies are cooked, and they know it. Literally nobody, outside of bought politicians (Jim Clyburn) will ever have their back on this, and they know it. Which is why they spend very hard on both sides (Jim Clyburn) to make sure it never even gets brought up for discussion.

 

Yawn. You lost me at "fascism".

 

Like I said in another thread. People care more about what transgenders do than healthcare expenses

 

I'm sorry, but using the term "fascist" to describe something that even a lot of rich, tax-moaning Trump voters love (Medicare) is a clear signal that YOU'RE not trying to have a serious discussion. Sorry, but HSA's sound like a silly solution to this, especially when considering what government tends to do with accounts like these (steal from them).

 

I have been in the insurance business for 40 years. I stopped selling any medical insurance 37 years ago. I didn't even write my own.

I had to have a stent put in a year ago and North Florida made me pay my out of pocket cost before they would admit me for the operation. I guess if I had not had a couple thousand dollars I would have had to go without. At least here in Gainesville we have Shands that will treat you without paying up front.

 

Funny thing is, the best ones are always non-profit. And the worst (HCA) always for-profit. Note: Not suggesting people don't make good money working for non-profits or that non-profits are charities. Just that the non-profit business model seems to be a better fit for medical.

 

It's called corruption not fascism. Maybe lay off the loaded language if you want to have productive conversations. It just amazes me how people can do the literal thing they accuse their enemies of and be completely unaware of it. This is exactly what the right (correctly in many cases) has been accusing the left of. "Everything I don't like is a Nazi. . . or fascist. . . . or Stalin. . . or Mao!"

The problem isn't "fascism", it's an openly pay-to-play system that is openly financed by rich people, big corporations/industries. What do you expect? They have a lot of money, thus they can buy policy. Same for every other major industry in this country.

 

No, they're not similar.

And, hate to break this to you, but you're sounding a bit like a leftie here. I mean, I and a lot on the left agree about the corporatization of medicine, but it is odd seeing this come from a conservative. That said, one of the worst offenders was founded by our very own Senator Skeletor. . . er, Scott.

In general, though, I think you and I agree on this. I have ZERO issue with DOCTORS getting rich. That's the way it was for most of my life. They had a private practice, maybe some investment properties around town, etc. and they did very well for themselves. They deserve it.

However, the BA major or Finance major at the top can get bent. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, most Doctors are now employees and it's the douche finance guy making all of the money. Anything we can do to reverse that would be fine by me.

 

He doesnt sound like a leftie, years ago he was in here arguing people should be able to barter or negotiate with old-style gen practictioners, which arent coming back. I think he imagines a world where we all have small-town doctors circa 1930, and you can pay in chickens or bitcoin or something after haggling. You call them up and they come deliver your baby in your house or something. Which hey, that would be nice to have home service. Some countries do this, but they also have huge hospitals systems and nationalized healthcare that resemble Medicare more than anything he is talking about.