Health Care reform from a Doctors perspective

[cynic]

Ever hear of toll roads or toll bridges?

My point was that if nobody should get more back than they put in, then why not simply privatise these services and make them user-pays?

 

[royal_archer]

Abundant charity? Like the ones that wouldn’t even let me into their shelters when I was homeless in the dead of winter? Give me a break. Just because it’s there doesn’t meant they want to give it to anyone/everyone that’s actually in need, especially if they’re part of some subgroup they despise. I was denied charity, just because they did not agree with my ‘lifestyle’.

There are plenty of other charities unfortunately too many people are leaching off them and those who need the money wind up going with out.

 

[royal_archer]

My point was that if nobody should get more back than they put in, then why not simply privatise these services and make them user-pays?

With gas taxes going to the roads, and property taxes going to the fire and police departments they are essentially user pay systems.

 

[chichizola]

The elephant in the room is that health care costs are driven up by hospitals. In a system that no one can throw the first stone, hospitals negotiate with the insurance companies for the prices to charge. This system worked until the hospitals began to merge, turning themselves into huge conglomerates gaining an enormous amount of leverage against the insurance companies.

Health care reform is necessary. But based on the fact above mentioned, the only way that we will be able to control the cost is a single payer option. This single payer would be able to negotiate with the hospital conglomerates much favorable prices.

Away of all this, it is an embarrassment that, we, the richest nation in earth can’t insure its citizens.

Pray for health reform that protects ALL, born or not.

God bless you,

 

[aspawloski4th]

They don’t so much have home ec any more but I’ve never seen a school that doesn’t require Health. Which includes exercise and diet education. Also many school offer what our school called “Food & Nutrition”, a cooking class. A TON of guys took it because it was an easy A class where they got to eat.

I went to high school in the early mid 1980s a Catholic school at that. They had a home ec class that some of the girls took, but no health or nutrician type courses. Back then the school I went to ,West Catholic, considered college prep to be its top prioroty. In my graduating class of 1986 9 out of 10 students went on to college. Most of the students that didn’t were because of bad grades and typically were the students with discilplinary problems. In my opinion some sort of home ec related type course should be required somewhere along the line. For the financials of life, as well other adult type rexsponsebilities.

 

[Di_bear]

The elephant in the room is that health care costs are driven up by hospitals.

Wrong. Read my previous post.

It is not the American government’s responsibility to insure the American people, nor is it their responsibility to have an effect on any homeland laws. Those are to be left to the individual states. The states are supposed to be independent of the government. The purpose of the federal government IS foreign affairs. With that in mind, you can already see that the federal government has way too much power. They regulate where they were never intended to have power. A lot of our problems stem from federal policies, which often create inefficiency, which is exactly the influence they had on healthcare.

This little jewel is said of the Michigan state government, and it can definitely be applied to the feds: “The only time the Michigan legislature doesn’t screw up is when they are not in session.”

 

[Ella]

I do not find it comforting to think that, if I had a serious medical condition, that I could end up having to rely on charity to help me. It scares me - because charity is fickle - inconsistent - and I would have to seek it out, during a time when I was least able to do anything.

Do you feel confident that charity would be available to you if you were in need of it? What if you lived in a very rural area? What if you lived in a neighborhood that was dangerous to walk around in?

 

[Arwen037]

I find it comforting that I am saving money from working while I am healthy so that I won’t have to rely on charity. If no one abused charity, then for the few cases where they really never had a chance to to save and can’t work so they can’t pay it off over time could easily help. Maybe charity ought to look into paying insurance fees, rather than the bills.

And there’s a reason I don’t live in a neighborhood that is dangerous to walk around in or a very rural area. But I’m not sure what those have to do with anything.

 

[Ella]

I find it comforting that I am saving money from working while I am healthy so that I won’t have to rely on charity.

But what if you had to rely on charity? Would you feel secure about its availability?

If no one abused charity, then for the few cases where they really never had a chance to to save and can’t work so they can’t pay it off over time could easily help. Maybe charity ought to look into paying insurance fees, rather than the bills.

In a perfect world, charity would be everywhere. But one thing that is stressed often in this thread is that charity is voluntary. That means that as well as saying ‘yes I’ll help’ the charity can say ‘no I will not help’. So it’s fickle. And I would be scared to have to rely on it, and wonder if I am going to get a yes or no when I ask for help.

And there’s a reason I don’t live in a neighborhood that is dangerous to walk around in or a very rural area. But I’m not sure what those have to do with anything.

What if you did? What if you could only afford to live in a dangerous neighborhood, or you were raised in a rural area? That’s what those have to do with anything.

 

[St_Francis]

But that stuff was always covered in basic health classes.

First of all, they weren’t always, which means that a lot of older people did not get that information.

Secondly, health ed is usually a one-semester course. Believe me, the mechanics of eating properly are not covered.

 

[PaulinVA]

The elephant in the room is that health care costs are driven up by hospitals. In a system that no one can throw the first stone, hospitals negotiate with the insurance companies for the prices to charge. This system worked until the hospitals began to merge, turning themselves into huge conglomerates gaining an enormous amount of leverage against the insurance companies.

Uhm, No.

The government (through CMS) sets reimbursement rates for Medicare, and most insurance companies reimburse just a little over the Medicare rate for everyone else. Hospitals are being squeezed by the carriers paying the Medicare reimbursement rates. Between that and indigent care, most aren’t getting rich.

 

[royal_archer]

The elephant in the room is that health care costs are driven up by hospitals. In a system that no one can throw the first stone, hospitals negotiate with the insurance companies for the prices to charge. This system worked until the hospitals began to merge, turning themselves into huge conglomerates gaining an enormous amount of leverage against the insurance companies.

Health care reform is necessary. But based on the fact above mentioned, the only way that we will be able to control the cost is a single payer option. This single payer would be able to negotiate with the hospital conglomerates much favorable prices.

Away of all this, it is an embarrassment that, we, the richest nation in earth can’t insure its citizens.

Pray for health reform that protects ALL, born or not.

God bless you,

If your theory were true then other hospitals would come in and undercut the rates to generate more business. You also fail to consider the numerous Catholic hospitals and those hospitals from other religions that provide hospitals as a service, not as a source of revenue.

 

[royal_archer]

I do not find it comforting to think that, if I had a serious medical condition, that I could end up having to rely on charity to help me. It scares me - because charity is fickle - inconsistent - and I would have to seek it out, during a time when I was least able to do anything.

Do you feel confident that charity would be available to you if you were in need of it? What if you lived in a very rural area? What if you lived in a neighborhood that was dangerous to walk around in?

I would feel very confident that it would be available. However I would hate to be a burden on friends and family much less on strrangers. I therefore am working hard to prevent such a situation from occuring.

 

[royal_archer]

First of all, they weren’t always, which means that a lot of older people did not get that information.

Secondly, health ed is usually a one-semester course. Believe me, the mechanics of eating properly are not covered.

One semester is all it takes.

Seemed like they over covered it when I was in school and my kids are both getting this addressed in education. What specific school does not include it in their cirriculum?

If someone does not know how to eat properly, They probably should have court appointed supervision.

 

[chichizola]

Wrong. Read my previous post.
Those are to be left to the individual states. The states are supposed to be independent of the government. "

As a matter of fact it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to legislate when an issues that affect commerce between States.

If something can affect commerce between States or countries, it is the health of it Citizens. An illness, or taking it to an extreme an epidemic or worst, a pandemic, is something that definitely can’t be contained within a State. (ie. just recently we saw how H1N1 made the price of pork drop throughout the country),

Let me tell you, I don’t trust them (the politicians) either. But the States have had the ball in their court for too long an have done nothing. At least now there is a chance of doing something.

I believe that instead of fighting the entire process, We should concentrate in making it better. For example trying to influence the politicians to take the paid abortions off it.

God Bless you,

 

[chichizola]

If your theory were true then other hospitals would come in and undercut the rates to generate more business. You also fail to consider the numerous Catholic hospitals and those hospitals from other religions that provide hospitals as a service, not as a source of revenue.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I am not talking of the valiant struggle to care for all the ill, that the Catholic hospitals see day after day. They try to stretch the little money that a few insured people bring to their institutions, to care for the numerous uninsured they take care of. I am aware that healthcare for the poor in this country would be inexistent without them.

I am talking about privately own hospitals, hospitals own by business conglomerates, whose only purpose is to increase their revenue.

Just think if each of those poor that go to our Catholic hospitals would have health insurance. Wouldn’t this be better?

God Bless you,

 

[royal_archer]

As a matter of fact it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to legislate when an issues that affect commerce between States.

If something can affect commerce between States or countries, it is the health of it Citizens. An illness, or taking it to an extreme an epidemic or worst, a pandemic, is something that definitely can’t be contained within a State. (ie. just recently we saw how H1N1 made the price of pork drop throughout the country),

That is not regulating commerce it is subverting commerce by removing free market forces.

 

[royal_archer]

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I am not talking of the valiant struggle to care for all the ill, that the Catholic hospitals see day after day. They try to stretch the little money that a few insured people bring to their institutions, to care for the numerous uninsured they take care of. I am aware that healthcare for the poor in this country would be inexistent without them.

I am talking about privately own hospitals, hospitals own by business conglomerates, whose only purpose is to increase their revenue.

You mean like car insurance companies who keep trying to undercut each other? If companies are gouging prices other companies will come in and undercut. That is the free market and how it works when government does not get involved.

Just think if each of those poor that go to our Catholic hospitals would have health insurance. Wouldn’t this be better?

God Bless you,

Yes they need to get insurance but they need to pay for it and they need to work and not be a burden on the ecconomy. The answer is not to force others to pick up the slack for the leaches.

 

[pathia]

That is why we must stay active ourselves, and improve our own lives (monetarily and spiritually) so that we can fulfill our Christian duties and help those who need it, such as you were. I pray that you are doing much better now, however I sense an anger in you that I am saddened by, one which says that one was owed.

I am tweaking my third bankruptcy for medical bills, I am likely about to have my contract work terminated for being too sick, since it’s contract work, I will not get unemployment.

When I was homeless and not allowed inside a shelter, I had walked ten miles on foot to the shelter, in winter. I came down with pneumonia a few days later and was in the ICU for almost a week. So I don’t know if I am ‘owed’ anything, but I am angry and my body was permanently damaged by the situation.

There are plenty of other charities unfortunately too many people are leaching off them and those who need the money wind up going with out.

You keep saying this, but they had beds. They didn’t let me in because they didn’t want ‘someone like me’ in their shelter despite the fact I am and was celibate.

 

[royal_archer]

You keep saying this, but they had beds. They didn’t let me in because they didn’t want ‘someone like me’ in their shelter despite the fact I am and was celibate.

I doubt they would turn away anyone who was not disruptive.