chartreuse

We all like to bash insurers and big pharma (and I'm not saying that they don't deserve it) but if you look at the list of "campaign donations" that I linked to earlier, it turns out that "Health Professionals" spend more than either and almost as much as both combined.

Lothianlad

It's even more interesting sometimes when you are on the top deck of a bus going through a residential suburban area especially on streets with terraced houses. If the traffic is heavy the bus stops and starts regularly and with the top deck being level with many bedroom windows it's occasionally possible to see some interesting sights, and you realise how careless some people can be.

Bob

Doesn't help much if you need rehab, cancer treatment or anything on going though...

Free resources, really depends on location. There's pretty much bugger all in my area because you are legally required to have medical insurance in my state.

Also those resources that might be available tend to have quite a threshold before offering you any help.

meauxna

No condoms, eh?

It's always been my policy to not live ON a bus line.

Cape Blue

Quite hard to ascertain the definitions of what the categories are - I can't find their definition of "health professional". It also seem strange that some sectors seem to be divided up - defense aerospace, defense electronics, defense misc all as separate entries.

I wonder who the "lobbyists" are lobbying on behalf of, who who funded the Leadership PACS? (let alone the "democrat/liberal and republican/conservative entries) - seems like an easy way for a particular sector to split its contributions to appear less that they really are.

Derrygal

Yes you are - when uninsured people have no choice but to go to the Emergency Room. Who picks up the tab for that? We all do - in the cost of higher premiums passed on to us lucky enough to have health insurance. Of course we all pay. Wake up!!!!!

Oregon4now

Great points Bob.
But in your State aren't those people then covered under the Commonwealth Care program ?
I am asking because I truly have no clue how it is working for you guys there.
I would love to see something positive coming out of the Health Ins sector that other States can use as a Model or a base .

chartreuse

Oh, absolutely, the whole system is rigged to prevent the people ever having a clear idea as to who is buying off the dirtbag politicians that are ass raping them. I'm just saying that the doctors and hospital administrators have as much dirt on their hands as the rest of them.

meauxna

Well that link you posted doesn't show that... That's some dirty data.. they have no explanation for the industries on that list.

It simply doesn't track with the volume of letters & writing to the contrary, that I observed from health care providers (doctors etc).

chartreuse

I'm not saying that each and every doctor is bent. But I think all the professions, with their guilds and all, are to some extent. Individually, I'm sure there's doctors who have as much disdain for the hill rats that their professional bodies employ as I do for the ones who work for the NRA.

By way of counter example, consider hospitals that give $1m bills to folks for procedures for which they'd charge an insurance plan 10% of that amount.

Editd to add: Here's the explanations: http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/index.php

For health care professionals it says (in part):

Bob

Here, if work offers medical insurance, you have to take it, or be covered by another family member. If it isn't offered and you can't afford your own cover, the state has a group policy which you can get, but it's still not very cheap, slightly less than private I guess and you get the benefit of a group pool, but there are quite a lot of dips in cover, some things are great, especially for things related to kids, but else where not so good, either not offering any care or having high deductibles. It is better than nothing, but because of it, there's not as much free help available as there could be.

Also, because there is state group cover policy, it's hard to get on group policy cover that's private such as through a trade association, it's simply just not offered. For instance, you can join the IGDA and get a group policy as a game developer, they don't vet btw, and membership is about $50 a year and you can then enrol in the group medical insurance by state to at least get cover, usually at a discount, but they just don't offer it to a handful of states, MA is one of them.

meauxna

ok, that's juicy enough to suck me in.. interesting the different things we saw when we looked at the same page!
Unfor.. Fortunately for you, I've got to go bore the neighbors tonight.

This summed it up nicely: Individually, I'm sure there's doctors who have as much disdain for the hill rats that their professional bodies employ as I do for the ones who work for the NRA.

chartreuse

I thought you'd like the hill rat thing.

As for seeing different things, seems to me that:

"All three seek to increase health professionals’ compensation under Medicare and expand access to health care for people in underserved areas. The AMA is the industry’s largest trade group, and focuses on reforming the medical liability system, as well as resisting government-run health care"

quite clearly reads

"All three want their members to be paid more, out of your taxes, for doing the same job, as well as taxpayers' money in subsidies to establish new markets for them. The AMA is the industry’s largest trade group, and wants immunity for its members from lawsuits arising out of their gross and culpable negligence, as well as lobbying for protectionist policies to prevent any competition threatening their cosy little cartels."

AdobePinon

So what? You were the one who brought statistics in to this discussion.

Oregon4now

And your point is ?

You made a remark about people not being able to afford diagnosis, I countered with a post showing some FREE resources available.
What does any of that have to do with statistics ?
At least my post and Links can possibly be helpful to somebody out there who are unaware of these free Public services.
But then again, what do I know, right ?