Disgusted with US health care system.
#167
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
Any complications of treatment wouldn't be covered, and the practitioner, if not a doctor, could be in trouble for unauthorized practice of medicine.
#169
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,453
#171
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 20
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
The US has exceptional healthcare as long as you are independently wealthy or don’t encounter really serious illness. It is a for-profit system. This encourages medical innovation and most medical breakthroughs occur here. The downside is that the system leaves huge numbers of people without insurance and even if you have it, any serious illness can lead to bankruptcy for many families as the costs can be astronomical. The system is essentially Darwinian in nature.
The answer is obvious – apply Medicare to all like the rest of the industrialized world. This process has begun with Obamacare, messy and inefficient as it currently is, and in my view is inevitable given time because most countries eventually end up with this model as it is cheaper in the long run. Medicare has the clout to negotiate prices but is often prevented from doing so by congress and the lobbyists. This unfortunately won’t change until campaign finance reform is implemented – unlikely for the foreseeable future given recent Supreme Court decisions.
In addition, for a lot of people, a single-payer system is socialism which equates to communism, reds-under-the bed, Stalinism and so on. The same people by the way love their Medicare and Social Security and some don’t think these are government programs. The NHS with all its faults is to be admired. At least when you get sick all you have to worry about is getting well.
The answer is obvious – apply Medicare to all like the rest of the industrialized world. This process has begun with Obamacare, messy and inefficient as it currently is, and in my view is inevitable given time because most countries eventually end up with this model as it is cheaper in the long run. Medicare has the clout to negotiate prices but is often prevented from doing so by congress and the lobbyists. This unfortunately won’t change until campaign finance reform is implemented – unlikely for the foreseeable future given recent Supreme Court decisions.
In addition, for a lot of people, a single-payer system is socialism which equates to communism, reds-under-the bed, Stalinism and so on. The same people by the way love their Medicare and Social Security and some don’t think these are government programs. The NHS with all its faults is to be admired. At least when you get sick all you have to worry about is getting well.
#172
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
The US has exceptional healthcare as long as you are independently wealthy or don’t encounter really serious illness. It is a for-profit system. This encourages medical innovation and most medical breakthroughs occur here. The downside is that the system leaves huge numbers of people without insurance and even if you have it, any serious illness can lead to bankruptcy for many families as the costs can be astronomical. The system is essentially Darwinian in nature.
The answer is obvious – apply Medicare to all like the rest of the industrialized world. This process has begun with Obamacare, messy and inefficient as it currently is, and in my view is inevitable given time because most countries eventually end up with this model as it is cheaper in the long run. Medicare has the clout to negotiate prices but is often prevented from doing so by congress and the lobbyists. This unfortunately won’t change until campaign finance reform is implemented – unlikely for the foreseeable future given recent Supreme Court decisions.
In addition, for a lot of people, a single-payer system is socialism which equates to communism, reds-under-the bed, Stalinism and so on. The same people by the way love their Medicare and Social Security and some don’t think these are government programs. The NHS with all its faults is to be admired. At least when you get sick all you have to worry about is getting well.
The answer is obvious – apply Medicare to all like the rest of the industrialized world. This process has begun with Obamacare, messy and inefficient as it currently is, and in my view is inevitable given time because most countries eventually end up with this model as it is cheaper in the long run. Medicare has the clout to negotiate prices but is often prevented from doing so by congress and the lobbyists. This unfortunately won’t change until campaign finance reform is implemented – unlikely for the foreseeable future given recent Supreme Court decisions.
In addition, for a lot of people, a single-payer system is socialism which equates to communism, reds-under-the bed, Stalinism and so on. The same people by the way love their Medicare and Social Security and some don’t think these are government programs. The NHS with all its faults is to be admired. At least when you get sick all you have to worry about is getting well.
And I can say that I absolutely hated Medicare! I had to deal with it last year for my grandmother and the things it would not cover, or covered to the minimum, made it pretty crappy!
There are no happy mediums out there, but I'm still looking.
#173
Bloody Yank
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: USA! USA!
Posts: 4,186
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
I have insurance, and it isn't great for me, either.
As the holder of an individual policy, I have the dubious honor of paying higher premiums in exchange for inferior coverage. Even after paying thousands in premiums each year, I am still on the hook for thousands more whenever I am in need of any services.
In essence, I am subsidizing the healthcare costs of major corporations, since I can't get the same deals that they can.
As the holder of an individual policy, I have the dubious honor of paying higher premiums in exchange for inferior coverage. Even after paying thousands in premiums each year, I am still on the hook for thousands more whenever I am in need of any services.
In essence, I am subsidizing the healthcare costs of major corporations, since I can't get the same deals that they can.
#174
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
I have insurance, and it isn't great for me, either.
As the holder of an individual policy, I have the dubious honor of paying higher premiums in exchange for inferior coverage. Even after paying thousands in premiums each year, I am still on the hook for thousands more whenever I am in need of any services.
In essence, I am subsidizing the healthcare costs of major corporations, since I can't get the same deals that they can.
As the holder of an individual policy, I have the dubious honor of paying higher premiums in exchange for inferior coverage. Even after paying thousands in premiums each year, I am still on the hook for thousands more whenever I am in need of any services.
In essence, I am subsidizing the healthcare costs of major corporations, since I can't get the same deals that they can.
#175
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
In Alberta the system is just overloaded, wait times are really long but if you get to see someone I haven't had a problem, but for example one time my GP went on vacation and after trying numerous full-to-the-brim clinics I ended up in the ER. But hardly surprising as Calgary is probably the fastest growing city in N America.
The US varies regionally and by great degrees. But in the US there appears to be genuine incompetence, I can think of numerous examples I've encountered. And fraud.
Originally Posted by Ebor24
The US has exceptional healthcare as long as you are independently wealthy or don’t encounter really serious illness.
This is the flaw with the ACA, having coverage doesn't mean you can actually use it. It's not going to increase the number of doctors or the availability of drugs.
I remember reading something in the Las Vegas Review-Journal where a cancer patient had been quoted in the millions of dollars for the drugs she needed, as she rightly pointed out, who can afford that? Even a billionaire wouldn't be able to pull that off for long.
If you have a national health system they can contract and make the drugs if it comes down to it.
#177
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 20
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
No it doesn't, this is a myth, if you live in say, Riverside California there is a basic shortage of healthcare for everyone and anyone and this is the case in many jurisdictions. I think people like to think if they get rich they won't have a problem, but look at the shortages of common cancer drugs recently, they were nothing exotic but that was the problem - no money in making them. Doesn't matter how rich you are, there just weren't any.
This is the flaw with the ACA, having coverage doesn't mean you can actually use it. It's not going to increase the number of doctors or the availability of drugs.
I remember reading something in the Las Vegas Review-Journal where a cancer patient had been quoted in the millions of dollars for the drugs she needed, as she rightly pointed out, who can afford that? Even a billionaire wouldn't be able to pull that off for long.
If you have a national health system they can contract and make the drugs if it comes down to it.[/QUOTE]
I think the shortage of cancer drugs to Medicare patients was primarily due to the sequester budget cuts. Also Medicare has been prevented by Congress from negotiating drug prices. Congress serves its financial backers not the public at large. Again there will be no change unless money is taken out of the electoral process.
This is the flaw with the ACA, having coverage doesn't mean you can actually use it. It's not going to increase the number of doctors or the availability of drugs.
I remember reading something in the Las Vegas Review-Journal where a cancer patient had been quoted in the millions of dollars for the drugs she needed, as she rightly pointed out, who can afford that? Even a billionaire wouldn't be able to pull that off for long.
If you have a national health system they can contract and make the drugs if it comes down to it.[/QUOTE]
I think the shortage of cancer drugs to Medicare patients was primarily due to the sequester budget cuts. Also Medicare has been prevented by Congress from negotiating drug prices. Congress serves its financial backers not the public at large. Again there will be no change unless money is taken out of the electoral process.
#178
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
I have insurance, and it isn't great for me, either.
As the holder of an individual policy, I have the dubious honor of paying higher premiums in exchange for inferior coverage. Even after paying thousands in premiums each year, I am still on the hook for thousands more whenever I am in need of any services.
In essence, I am subsidizing the healthcare costs of major corporations, since I can't get the same deals that they can.
As the holder of an individual policy, I have the dubious honor of paying higher premiums in exchange for inferior coverage. Even after paying thousands in premiums each year, I am still on the hook for thousands more whenever I am in need of any services.
In essence, I am subsidizing the healthcare costs of major corporations, since I can't get the same deals that they can.
#179
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
Congress serves its financial backers not the public at large.
#180
Re: Disgusted with US health care system.
Many people I see in my area got a memo saying they would get an increase 25%-30% in insurance costs.. So much for Obama care they are all saying. Seems like a lot of work still needs to be done to make this system work as it should.