Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
Jan 28th 2008, 4:45 am
#241
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
[QUOTE=ukelaine;5849665]
thats the problem. too many deep pockets making money the way things are run now. Hospitals want to make money and alot of it. Doctors have no salary ceiling. When your in hospital here, every doctor on duty stops in your room and initials your chart so that he can get a peice of the insurance pie. Then a nurse stops in and gives you a $10 asprin.
Then I suppose that would be the biggest hurdle for America. Having the Hospitals and Doctors ALL charge the same fee, which is how I assume it works in UK ?
Or the same fees for all hospitals and doc's within each state, as the taxes brought in from each state would reflect the economics of that state ?
Heck ! If the USA wants it to work it can, I'm not figuring out for them !! LOL
Elaine
Or the same fees for all hospitals and doc's within each state, as the taxes brought in from each state would reflect the economics of that state ?
Heck ! If the USA wants it to work it can, I'm not figuring out for them !! LOL
Elaine
Jan 28th 2008, 5:02 am
#242
gurt mint nit?
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Posts: 2,776
Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
School supplies for Elementary are not required, but, once you hit Middle School they bring home a long list.
I had to run all over town trying to find a one theme notebook that was JUST the right size, it HAD to be the EXACT measurements, couldn't be off by 1/2 an inch ! It's a Bloody notebook for God Sakes ! LOL
Fundraisers to help pay for kids to go on trips for those who's parents can't afford it I never had a problem with until I found out there is no criteria for who falls under that category, basically anyone could say they couldn't afford it. I discovered people who were saying they could not afford it, who, had their own business and lived in brand new houses and then also people who's kids and parents lived in Mexico and the family ran several businesses.
So, unfortunately there I draw the line.
Most of the school trips you have to contribute (donation they call it) for the bus that takes them, I have no problem with that.
Elaine
I had to run all over town trying to find a one theme notebook that was JUST the right size, it HAD to be the EXACT measurements, couldn't be off by 1/2 an inch ! It's a Bloody notebook for God Sakes ! LOL
Fundraisers to help pay for kids to go on trips for those who's parents can't afford it I never had a problem with until I found out there is no criteria for who falls under that category, basically anyone could say they couldn't afford it. I discovered people who were saying they could not afford it, who, had their own business and lived in brand new houses and then also people who's kids and parents lived in Mexico and the family ran several businesses.
So, unfortunately there I draw the line.
Most of the school trips you have to contribute (donation they call it) for the bus that takes them, I have no problem with that.
Elaine
Jan 28th 2008, 9:07 am
#244
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
We don't feel obligated to support every fundraiser that comes home in the backpacks. As for the supply list - half of it is ridiculous. Only one year did we buy everything. Some of that stuff is still sitting in a drawer waiting to be used.
Wastefull.
I often wonder if Americans in general have any idea just how stressed their existances are as a result of the way of life here?
Seriously, its very difficult to have a plain and simple lifestyle because you have to constantly be something of a tax expert/health expert/business savvy just to avoid getting fleeced.
Yes, I know its steadily getting worse in the UK, but we always seem to have been a leap ahead here.
Wastefull.
I often wonder if Americans in general have any idea just how stressed their existances are as a result of the way of life here?
Seriously, its very difficult to have a plain and simple lifestyle because you have to constantly be something of a tax expert/health expert/business savvy just to avoid getting fleeced.
Yes, I know its steadily getting worse in the UK, but we always seem to have been a leap ahead here.
Jan 28th 2008, 11:39 am
#245
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
thats the problem. too many deep pockets making money the way things are run now. Hospitals want to make money and alot of it. Doctors have no salary ceiling. When your in hospital here, every doctor on duty stops in your room and initials your chart so that he can get a peice of the insurance pie. Then a nurse stops in and gives you a $10 asprin.
The vast majority of hospital beds in the US are not-for-profit hospitals. I can't find it at the moment, but I posted it somewhere - my memory says 75% or so.
Jan 28th 2008, 2:43 pm
#247
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
Not too exciting a statistic given that most Americans access to healthcare is through for-profit insurance companies and for-profit doctors.
Jan 28th 2008, 3:24 pm
#248
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
Well it obviously does. Considering its your opinion and I'm curious as to why you expressed it. Not that I'm against it/ or for it.....just curious as to why.
Jan 28th 2008, 11:18 pm
#249
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
But to blame hospitals, and say they're all trying to make lots of money, is inaccurate.
If you want to complain, and blame, and generally rage - might as well be at the real "perpetrators", not not-for-profit organizations - wouldn't you think that'd make more sense?
Jan 29th 2008, 3:18 am
#250
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
Never denied that.
But to blame hospitals, and say they're all trying to make lots of money, is inaccurate.
If you want to complain, and blame, and generally rage - might as well be at the real "perpetrators", not not-for-profit organizations - wouldn't you think that'd make more sense?
But to blame hospitals, and say they're all trying to make lots of money, is inaccurate.
If you want to complain, and blame, and generally rage - might as well be at the real "perpetrators", not not-for-profit organizations - wouldn't you think that'd make more sense?
Jan 29th 2008, 3:56 am
#251
gurt mint nit?
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: In my shed
Posts: 2,776
Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
While I don't always support fund raisers I do think that the money raised can go to very worthwhile endeavors. My point is that school isn't free, however fine the point that Elfman made (free at the point of delivery.) While taxes do pay for a general basic education, there is much more to be included and there should be. This world isn't "basic" and neither is healthcare or education.
) Free is what you get when you buy 1 and get the other "free" (in the next 5 minutes)
"Free shipping included" is a sales ploy.
Free internet access and free cable in your hotel room is a little extra added
Freeway is the interstate system in California which has no toll roads.
In each case and in all others the cost of the thing is taken up somewhere in what you pay. Free is illusiory. It doesn't exist as such. It surely cannot.
It really is more than a fine point, however, when the term "Free at point of service" is used in connection with universal healthcare (as much as the term socialised medicine is also misleading) and the extension of the thinking which leads us to accepting this method as fairer and more equitable and therefore more desirable than a profit-based system is that:
It is effectively free at the time when you need it and thereafter and it is not determined by how much you earn or your status in life. Thats the idea - thats supposed to fuel the practice.
Its really not reasonable to expect to convince an American who associates the structure of the US health system with the constitutional form of the word "Free" but it is certainly fun to debate it.
Jan 29th 2008, 5:21 am
#252
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
Think about the kind of thing that tax revenues provide ... and then think about how much opportunity you realistically have to make a real choice about where you spend your money (if its affordable at all) to attain those given services in a free market situation ... if there is even a free market to choose from.
Jan 29th 2008, 7:38 am
#253
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
I assume it would mean you can still charge what you like and make loads of money, but, you can't show a profit when it comes to the IRS at the end of the day.
Which could easily be corrected by giving out large bonus's to the higher ups in the Hospital.
I know out of the Thrift Stores I go to, only one is a Not For Profit and they charge the highest prices out of all of them. The workers in all of the TS stores are paid a wage, even though some of them are Charities. All the stuff given to the various TS stores are donated. I know these are not Hospitals, but, an example of how Not For Profit can actually mean higher prices.
I believe there are a lot of large Companies that call themselves Not For Profit and make a ton of money.
So I'm not sure that having a Not For Profit Hospital can make a lot of difference ?
Elaine
Jan 29th 2008, 8:07 am
#254
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
Well I don't know where you would look up a definition for "Not for Profit" or what your definition of it would be ?
I assume it would mean you can still charge what you like and make loads of money, but, you can't show a profit when it comes to the IRS at the end of the day.
Which could easily be corrected by giving out large bonus's to the higher ups in the Hospital.
I know out of the Thrift Stores I go to, only one is a Not For Profit and they charge the highest prices out of all of them. The workers in all of the TS stores are paid a wage, even though some of them are Charities. All the stuff given to the various TS stores are donated. I know these are not Hospitals, but, an example of how Not For Profit can actually mean higher prices.
I believe there are a lot of large Companies that call themselves Not For Profit and make a ton of money.
So I'm not sure that having a Not For Profit Hospital can make a lot of difference ?
Elaine
I assume it would mean you can still charge what you like and make loads of money, but, you can't show a profit when it comes to the IRS at the end of the day.
Which could easily be corrected by giving out large bonus's to the higher ups in the Hospital.
I know out of the Thrift Stores I go to, only one is a Not For Profit and they charge the highest prices out of all of them. The workers in all of the TS stores are paid a wage, even though some of them are Charities. All the stuff given to the various TS stores are donated. I know these are not Hospitals, but, an example of how Not For Profit can actually mean higher prices.
I believe there are a lot of large Companies that call themselves Not For Profit and make a ton of money.
So I'm not sure that having a Not For Profit Hospital can make a lot of difference ?
Elaine
Jan 29th 2008, 12:14 pm
#255
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Re: Sicko - so who has now seen the film?
But, I will say that while free medical care/education is good in theory, it doesn't always deliver what someone needs. But then that might be a bit hard for you to understand.
