The US pays about twice for health care what other developed nations get but trails most of them in medical indicators like life expectancy and infant morality. The “we’re always #1” crowd needs to get out more.
I have no fear that if Obamacare comes into being there will be thousands of doctors to figure out ways to exploit it to gain millions just like they have with medicare and medicaide.
Ignorance in spades again. FACT: The Insurance industry is the biggest obstacle to good healthcare in this country, and has been for some time. Source: The Catholic Healthcare Association.FACT: We are roughly #27 in quality of care worldwide, and #1 for cost. Our expenses are fifty percent higher than #2 (the UK) FACT: There is enormous wastage in the system because of parallel plans, inconsistent choices by insurance companies, and so forth. Many doctor’s offices have to employ someone full-time just to juggle insurance plans — how wasteful is that, when you could spend the money on better healthcare?FACT: The approval ratings on that most socialist of healthcare systems, the UK, are actually quite high, and higher than the US — except for Medicare.FACT: harley’s reference to evil profits is irrelevant. Business is supposed to be more efficient than government, right? But the insurance industry mobilized massively to prevent Obama’s second choice (after single-payer): the nonprofit, pays-for-itself insurance company. This would have cost us NOTHING (pay for itself, remember?) and been cheap. Apparently they feared the competition…
Radish,you are exactly correct. It amazes me how republicans attached all kinds of things to make it a monstrosity, then point to the very things they attached to PROVE it’s unworkable.
the republicans didn’t want people to be able to cross state lines to get care, and most importantly wanted to protect the boards and chief officers that run the health insurance companies.
obama wanted single payer (the only thing that makes sense). to bad the democrats didn’t have the spine, stomach and balls WHILE they had the votes.
Most of the “cost” of Medicare is actually a result of “privatization” and contracting to insurance companies. Efficiency is down, costs are up, and that IS the “Republican plan” started under “W” and written into “Obamacare” which is of course actually the “Affordable Health Care Act”, that Obama signed despite all the ripoffs Republicans wrote into it.
Single payer would also remove the in network/out of network nonsense that costs the consumer money. I had one insurer that refused to pay for an endocrinologist in Maine, but told us they would only cover one 150 miles away in Boston. I was also billed twice during my wife’s leukemia battle for every hospital visit because the computer ran both the in network and out of network code for the hospital. It added nearly $25000.00 to the final bill over the course of the illness.
Happy to have more facts. You obviously haven’t been here long, or you would realize why I feel compelled to lay things out so simply!And “apparently” was ironic. I know the answer here.As a social scientist myself, I can speak with some authority on your point #4 — this is technically true but in practice major divergences are quite usable. At the end of the day, if 98% of people under one plan are happy and under another 50% are not, a direct comparison is not necessarily required to see that something is wrong!The system is certainly broken; it is worth noting that the Romneycare plan has some improvements, but does not address the central challenge of the system.In addition to the other issues of the healthcare system, we also make it extremely difficult and expensive for people to become doctors — another contrast with the UK, where it is far more affordable if not nearly free — plus the litigious nature of American society means that malpractice insurance is eating up what doctors can make. I would argue that only a complete overhaul of how healthcare works, from training of staff through to delivery, will really work, and I am skeptical that either party will commit to that. Maybe if Teddy Roosevelt had gotten his plan through in 1910…
Prof_Bleen about 12 years ago
Evidence, please?
cjr53 about 12 years ago
Maybe the comparison referred to is some back outpost in a third world country?
Nebulous Premium Member about 12 years ago
It was so much easier back when a Doctor would take a chicken in return for a house call.
Odon Premium Member about 12 years ago
The funding to the military to protect us is stupendous, how about funding the protection we actually need – healthcare.
ossiningaling about 12 years ago
Just because something is complex, doesn’t make it more expensive.
pdchapin about 12 years ago
The US pays about twice for health care what other developed nations get but trails most of them in medical indicators like life expectancy and infant morality. The “we’re always #1” crowd needs to get out more.
garysr87 about 12 years ago
I have no fear that if Obamacare comes into being there will be thousands of doctors to figure out ways to exploit it to gain millions just like they have with medicare and medicaide.
Motivemagus about 12 years ago
Ignorance in spades again. FACT: The Insurance industry is the biggest obstacle to good healthcare in this country, and has been for some time. Source: The Catholic Healthcare Association.FACT: We are roughly #27 in quality of care worldwide, and #1 for cost. Our expenses are fifty percent higher than #2 (the UK) FACT: There is enormous wastage in the system because of parallel plans, inconsistent choices by insurance companies, and so forth. Many doctor’s offices have to employ someone full-time just to juggle insurance plans — how wasteful is that, when you could spend the money on better healthcare?FACT: The approval ratings on that most socialist of healthcare systems, the UK, are actually quite high, and higher than the US — except for Medicare.FACT: harley’s reference to evil profits is irrelevant. Business is supposed to be more efficient than government, right? But the insurance industry mobilized massively to prevent Obama’s second choice (after single-payer): the nonprofit, pays-for-itself insurance company. This would have cost us NOTHING (pay for itself, remember?) and been cheap. Apparently they feared the competition…
Nebulous Premium Member about 12 years ago
The DOCTORS and the Nurses and the Physicians Assistants should be paid.The Insurance Claims Adjusters should be … …adjusted. Strenuously.
dannysixpack about 12 years ago
Radish,you are exactly correct. It amazes me how republicans attached all kinds of things to make it a monstrosity, then point to the very things they attached to PROVE it’s unworkable.
the republicans didn’t want people to be able to cross state lines to get care, and most importantly wanted to protect the boards and chief officers that run the health insurance companies.
obama wanted single payer (the only thing that makes sense). to bad the democrats didn’t have the spine, stomach and balls WHILE they had the votes.
dannysixpack about 12 years ago
^and btw, notice that the simple and elegant single payer system is sitting on uncles sams left, but is not hooked up.
but the republicans would be against that system.
Dtroutma about 12 years ago
Most of the “cost” of Medicare is actually a result of “privatization” and contracting to insurance companies. Efficiency is down, costs are up, and that IS the “Republican plan” started under “W” and written into “Obamacare” which is of course actually the “Affordable Health Care Act”, that Obama signed despite all the ripoffs Republicans wrote into it.
Fourcrows about 12 years ago
Single payer would also remove the in network/out of network nonsense that costs the consumer money. I had one insurer that refused to pay for an endocrinologist in Maine, but told us they would only cover one 150 miles away in Boston. I was also billed twice during my wife’s leukemia battle for every hospital visit because the computer ran both the in network and out of network code for the hospital. It added nearly $25000.00 to the final bill over the course of the illness.
pam Miner about 12 years ago
We all have to hope to stay healthy.Single payer sounds much better.When people do it for a profit, of course it will cost more.
agate1 about 12 years ago
JuliaGreenEco. I’m interested in what form of health-care system you think would be practical for the United States.
Motivemagus about 12 years ago
Happy to have more facts. You obviously haven’t been here long, or you would realize why I feel compelled to lay things out so simply!And “apparently” was ironic. I know the answer here.As a social scientist myself, I can speak with some authority on your point #4 — this is technically true but in practice major divergences are quite usable. At the end of the day, if 98% of people under one plan are happy and under another 50% are not, a direct comparison is not necessarily required to see that something is wrong!The system is certainly broken; it is worth noting that the Romneycare plan has some improvements, but does not address the central challenge of the system.In addition to the other issues of the healthcare system, we also make it extremely difficult and expensive for people to become doctors — another contrast with the UK, where it is far more affordable if not nearly free — plus the litigious nature of American society means that malpractice insurance is eating up what doctors can make. I would argue that only a complete overhaul of how healthcare works, from training of staff through to delivery, will really work, and I am skeptical that either party will commit to that. Maybe if Teddy Roosevelt had gotten his plan through in 1910…