Covered California Rate Increase 12.5% for 2018 (Columbia: vacation, deal, required)

[SportyandMisty]

Going up to 50,000 feet...

In traditional economics, we have supply curves and demand curves. To some extent these hold for health care, but given the nature of our health insurance, they don't hold completely.

With the advent of Obamacare, many more people have health insurance, some of whom will want to use their newly purchased health insurance to go to the doctor. Unfortunately, we didn't add more doctors.

In economics terms, this scenario is called a shift in the demand curve, but the supply curve remains the same.




Of course, the same shift-in-demand coupled with static-supply situation is true for other pieces of the medical care pie: imaging centers, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and the like.

It seems to me as a nation we should focus on expanding the supply of the various pieces of medical care. Unfortunately, in the short run (5-10 years) our medical schools, nursing schools and hospital residency programs are relatively fixed. There are a few new medical schools - but the number of seats in hospital residency programs has not expanded to account for that. Literally, there are graduates of US medical schools who are unable to enter a residency program in the USA for their actual medical training. That would suck.

So -- why don't we encourage immigrant physicians, nurses, and therapists of various flavors? To a certain extent we do this now -- many RNs practicing in the USA are Filipino by birth and educated in the Philippines. I've also met several medical doctors who were raised in and received their medical education in foreign lands who have come to the USA -- but it seems to me we could do more to encourage them.

We need more supply to provide medical care for the newly insured.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by SportyandMisty

Going up to 50,000 feet...

In traditional economics, we have supply curves and demand curves. To some extent these hold for health care, but given the nature of our health insurance, they don't hold completely.

With the advent of Obamacare, many more people have health insurance, some of whom will want to use their newly purchased health insurance to go to the doctor. Unfortunately, we didn't add more doctors.

In economics terms, this scenario is called a shift in the demand curve, but the supply curve remains the same.




Of course, the same shift-in-demand coupled with static-supply situation is true for other pieces of the medical care pie: imaging centers, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, and the like.

It seems to me as a nation we should focus on expanding the supply of the various pieces of medical care. Unfortunately, in the short run (5-10 years) our medical schools, nursing schools and hospital residency programs are relatively fixed. There are a few new medical schools - but the number of seats in hospital residency programs has not expanded to account for that. Literally, there are graduates of US medical schools who are unable to enter a residency program in the USA for their actual medical training. That would suck.

So -- why don't we encourage immigrant physicians, nurses, and therapists of various flavors? To a certain extent we do this now -- many RNs practicing in the USA are Filipino by birth and educated in the Philippines. I've also met several medical doctors who were raised in and received their medical education in foreign lands who have come to the USA -- but it seems to me we could do more to encourage them.

We need more supply to provide medical care for the newly insured.

Whoa! ... really, what we need is to learn how to become more healthy as individuals.

Of course, in lieu of that we can try your idea of training and / licensing every Tom, Dick, and Harry we can possibly recruit into a sick allopathic system of medicine that ignores basic biology in favor of corporate profiteering of developing and marketing toxic processed foods, medicines, and materials that appeal to a viciously and surreptitiously psychologically (and ultimately physically) conditioned consumer base - ignoring that we are on a path to needing half the 'efing population to be medical professionals - which will require more money to pay for than anyone can expect to earn and still buy a loaf of bread.

And, speaking of bread, if it's not actually real whole grain bread you shouldn't put it into your mouth ...

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Whoa! ... really, what we need is to learn how to become more healthy as individuals.

Of course, in lieu of that we can try your idea of training and / licensing every Tom, Dick, and Harry we can possibly recruit into a sick allopathic system of medicine that ignores basic biology in favor of corporate profiteering of developing and marketing toxic processed foods, medicines, and materials that appeal to a viciously and surreptitiously psychologically (and ultimately physically) conditioned consumer base - ignoring that we are on a path to needing half the 'efing population to be medical professionals - which will require more money to pay for than anyone can expect to earn and still buy a loaf of bread.

And, speaking of bread, if it's not actually real whole grain bread you shouldn't put it into your mouth ...

Gee, nothing to disagree with.

[CaliRestoration]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

So what if the hospital address is in the header?

It has the doctors fax number (and actual full name on the header if you look closely enough). He's listed on the hospital's actual website.

Socialism sucks. #NotOnce

[CaliRestoration]

Originally Posted by SportyandMisty

I understand your point - but just to clarify, that pic is for a Neurologist, not a Neurosurgeon. Your point of course is still valid.

True, but whether it's brain cancer or mental illness, 4.5 years is a long time to take care of the issue IMO.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by CaliRestoration

It has the doctors fax number (and actual full name on the header if you look closely enough). He's listed on the hospital's actual website.

Socialism sucks. #NotOnce

Still doesn't validate it. If you call the number and then report back to us that you talked dirctly to the doctor who wrote the letter - it STILL would't validate it. You know why? Because this is an anonymous internet forum.

As I said before, people make stuff up. It may be true. I'm not saying it isn't. I'm pointing out you haven't validated anything.

I also point out you haven't answered anything relevant I posed in the post you are trying to ridicule. So I'll remind you:

In any case it does not prove:

1. That socialism sucks
2. That there are no avenues of recourse for critical surgery - even in Canada.
3. That this type of wait is typical of universal health care.

It is one [possible example] of one lousy situation in one country that has universal health care.

Btw: Canada isn't a socialist country.

If you want to argue your position with any credibility (haha) please show the readers here credible comparative analyses of the 7 or 8 dozen national universal health care systems in the developed nations world as equitably measured against the U.S. healthcare mess.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Harrrvy

Yeah I'll just tell my Dad that died at 61 from 2 bouts of cancer that he should have just been more healthy.

Sorry for your loss. Just as I'm sorry about my own including the mother of my children dying of cancer in my arms when the kids were still schoolchildren ages. And a dozen other close family and friends who have passed at relatively young ages of non-communicable diseases ... most of what we all ail from are non-communicable diseases that healthier lifestyles would negate. Not all. Some people just die before others. It's been that way since, well, forever.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Harrrvy

My wife is a neurologist (like the doctor in your picture) not a neurosurgeon which is someone that would deal with brain cancer. You would never be able to see her within a day or two. Her appointments for new patients are a minimum of 3 months out and sometimes up to 6 months.

... to also note that CaliRestoration assigned a diagnosis of “brain cancer” to the patient in the alleged letter ... whereas the letter refers to no specific condition ... and the neurologist's own letterhead says the clinic is a “Movement Disorders Clinic” ... not an oncology clinic.

But hey, that's CaliRestoration doing what he always does ...

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Harrrvy

Yes, I understand the point that obesity, smoking, alcohol, and car accidents make up a lot of deaths in the US, but 35% of deaths are cancer or infections (aka uncontrollable). Where you get the idea that MDs being trained today are ignoring basic biology in favor of corporate profiteering is very suspect and honestly quite false. Also, the fact that you think MDs are on a path to get paid drastically more means you're quite uninformed about modern healthcare compensation. MDs used to be paid significantly more in the 60-80's relative to what they are today. Physician compensation is currently about 8% of healthcare costs. If you want to move the needle on healthcare costs, chopping that pediatricians salary from 130K a year to 100k a year or the IM guy from 180k to 150k is not going to move the needle.

Mmmm. Nowhere did I raise any suggestion about “MD's being on a path to get paid drastically more.” What I said was our traditional allopathic medical profession is ignoring basic biology in favor of corporate profiteering. None of that says individual doctors are consciously and intentionally ignoring biology. It identifies the evolved state of the profession ... which profession is driven by industry with nothing more than for-profit motives.

Yes, the medical / healthcare industry is huge beyond just doctors themselves. The industry is corporate and owned by financiers and technology developers.


35% of deaths are cancers and infections. So? How does that change the fact that those are often attributable to lifestyle exposures? They are not “uncontrollable” entirely. Genetics plays a role. Environment plays a role. Lifestyle choices play a role. The combination varies in degree of culpability. But 2 of 3 bases are controllable.

Now, if you want to point out that few, if any of us, can know fully all the dangers we are exposed to in today's world - I agree 100%. I don't put a lot of blame on individuals at all. The blame lies on the culture we are conditioned to expect and pursue ... and the industries that play for their profit on our weaknesses.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Harrrvy

Let's just focus on this for a minute. Say, I don't want my child to get leukemia. What environment, genetics, and environment do you recommend I control so that doesn't happen?

Yes, there are some things we can do to reduce melanoma or cervical cancer from HPV, but random prostate cancer, breast cancer, brain tumor, etc. there is nothing you can do about it. I've known people that smoked 2 packs a day and survived to 80 with no pulmonary issues. I also had a childhood friend who died at 16 from bone cancer that metastasized to his lungs and brain yet his twin brother is still alive and kicking. We are always going to need physicians to try and treat/cure/research these diseases. And they need to be paid.

Yeah. Not sure where you're interpreting me otherwise. I've made it clear that I am not suggesting doctors aren't needed, nor shouldn't be paid ... nor saying all disease is avoidable by lifestyle choices. I say, very clearly, most of what ails most people are non-communicable diseases ... and the majority of that is a function of environmental and lifestyle factors.

You can cite exceptions till you are blue in the face ... there are lots. That's life for ya. And sometimes it's a bugger. I've lived it.