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I think affordable walk in clinics based on income would be a great alternative. However, they have to be clean, efficient and not having the wall paper peeling off the wall or the people who CAN afford to pay aren't going to go there. This only leaves the people who can't afford to pay with the same thing they have now.....medicaid. It leaves those without insurance but the ability to pay as they go....without any place to go. Again....same thing as we have now.
I think affordable walk in clinics based on income would be a great alternative. However, they have to be clean, efficient and not having the wall paper peeling off the wall or the people who CAN afford to pay aren't going to go there. This only leaves the people who can't afford to pay with the same thing they have now.....medicaid. It leaves those without insurance but the ability to pay as they go....without any place to go. Again....same thing as we have now.
I disagree. They need to have a certain standard of cleanliness, but don't expect a concierge and valet parking when you're basically begging. Even a peeling wall-paper place that works on a sliding scale for uninsured/public insured leaves those without private insurance a better option than they have now.
Medicare and Medicaid kind of get screwed. I know in major public hospitals (like ours) there is a max number of each we can see a month outside of the ER, and private practices don't even have to see them.
We don't have enough to provide surplus medical care, right now things are stretched thin enough to provide care in a timely manner but not much more. Having more then that would stretch budgets of major hospitals even thinner then they are, ours is one of the best and biggest...it still needs public and bond funding to stay afloat. Don't need studies for that when I'm in it all day, every weekday.
Medicare and Medicaid kind of get screwed. I know in major public hospitals (like ours) there is a max number of each we can see a month outside of the ER, and private practices don't even have to see them.
We don't have enough to provide surplus medical care, right now things are stretched thin enough to provide care in a timely manner but not much more. Having more then that would stretch budgets of major hospitals even thinner then they are, ours is one of the best and biggest...it still needs public and bond funding to stay afloat. Don't need studies for that when I'm in it all day, every weekday.
The problem is that the many people on Medicaid use hospitals for non-emergencies. If there were public clinics the hospitals could refuse them at triage and send them downstream to a clinic. Clinics could be opened inexpensively in vacant storefronts or unused public building space and staffed by medical professionals such as PA's who cost a fraction of what a doctor does. We don't need $120/hour physicians to order a battery of tests for an ear infection when a $30/hour PA in a clinic setting can diagnose and write a script for amoxicillian by looking in the ears and taking a temperature. Same thing with prenatal care by a midwife and a finger that needs a few stitches being tended to by a nurse practitioner.
Get the Medicaid recipients out of the expensive ER's and that will free up billions of dollars annually that can then be redistributed to assist others without private insurance who will pay on a sliding scale.
A coupel of other things:
Stop the stranglehold that certain health insurers have on certain states. Allow competition across state lines and you will see prices drop and quality rise. Also require anyone who works to either purchase private insurance (BC/BS, Aetna, etc.) or pay a set fee based on themselves and their number of dependents into a Federal fund--basically the Medicaid fund that they will be partially covered under. No more free rides.
I'm in favor of completely "socialized" health care at this point. You shouldn't have to worry about where you are, what doctor you can go to, whether you're going to have a co-pay, etc. If you're sick or need a check-up, you go to the doctor of your choice, as long as they're available when you'd like, receive your services, receive any medications and such that you need for free, etc. There would be no need for medical insurance of any sort.
While I prefer other economic systems than the one we currently have, if we are retaining our current economic system, I have no problem paying for the above re taxes, and we shouldn't need additional taxes for it, just redistributed taxes and also taxes that should be generated (including from related spending that would be cut) from cosensual activities that should be legalized.
I'm in favor of completely "socialized" health care at this point. You shouldn't have to worry about where you are, what doctor you can go to, whether you're going to have a co-pay, etc. If you're sick or need a check-up, you go to the doctor of your choice, as long as they're available when you'd like, receive your services, receive any medications and such that you need for free, etc. There would be no need for medical insurance of any sort.
While I prefer other economic systems than the one we currently have, if we are retaining our current economic system, I have no problem paying for the above re taxes, and we shouldn't need additional taxes for it, just redistributed taxes and also taxes that should be generated (including from related spending that would be cut) from cosensual activities that should be legalized.
I am not in favor of socialized medicine at all. I am happy with my current health care. If I need to see my doctor ebcause I am sick, I get right in. If we move to socialized health care I could end up waiting a week or two for a sick visit. I am more than happy to continue to pay thousands of dollars a year in insurance premiums to continue to receive this level of care.
Yes, I believe that we need to do something to make health care available to the few that fall through the cracks and simply can not obtain insurance (and there aren't as many as is made out to be--many choose to not take employer avaiable insurance because they would rather have the cash for other things) but socializing all health care is not teh answer.
I'd rather see a two-tiered system with minimal standard basic care for those who choose to not buy health insurance, and current standard of care for those who have health insurance or can afford to pay out of pocket.
And all of it needs to be done without raising taxes.
If we move to socialized health care I could end up waiting a week or two for a sick visit.
Because your doctor is expensive, doesn't accept much insurance, and most folks think he's a good doctor or something? I'm just trying to figure out why you're reasoning that it might be that much more difficult to get in to see him under my system.
Because your doctor is expensive, doesn't accept much insurance, and most folks think he's a good doctor or something? I'm just trying to figure out why you're reasoning that it might be that much more difficult to get in to see him under my system.
I have friends in the UK and Canada who have had these situations. They are incredibly unhappy with their health care options, and I don't want to see things go that way in the US. And for the record my doctors fees are in line with the average for this area and SHE is a wonderful doctor who accepts most major insurance and Medicare.
I was very poor for years and was uninsured. I used a community health Center for my healthcare needs. I had long waits and the center wasn't attractive, but I was able to get basic health care at a cost that was affordable to me.
Just like so much else in this world, people think they are ENTITLED to things. You get things by working for them. If you can't afford health insurance, work a second job to pay for it--that's what I ultimately did for years, so I have ZERO compassion for those who think it should just be handed to them. The entitlement mentality in this country is sickening.
I have friends in the UK and Canada who have had these situations. They are incredibly unhappy with their health care options, and I don't want to see things go that way in the US.
Hmm . . . I have friends and family in the UK and Canada who are very happy with their health care. But I agree that not everyone likes the same things.
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And for the record my doctors fees are in line with the average for this area and SHE is a wonderful doctor who accepts most major insurance and Medicare.
Okay, I just didn't get what your reasoning might have been on that one, and you're not providing much of an insight there.
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I was very poor for years and was uninsured. I used a community health Center for my healthcare needs. I had long waits
Ah, so you're figuring that it would be analogous to that. But the problem there is that there are a bunch of people who need medical care, who don't have insurance, and can't get it from the doctors who accept only particular kinds of insurance or payment directly from the patient. That wouldn't be the situation if we had my system.
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Just like so much else in this world, people think they are ENTITLED to things.
I think that people are certainly entitled to housing, food, clothing, health care, education, etc. just because they're alive, yes. I don't really understand any longer why we'd have a system where we wouldn't automatically provide those things for everyone. It's not as if it would be difficult to provide everyone with that stuff. The problem is that the system is set up to work against some folks (I'm not saying that's intentional--it's just the result of a not very well thought-out system), so that they'd have to do things like work two jobs to get basic needs. So we should change the system. In my view, no one should HAVE to work two jobs for anything, and they wouldn't need to with a different system in place.
Hmm . . . I have friends and family in the UK and Canada who are very happy with their health care. But I agree that not everyone likes the same things. Okay, I just didn't get what your reasoning might have been on that one, and you're not providing much of an insight there.
Not sure what more you want. I like my doctor, I can get in easily with minimal notice, and yes, socializing medicine and requiring her to take any and all patients would change that.
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Ah, so you're figuring that it would be analogous to that. But the problem there is that there are a bunch of people who need medical care, who don't have insurance, and can't get it from the doctors who accept only particular kinds of insurance or payment directly from the patient. That wouldn't be the situation if we had my system.
They can get care, it might not be from the best doctor, it might not be as conveneint, it might not be at the hostpital of their choice. But the CAN get care.
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I think that people are certainly entitled to housing, food, clothing, health care, education, etc. just because they're alive, yes. I don't really understand any longer why we'd have a system where we wouldn't automatically provide those things for everyone.
And who is paying for it? The few that work their butts off to reach an upper middle income. it's certainly not the upper income with thier tax loopholes, or the middle income. The lower middle income get their welfare check every year known as the Earned Income Credit. Lower income people pay no taxes. So who is paying for this all?
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It's not as if it would be difficult to provide everyone with that stuff. The problem is that the system is set up to work against some folks (I'm not saying that's intentional--it's just the result of a not very well thought-out system), so that they'd have to do things like work two jobs to get basic needs. So we should change the system. In my view, no one should HAVE to work two jobs for anything, and they wouldn't need to with a different system in place.
Maybe you'd be happier in Russia. I prefer the free market economy which is the best way to get people to WANT to achieve and reach for better lives--and will achieve that if they work for it. If you just hand it to people they will rest on thier laurels, because they know they will get things without lifting a finger for them.
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