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I'm in California and last week had the opportunity to see the world debut of Michael Moore's new film "SICKO." If you haven't checked it out I would STRONGLY encourage all of you to see it. It's truly a masterpiece and extremely precise in the portrayel of the healthcare crisis in America. We have some of the best medical professionals in the world but they operate under the medical administration and pharmaceutical companies who are out to make BIG PROFITS. It's amazing how CANADA, FRANCE and even CUBA provide universal healthcare FREE OF CHARGE and we as Americans are being DENIED even though we pay are premiums. There is something vial about this picture. I left the movie theater feeling very angry and repulsed that our basic needs are not even being met. This is coming from the most developed and richest nation on earth, truly SICK!
You know what's more shocking? Prescription drugs are free. Doctors come to your home and even pay for your carfare/cab to get you home safely.
Here in America HOSPITALS ARE DUMPING PATIENTS ON THE STREETS, much like animals to be disposed off. VERY SICK.
socialized medicene wont fix any thing you just need people to pay there bills. If every one payed there bill the hospital wouldent charge hard working people that pay there bill 8 times what it ot to be only 20% of hospital bills get collected.
socialized medicene wont fix any thing you just need people to pay there bills. If every one payed there bill the hospital wouldent charge hard working people that pay there bill 8 times what it ot to be only 20% of hospital bills get collected.
Yeah, but most people can't afford health insurance to begin with.
So how did it end up like this?
I couldn't for a long time. I am a single parent of two children with one income. It's a little hard to budget in 400.00 a month for that.
Yeah, but most people can't afford health insurance to begin with.
So how did it end up like this?
I couldn't for a long time. I am a single parent of two children with one income. It's a little hard to budget in 400.00 a month for that.
yes but if your insurance was 80% less of $400 it would be $80 and you could aford it, every person that dosent pay there bill gets there bill payed by the next guy in line or the hospital would have to close, now it is out of control.
socialized medicene wont fix any thing you just need people to pay there bills. If every one payed there bill the hospital wouldent charge hard working people that pay there bill 8 times what it ot to be only 20% of hospital bills get collected.
I would have to respectively disagree. Socialized medicine is not only the answer to the healthcare crisis but a necessity. We as Americans deserve healthcare, education and affordable housing. These are thing that everyone is entitles too regardless of social or economic status. It's not that people aren't paying the bills, that's not the issue. The REAL ISSUE is that hospitals are not about healing and aiding people, they are out to make HUGE PROFITS and the fact that you're an American doesn't mean a thing. Money has no color line and doesn't discriminate. Either you have the cash or you don't, it's that simple.
We can have socialized medicine and it not only works but WORKS GREAT. Do you know how much a night at the hospital costs? It's $2,000 and that doesn't even include your care (room and board) only. Not to mention that hospitals are PROFIT MAKING INSTITUTIONS in the U.S. and that's the opposite of what healthcare is about. Healthcare is about healing people and first doing no harm. I think our medical institutions are a disgrace as their motives have clearly been revealed.
U.S. healthcare ranks on par with 3rd world countries and we are the ONLY western nation to not have universal healthcare. Be careful, if you lose your job or can't pay that ASTRONOMICAL premium. You'll find a new definition for the term PAIN.
Everyone should pay THEIR (not there) mortgage too, then we wouldnt have foreclosures. Everyone should pay for their food, then people wouldn't be hungry. Big surprise, not everyone can you ass, its called poverty. What happens if you, "bigreez" lose your job tomorrow and get in a car crash on the way home? You going to pay that bill? Unpaid bills don't tack on 80% to healthcare costs. Our society has left that to a combination of company profits and private beaucrats trying to deny claims. This is childlike ignorance. You should be ashamed of your blatant inhumanity.
I am sorry you dont like how I presented that but the botom line is someone has to pay for it the longer the buck gets pased the heaver the burden will be, and your correct in pointing out that I am no school marm. A free market encorages invention and advancement. if you pay all doctors 50k/year the good dont move up they stay with the medeoker why should they try to advance the field? I realy dont want to be viewed as cold and inhumane and I agree the healthcare system is failing people I just disagree with socialisim.
I am sorry you dont like how I presented that but the botom line is someone has to pay for it the longer the buck gets pased the heaver the burden will be, and your correct in pointing out that I am no school marm. A free market encorages invention and advancement. if you pay all doctors 50k/year the good dont move up they stay with the medeoker why should they try to advance the field? I realy dont want to be viewed as cold and inhumane and I agree the healthcare system is failing people I just disagree with socialisim.
as someone who's about to start med school in the u.s., i'd like to bring up a few points.
the overall acceptance rate for med school is about 50%. this means that half the people who make it to the *applicant* stage for med school never get in. these med school "rejects" have an undergraduate degree with the required pre-med science courses, and they have paid roughly $1,000+ to take the standardized exam, apply to multiple schools, and travel to those schools for required interviews. all this in the face of dramatically rising med school tuition (i will be over 300k in debt in 8 years) and stagnation in physician income. in other words, we currently have tons of med school *rejects* who are well-qualified and well-motivated to be doctors despite the costs, but they can't because there isn't enough capacity in our medical schools.
now for those that do get accepted, the drop out rate is very low. before going into a medical specialty, another standardized test is required which is used to assess how well you compare to your peers. guess which specialties our most highly qualified doctors are currently going into? the two specialties with the highest average standardized test scores are dermatology and plastic surgery. no joke. our "best" doctors are choosing the specialties with the highest pay and best lifestyle (relatively low hours). so there's the "invention and advancement" encouraged by the "market."
so i firmly believe that if we make income *less* of an incentive for going into medicine, we will still have plenty of well-qualified docs and the best among them will be more likely to choose specialties that face a strong shortage of docs and/or better serve those in most need of medical care. i believe that i would much prefer to practice under socialized medicine, especially if my lower income were offset by free or cheap medical education as in other countries with socialized medicine. as the movie demonstrates, doctors like to be able to provide the medical care that patients *need*, irrespective of their ability to pay.
doctors were the bad guys for a long time in all this (opposing socialized medicine) when they had more power, but now the insurance and drug companies really call the shots. there are a lot of people making serious bank off of insuring the healthy, curing impotence, and looking for the big cure for baldness. think of all the money we'll save (far fewer ceos, actuaries, medical billers, lawyers, accountants, salespeople, advertising etc) without this third wheel draining medical resources from worthwhile causes, and lobbying congress to fix the market in its favor instead of competing in it.
I am sorry you dont like how I presented that but the botom line is someone has to pay for it the longer the buck gets pased the heaver the burden will be, and your correct in pointing out that I am no school marm. A free market encorages invention and advancement. if you pay all doctors 50k/year the good dont move up they stay with the medeoker why should they try to advance the field? I realy dont want to be viewed as cold and inhumane and I agree the healthcare system is failing people I just disagree with socialisim.
Capitalism and the free market are great ideas, but if wheat growers and other industries get subsidies (socialism?) via taxes in the U.S., why can't we at least insure that people in this country have basic health care? In fact, universal health care would probably cost all of us a lot less in the long run, as it would be an "investment" with a large preventive factor built in. If we want to encourage people to develop entrepreneurial ideas and initiatives, the people should be reasonably healthy to do so. As it is, this country favors individual disaster over common good right now. It's very sad, and shouldn't be this way.
I am sorry you dont like how I presented that but the botom line is someone has to pay for it the longer the buck gets pased the heaver the burden will be, and your correct in pointing out that I am no school marm. A free market encorages invention and advancement. if you pay all doctors 50k/year the good dont move up they stay with the medeoker why should they try to advance the field? I realy dont want to be viewed as cold and inhumane and I agree the healthcare system is failing people I just disagree with socialisim.
Well, put it this way..... those that DO venture out on their own to be inventive and entrepenurers can't even get health care coverage half the time! Their medical histories get picked apart and they get denied for stupid reasons (ever have athletes foot? well, you're denied then). Then, heaven's forbid, something DOES happen to you... well, you're looking at several THOUSANDS dollars you have to pay back. As an entrepenurer, that may not always be in the budget. And don't give me any excuse "they take payments".... If you're not healthy, you can't work. If you can't work, you can't pay. If you don't have insurance, chances are VERY good you will not get adequite care. My husband was almost denied a blood transfusion last month because he did not have insurance. That transfusion was at the point of life or death. And I can tell you that most people without insurance will NOT get their medical issues taken care of because of the outragious cost of care.
Now that my husband and I are signing up for health insurance... for several hundred we'll be spending this year, why should we have to fight for him to get covered for his issue last month, since (of course) it will be considered "pre-existing." Again, if he is not healthy, he can't work... if he can't work, he can't pay....
The insurance and medical industry is being lead by greed at this point. Insurance companies are making billions on OUR dimes.... we pay the premiums, they get to deny claims. I wish I could have just said no to job duties I didn't want to do while still getting paid by my employer. And, as the previous poster just stated, if the playing field were equal (different specialities getting paid similar wages), the most talented individuals would be more accessible because they would not be going for the high dollar incomes. I would sleep better knowing the money I paid every month for health care actually benefitted me, my neighbor, or my friend, not some rich CEO that has several vacations homes, yachts, luxery cars, or other priveledges that I will never see for myself (nor do I want to). Every worker and every company deserves reasonable compensation for what they bring to the table. But, you can't take it with you when you die.. and there is only so much you can spend in a lifetime. Glutany at its finest.
Last edited by bubbagirl; 07-08-2007 at 08:38 AM..
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Have you ever paid for your own med bills?
