US Healthcare System Comparison

[bily4]

Originally Posted by goldengrain

Yes, and sometimes the media, on a slow day, might carry stories about doctors who also cheat insurance companies and the government, but they can also become drug addicts rather easily.

I think there should not be legislation that restricts the health resources of the public to one source.

But, left up to me, no drugs would be illegal or require a prescription. If I need blood pressure meds or cholesterol or diabetic, there are home testing kits - and if these are not accurate, a person could opt to visiting his md from time to time to check that things have not changed. This would force people to take a more active role in their own health.

There could be diagnostic tools on the net for a good many ailments, and interactive menus, which would print out a request for various medical tests. One would be able to research labs as far as accuracy ratings. One could also go to a lab himself and order a test. If the results needed interpretation or indicated other complication possibilities, the interactive system would recommend a general md or specialty for further investigation.

I think doctors, with all of their education, should be spared a lot of routine things. They should be handling complicated issues and people without the adequate knowledge/ability to help themselves. Actually, there could be a specialty to assist the latter before the doctor was pulled into the mix.

That would be great. But then doctors can't charge the couple hundred bucks to renew your prescription every single time. I don't think they mind filling these prescriptions a bit. I have had the same eye prescription now for several years. I see just fine with my current prescription. You used to be able to just go on the Internet and order refills. Then the eye doctors lobbied and now I have to go back every year to have my eyes checked and pay another hundred bucks. Same prescription now, eight years running.

[goldengrain]

Originally Posted by bily4

That would be great. But then doctors can't charge the couple hundred bucks to renew your prescription every single time. I don't think they mind filling these prescriptions a bit. I have had the same eye prescription now for several years. I see just fine with my current prescription. You used to be able to just go on the Internet and order refills. Then the eye doctors lobbied and now I have to go back every year to have my eyes checked and pay another hundred bucks. Same prescription now, eight years running.

Yes. Our healthcare should be in our control. If there were more people who could advise us as to these matters, there would be more competition and prices might come down.

If drugs are made from active ingredients in certain herbs, and we can get those herbs for less cost, why make a big deal over it?

Yet, every so many years the FDA wants to pull off the market or restrict our access to alternate therapies, most of those alternates are herbs and vitamins, things that compete with merchandise from the drug industry. Coincidentally, it is money from that very drug industry that funds a great deal of the FDA's activities. I notice that there are fewer and fewer people who argue with the claim that big business owns our government.