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Old 07-23-2013, 08:21 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles
14,361 posts, read 9,746,996 times
Reputation: 6662

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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimhcom View Post
27% of Medicare's annual $327 billion budget goes to care for patients in their final year of life.

The question is can we still afford this kind of expense, and is it right to be spending this much for a hopeless causes when there are more productive ways to spend this money that would be in the better interest of the country and the general welfare of the people.
How could the system be improved.
$327B? Is that a lot these days? That's barely the debt of a failed city.

Maybe all the elderly should take their lives prior to their final year ( I know right?)? Should we let a politician like Anthony Weiner or Nancy Pelosi decide when one of the "little people" aren't worth saving?

Of course it costs more in the final year, because most people aren't deathly ill until that final year. EXAMPLE: My mom was healthy, paid into her Medicare Parts for 15 years and rarely took anything out. She then became ill with what we thought was the flu, and it ended up being cancer. She lived for just eight days after being diagnosed. She was in the hospital with just the initial diagnosis, tests, and morphine. We received a bill for $87,000 from the hospital. A glorified hotel room cost over $12,000 a day. On top of that, they put her through the indignity of being moved 20 miles to a hospice for the last few hours of her life.

The cost of dealthcare is ridiculous, but to insinuate that people should die sooner is even more fantastic.

The premise of this topic is so wrong I can't even begin to address it.
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Old 07-23-2013, 08:56 PM
 
Location: Sonoran Desert
38,992 posts, read 50,954,372 times
Reputation: 28178
Quote:
Originally Posted by marlinfshr View Post
Wow! Wow! Wow!!! Somebody really hates old people! Gee, once you turn 67 your worthless? Wow! My mom is 82 and had a stroke last year. Thanks to a hospital and rehab stay she is doing fine now. My dad is 81 and has dementia and parkinsons. He still wants to live and though he has his moments of pain due to falls he is still a human being who has the same feelings and wants as he had before age 67. Even though I'm only 45 I guess I'm worthless as well since I had a heart attack this year in which the dye to place the stents destroyed my kidneys. Now it's hard to work due to scheduling in which I am on dialysis 3 days a week. Should I get pulled off that as well. After all, I'm a burden on society just like all these old people! (sarcasm) Wow!

What really scares me is there are these people that truly believe things like this should be rationed. Wow! Wonder what their thoughts will be when they have loved ones that reach that age? When they reach that age? Personally, when I turn 67 I still plan on many more years. I may be on my second or third transplant but I still plan on being around. Or do these people want to limit numbers of transplants as well.Wow!


















Wow!
Wow! The thing is we can't afford to keep sick old people going year after year. They need to go no matter how much we love them. This is like Detroit. Over the years they promised levels of payments that they did not collect enough money to pay for. Guess what? No pensions. It is no different with Medicare/Medicaid. We overpromised and under-collected and there is no money to pay for the level of care that elderly people need. Guess what? No care.

I would bet my last dollar that the old people who are benefitting from this spend whatever it takes to keep them alive system would be the first to howl to the moon about paying more, maybe lots more, taxes to cover the fund gap. No, they want the young people to go without educations, go without roads and bridges, go without sports and music in schools, and whatever else it takes to keep the money coming to them. Sorry, it's game over!
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:00 PM
 
Location: Northern CA
12,770 posts, read 11,526,665 times
Reputation: 4261
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover View Post
Ever heard of the term Legal 2000? I work in a nursing home, and if you so much as say, no matter what your age: I want to die! I want to kill myself! you can be hurtled off to a Psych Ward, via the staff psychiatrist, to knock some sense into you!

I'm forever informing/warning my elderly patients about the concept of Legal 2000!
From a quick glance, this seems to be something relegated to Nevada. A hold for those they fear are suicidal, I assume. Sounds like a criminal system procedure by police.
If it's a youth, the parents should decide if they need to be put on hold, because the bill is going to be enough to give them a heart attack. If it's an adult, it's not a crime to be suicidal, or it shouldn't be.
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:14 PM
 
Location: Tennessee
37,754 posts, read 40,833,208 times
Reputation: 62031
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimhcom View Post
27% of Medicare's annual $327 billion budget goes to care for patients in their final year of life.

The question is can we still afford this kind of expense, and is it right to be spending this much for a hopeless causes when there are more productive ways to spend this money that would be in the better interest of the country and the general welfare of the people.
How could the system be improved.
It's only a small step from being okay with killing babies to being okay with killing old people.
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:15 PM
 
Location: South Portland, Maine
2,356 posts, read 5,698,117 times
Reputation: 1536
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimhcom View Post
27% of Medicare's annual $327 billion budget goes to care for patients in their final year of life.

The question is can we still afford this kind of expense, and is it right to be spending this much for a hopeless causes when there are more productive ways to spend this money that would be in the better interest of the country and the general welfare of the people.
How could the system be improved.
These stats are taken way out of context. The costs are not overwhelmingly represented by patients receiving multiple surgeries, organ transplants, or ANYTHING even remotly related to keeping someone ALIVE! it is people who in the last months, weeks, days od their life are in some kind of hospice care.. They are DYING! I think its terrible to even think of taking away this absolutely necessary care! putting that kind of stress on the spouses of the elderly and the patients themselves is the most inhumane thing we could do to our elderly.

And yes, hospice care or end of life care is very expensive. I imagine in some part that its expensive because Medicare is paying the outrageous costs so these facilities charge outrageous prices. think college tuition with out government loans and grants...

My wife's grandmother is in a nursing home/hospice care facility. She is on her way out to put it bluntly.... very sad for everyone. I can't imagine how she could be taking care of at home... certainly not from her 90year old husband.. she can't even walk or get out of bed on her own. And for a while when she could walk she was trying to leave the house in the middle of the night..

My guess is the last 5 months of care will be somewhere over 100k... But lets put this into perspective.. The cna's who are primarily taking care of her are making $10 hr.. she's eating probably $5 a day in food and she living in a 8/8 ft room.. and I am not sure what she is on for drugs accept for morphine to keep her from suffering!

I am really disgusted with the premise of the OP! Do some homework first!
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:20 PM
 
Location: FL
20,702 posts, read 12,465,126 times
Reputation: 5452
Quote:
Originally Posted by pvande55 View Post
How do other nations handle it? Most civilized countries spend less on medical and have higher life expectancy.
In most of the country's they have UHC and can go to the doctor when something is wrong instead of waiting to save the money to go. Not every one has health care and that is a large part of it.
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:25 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,107 posts, read 28,840,475 times
Reputation: 32449
Quote:
Originally Posted by claudhopper View Post
From a quick glance, this seems to be something relegated to Nevada. A hold for those they fear are suicidal, I assume. Sounds like a criminal system procedure by police.
If it's a youth, the parents should decide if they need to be put on hold, because the bill is going to be enough to give them a heart attack. If it's an adult, it's not a crime to be suicidal, or it shouldn't be.
IMO, This flies in the face of a Patient's Bill of Rights! And constitutional rights, to verbalize that you wish you were dead, wish to die, would like to kill yourself!

But today, it's all about $$$! The nursing homes get frantic if 90% of their beds aren't filled, and the psych wards? Gotta feed them as well!
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:26 PM
 
Location: Northern CA
12,770 posts, read 11,526,665 times
Reputation: 4261
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimhcom View Post
27% of Medicare's annual $327 billion budget goes to care for patients in their final year of life.

The question is can we still afford this kind of expense, and is it right to be spending this much for a hopeless causes when there are more productive ways to spend this money that would be in the better interest of the country and the general welfare of the people.
How could the system be improved.
Having compassion for fellow human beings, and being of service to others, is in the best interest of the country and the general welfare of the people. It's good to be sensitive and kind, whereas being selfish and self-centered is not good for anybody. We could do with a lot less of those people.
However, in being kind, I do not mean throwing money away. I mean the golden rule, treat others as you would wish to be treated in similar circumstance.
BigPharma is a criminal enterprise. The best outcome is to avoid being hospitalized in the first place - if you must, get out ASAP, or you will never leave.
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:28 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,107 posts, read 28,840,475 times
Reputation: 32449
Quote:
Originally Posted by MTAtech View Post
What's your solution, death panels?
I hope to God there's death panels when I get to a nursing home. It would serve me right! How many times, over my life thus far have I said: God! If you let me live 'til 40, then 50, then 60, you can kill me anytime!

So! If I should end up in a nursing home and live to 80, death panels where art thou!!!
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Old 07-23-2013, 09:37 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,107 posts, read 28,840,475 times
Reputation: 32449
Quote:
Originally Posted by Globe199 View Post

We spend over $500b on defense. Let's look at that for savings before we start talking about cutting funding for grandma's healthcare.
Working at a nursing home, how many times have I seen an elderly person in the most deplorable condition and think: Why keep this person alive?

But then, I think: You end this person's life, save some money, and then? The Defense Department, or some other bureaucracy, grabs the money and squanders it anyway!
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