Health Care in Maine

[Dreamy46]

Originally Posted by reloop

Me neither. In that case, he can afford it - "afford" being the key word there.

Call me judgemental, but I also don't have a problem getting after the kid that comes in completely covered with expensive body art/fancy clothes and/or yakking on a cell phone with more apps than the average debutante's - yet has no obvious job to pay for any of them.

Unfortunately, when discussions of this nature come up, those kids are the ones that get the most press even 'tho it's the others (like the one whose girlfriend had to drag him bodily in because his appendix burst and he could afford no coverage despite working) who actually need some help but either can't get it, or refuse it out of pride.

This is why I often use the word "quagmire" in my healthcare discussions.

Quagmire is a good word. Everyone who can pay something should have too, but on the same token it should be a reasonable amount that isn't breaking anyone's back, or be so ridiculous that they go to great lengths to avoid doing so.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

I know a Doc who "runs barefoot". He has no medical malpractice insurance. He works 3 or 4 days a week. He fishes a lot, but he makes house calls. He works with Maine's uninsured people such as guides, farmers, loggers and bush pilots. He takes cash or checks. He does minor surgery and sets the bones these people break. A visiting doctor asked a guide how he could possibly run a practice with no malpractice insurance.

The guide said it was simple. If anybody sues Doc we'll just drown him. This was somewhat disconcerting to the visiting Doc.

I'd love to have a Dr. like that here again. A doctor and a community working together; even water mishaps. We used to have that a few decades back. Maybe with some tort reform we could get back to that. I know it's not a cure-all but it would help I believe.

[corgis]

I'm all for torte reform - not just in Maine but nationwide. It's way too easy to sue for heavy amounts of money in this day and age and malpractice insurance is so expensive that many doctors have walked away from the medical profession cause they couldn't afford it.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by Dreamy46

Quagmire is a good word. Everyone who can pay something should have too, but on the same token it should be a reasonable amount that isn't breaking anyone's back, or be so ridiculous that they go to great lengths to avoid doing so.

I could not agree more if I tried.

[bob greenwood]

I find this discussion on insurance amusing. the line of " if everyone has insurance the cost of it would go down", I'd suggest that we look at our auto insurance policies, and rethink that idea. I think we need to look at our halthcare system closer too. I had a blood typing done in a Bangor Hospital, came back wrong, this was discovered by a hospital in Mass! I had a piece of metal in my hand ~ it was quite painful ~ for 10 years. a hospital got paid to remove it at the original injury, they got paid for a "follow up visit", a course of antibiotics and a few pain killers, my employer paid for 3 days out of work, I suffered with it for 10 years mentioning it at every doctors visit, finaly freaked at the doctors office so bad they called security! then a appointment was made to remove alledged hunk of metal, again hospital was paid, again a follow up visit,another script of pain killer and antibiotics, and 3 days loss of hand use. This is not "excuseable", I would invite a Doctor to have me rotate his tires, or do a "brake job" on his car in the same fashion as I was treated. No the insurance companies are trying to survive, but look what they have to work with ! No, I clearly see how the insurance people feel. I have a chronic blockage in my L.A.D., it was diagnosed as "acid reflex" syndrome by a Unity Doctor, I went to a Doctor in Oakland, he told me I was fine, made a appointment with my cardioligist for a stress test/scan, results? 100 % blockage. it irks me to no end that the other Doctors were paid, far as I am concerned they not only endangered my life, they endangered all of you people too. I was driving tanker trucks loaded with gasoline/diesel fuel/propane. the insurance question at this point is mute ~ healthcare that is compitent and effective is the problem here in maine