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Ahhh! The right form, the proper procedure, having to start all over again...yes I know. All of this costs a lot of time and money.
Sounds more bureaucratic than the federal government. Seriously, there has to be a way to simplify payment. I take care of patients--I won't deal with insurance. But I have seen insurance issues delay admissions to the hospital.
There is such a thing as "standard of care". Why can't insurance companies come up with a standard form? Is that too much to ask?
People are complaining about the cost of health insurance and the cost of healthcare. The media, political pundits and hacks love to blame everything and everybody they can think of without attempting to offer solutions to the problem.
I work in an ER where I get to see people from the top to the bottom of the socioeconomic strata. Believe me, poor people don't have a monopoly on stupidity and poor judgement. I take care of people with and without insurance. I have read through this thread all those examples of people who make bad choices, and those who have sacrificed and made all the right choices. I feel there is a lot of resentment out there towards people who are not too bright, maybe they're lazy, lack self discipline, etc.
At the end of the day, what do you suggest we, as a society, do? They are human beings. Would you prefer to line them up against a wall and shoot them for not conforming to your standards? Talk about socialism! That's what communist China did with their hardcore opium addicts. Would you rather let them die a slow painful death? Force them to negotiate a payment plan with a hospital? Please, if they did not pay for health insurance what makes you think they're going to pay a $15,000 visit to the ER?
I do not believe healthcare should be free because that discourages personal responsibility for your own health. Allow me to explain:
1. Simple handwashing can prevent a lot of illnesses. Do people wash their hands as often as they should? No.
2. Diabetics must follow a special diet, test their blood sugar and take their medication every day. You'd be surprised at the number of non-compliant diabetics that visit an ER each day. Same goes for people with hypertension.
3. People who have any kind of medical condition that requires daily medication should have on their person a paper with their medical history as well as medications (with dosages). Very few people do this. "Call my doctor's office", they say. At 2 o'clock in the morning? On a weekend? What if they have a syncope and can't even say their name, let alone their doctor's name? Totally asanine.
Well, we can suture wounds, give you medications, take out your gallbladder, etc, but like I heard a comedian once say: "You can't fix stupid". So, you have to deal with it.
I think it's a shame that someone who works for a living can't afford to buy health insurance. Having a universal payer would reduce the paperwork and hence costs. Having an ID card with your name, address, etc. would help.
I think everybody should be covered because those who are covered end up paying for those who are not covered. That's what is happening now. Either way, we all pay. Whether it's higher premiums or overcrowded ER's, we all pay.
So everybody should pay something. Call it a tax, I don't care. Doctors and hospitals are going to treat you better because they'll be competing for the same dollars. Each ER visit should have some kind of a co-pay, even if it is 15-20 dollars. That's so people don't abuse the system. Ex: people come in complaining of a headache. "Did you take any tylenol?"..."No", they say. Some older folks call 911 if they haven't had a bowel movement in two days. I'm not making this up. Happens all the time. Maybe, just maybe, if they have to pay a co-pay they might first consider taking tylenol for a headache, of a laxative for constipation.
Prescriptions? Don't get me started. The current medicare prescription plan is a rip off. It's OK for Walmart to buy in bulk, but the government cannot buy in bulk from Walgreens, CVS, etc? I think if you're over 18, you should pay from 5 to 10 dollars for each script. Children whose parents make less than 30,000 could get free meds.
For those on public assistance, adults should have a small co-pay also. If you don't pay the co-pay, it'll be deducted from your "check".
Health awareness should be taught in schools. A lot of patient teaching is needed.
I don't have all the answers, just a few ideas here and there.
Yes, it is sad that some office employee or doctor doesn't take the time or effort to make sure they file the correct report, form, or follow the proper procedure. That is a necessity though, It keeps a proper system where things can be taken care of more easily and efficiently.
Would you suggest lax behaviors and disregard for procedures in medical practices? Wouldn't that be a bit, well, irresponsible? They are there for a reason, those who refuse to follow them are the problem.
As I said, my wife has dealt with this and if people just followed the proper procedures (and to be honest they aren't that hard), then things would work better.
As I said as well, Medicare is a huge problem. It isn't problems with the insurance companies a lot of time, but the way the government handles the process. The government is the problem there.
Yet people want to hand over the keys to a government who can't even balance their own check book, much less handle even the slightest programs with any efficiency? Sorry, not interested.
It's amazing the differences one finds in doctors in say, Britain, where they are rewarded financially for how much treatment they GIVE their patients.... compared to America, where doctors are rewarded by insurance companies for denying treatment.
Or shall we say, the Brits/French are rewarded for how much the patient's health has improved. While American Dr's are payed to save the insurance company some $$.
Or shall we say, the Brits/French are rewarded for how much the patient's health has improved. While American Dr's are payed to save the insurance company some $$.
Yeap! Which is why I never understood doctors who argue against universal health insurance expansion such as Medicare for all (as opposed to a universal system where the government actually owns the hospitals, which I may see as problematic).
Clearly they're self-interested, and motivated by profit. In today's America, it is the health insurance companies and NOT doctors that choose the level of and kinds of treatments their patients should get. That's just sad on so many levels.
Yeap! Which is why I never understood doctors who argue against universal health insurance expansion such as Medicare for all (as opposed to a universal system where the government actually owns the hospitals, which I may see as problematic).
Clearly they're self-interested, and motivated by profit. In today's America, it is the health insurance companies and NOT doctors that choose the level of and kinds of treatments their patients should get. That's just sad on so many levels.
A lot of the problem is that people are uneducated on the issue. Look how many people blame the insurance companies for "lying" to them? Seriously, my wife now works in collections for another corporation and the people there do the same thing. You don't get to hear about all the lies these people claim. The problem is, people didn't read, didn't pay attention, didn't care about their plans and the process they required.
Doctors have the same problems. Medicare is a bastard of a system. Doctors hate it because dealing with it means they wont get paid on the claims for years. Not because the "insurance company" is denying it, but because the governments process is slow and lethargic.
The problem is, people blame the insurance companies because they are essentially the middle man in the process of government plans. The insurance company deny's the claim because they don't want to carry the burden of waiting for the government to approve and pay on time. I don't blame them, why should they have to take it in the shorts because the government is slow and bureaucratic in their process?
Doctors hate the government plans because they don't get paid on time. The Insurance companies hate it as well because they also don't get paid on time. Who does the customer point the finger at though? The insurance company. It is because they are ignorant of the process.
Part of me wants to say "sure, go for government health care and let the idiots have what they claim they know" and the other part says ""I don't want to have to suffer to teach an idiot a lesson who probably won't even realize or care about the lesson they learned".
Seriously, let stupid people fail. Let them suffer and maybe eventually they will get a clue and take action for themselves. If not, let them sink into their own stupidity.
People don't always "know what's best" for themselves.
...And therefore the government, which is smarter than most people, must deprive us of our freedom and make our tough decisions for us???
Not trying to put words in your mouth which you didn't actually say, but...that first sentence is the reflexive/typical attitude I hear from most Liberals
Besides, I would submit to you that the reason people nowadays are ignorant of the real costs of healthcare is that government has already intruded itself too much in the industry in the first place! "Managed" care? HMOs?? Bad ideas from...you guessed it, government! (HMOs, created in 1973: legislation authored by Ted Kennedy, signed by Richard Nixon)
Lawsuits, costly regulations, etc...these are what drove up costs to begin with, prompting Liberals in the '60s/70s to push for public-sector "solutions" that never worked—and now here we are even more screwed...
Last edited by LancasterNative; 10-27-2007 at 08:07 PM..
Reason: additional info
Just plain horrible idea. Socialism fails everywhere it's tried—including the U.S. (Social Security, the Tax code, Amtrak, "War on Poverty" etc.)
Don't forget the Interstate Highway system and the "War on Terror" too.
On a serious note, the Corporatists will oppose this idea because of simple corruption and greed. They want kickbacks and keep their poor service at the same time. This is what is called the public-private COMPROMISE. Ever heard of sham health insurance? It looks like insurance but it never intends to pay benefits and has high deductibles. You pay in but they stall when it exceeds the deductable. Even if it's covered, you have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars before it kicks in.
HSA's are profitable to not only the insurance industry but to the banking industry because of increased deposits. Yet it has high deductables and the money you "save" gets depleted easily. Add to that the regular bank charges like NSFs and you've the recipe for predatory health care. The only people who benefit are the employers shifting their health care costs (liabilities) to their employees, banks who hold the deposits, and the insurance companies who collect but don't expect to deliver.
To those who advocate / support UHI - a couple of questions:
1) Would this UHI be mandated? Would everyone be required to "get it"?
2) Assuming the answer to #1 is yes, how do you propose to make everyone sign up for UHI?
3) What would you do about those who do not want to sign up for UHI?
4) Would Americans be entitled to "opt out" of UHI?
The above is a good start I think
Think about the process old people use to get Medicare.
Apply to "everyone."
Done.
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