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It's not rocket science. Yet few take time to look at other countries.
We cannot even entertain a universal health program when as many as 15% of people are here illegally and thousands more come in every week. First, we need to:
- lock down the border, good and tight
- deport all criminal aliens (those who committed an additional crime, even a DWI)
- allow a census question to determine who is a legal resident and who has broken our laws
- forbid any use of public funds to provide insurance to illegal aliens
It’s the truth. Have you experienced a half million dollars worth of medical bills?
I have not but a good friend has. The hospital took EVERYTHING, then dragged his backside into court twice a year for how much are you making court dates twice a year for 8 years until the statute ran out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by branDcalf
We could start by offering limited services and products to those who need them like countries with single-payer do.
Have a stroke? You'll get 6-10 visits with a therapist. Not the months of treatment people in the US get. Even people without insurance.
Lose a limb and want a prosthesis? Oh, come now... Do you really need one, or do you just want one? How far do you have to walk on your job? There's no one around to lend you a hand on the rare times you might need extra help?
And repetitive tests? Pshaw. You already had one or two.
Sure. That would save money.
Not true in most of Western Europe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnotherTouchOfWhimsy
My doctor has a direct primary care practice. Here’s how it works:
Each patient pays a fee ($60 per adult) each month. You start off with a yearly contract and then after that you can go month to month. You get 25 visits per year for that. It includes strep/flu tests, ekg, stitches, mole biopsies, whatever you’d go to a family dr or urgent care for. They do not accept any insurance so all decisions are made by the patient and dr, that’s it. He has some deals with imaging centers, blood labs, physical therapists, and a few specialists so patients can get those services inexpensively. For example, a routine blood panel is usually 300-something at our local lab but it’s $45 if you are a patient at this practice. Or you can use the insurance you have at the lab, whichever is less out of pocket.
We have a high deductible plan for major stuff. But if it didn’t have to include coverage for flu shots and checkups, that would be much cheaper each month. Ideally, direct primary care would be a common option. For a family of 4, we pay $155/month for the primary care doc. Oh, also? He spends 20-30 minutes, sometimes longer, with the patient. There’s no overbooking. If you’re sick, you get seen that day.
Things that make me say, hmmm. Gives me a few ideas but that is still 1440 a year for a couple (+what for kids?) Still... Interesting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn_Jarber
Mandate was removed over a year ago, and it only ended costing the taxpayers more money, since the penalty was designed to fund part of the cost of the system.
Outrageous profit taking has to be eliminated. For example, there is no reason why PBMs should be making billions of dollars out of thin air. No reason a hospital should charge $5000 for someone sleeping in the hallway waiting for a procedure. My wife waited 2 days for an MRI and the cost of using the bed was $10000.
It is a way to screw people over and take their stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pbmaise
25 more medical schools. And 150 more nursing schools to generate thousands of more workers to drive down wages and help reduce work load and immigrant work force.
Pharmacists can proscribe basic antibiotics for really simply things like UTI, small infected cut, and menbendazol.
Farm out to places like Thailand expensive surgeries where the patient has no problem with flying. Why should we pay big money for easy surgery in the US when US educated doctors in a more modern facility will do it for 1/3 the price?
Good luck on more med schools. Vested interest will pay congress whatever it takes to make sure that number only goes DOWN.
US patients flying abroad already happens.
Read to page 8 and I have yet to see
Big pharma being allowed to charge prices in the US 2 to 100 times higher than ANY OTHER country.
big pharma colluding
big pharma evergreening
big pharma patent layering
big hospital chains buying everything in sight then shutting them down
exclusive rights to imports of rare but out of patent drugs (AKA Shkreli et al)
We need more nurse practitioners / PAs. This can be a masters level thing. It does not take med school to diagnose most minor ailments. The school nurse in my kids school does it 10 times a day.
Congress will let half the country die and the other half go bankrupt before tackling the above.
We cannot even entertain a universal health program when as many as 15% of people are here illegally and thousands more come in every week. First, we need to:
- lock down the border, good and tight
- deport all criminal aliens (those who committed an additional crime, even a DWI)
- allow a census question to determine who is a legal resident and who has broken our laws
- forbid any use of public funds to provide insurance to illegal aliens
Then, we can talk.
We're talking already. You can join when you are ready. Blaming every ill on illegal immigrants gets old.
"One if the endless scams we see in the pharma industry is..."
No ONE is FORCING you to buy those drugs. You don't like the price DON'T BUY IT!
"is to rebrand drugs that reach the end of their patent life."
I don 't blame them.
Do you how much it costs in research and development to CREATE many drugs? It is in the 10s of MILLIONS.
They need to recoup THAT cost BEFORE they start making a profit.How about how long to get FDA approval?
"It usually takes about 10 years for a drug to be developed and approved for prescription. Many people would like to take the newest medicine as soon as it is proven to work."
"Many people would like to take the newest medicine as soon as it is proven to work. However, even after a drug has been successful in a Phase III trial, it still may take six to 12 months before that drug is approved for prescription."
We're talking already. You can join when you are ready. Blaming every ill on illegal immigrants gets old.
Oh, it's my nemesis.
Did I blame every ill on illegal immigrants? No. But we cannot have universal health care while liberals reward their behavior with promises of free U.S. health insurance, paid for by people like me.
(My plan costs $900 a month, and I still have to pay for everything. Why should we then give free health care to people who break our immigration law?)
Did I blame every ill on illegal immigrants? No. But we cannot have universal health care while liberals reward their behavior with promises of free U.S. health insurance, paid for by people like me.
(My plan costs $900 a month, and I still have to pay for everything. Why should we then give free health care to people who break our immigration law?)
Not your nemesis, just trying to point out some facts. You are saying UHC is impossible in US because of immigrants, so of course you are blaming them. It is not impossible, and I think you should read up about countries who have UHC (every developed country) and learn it is very much possible. The claim is the every European country is completely overran by migrants, and yet they have fully functioning UHC systems. How is that possible, if it is impossible in your opinion?
Also, if you pay for everything, then why on earth do you pay for insurance? Just cancel it, and you'll still pay for everything and you save $900 a month.
Not your nemesis, just trying to point out some facts. You are saying UHC is impossible in US because of immigrants, so of course you are blaming them. It is not impossible, and I think you should read up about countries who have UHC (every developed country) and learn it is very much possible. The claim is the every European country is completely overran by migrants, and yet they have fully functioning UHC systems. How is that possible, if it is impossible in your opinion?
Also, if you pay for everything, then why on earth do you pay for insurance? Just cancel it, and you'll still pay for everything and you save $900 a month.
Ugh. Are you really this blind?
I have to have insurance because it will cover a catastrophe, should one occur, G-d forbid. The problem is that my Obamacare plan is basically a catastrophic plan - requiring me to pay for all routine stuff, like doctor's visits, lab work, prescriptions, etc., - but costs what a regular health plan would cost. If I wanted a regular health plan, it would be $1400 a month, and I can't afford it. (So much for for the AFFORDABLE Care Act!)
And I didn't say the only reason universal care wouldn't work is because of illegal aliens. I said that we can't even begin to discuss it until we get that problem solved. As it stands now, liberal politicians are using free health care to illegals as a way to incentivize them to come here.
Get rid of insurance companies. Pay the doctors and hospitals directly.
Watch all prices take a nosedove.
With that logic get rid of all private industry and the cost of everything will go down. Venezuela tried that. Things just don't work out that way in the real world. The feds are horrible at managing money. Just look at the federal debt. Add healthcare to that mix and watch us careen into inevitable austerity measures. Or you end up with 80 to 90% tax rates like the wacky congresswoman from NY wants.
Actually when you look at the numbers the net profit of health insurance companies as a percentage it is in the single digits. Prices would not nosedive and looking at how the government handles things prices would most certainly skyrocket or to keep costs in line it will require a massive increase in our federal debt.
The issues are drug costs, litigation costs and salaries of health care workers and doctors. Bring those costs inline with countries like the UK and health care costs will plummet. There is no magic wand that converts private industry to socialism and everything turns out wonderful for everyone.
Example. My dentist is in Mexico, just across the border. Dental care in Mexico is less than half of what it is here. My dentist used to practice in the U.S. but rising malpractice / liability insurance costs forced the move. He nets about the same as before but not having to pay those high malpractice / liability insurance costs enables him to offer much lower prices. Medical care is also much cheaper and drug costs are often 5 or 10% of what it is here. Much more generics are available.
Last edited by Oklazona Bound; 01-14-2019 at 06:40 AM..
"One if the endless scams we see in the pharma industry is..."
No ONE is FORCING you to buy those drugs. You don't like the price DON'T BUY IT!
"is to rebrand drugs that reach the end of their patent life."
I don 't blame them.
Do you how much it costs in research and development to CREATE many drugs? It is in the 10s of MILLIONS.
They need to recoup THAT cost BEFORE they start making a profit.How about how long to get FDA approval?
"It usually takes about 10 years for a drug to be developed and approved for prescription. Many people would like to take the newest medicine as soon as it is proven to work."
"Many people would like to take the newest medicine as soon as it is proven to work. However, even after a drug has been successful in a Phase III trial, it still may take six to 12 months before that drug is approved for prescription."
We cannot even entertain a universal health program when as many as 15% of people are here illegally and thousands more come in every week.
Oh, for God's sake look it up.
No wonder we so many obtuse postings here on City Data.
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They can still manage to spend far more on marketing and sales then they do research.....while not getting paid and all. 
