I think the problem is cost.What is it about America and Americans that we've allowed ourselves to get so far behind in health Care? We're losing ground as the world progresses. It used to be sold to us that we paid more because of all of the research and development done here. I don't think that's true as most is now being done outside of the US. Why is it we can't seem to accept any system other then paying to the Lord God of insurance? Why is it we have what should be called sick care instead of health care with the health of our country deteriorating?
let me say upfront, i have a bone to pick with insurance companies.I think the problem is cost.
100 years ago that woman would have just ddied from that brain infection, and wouldnt have cost anyone anything.
Today many people want to tax everyone to pay for insurance for the uninsured, and lots of people dont want to pay.
So if someone gets cancer should we also let nature take it's course? What about heart attack vistims? Where do we draw that line?............Poor mother goes into labor , 4 months early ; BF takes her to ER , she gives birth , hospital keeps 'Jr.' for 6 months until he is ready to go home . Total bill , about two million that could have been used to supply health care too a whole Bunch of Other folks who needed ER care . My solution .......let nature takes it's course and let the baby expire the way it should have . Every so often the major media shows one of these "Gee Whiz" cases where all the latest technology was employed to keep a kid alive when alot of other folks haven't rece'd the care that they should have . This is very wrong headed in my opinion . , fordy
, but he spent time with her explaining symptoms she could deal with herself and when to make the trouble to go to the doc(it involved flying). She got a lot of information and "empowerment" to care for her family--and this was stuff involving malaria, dengue fever, parasites. SHe also was very careful to be as healthy as possible(which helped the recovery from stuff). Also there was no prescriptions, everything is over the counter, so with the doctor educating her and taking lots of details over the phone to diagnose, she didn't have to go see him with a lot of stuff to get the rx. SHe said the docs and nurses were much more patient and kind with people, because they know the family will care for the patient(you go into the hospital there you have to have family come care for you too or you are dead meat)--a partnership.we may find that line a lot closer than we realize somedaySo if someone gets cancer should we also let nature take it's course? What about heart attack vistims? Where do we draw that line?
So what do you propose? Let people die? Let them be sick and have miserable, short lives? Go to the hospital and lose their home and all they have worked for? For all the BS, liability insurance is a small problem. The big problem is MILLIONS of American Citizens without any insurance. No civilized country other than this one allows that. And our problem is people who worry about government when their neighbors are sick and dying. I know a lot of Canadians, and a few from europe. None want our system. I haven't personally talked to any Canadian who didn't think their system wasn't better, far better.Health care should not involve more socialism in this country. We could do well to limit the amount a person could receive from a Dr in a law suit.
I don't think all other country's models are good to follow for us. Canada or Europe.
I think there's a lot more. The whole concept of insurance is a major part, then tying insurance to a job really puts the screws to the American worker. Then you have the lobbyists or the best gov't money can buy. Our leaders are getting big bucks from the people making the big money to keep this terrible system we have now and doing all they can to prevent any change.There are two main problems which are driving cost up in the health care industry (and yes its an industry).
1) The US legal system. We are paying huge cost to cover stupid law suits. Not only in direct cost to pay off multi-million dollar lawsuits but in the cost of doctors ordering every test possible to cover their butts when (not if) someone sues them.
2) The US government. Once the government started paying for medical care the cost started going up and up.
I wont dissagree with thatlet me say upfront, i have a bone to pick with insurance companies.
in light of that, insurance companies would prefer that someone die, instead of getting care, because it costs a lot less. they are in the business of making money for shareholders, NOT in providing adequate medical care.
Excellent post!!One thing I forgot to mention:
If we Americans could buy affordable health insurance, we would see a boom in the economy.
I own a small business, and a few years ago, I wanted my wife to quit her job and come to work with me, and try to grow the business into a much larger concern.
Our #1 holdback? Insurance. It is simply cost prohibitive to buy HI for the two of us.
Just think of the investment in new equipment that we would have made, the services that we would have bought like cell phones and broadband internet, while at the same time opened up a new job for someone else at the employer that she left.
I was prepared at that time to buy a new $9,000 press, another $6,000 on other equipment, 2 new computers. I was also looking to hire a pressman and a secretary within 6 months, not to mention 2 salesmen if things got going really well.
Other plans would have allowed us to venture into at least 2 new businesses that would have operated in conjunction with what we were currently doing.
How much more would we have spurred in the economy if we had succeeded? How much wealth could have been created in the economy because of what we had sold? (Not to be confused with our income, but the economy at-large.)
We will never know.
But I do know one thing for sure: It was the price of health insurance that killed the entire plan.
Make good, affordable HI available with no pre-existing conditions, and you will see thousands and thousands, if not millions, race to quit their jobs and set up new businesses.
Clove
