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tazzygirl -> RE: World comparison shows U.S. healthcare lacking (11/18/2010 2:56:23 PM)
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~FR
No, here is what pops and the rest are so afraid of.
The government provides health insurance. There will be a rush on Drs. Which means when pops needs his annual, he will have to wait a while. Of course, no one heard of scheduling such a thing, they want it now.
None see the potential for decreased costs in hospital stays that will drop dramatically with preventative and better curative care.
No one wants to admit the savings in sick time alone will help many companies. Sick employees cost companies in many ways.
They still are in denial about who actually pays for that health care that isnt covered by now. Curious no one questions their hospital bills when an ER vists for stiches costs over 500 a stich.
They absolutely dont want to discuss how many HMO's and insurance companies, not to mention pharamceutical companies they have on their 401k plans or investment portfolios.
As someone pointed out, and i believe it was Ken (if not, i appologize) dialysis is the fast lane to disability. Its cost is also astronomical. The cost of inserting a shunt, the three times a week runs. The complications from being sick, from shunt failures... the costs go on and on. In 2000, the cost of running a dialysis patient on vacation without insurance in Myrtle Beach was 800 a pop. 10 years later, i can almost guarentee you the costs have doubled. And many many times it could have been prevented. We havent even discussed the costs of transplants.
Its easier to cover the discomfort of such discussions by taking out the human element. By discussing the costs by GDP. By glossing over the individuality and addressing the "bottom line" of money ... Its become "I got mine, fuck you" kind of debate, with those who have it freely given making decisions for those who have no access. I have shown where companies are dropping insurance for their employees and have been doing so since 2000. I have shown where rates have been going up since the same time. Blaming either of these events on the current health care law is just plain wrong.
The elderly are automatically covered, most free if they have paid into the system.
Chips is free to most, and a sliding pay scale for those who make more money.
Meicaid is available to those who qualify... pregnant, blind, over 65, children, disabled...
Our representatives get it free.... yet no one seems to object.
The only group not eligible is the group that is the backbone of this country. 18-64.... our workforce. 16% have no insurance...48,000,000... and another 35% underinsured (Think day one insurance offered by many companies as a cheap fix that pays no real benefits) 105,000,000. This is who has those percentages. Its not the under 18 group, or the over 65 group, but those inbetween have the 16% uninsured and 35% underinsured.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
Out of a population (2009) of 307,006,550
the under 18 is 24.3%
the 65 and older is 12.9%
The 18-64 age group comrises of 62.8% of the population
192,796,000 of the population is between 18 and 65.
(And, because there will be some who complain that the percentages only relate to those between the 18-84 age group, that is the figures im going with. The above is based upon the total population.)
And 31 million out of 192 million have no insurance. almost 25% of the population that is the work force of this country have no insurance. Another 67 million are underinsured.
Thats half the workforce.
But, they would have you believe its all ok, that this segement of the population is "ok" and well insured and happy with their insurance.
This is what no one wants to talk about.
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