RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (Full Version)

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thishereboi -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 4:48:01 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: LafayetteLady

~Fast Reply~

I didn't bother to read every post, most of it is senseless bickering anyway.

To the OP, now you go to a University Hospital with no co-pay?  Great, good for you.  You also get what is basically known as "treat and street" care.  You would think a teaching hospital would give better care, but it is actually worse, and they use the excuse of how "busy" they are for a reason.

As many here know, I have been dealing with kidney issues for nearly a year (not including the failure last May).  I went to a "University Hospital."  It was an hour from my home, and if something came up when the "clinic" was closed, there was no one available to help you.  Even if I drove, when having a kidney stone attack, driving is a bad idea.  Driving an hour a worse one.  Ambulances won't travel that far, so university hospital was useless. 

Oh let's not forget that when I went to them doubled over in pain, they told me "tough, it will be taken care of when your surgery is scheduled (a month away)."  Now add to that since I have kidney stone disease and this is an ongoing problem, when I have an attack, I can't get to the university hospital.  First, it's too far of a ride to suffer that much pain, so I'm going to my local hospital.  But wait, since they no longer have records of my most recent medical history, they really can't do much, so that's helpful.

I was lucky enough that my old urologist was willing to work out a financial arrangement with me that I can afford to have the issue taken care of.  He isn't charging me a lot, and I know with proper insurance (or a huge bank account) it would cost a lot more, since a second surgery is needed.  But I now have the comfort of a doctor who knows my history, is local, is on staff at a local hospital, doesn't believe in "treat and street," and was willing to do what it takes to get me better.  He is also well respected in his field.

I have medicaid, and went to a medicaid doctor.  He was a drunk (could smell it on him), refused to tell me the test results and really couldn't give a damn about my health care.  So I pay out of pocket to go to my old doctor so I know I get decent care.

For those of you saying that poor people just have a bad luck of the draw?  Go fuck yourselves, and I hope when you get sick, your insurance refuses to cover you.  Without the hassles and the fights I have gone through to get the treatment I have, I probably would have been dead by now from lack of available treatment.

Hospitals ONLY have to treat ER patients, not people being admitted for surgery, so whatever idiot said they treat you without insurance has the brains of an ameoba.

The reason so many poor people remain poor is because as it stands now, everything is done to keep their quality of life at the barest minimum.  I'm not talking computers, flat screen televisions and luxury apartments either.  I'm talking access to decent medical care, and quality food.  Sorry, but you can only eat so much cranberry sauce, peanut butter and tuna fish.  Most poor people live on pasta, and yet so many of your dingbats say their weight and health problems are their own fault.  Pasta is cheap, but not healthy.  When your quality of life sucks and you have to choose to feed your family or get necessary medical care, most feed their family.  This causes depression, and often medicaid tries to deny paying for anti-depressants unless they have been around for 50 years, rather than use the newer, more effective ones.

Balk about the cost of uninsured healthcare patients all you want, but everytime you do, you show how little you actually know about it.


Sounds like medicaid isn't much help for you. Thankfully there is another doctor you can go to. Not sure what people will do when the only choice is the government programs. But then again, maybe after the rest of the country has been added to the rolls they will improve their service. If not there is always Costa Rica.[8|]




thishereboi -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 4:50:15 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: itsSIRtou


quote:

ORIGINAL: thishereboi


quote:

ORIGINAL: Hillwilliam


quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead


quote:

ORIGINAL: Hillwilliam
These people who whine that doctors will leave the country in droves are full of it.

Come to that, has Limpdick pissed off to Cuba yet, or was he full of it as well?

I thought he was going to Costa Rica. Yaknow, that place that has socialized medicine.



I thought he was only going for medical care if he got sick. I don't remember him ever suggesting he was going to move.



...u forgot all the years rush bombasted celebs & and Dems who had persrcption drug issues saying that all drug abusers should be shipped off out of the USA....... then begged for the "understanding" of his sheep when he got caught himself with a drug habit....and never took his own "medicine" of doing his show elsewhere... of course,.. his one of many of his GOP induced hypocracies....







No I didn't, but it doesn't have anything to do with my post so I didn't mention it.




thursdays -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 6:13:03 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead

But of course, the NHS we have here is even worse than the perfect American medical system, and has done more to bankrupt the UK budget than anything else...


It's not worse if you look at the actual facts. But please, don't let those little old things get in the way...




PatrickG38 -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 6:22:15 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: thursdays


quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead

But of course, the NHS we have here is even worse than the perfect American medical system, and has done more to bankrupt the UK budget than anything else...


It's not worse if you look at the actual facts. But please, don't let those little old things get in the way...


I am sure Moonhead was being sarcastic. No one would describe any system as perfect let alone the American one.




mnottertail -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 6:26:11 AM)

http://healthreform.kff.org/the-animation.aspx




Moonhead -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 7:57:56 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: PatrickG38


quote:

ORIGINAL: thursdays


quote:

ORIGINAL: Moonhead

But of course, the NHS we have here is even worse than the perfect American medical system, and has done more to bankrupt the UK budget than anything else...


It's not worse if you look at the actual facts. But please, don't let those little old things get in the way...


I am sure Moonhead was being sarcastic. No one would describe any system as perfect let alone the American one.

I was being sarcastic.
(I normally am when I talk about the American healthcare system, as a matter of fact...)




tazzygirl -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 8:29:37 AM)

quote:

Sounds like medicaid isn't much help for you. Thankfully there is another doctor you can go to. Not sure what people will do when the only choice is the government programs. But then again, maybe after the rest of the country has been added to the rolls they will improve their service. If not there is always Costa Rica.


I am going to tell ya that we have waited decades for health care reform, for doctors, hospitals and insurance companies, along with big pharma and the rest, to heal the breaks in our health care system.... decades.

Have you seen any of them even trying?

Have you seen any politician trying?

You tell me what people will do when there are only the "government" programs. It will be the only game in town. No more back door deals for insurance companies to hike rates while hospitals jack up charges.

Maybe then we will get a price list of what somethings should charge, instead of waiting to see a fucking bill. How many of you would buy a car without knowing the sticker price? Do you comparison shop, boi?

Competition is what we needed in health care. Between Nixon and Reagan, that all went out the window. You dont get told what something costs, nor can you call the next hospital over to find out if they are cheaper because the same group owns that one as well.

They, hospitals/doctors/insurance companies/big pharma/ect, all had their chances to work on a better plan.. and they blew it.

And THAT is why LL is having a bitch of a time now.




MasterG2kTR -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 8:53:29 AM)

Your point is well taken Tazzy. The price of health care is considered to be an "inelastic" commodity much the same as the price of gas is also inelastic. Compare that to the price of blue jeans which are an "elastic" commodity.

An elastic commodity like blue jeans means that you have a choice. Levi's just went up to $75 (from $50) a pair, but  you can buy Lee's at $40 a pair or an off brand at $30 a pair. That's elastic.

Now, when it comes to health care the price is inelastic because you really have no choice. The price of your medicine goes up let's say from $100 per month to $200. There are no generics available and without it you will die. That's inelastic.

The same goes for hospital, doctor and insurance rates. They know that people need it and they keep mining more cash from our pockets, because they know they can.

Another fact about health costs in general. In 1960 health care accounted for 5% of our GDP. Today it accounts for more than 18% of our GDP. The next closest nation spends 8% of its GDP on health care. Heath care has outpaced inflation by more than 400%.




Musicmystery -> RE: A few points about Healthcare in the US (7/7/2012 9:04:10 AM)

quote:

An elastic commodity like blue jeans means that you have a choice. Levi's just went up to $75 (from $50) a pair, but you can buy Lee's at $40 a pair or an off brand at $30 a pair. That's elastic.

Now, when it comes to health care the price is inelastic because you really have no choice.


Elasticity of demand has nothing to do with choice. It's how the degree to which changes in price and quantity supplied affect demand.

Food, for example, is inelastic. You only eat so much of it--though you have many choices. If the price of food went up, you'd still eat. If it went down, you wouldn't start eating more. (Yes, someone will posit ridiculous extremes to force the matter. It's the principle being illustrated at work here, folks.)

If there were a good with only one choice, but you'd buy more as the price dropped--vacation gasoline?--that would be elastic, despite the lack of choice. Or with static choice. Low airfares might encourage travel, despite the same number of locations to visit.

Now, you might perceive more choice as prices drop, because you seriously consider more options, but those choices were always there.

Your jeans example is actually illustrating substitution--beef goes up, so people buy chicken--and neither choice nor elasticity.




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