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Post by Elliot Kane on Aug 19, 2009 11:19:41 GMT
As this is the first time I have come across an article in the press that deals with the issue with any actual thought or intelligence, I feel it is worth drawing to your attention: Article is here. I love that this guy is not indulging in knee jerk reactions or mad screaming, just looking at the facts of the debate. Would be nice if politicians on both sides of the Pond did the same thing... |
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Post by The Sonar Chicken on Aug 19, 2009 12:00:08 GMT
Btw, just a question: the US healthcare system IS very expensive 'cos the whole thing: pharmaceuticals, the various institutes/organisations aimed at providing forms of infrastructure like medical equipment, medical knowledge, etc., has been turned into an industry, that is... designed to maximise profits? Is that why it's so expensive? But doctors do need to cover costs of medicine and equipment and facilities, don't they? Hmmm... I'd been having a discussion with a friend over this but found myself bumping into trees. I think... she said that in her country, the government provides some form of insurance but that in the US, many have little no insurance. Well, I said that... health insurance only works if the government has enough money to pay for it. Now that I think about it, I should've emphasised that the government should focus more on "keeping people healthy" instead of simply "tossing money about on something called 'insurance'". But why would they focus on just insurance alone, instead of emphasising on healthy diets and better environment? Is it 'cos it's too expensive to do so and would require that they(and the other politicians) admit responsibility for failed or poorly thought-out policies? I've also been wondering: why don't they provide a "weighted cost"* payment system instead? *Crap... what the hell do you call it: a system where your payments vary based on how much you REALLY have and earn. That is: the rich pay more, the middle class pay quite a bit and the poor pay very little. But then again, it wouldn't work, would it?  'Cos it requires humans to be honest unless you want to start talking about tons of paperwork or implementation of a system that tells the doctors/nurses roughly how much you earn per year. |
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Post by kilgoretrout on Aug 29, 2009 15:46:11 GMT
The bad news for americans and health insurance , the insurance compamies make the final determination as to what procedures are needed for any individual patient, not the doctors.
insurance companies are only interested in making profits and thus should not be making decisions about peoples health. They are in business to make money not help people. The worst part is that people pay these companies for their "services" (insurance) and the IC most times finds a way to reject your health claim, and not render the coverage you have paid for, it's a damn shame.
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Post by ss on Aug 29, 2009 17:15:49 GMT
To true...and there is definitely a serious problem with the system. I just can't see what a workable answer will be..yet..
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Post by Flix on Aug 29, 2009 21:10:21 GMT
The bad news for americans and health insurance , the insurance compamies make the final determination as to what procedures are needed for any individual patient, not the doctors. insurance companies are only interested in making profits and thus should not be making decisions about peoples health. They are in business to make money not help people. The worst part is that people pay these companies for their "services" (insurance) and the IC most times finds a way to reject your health claim, and not render the coverage you have paid for, it's a damn shame. That's exactly what I was thinking. No one sees beyond 20-30 years into the future. |
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Post by Terrordar on Aug 30, 2009 3:57:59 GMT
The best answer is to get rid of Insurance.
If there is no insurance, doctor's won't charge idiotic fees. The problem right now is that Doctors are paid too much, and the system has too much burocracy.
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Post by Glance A'Lot on Aug 30, 2009 8:20:27 GMT
a system where your payments vary based on how much you REALLY have and earn.
That'd be an insurance system where your premium is based on a percentage of your income - which we have in Germany.
Here, up to a certain level of income, there is mandatory health insurance the premium (about 15% of income) for which is shared equally between employee and employer (who collects both shares and pays the premium to the insurance companies).
Beyond the set level of income one is free to have private insurance, or even none - at your risk... But consider that anyone can have an accident with an ensuing handicap, and the resulting, possibly lifelong cost, are beyond the financial capacity of most.
(Note that there is a marked difference in what the statutory health insurance pays for and what the private insurances cover - whether those differences are reasonable is arguable).
Getting rid of insurances is not a smart idea, in my view.
While bureaucracy may indeed be a problem (and we Germans are experts in bureaucracizing!) , the pure income of doctors is not the issue. Actually most employed clinic doctors are paid quite miserably considering their hours, shift work, weekends etc.
Major cost lie in the cost of provision of capacities, the comfort expectations of the patients, the technology and most of all, medications.
A lot of the cost trigger is the patient - and that to an extent is the consequence from having insurances ("the insurance will pay"- attitude) - 'we' want hospitals nearby, 'we' want best possible treatment irrespective of individual (equality), 'we' want all sorts of prescriptions, and 'we' do not go away from a doctor with him/her saying "It's nothing serious, get some rest and it'll be over in a few days..." (Also, such wise advice doesn't get the doctor a fee from the insurance!^^).
The other lot are the pharmaceuticals and the technical equipment - both expensive in research, granted, but also developped by profit oriented companies...
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Post by Ubereil on Aug 30, 2009 10:03:11 GMT
...and 'we' do not go away from a doctor with him/her saying "It's nothing serious, get some rest and it'll be over in a few days..." (Also, such wise advice doesn't get the doctor a fee from the insurance!^^). As a short note: I think this is one of the reasons doctors shouldn't be payed extra if they suggest surgery/medication since that kind of system encourages overtreatment. Those extra coins you get if the patient gets meds lingers "hey, she DID say she felt a little down, maybe she should get those meds even though she doesn't REALLY need them". Übereil |
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'Cos it requires humans to be honest unless you want to start talking about tons of paperwork or implementation of a system that tells the doctors/nurses roughly how much you earn per year. 
.com