Coming soon to an Obamacare provider near you.
https://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/pregnant-woman-dies-horrifying-medical-mixup-200700512.html
https://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/pregnant-woman-dies-horrifying-medical-mixup-200700512.html
Ovary.. appendix.. whatever
- Thread starter LDB
- Start date
Right: doctors never made mistakes before. Nor did insurance companies raise rates, and lie about the real reason. Like lowering malpractice rates to capture market share, attracting and signing up the least competent doctors, [the good docs being already covered], investing the premiums in schemes that lost gobs of money, getting sued for the bad doctors' poor decisions & practices, losing in the inevitable jury trials, and then [this is pure genius!] blaming rate increases on the jury awards, hiring PR firms to promote a few [misleading] horror stories in the press to convince legislators and the public - they wouldn't do that, either.
Except they did. And it worked: 'tort reform' laws to protect the poor insurance companies from those 'excessive' punitive jury awards got passed.
Now they're blaming rate increases on Obamacare, because why not? People will believe it, because they want to blame Obama for everything possible. And a few things that aren't, too.
Except they did. And it worked: 'tort reform' laws to protect the poor insurance companies from those 'excessive' punitive jury awards got passed.
Now they're blaming rate increases on Obamacare, because why not? People will believe it, because they want to blame Obama for everything possible. And a few things that aren't, too.
Don't misunderstand I dislike ocare with a passion. I think if you look at reports its pretty obvious it has raised insurance, deductables and more. The fact they did nothing to lower the cost of healthcare itself speaks volumes.
I also don't care for people acting like every cloudy day can be blamed on Obama no matter how bad he does suck.
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I also don't care for people acting like every cloudy day can be blamed on Obama no matter how bad he does suck.
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This is ONLY the beginning. As the government continues it's takeover of health care, and don't believe for one second that is not their ultimate goal, quality and standards will degrade. Government will control the wages of health care workers, but the cost of becoming a nurse, doctor, or other health care professional, will continue to rise. Wages will not keep pace. The number of people seeking health care will increase, placing an even greater strain on cash starved resources. The number of mistakes WILL increase and the quality of US health care services will degrade.
I'm not a fan of Obamacare either, mainly because it's a huge prize for the insurance companies, while doing zero about lowering the costs of care & drugs. If the costs were not so outrageous, more people would have insurance, or just pay out of pocket for most of their care [as I do].
It's tackling the wrong problem, IMO, and rewarding an industry that doesn't deserve it.
RLENT
Veteran Expediter
I have friend I met online who is a doctor and a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases. Has worked around the world (including Russia and Indonesia) and is published. His father (now deceased) was a career professional with the US Public Heath Service, before becoming a medical school dean.
He makes the same exact complaints that you do above. He personally favors a single-payer system.
Our government's heavy involvement in our healthcare system has played a huge part in the high cost of our health care.
A Brief History of the Result of Government Intervention in Healthcare
A Brief History of the Result of Government Intervention in Healthcare
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Nice article. There's one thing that bugs me, though: the statement that 3rd party payer [employer] results in higher costs because there's no incentive to control costs.
Why is the assumption that people do nothing without an incentive? Or more accurately, why isn't doing what should be done not considered to be incentive enough?
Sure, there are some who need a nudge, but most people will do what they believe is right, and they don't need an incentive [invariably financial] to do it, either.
That's really insulting, the assumption that money is the sole motivation for any & all behavior. I think it says more about those who make the assumption, actually.
RLENT
Veteran Expediter
This may well be true ... in fact, it is doubtless that it is true in the case of United States specifically.
However it does not necessarily follow that government involvement has to result in higher costs of health care.
That it does in the US may be, to some extent, a reflection on our culture ... among other things ...
Out of 10 modern, industrialized, first-world OECD countries, the US has the lowest life expectancy, the highest infant mortality, the highest number of preventable deaths, is in the bottom 30% in terms of no. of doctors per 1000 population, has the highest per capita expenditure on healthcare, and spends the most (by far) on healthcare as a percent of GDP, and has the highest percent of of government revenue spent on healthcare - but yet, at the same time, the lowest percentage of actual healthcare costs paid by government.
The headings in the table in the following article are "clickable" to sort the table by each category, to see where each country of the ten countries ranks:
Health_care_compared - International_comparisons
In short, the US healthcare system is very inefficient ... probably for a whole variety of reasons.
IOW: The US healthcare is least efficient, but is the most expensive.
A manifestation of "American Exceptionalism" that is of dubious distinction.
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jamom123
Expert Expediter
Sounds like he spent too much time in Russia.
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RLENT
Veteran Expediter
That's a cute comment.
Now, if you could, please do explain how you would think that spending too much time in Russia would cause one to think that:
1. Obamacare is a huge prize for insurance companies, that actually does zero to lower the cost of heathcare ...
2. high healthcare costs - which are outrageous - prevent some people from being able to afford purchasing health insurance, or just paying for most of their healthcare out of pocket ...
3. Obamacare is rewarding a (parasitic) industry (that really produces nothing) that doesn't deserve it.
I eagerly await your comments for the insight and enlightenment I'm sure they will provide.
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jamom123
Expert Expediter
Obamacare is only a step toward single-payer, that's ultimately what they want anyway. My point quite simply is the fact that your friend pushed for a single-payer system which is why i said he spent too much time in Russia.
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jamom123
Expert Expediter
Grant it our healthcare system has been a disaster for a long time, but Obamacare is not a good solution. 1.People have higher premiums
2. higher deductibles
3. punish the healthy to pay for the sick
4. fewer healthcare providers
5. no longer charge women more than men so they raised the rates on both
I'm sure there are many more than the ones i've listed. I know these things to be true because i have been personally affected by them.
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2. higher deductibles
3. punish the healthy to pay for the sick
4. fewer healthcare providers
5. no longer charge women more than men so they raised the rates on both
I'm sure there are many more than the ones i've listed. I know these things to be true because i have been personally affected by them.
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RLENT
Veteran Expediter
That may turn out to be true at some future point.
Ahhh ... who is "they" ?
Let's say that's correct just for the sake of argument.
Why do you think that is ? (that he would "push" for single-payer as a consequence of having spent "too much time" in Russia)
I have little doubt that you know we have some of the best healthcare in the world. The catch is only for those that are in the hc system. When you include availability of hc to an entire population and figure the have nots in we drop in rankings. It isn't the quality of our health care that's falls below others in reality its the access to health care that is the problem.
The US life expectancy is as high as anyone's when you remove things from said study such as homicides and traffic deaths.
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It would be VERY interesting to know how much of the "cost" of US health care is due to cosmetic surgery etc. Also it would be interesting to know how much is due to having more, high cost. "toys" to play with. Like numbers of MRI machines per 100K etc.
RLENT
Veteran Expediter
Well ... the US ain't the Congo that's for sure ...
I think your characterization is relatively fair ...
Those blinded by ego and a sense of "Murrikan Exceptionalism" might claim we have "the best" ... probably based on little other than national pride.
Such are the perils of the ideology of blind nationalism ...
But "best" can be measured in a number of ways, so it depends on how you characterize "best": "best in terms of most effective treatment delivered" ... or say "best in terms of most bang for the buck spent" ...
Well, that kinda the point isn't it ?
Access to healthcare is a big part of the problem.
But you are not asserting that the quality of our healthcare necessarily surpasses all others are you ?
Source ?