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Welcome Forum The Lounge US Health Care System

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  • #4277
    GTO Man
    Moderator

    The health care system in this country is mediocre at best. It may be in the top 50 in the world but nowhere near the top 10. It is purely profit driven and has lost sight of the patient.

Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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  • #34174
    Garibaldi
    Keymaster

    I can see at least 3 areas to cut unnecessary expenses:
    – electronic medical records would cut costs by reducing overhead and mistakes
    – reducing insurance costs by taking the “for profit” aspect out of health insurance. Right now health insurance companies make money off of people’s health which doesn’t seem right. Having someone pay their insurance loyally for years and then being dropped when they actually get sick so the company makes a profit is not right
    – reducing costs for doctors (and thus reducing their fees) by giving some type of universal coverage to them for things like malpractice insurance.

    #34229
    jonmandude
    Participant

    We need to stop letting health care be a business and start making it a necessity. Other countries (ALL other countries) take health care as a need and supply health care, our country sees it as a business, a way to make money. If we treated health care in this country as a need there would be no need for insurance to be involved. I met a surgeon from Romania once. He made $60K/year. He said that he was disgusted with how doctors here make so much money. In his country being a doctor is a calling, a valued ability, not a business to make money. He is paid well but not getting rich off of the misery of others.

    It is not a matter of changing how we perform health care, but changing how we view health care that needs to happen.

    Money and greed are the root of all evil. When will people learn that?

    #34234
    Amigo2k
    Moderator

    I have traveled the world working with physicians and I always ask them how they think their government led health systems are working. And they all say they prefer their system to the US because they help those that really need the help and there is no issues with an HMO about not paying for a certain test (as we commonly see here in the states).

    #34236
    jonmandude
    Participant

    Imagine if we treated other necessities in this world as we do health care. Could you imagine needing insurance for police? or fire? Could you imagine police giving you a bill every time you saw them? Or needing insurance so you could afford to call the fire department when your house was on fire? Could you imagine calling the fire department because lightning hit your house and started a fire and getting “do you have insurance?” as the first question. Or calling the police and getting the same question?

    Health care is the same as Fire or Police departments. It is a need.

    #34237
    Garibaldi
    Keymaster

    I agree Jon, that is exactly what healthcare in terms of a service. Its a basic need that should be provided to everyone regardless of income level

    #34247
    jonmandude
    Participant

    I mean seriously. Everyone gets trash picked up. Is that more of a need than health care?

    #34175
    lordairgtar
    Participant

    Some communities have the fire department bill you after a call, very common in California. Trash doesn’t just disappear from your back yard or driveway, it’s part of your property tax, or is figured into the cost of your rent. I pay $236.00 every two weeks (I make $11.15 per hour, 80 hours a week) for my Health insurance, very expensive, but I would rather have the choice to see the physician of my choice. Yes, the plan doesn’t pay for everything, but the socialized plans in other countries are lacking. Speaking of Romania, my nephew was the drummer for Rictus Grin (metal Band) and played a concert in Vlad Tepid’s castle in Romania. Had to see a doctor while there and he tells me it is not something you would want to do. People who live in Canada and are close to the border of the US will opt for a hospital stay in the US because the government appointed hospital and health board decides who gets what kind of care, plus there is a huge waiting time for anything major.

    #34256
    Garibaldi
    Keymaster
    Quote:
    I would rather have the choice to see the physician of my choice.

    Unfortunately this is a common misconception about the proposed healthcare solution. You would keep the same doctor that you have now – you would not be forced to switch. Moreover, if you also want to pay for a private family physician (as some do) then that would compliment the universal healthcare package

    #34297
    GTO Man
    Moderator

    There was just a judgement against a Dean surgeon for over $17 million.

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