Incoming President of Canadian Medical Association says their system is "imploding" and "all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize..."

I would venture to say that our system is NOT imploding. Yes, it has plenty of problems, but turning to a govt run option may cause ours to implode in 20 or 30 years also.

Meanwhile, over at CNN , a Democratic congress woman said that removing the public option might derail health care.

Jordan .

Makes you wonder where Canadians will flee for good medical treatment if the US goes Canada-style, doesn't it?

This article from Politico expresses what I had predicted would begin to occur after the Honeymoon was over.  Didn't know it would come as a result of Health Care Insurance Reform, but I figured the backlash had to rear its pretty head.  Now, if we only could locate some good candidates!

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

I know.  That article was too long. 

I have a friend whose son is a doctor.  She often writes me with illuminating stories of his practice in Washington but I thought this part was interesting.  I know too many similar stories to disagree.  For those of you who argue for the Obama Plan (whatever it is now...), please tell me how you feel about this...

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Well, my first question would be why are these 15-20 percent uninsured to begin with? If they are illegal workers isn't this a much broader issue that neither political side wants to deal with. While I don't know or understand all the facts regarding this doctor's practice, I think this is probably the exception rather than the rule and nothing close to "universal care" (I know doctors who would never consider paying a piece rate out of pocket.) If I lost my job and health insurance, I very much doubt I could walk into a doctor's office and get treated without paying a dime.

R_Flagg

I really don't NEED health insurance.  I am rarely sick so unless I have an accident I'm okay.  I used to have insurance in case I was in a car wreck or something but I realized that my car insurance covered that and health insurance was alot of money for something that I rarely used.  In the 3 years that I had it, I used it once for an ear infection that I got from swimming.  My current job offers insurance but I find it to be cost prohibitive since I don't work full time due to the fact that I'm a student.  But I do find it to be a bit snarky to say that people under 35 don't need insurance.  Not everyone is blessed with naturally good health.

I am all for reform of the current system to make it affordable for all.  But something needs to be done.  Maybe public health care isn't the answer, but what we currently have isn't either.

Sorry for the triple post since I'm just now catching up. Last night there was a Health Care Town Hall in Santa Fe.

The panel consisted of Rep. Ben Lujan, Tyler Taylor MD, and Lydia Pendley (Health Action NM). There was a very sizable turnout with approximately 350 people in attendance, and had to be split into 2 sessions which lasted until around 10 pm.

Two very interesting facts that were discussed by Dr. Taylor, who is a Primary Care Physician in Los Alamos, is that in a study of his peers, 1 in 3 Primary Care docs are experiencing demoralization and burn out. 30% of the surveyed group plan to retire and/or leave their practices in the next 1-3 years.  The other important number he discussed was the fact that the average primary care practice spends approximately $68,000 per year on the current insurance related claims and paperwork.  He indicates that this is untenable for small practices.

The meeting was conducted without any problems, though people seemed passionate about the issue.

R_Flagg

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

May, how inexpensive would a policy have to be in order for you to consider it worthwhile?  I work part time too and am offered Cigna Healthcare for $24.00/month which seems awfully inexpensive to me.  I haven't used it though since I have other health insurance.

The way I view insurance -- whether it's for automobiles, homes or health care -- is  that it's mostly for the big stuff.  Not a fender bender, a sore throat, or a bit of damage from a leaky roof.  I want the major catastrophes covered and will pop for the day to day mishaps out of pocket without even attempting an insurance claim.  I don't expect the government to cover my house insurance or my car insurance either, btw. 

Another side note on ways to cut costs.  My mother was hospitalized for two months early this year.  Afterward she returned to her apartment.  Medicare sent her a hospital bed and a wheelchair which was great.  But they also sent an oxygen tank apparatus and a nebulizer, neither of which she needed and neither of which she used.  In March she had them pick up the items unused.  She is still receiving bills for each subsequent month.  It's something like $484.00/per month in charges to Medicare and under $50 for her supplemental insurance.  No charge will go to her personally but she is peeved that ANYONE is being billed mistakenly and has attempted to fix it.  She calls each month to tell the government worker drone that she does NOT have the items but they can't make sense of that statement.  No one knows anything when trying to communicate with a Medicare worker by phone.  A year ago her Medicare was billed for a hip replacement surgery she never had!  Because her last name is "Smith" somehow someone screwed up and billed her account for another Smith.  These examples are most likely from sloppiness not outright fraud but both add needless cost to the system. 

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Actually, i was not joking, and MayRay proves my point. Statistically speaking, people under 35 don't really need insurance - so they don't get it. Clumping the people who choose to not have insurance into that 47 million is incorrect, IMO. If you CHOOSE NOT to have insurance, that's your choice and when you have a tragic accident or have an emergency, you'll pay for it then as you pay it off in time (as I've done and many others even WITH insurance).

And I honestly believe most people CAN afford it if they don't get it through their companies. When we paid for Kelly a few years ago for Blue Cross Blue Shield she was in her 20s. It cost about $230 I think it was. You cut what you have to cut to do it (how about cutting a coffee late each day?). OR find something less than Blue Cross which i know exists. May not be great, but it's better than nothing.

This idea that health insurance for a 20 year old is not affordable is incorrect, IMO. Anything is affordable if you think it's important.

Oh, and looks like Obama is not backing off the public option as of this morning according to links on Drudge. Furthermore, looks like the Dems are taking a page from the Bush administration - they may be going it alone and not worry about the GOP. Which means the GOP will be taking a page from the Democratic playbook about their inability to work with the other side about such an important issue, and the importance of getting help and advice from others.

Oh and one more thought - here's an idea - you want to give affordable health care? Give that 25 year old  $2400 off his taxes so he can go buy private insurance. And give that family of 4 making about 100,000, $6000 off their taxes to buy private insurance. Now there's an idea!! And more importantly, the poor and elderly continue to get covered through govt, and the rest of us can now have that money which we didn't have before to buy health insurance, and the govt won't be in the business of my health.

Jordan .

Oh and one more thought - here's an idea - you want to give affordable health care? Give that 25 year old  $2400 off his taxes so he can go buy private insurance. And give that family of 4 making about 100,000, $6000 off their taxes to buy private insurance. Now there's an idea!! And more importantly, the poor and elderly continue to get covered through govt, and the rest of us can now have that money which we didn't have before to buy health insurance, and the govt won't be in the business of my health.

Yep.

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

First, I've been on record saying that Cash for Clunkers was a good idea. Today, I see this, and it also supports what a dealer told my dad and I a month ago:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9A63RC81&show_article=1

dealers are worried they won't get paid back, and some don't have any extra money right now to fund anymore cash for clunker refunds.

So let me for a moment extend this to health care. If our bloated, slow, red-tapped govt can't even handle a cash for clunkers program and get money back to the dealers (easy sneezy if you ask me), how can we expect them to peruse pages worth of medical procedures and information, and then send money back to the hospital/doctor/medical personnel as reimbursement for services rendered?

I know they do that now for Medicaid and Medicare but the number of people is far fewer than a national health care system. But if memory serves me right, many doctors and medical folks hate dealing with the paperwork behind Medicare and Medicaid due to time it takes and also reimbursement. Throw in an entire country (300 million plus people) and you've got a mess on your hands, requiring more workers, probably new type of health department to process invoices (ala IRS), thus more waste, higher costs and ultimately about as efficient and bankrupt as social security .

Jordan .

Kinda like RFlagg detailed above with this comment:

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Is Vancouver in your Healthcare Future?

"'Why would you begin your cost-cutting measures on medically necessary surgery?  I just can't think of a worse place,' Brodie said."

"According to the leaked document, Vancouver Coastal - which oversees the budget for Vancouver General and St. Paul's hospitals, among other health-care facilities - is looking to close nearly a quarter of its operating rooms starting in September and to cut 6,250 surgeries, including 24 per cent of cases scheduled from September to March and 10 per cent of all medically necessary elective procedures this fiscal year."

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

The article also goes on to state that many dealers aren't worried at all. Also, I think much of the back log is due to fraud prevention and dealer mis-management.

From a related article

"A major reason for the close scrutiny of paperwork is fraud prevention. Citing the heavy volume of deals, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, asked the Transportation Department's inspector general Thursday to review the program for potential wrongdoing." 

"Government officials a big hitch has been that dealers are not following proper procedures by filing incomplete or inaccurate materials. For example, one of the main reasons Cash for Clunkers deals were rejected early on was because dealers failed to write "Junk Automobile, Cars.gov" in black magic marker on the title of the older cars that buyers were trading in."

I think its knee jerk for auto dealers to blame all woes on the government. Half the problems are related to dealers not following instructions to begin with and expecting instant rebates without any checks or balances. I for one have never had a smooth transaction from an auto dealer ever, even without gov rebates!! Lol! For any program to work you must follow instructions. Gov or not!

I think the same goes for medicare. Not sure if anyone remembers but I used to work as a contractor for CMS. They had an entire division that carefully analyzed every claim and medical record for fraudulant claims. I am for heavy scrutinization before handing tax payer money over to the public. Also, doctors hate all the expenses and paperwork involved with private insurance companies just as much if not more than Medicare. At the last town hall meeting here in Santa Fe Dr. Taylor explained that he and many other small private practices could barely cover all the administration costs involved with claims to health insurance companies. Many planned to retire early or leave their practices due to rising costs.

R_Flagg  

He was referring to the administrative costs towards health insurance companies for small private practices. He claims there is actually more paperwork, waste, and reimbursement issues with private insurance companies. He said many of his collogues are going to leave their practices or retire early due to rising out of control administrative costs from insurance companies.

I'm not sure what else to say on this issue. We can continue to let the health insurance bureaucrats take care of those who can afford it. I beleive it's feasible to offer a public option for those who can't afford insurance. Keep hospitals and health care practices private. I don't want an all government run system either. We can argue all day about the "evil" government or "evil" health insurance companies but we still don't know what the final bill will be like when introduced to congress for law later this year. I beleive the house and senate both have their own versions right now which I'm sure will continue to evolve. Until then all I can do is wait and see. I'm obviously not going to change any minds here nor do I care to.

R_Flagg

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

It's getting desperate when the Ann Coulter copy and paste machine starts showing up. Yes, gov health care is a liberal conspiracy because we all want free sex changes. HaHa! Ann always hits new lows in douchebaggery.

R_Flagg 

Yeah you have polluted the board j. Nice going you gender dysphoric hater !!! And keep that Coulter's apple from bobbing around here. You disgust me j. You you machine youuuuuu.harrumph.

*tosses hair in moral superiority*

Just kidding around. 

HaHa, you're the best Raymond! I've always respected your "libertarian" perspective.  Cheers

R_Flagg

Congress Deadlocked Over How To Not Provide Health Care

August 18, 2009 | Issue 45•34

Leaders on both sides of the aisle try to hammer out an agreement on fucking over Americans.

WASHINGTON—After months of committee meetings and hundreds of hours of heated debate, the United States Congress remained deadlocked this week over the best possible way to deny Americans health care.

"Both parties understand that the current system is broken," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Monday. "But what we can't seem to agree upon is how to best keep it broken, while still ensuring that no elected official takes any political risk whatsoever. It’s a very complicated issue."

"Ultimately, though, it's our responsibility as lawmakers to put these differences aside and focus on refusing Americans the health care they deserve," Pelosi added.

The legislative stalemate largely stems from competing ideologies deeply rooted along party lines. Democrats want to create a government-run system for not providing health care, while Republicans say coverage is best denied by allowing private insurers to make it unaffordable for as many citizens as possible.

"We have over 40 million people without insurance in this country today, and that is unacceptable," Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said. "If we would just quit squabbling so much, we could get that number up to 50 or even 100 million. Why, there's no reason we can't work together to deny health care to everyone but the richest 1 percent of the population."

"That's what America is all about," he added.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said on Meet The Press that Republicans would never agree to a plan that doesn't allow citizens the choice to be denied medical care in the private sector.

"Americans don't need some government official telling them they don't have the proper coverage to receive treatment," Boehner said. "What they need is massive insurance companies to become even more rich and powerful by withholding from average citizens the care they so desperately require. We're talking about people's health and the obscene profits associated with that, after all."

Though there remain irreconcilable points, both parties have reached some common ground in recent weeks. Senate leaders Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) point to Congress' failure to pass legislation before a July 31 deadline as proof of just how serious lawmakers are about stringing along the American people and never actually reforming the health care industry in any meaningful way.

"People should know that every day we are working without their best interests in mind," Reid said. "But the goal here is not to push through some watered-down bill that only denies health care to a few Americans here and a few Americans there. The goal is to recognize that all Americans have a God-given right to proper medical attention and then make sure there's no chance in hell that ever happens."

"No matter what we come up with," Reid continued, "rest assured that millions of citizens will remain dangerously uninsured, and the inflated health care industry will continue to bankrupt the country for decades."

Other lawmakers stressed that, while there has been some progress, the window of cooperation was closing.

"When you get into the nuts and bolts of how best not to provide people with care essential to their survival, there are many things to take into consideration," Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) said. "I believe we can create a plan for Americans that allows them to not be able to go to the hospital, not get the treatment they need, and ultimately whither away and die. But we've got to act fast."

For his part, President Barack Obama claimed to be optimistic, even saying he believes that a health care denial bill will pass in both houses of Congress by the end of the year.

"We have an opportunity to do something truly historic in 2009," Obama said to a mostly silent crowd during a town hall meeting in Virginia yesterday. "I promise I will only sign a clear and comprehensive health care bill that fully denies coverage to you, your sick mother, her husband, middle-class Americans, single-parent households, the unemployed, and most importantly, anyone in need of emergency medical attention."

"This administration is committed to not providing health care," Obama added. "Not just for this generation of Americans, but for many generations to come."

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

They give the actual protesters a sample pack of viagra and a free box of 9mm rounds instead of a sandwich. Glad the sandwich is drawing more crowds!

R_Flagg

Hey R-Flagg, yes, cheers to you my mein, here's to a guy with class !

Can we take that 1000 plus pages of crap 3200 and throw it away?