American Medical Bill

[Father Heathen]

The elites want it expensive.

Pays for the Bentley, BMWs, and Porsche's for the kids to drive into trees in a drunken stupor.

That's how it is: the insurance and pharmaceutical industries lobby to protect their profits and gouging practices. It's a reverse Robinhood system.

 

[Revoltingest]

I liked them, and I believe that in most other countries private practices are an option.

It's a good idea despite that.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Perhaps. No doubt the medical billing and insurance industry is messed up, but the OP doesn’t give me enough information to see if the bill is reasonable or not. Also, can’t Americans get insurance through the Affordable Care Act?

Entry level people have to still pay for their insurance, and the deductibles are often rather high. In other words, he lower classes are still screwed with the ACA.

 

[Watchmen]

Well that's a flippant attitude to have

Thankfully it wasn't a stroke. It was an occular migrane. Ended up being nothing bad, but that didn't make it any less scary of an experience

Sorry. I replied to the wrong post. I was speaking generally—not specific to you.

 

[Soandso]

Sorry. I replied to the wrong post. I was speaking generally—not specific to you.

That doesn't make it any less flippant

"Americans = fat and that's why they have shorter life spans" is kind of just a dismissive attitude to have when talking about a situation where people literally don't go to hospitals because they are scared of the astronomical fees they will face when they finally do get treatment. That's just the reality of the matter, and what the premise of thia entire thread is about

 

[Sand Dancer]

VA Responsibility: $0

What’s the problem exactly?

Just because one doesn't pay it doesn't mean the prices themselves aren't outrageous.

 

[Estro Felino]

Fans of big government love the idea that Big Brother
will take care of all our needs. But a singular health care
system run by the kind of people we've seen in gov't,
eg, Donald Trump, SCOTUS, Ron DeSantis, MT Greene,
tell me that we should be cautious about that.
Procedures that are now legal & available, might
remain legal, but become unavailable if they offend
the sensibilities of knuckle walkers. Budget battles
might cause service interruptions or cutbacks.

There are other measures to consider. This ignorant
groundskeeper can think of a few. Certainly experts
in health care can imagine more.

1) Single payer, but with it still being legal to pay for
health care from private providers. This is useful when
the government run system is found lacking.

2) Apply consumer protection laws to health care, eg,
transparent pricing, prohibition of unreasonable pricing.
Competition for price & service could improve both.

3) Use a loser-pays tort system so that meritless
malpractice suits have a cost imposed upon the
plaintiff, & especially the plaintiff's attorney.
This could cut malpractice insurance.

4) Provide legal protections to doctors who make
reasonable choices about care, which could curb
the high cost of "defensive medicine", ie, needless
(CYA) cover-your-*** tests.

Maybe Americans fail to understand that considering health "a business" is abhorrent, repulsive and primitive.


I am so proud of being European

 

[Revoltingest]

I am so proud of being European

Especially support for Hitler?

 

[Soandso]

Just because one doesn't pay it doesn't mean the prices themselves aren't outrageous.

Yah, and the fees don't just vanish into nothingness. Hospitals that make money as a matter of growing their business (even non-profits) aren't just going to eat these costs as some kind of astronomical "business expense," otherwise they'd go out of business. Someone has to pay the bill, ultimately

 

[Estro Felino]

Especially support for Hitler?

It's Reductio ad Hitlerum - Wikipedia

 

[Revoltingest]

It's Reductio ad Hitlerum - Wikipedia

Stings, don't it.
But he is indeed part of the heritage that makes you so proud.
So your Reductio ad Hitlerum charge doesn't apply, ie, I''m
not invalidating an argument. Just showing that your heritage
is sullied, & not an argument for your health care system.

I find that far worse than having for-profit health care.
We have much potential for improvement without
turning it all over to Uncle Sam / The Man / Big Brother.

 

[Estro Felino]

Stings, don't it.
But he is indeed part of the heritage that makes you so proud.

I find that far worse than having for-profit health care.
We have much potential for improvement without
turning it all over to Uncle Sam / The Man / Big Brother.

Because Americans have always had a private vision of life.
Everything was supposed to be private, according to the Puritans of the Mayflower.


It's so good to have a State controlling everything.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Most countries that have a single payer system also have private insurance that one can pay for if they feel like it, afaik. Single Payer isn't meant to replace private insurance. Only provide coverage to everyone regardless of ability to afford private coverage.

Edited*

I live in a single-payer regime (Ontario, Canada). When it comes to hospital care, my supplemental insurance covers things like upgrading to a private room and the TV rental fee. Any sort of actual medical care, meds, labs, etc., is all covered by my government health insurance (when I'm in the hospital, at least).

 

[Soandso]

We have much potential for improvement without
turning it all over to Uncle Sam / The Man / Big Brother.

I really don't see it... I work in a non-profit hospital, and I see it run like a penny pinching business. We cut costs like crazy, and we do the bare minimum legally to keep those costs low - that includes cutting down staffing to where there are dangerous situations where people's lives are at risk because we just don't have the people to take care of them

Faced with an overwhelmed ER, a St. Michael Medical Center nurse called 911 for help

Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue sent a crew to the hospital, and two firefighters worked in the emergency room for about 90 minutes on Saturday.

www.kitsapsun.com

It's just gross

 

[Revoltingest]

Because Americans have always had a private vision of life.
Everything was supposed to be private, according to the Puritans of the Mayflower.

I don't know what that means.

It's so good to have a State controlling everything.

As I've said before, I'd gladly let you have Trump.

 

[Revoltingest]

I really don't see it... I work in a non-profit hospital, and I see it run like a penny pinching business. We cut costs like crazy, and we do the bare minimum legally to keep those costs low - that includes cutting down staffing to where there are dangerous situations where people's lives are at risk because we just don't have the people to take care of them

Faced with an overwhelmed ER, a St. Michael Medical Center nurse called 911 for help

Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue sent a crew to the hospital, and two firefighters worked in the emergency room for about 90 minutes on Saturday.

www.kitsapsun.com

It's just gross

I'd earlier listed areas of improvement.

 

[Estro Felino]

That's how it is: the insurance and pharmaceutical industries lobby to protect their profits and gouging practices. It's a reverse Robinhood system.

Poor them...without those millions they can say goodbye to their beloved brothels and casinos...

 

[Estro Felino]

I don't know what that means.

Watch, sir

 

[Revoltingest]

Watch, sir

No videos.
Use your own words.

 

[Father Heathen]

Poor them...without those millions they can say goodbye to their beloved brothels and casinos...

...what?