Rubes Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 You got that right! I'm lucky enough to live in the United States, where the health insurance I picked out and pay for myself allows me to get into an imaging center the same day any doctor prescribes a test for me. Nothing even close to that happens in any of the government Health Care systems referenced in the link you offered. Bottom line for me is that I don't want the government to run anything important- they've destroyed our public education system and I don't want the fastest and most innovative Health Care delivery system in the history to be their next victim. You might like the idea of people at the Post Office administering your health care- I have thousands of times more faith in Federal Express and UPS ;-) With all due respect, did you even look at the program? Let's take one of the examples highlighted in the program, Japan. The Japanese have better health than us and spend half as much as us, only 8% GDP. Certainly, their better health is due in part to lifestyle issues, but they do have the highest life expectancy and lowest infant mortality rates in the world. Their healthcare system has a lot to do with that. In Japan, they utillize a "social insurance" program. All citizens are required to have health insurance. Usually, it is provided (at least in part) by their employer. If they don't have insurance through their employer, they must purchase it from a non-profit, community-based plan. If they can't afford to buy it, the government helps pay the premiums. Not really all that different from the U.S., except for the fact that the insurers there are all non-profit. Insurance companies cannot make a profit, and they cannot turn anyone down for any reason. But before you go railing against Japan's "socialized medicine", note that Japan's healthcare is NOT socialist. 80% of the hospitals in Japan are private, which is more than in this country. And virtually all doctors offices are private businesses. As for your pride in getting an MRI the same day a doctor prescribes it (which, of course, is not necessarily true for everybody in this country), in Japan there are no gatekeepers, which means you can see any doctor or any specialist you want at any time. And you don't need an appointment -- ever. There is no wait. None. You can see a doctor of any kind and get whatever testing you want whenever you want. The Japanese get twice as many MRIs per capita as Americans. They love them. They get them all the time. And they're incredibly cheap: in the United States, an MRI can run you somewhere around $1200. In Japan, it's $98. Ninety-eight freaking dollars. What about a night in the hospital? If you want a private room, a night in the hospital will cost you a mere $90. If you don't mind a multi-occupancy room (4 per room), you pay just $10 per night. Anybody have any idea how much a night in the hospital here is? And the Japanese are extremely satisfied with their healthcare. Are there problems with this system? Of course. Doctors and hospitals are extremely underpaid, due to price controls instituted by the government. Some hospitals find it hard to stay in business with these prices. Some people believe Japan doesn't spend enough on healthcare. Imagine that. Does the government "run" their healthcare? Of course not. They control prices and they provide assistance for the poor. This is just Japan. Four other countries are highlighted in that documentary. All four provide universal coverage. Most utilize private, not socialist or government-run healthcare. All have excellent healthcare -- at least comparable to America. None require you to wait 9 months for an MRI. All spend considerably less on healthcare than we do. The conversation runs far deeper than "My healthcare is better than yours and I don't have to wait 9 months for an MRI."
VOR Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 Not really all that different from the U.S., except for the fact that the insurers there are all non-profit. Insurance companies cannot make a profit, and they cannot turn anyone down for any reason. As I mentioned in my post, this along with the medication and medical equipment companies all being for profit is why things won't change, and why doctors will continue to get squeezed because they're the most convenient target to reduce health care costs.
The Senator Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 My next door neighbor is a self-employed plumber with a wife and two young daughters. He has a nice boat, a number of ATVs, two trucks and an SUV, a satellite dish, and certainly a number of other goodies. Didn't have any healthcare insurance of any kind until just recently, when the wife took a job at the county jail for the benefits. That's an interesting slant on the whole Pats* scandal, and one I haven't heard before. Is your neighbor union or non-union plumber? GO BILLSSS!!!!
Rubes Posted June 3, 2008 Posted June 3, 2008 As I mentioned in my post, this along with the medication and medical equipment companies all being for profit is why things won't change, and why doctors will continue to get squeezed because they're the most convenient target to reduce health care costs. If you watch the Frontline special at the link, one of the countries highlighted is Switzerland. Like America, Switzerland was dominated by powerful pharmaceutical and insurance companies, and yet they have managed to change. At the time of the change, only half the country supported it; now, about a decade later, the vast majority of people agree with it. Somehow the pharmaceutical and insurance companies went along with it, and somehow they are okay with it now. You'll have to watch it to see how. Although the situation in Switzerland is a bit different than the U.S., it still gives me hope that a country can change and emerge from under the powerful control of Big Pharma and Big Insurance. That's an interesting slant on the whole Pats* scandal, and one I haven't heard before. Is your neighbor union or non-union plumber? Yeah, sorry. Should really move this to another forum. No union plumbers in Utah, as far as I know.
Johnny Coli Posted June 4, 2008 Posted June 4, 2008 P*ts' offensive lineman arrested for oxycontin possession, turns rat and wears wire for DEA. The Shift-8's are all on performance-enhancing drugs Starting New England Patriots offensive lineman Nicholas Kaczur was arrested in April on a charge of illegal possession of prescription painkillers and then secretly cooperated with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in a sting operation that resulted in the indictment of his alleged drug supplier, according to a lawyer and two people briefed on the investigation. <snip> Grossberg said that, according to DEA documents presented to him before the indictment, Kaczur said he had begun buying OxyContin in November 2007 and purchased 100 pills every few days, paying tens of thousands of dollars over time. <snip> Dr. Alex Stalcup, a Lafayette, Calif., doctor who says he is treating current and former NFL players for chronic pain issues, said that using powerful pain-killers can help players get through one more Sunday, but at a terrible risk to themselves and their futures. Mediocre offensive lineman pays $4000 every couple days since November for 100 pills. One wonders where the mediocre offensive lineman bag-man got an extra four grand every couple days to buy 100 prescription painkillers at a Foxborough gas station. One also wonders to whom the mediocre offensive lineman bag-man gave those 100 prescription painkiller pills every couple days during the NFL season.
Beerball Posted June 4, 2008 Posted June 4, 2008 P*ts' offensive lineman arrested for oxycontin possession, turns rat and wears wire for DEA.The Shift-8's are all on performance-enhancing drugs Mediocre offensive lineman pays $4000 every couple days since November for 100 pills. One wonders where the mediocre offensive lineman bag-man got an extra four grand every couple days to buy 100 prescription painkillers at a Foxborough gas station. One also wonders to whom the mediocre offensive lineman bag-man gave those 100 prescription painkiller pills every couple days during the NFL season. 100 pills every few days is certainly more than one person can use (isn't it?). Hopefully "the authorities" also made him talk about who he supplied. This certainly brightens my day.
IDBillzFan Posted June 5, 2008 Posted June 5, 2008 Wow. Bellicheat* is apparently pulling out all the stops to ensure no one brings their cheating to the press any more. NFL Steroids Dealer Who Ratted Out Players Found Dead In His Home.
Ramius Posted June 5, 2008 Posted June 5, 2008 Wow. Bellicheat* is apparently pulling out all the stops to ensure no one brings their cheating to the press any more. NFL Steroids Dealer Who Ratted Out Players Found Dead In His Home. 10:1 says kraft and belichick issue a statement claiming it matt walsh was behind the killings.
pentium4ee Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 You know what is really telling about the ethics of some of these posters ? Some of the same people downplaying a hit and run are the same people that want billecheck (sp) sent through the ringer just for cheating on football games.
Willis990 Posted June 7, 2008 Posted June 7, 2008 You know what is really telling about the ethics of some of these posters ?Some of the same people downplaying a hit and run are the same people that want billecheck (sp) sent through the ringer just for cheating on football games. If this were Lunchpail Tim he would have crucified. Oh the hypocrisy.
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