Cautionary Tale--dodging the bullet

[quentinc]

Oz, in preparing for your visit to the U.S....

Many things that are taken as a simple matter of common sense in most of the developed world somehow manage to spark unbridled outrage and controversy here. It's part of our charm. Luckily, I don't think any of this applies to the backpacking!

[Cross Country]

As most on this forum know I was a California public school teacher and have Medicare and before that a good health care plan. I had no real problems til 62 but for the following 4 1/2 years had lots of them (mainly heart problems). We (the US) are the only 1st world country without universal health care. I never met a conservative who was embarrassed by our backwardness. I imagine most of them would have denied me the coverage I had because I got it through my teachers union, something they seem to think is anti patriotic. It seems that they think that I and my union stole their money in the form of taxes. Without my insurance I think I would probably be dead. I know some political conservatives who would wish that on me and lots of other people too.

[rlown]

I do know my lil procedure for the cardio cath will cost me 1750 out of pocket. even with insurance. it was kind of funny.. i heard it was an 18k procedure, then a 24k procedure and as of billing it was a 28k procedure.. for 20 mins under. and they do this everyday. I have to ask where is that cost coming from? are we paying the docs and nurses 401k's?

[Wandering Daisy]

The cost is coming from all the free care given to the uninsured, under-paid care given for medicare, profits for all the "middle-men", investors and lawyers needed when hospitals and insurance companies argue over the costs. I have to buy my own insurance. If any of those polititians had to buy their own insurance there would be national health care in a minute! My daughter and husband are doctors and although they make a good wage they are not the ones getting rich. All prices are arbitrary, based on how much they can squeeze out of you.

[Cross Country]

One doesn't have to have a degree in economics (I do) to see the wisdom in what WD wrote. As long as politicians and big business can convince (dupe) people to believe we're better off without national health care, abuses and gross inefficiencies will abound in really HUGE ways.

[rlown]

enough money talk.. how should we act around people with stents? any prep? what do we need to know to stabilize in case of a shift or a problem..

[quentinc]

Sorry Russ....
But to add to what Daisy points out:

Drug companies, drug companies, drug companies and drug companies. Every try paying for a brand name prescription without insurance? And hospitals, surgery centers, etc., have to pass on the costs. "Big pharma" is a force of nature. Health reform (even if it survives) could never have gotten passed in the first place without a policy of appeasement towards these behemoths. There is no attempt at all by Medicare to limit what they can charge.

[RoguePhotonic]

I'm not defending the drug companies at all but the cost is not all about run away greed. The massive amount of regulations and taxes imposed on companies make it difficult to charge anything but very high prices. It's bad enough for any business but it's hard to imagine what drug companies must go through.

Although on the subject of greed there is a reason the drug companies were huge supporters of Obamacare. They are going to really make it big when they can charge the Government what ever they want.

[oldranger]

Da Rogue?

Do you not think the drug companies are getting what they want now in the US? Why can we visit our neighbors to the North and get the same drugs for much cheaper? I have an uncle that would love to move back to the US where it is a little warmer but can't afford the the cost of medical care here.

Mike

[quentinc]

Actually, the drug companies wouldn't claim the cost of regulation is the reason (it's a very small amount compared to what they charge). They would claim it's needed to recoup their research & development costs. That and all the advertising they do to persuade people to beg their doctors for drugs that often do more harm than good.

And, Rogue, Obamacare just keeps the status quo for drug prices. If Obama had tried to cap drug prices, the pharmaceutical industry would have killed health reform from day one.