Health Care Reform thread

[General_Failure]

Sure but nobody wants to buy it from us.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

America does one thing very well and that's export brutal and agonizing death on a massive scale.

USA!  AMERICA... farg YEAH!

[Eagaholic]

Perhaps the best course of action is to outsource our healthcare to India like we do everything else.  I watched a show not too long ago where uninsured Americans we going to India to get operations (like knee, eye, gall bladder, etc.) that would cost 10k here, but only 1-2k there.

America does one thing very well and that's export brutal and agonizing death on a massive scale.

I think I've got the solution, thanks to you guys - we can strike a package deal with India. We'll outsource both our military power and health care needs to India. They can do stuff like invade and take over Pakistan and Kashmir, and in return they take care of our sick. Simple, especially since half our military is over there and half their doctors are over here.

[Munson]

I like that package deal as long as we throw in one of our first rounders for Anquan Boldin.

[Cerevant]

Taxing health care to pay for...health care?

Folks, the US is paying more per capita than many countries where there is socialized healthcare.  That's right: we can provide the same coverage available in most of the western world without spending another penny than we spend today.  The problem isn't how to pay for health care, it is what we are paying for.


Say what you will about the quality of care in some of these countries (although many are rated higher than the US) - shouldn't we be able to provide better quality care when we out-spend our peers in some cases more than 2-1?

What needs to be done?
1) Malpractice / malpractice insurance reform.  This is the #1 way to reduce costs.
2) Universal health care credit which can be used to purchase basic coverage (same standard of coverage for all providers) from private insurers.  Those insurers can duke it out on the pros & cons of HMO vs. PPO, deductables, co-pays, providing varying levels of supplemental care etc.  A big misconception is that universal coverage is comprehensive coverage - in Canada I get zero prescription, vision, dental, etc without coverage from my employer.  Yet, even if I'm unemployed, my kids can get their checkups & shots, and go to the ER without bankrupting me.
3) Subsidize pharma research, ban marketing prescription drugs to consumers, tightly control marketing to doctors (eliminate the swag, the golf trips, etc)

Lessons to learn from Canada?

1) No price fixing.  The problem with single payer is that there is no free market for services.  It causes all kinds of supply problems.  The US insurance companies negotiate rates with the providers, and if the provider doesn't like the deal, the doesn't accept that insurance.

2) Increase the role of nurse-practitioners in primary care.  90% of primary care does not require the training of a full MD, and by doing this you can increase the supply of providers while keeping costs down.  If you think this doesn't work, look at the dental field where offices now have one or two dentists, and an army of 5-10 hygienists.

And one from the HMOs: preventative care is cheaper than emergent care.  We could cut costs a good bit by getting those who go to the ER for primary care to go somewhere else.

Oh, and stop bitching about prescriptions in the states.  During my last trip down there I see chains offering 30 days of generics for less than $5.  I can't get anything nearly as cheap as that without insurance up here.

[Geowhizzer]

There are many prescriptions that I can get for free with my plan.  And I believe that several antibiotics are offered gratis by the local grocery store (Publix).

[Rome]

It's a marketing gimmick by the drug companies.  They say "look how swell we are for offering free antibiotics" when in reality it doesn't cost them much at all to produce the drugs, especially considering the retailers are kicking in for most of the costs anyway.

There are drugs that are literally hundreds of dollars per prescription and people are going without eating because of how much they have to pay for their drugs.

It's disgusting that in a society as advanced as ours supposedly is we have to make a choice between eating and buying medicine.

[Geowhizzer]

It's a marketing gimmick by the drug companies.  They say "look how swell we are for offering free antibiotics" when in reality it doesn't cost them much at all to produce the drugs, especially considering the retailers are kicking in for most of the costs anyway.

There are drugs that are literally hundreds of dollars per prescription and people are going without eating because of how much they have to pay for their drugs.

It's disgusting that in a society as advanced as ours supposedly is we have to make a choice between eating and buying medicine.

Believe me, I know this.  My parents  are shelling out $$$ for heart meds.

[hbionic]

I am clueless when it comes to this issue.

I am also one of the 46 Million. Believe me, I'm ready with the self-check prostate exam. Been practicing for years.

[ATV]

Imagine how much more competitive our businesses could be if they were unburdened by having to share in the cost for their employee's health care.

USA!  AMERICA... farg YEAH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0OQXI8lvqY

[phillymic2000]

Ask a pharma rep and he'll tell you we have to pay more because American drug companies spend more in r & d than all the other drug companies in the world combined.
The real answer is because pharma companies spend millions on political candidates who do their whoring for them in Washington.

Why is that? Why do we spend more on R & D then every other drug company in the world combined?

[phillymic2000]

Imagine how much more competitive our businesses could be if they were unburdened by having to share in the cost for their employee's health care.

USA!  AMERICA... farg YEAH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0OQXI8lvqY

Popeye 

[phillymic2000]

Everybody loves to rip on America, Yeah farg America, but give me entitlements bitches. Yay i hate America , but give me everything thats coming to me!!

[Munson]

I am clueless when it comes to this issue.

I am also one of the 46 Million. Believe me, I'm ready with the self-check prostate exam. Been practicing for years.

Same. Yay.

[phillymic2000]

One thing I'm clear on is that in a country as wealthy as ours, it's a categorical failure that we have 46 million or so uninsured people.  We've got to find a way to bring more people out of the elements and into shelter.  It's better for everyone.

In all seriousness I agree, but is total healthcare for everyone the right way to go? Is there anyway to go with a hybrid system? and cervant you can say other countries service is better, but I can't remember the high profile cases of Americans that went overseas for free service, or the big time procedures. Maybe it's the media that doesn't report it. Or maybe some of the costs to our system is the procedures that go uncovered, unpaid. Who knows but we do need something to cover more.