Healthcare costs rising rapidly

Nurses Activism

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Healthcare costs are again rising at a rapid rate, after a brief reprieve. More Americans will be pushed into the ranks of the uninsured. What are our leaders in Washington doing to resolve this ever growing problem? Many of the healthcare bills presently being passed are only bandaide solutions to a troubling healthcare system. They do nothing to resolve the bigger issues.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43137-2001Jun8.html

What we have to do if follow the money and write, write, write our legislators. I really feel that it is up to the nurses to be the force for change here. It is obvious that allowing business to dictate is not working.

Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

Remeber also that if we are to increasethe compensation for RNs and increase their number to provide adequate staffing the cost of health care will probably increase at a faster pace.

The United States spends more per capita on health care than any other industrialized nation and health expenditures are still rising faster here than in comparable nations. Despite this, 42 million people have no insurance, 29 million more are inadequately insured, and over 100,000 people lose their health coverage each month. Americans who are covered still pay a significant portion of their health care bill in co-payments and premiums.

Though US expenditures far exceed those of any western nation, according to the World Health Organization the US was ranked 37th among nations in the world in the overall quality of health care a country provides its people.

Much of the expense of health care in this country is created by insurance bureaucracy. IT IS NOT NURSE'S SALARIES OR ADEQUATE STAFFING THAT ARE RAISING HEALTH CARE COSTS!!!

I think you are hard pressed to get the politicians to address this issue.they know the average joe blow does not take the time to find out where their tax dollars are going to.and there is big money as we all know in pharmacays,health care is a big business no matter what anyone says and supply companys and diffrent recruitment companys are making it big.they know its supply and demand.and our politicians are not going to buck it.like they will say its a free enterprise country.but our senior citazins cannot even with medicare no longer afford health care.and look at pacificare in california.that was a pure business move on their part and left thousands looking for new doctors some terminal.As I have been preaching our health care system in the us need a whole overall.where our money goes to as taxpayers needs to be more open to the public and the public needs to start taking more of a interest and become more demanding to our politicians to do things for our interest not their own.

feistynurse,

Do you have the data to support this statement,

"Much of the expense of health care in this country is created by insurance bureaucracy. IT IS NOT NURSE'S SALARIES OR ADEQUATE STAFFING THAT ARE RAISING HEALTH CARE COSTS!!!"

I would love to be able to take it along to RN Lobby Day June 26th. :)

Originally posted by PeggyOhio:

feistynurse,

Do you have the data to support this statement,

"Much of the expense of health care in this country is created by insurance bureaucracy. IT IS NOT NURSE'S SALARIES OR ADEQUATE STAFFING THAT ARE RAISING HEALTH CARE COSTS!!!"

I would love to be able to take it along to RN Lobby Day June 26th. :)

The Journal Health Affairs is online and has all of these stats for you. And look for anything by Linda Aiken in your online searches.

chas

I was away on vacation and just saw your post Peggy. My statement was quite general, but it is based on many healthcare studies that have been done over the years.

One impressive study that I have is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Himmelstein/Woolhandler/Lewontin Analysis of CPS data. It shows the growth of Registered Nurses vs Administrators in Healthcare from 1970-1998. The growth of RNs has ebbed and flowed and remained fairly low (barely shows-up on the graph), compared to the growth of healthcare Administrators which has increased by over 2000% (goes off the top of the chart). It's an incredible visual that I have used in many of my lectures on managed care.

feisty,

I was intriqued by that graph and tried to find it, unfortunately the study was open only to those that prescribed to various medical sites.

I did find this interesting site. The information looks to be taken from a book that Himmelstein and Woolhandler wrote. Read the opening sentences! (I figure I can pass this on, afterall, I'm only providing links.)

http://webmap.missouri.edu/himmel/index.simple.html

I haven't had time to go through too much of it, but did zero in on this one graph re: physicians and administrative growth.

http://webmap.missouri.edu/himmel/p089.jpg

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