new report: 'health care system in crisis'

oramar · Nov 20, 2002

The talked about this on CNBC today. There was a Bush adminsitration representative answering questions. One person asked him what he thought about the fact that salaries of CEOs and CFOs in health care have quadurpled while the system was being run into the ground. He said that it was OK, it is a free market system. I will just remember that when and if in the future one of the fixes they suggest is freezing salaries(for us) and deskilling. Personally I think that is the main problem. Instead of having leadership in healthcare which has patient care as it's main focus, we have people who focus on doubling their salaries every 5 years.

MK2002 · Nov 20, 2002

I too was outraged by that CNBC interview. According to the guest, $400 million in personal stock options is no big deal. OK then. Why doesn't he just distribute say $100 million of that for new nurses and raise the salaries of the current personnel?

Youda · Nov 20, 2002

I get so tired of "free enterprise" used as a rationalization for greed, thief, dishonesty, bad business practices, neglect and death . . .

The message being that if you stopped free enterprise, you'd stop the entire democratic, American way of life! Why you'd be just unAmerican to stop corporations like Enron and Tenet from devastating the American way of life!

Nurse Nevada, RN · Nov 22, 2002

I missed it, does anyone have a link to the report or interview?

Thanks,

Nurse Nevada

http://users.lvcm.com/nursenevada

maureeno · Nov 22, 2002

report available in the New York Times, November 19,2002

rncountry · Nov 25, 2002

here is the link to the Times article. I haven't found the actual study yet, but had been looking after I heard this on NPR the other day. My main source for news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/20/health/20HEAL.html

sjoe · Nov 25, 2002

"The report sugggested states try pilot projects in the following areas: universal insurance coverage, medical malpractice, community health centers, treatment of chronic illnesss and information technology."

Frankly, all this stuff simply misses the point. Right now we have the kind of health care "system" that the citizens of this country apparently wish to have. Voters were NOT willing to support a more universal health care plan such as that proposed at the beginning of the Clinton reign, they did NOT choose to put pressure on their elected officials to bring improvements about, they DID fall for the transparently shallow TV ads paid for by those who currently profit from this industry, and mostly did not pay much attention to the whole business.

The present system, in other words, is a reflection of the values that people in this country hold. ("I want everything I want for myself and my family, and I want it right NOW, but I don't want to have to pay for it. And I don't want to pay for anyone else, either.") Our present policies are simply a clear reflection of the amount of time and energy and thought that citizens are willing to put into the matter.

So long as these same values prevail, trying out supposedly new pilot projects will be exactly as effective as "de-institutionalizing the mentally ill" was in the 1960s.

IMHO.

maureeno · Nov 25, 2002

okay, although I cling to delusions of optimism and am all wrinkly from paradox, I think we can, as nurses, influence our country's values and work for change.

Another thread gives a report of high income workers [$75,000+] losing their health insurance, about 800,000 people. I think health care will be a big election issue in 2004.

>>>>We plant seeds, that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities. Monsg. Oscar Romero

PennyLane, RN · Nov 25, 2002

Originally posted by Youda
I get so tired of "free enterprise" used as a rationalization for greed, thief, dishonesty, bad business practices, neglect and death . . .

The message being that if you stopped free enterprise, you'd stop the entire democratic, American way of life! Why you'd be just unAmerican to stop corporations like Enron and Tenet from devastating the American way of life!

Here, here, Youda. That pretty much says it all.

maureeno · Nov 26, 2002

At the National Governors 'Association yesterday the executive director said due to the states' budget crisis there will be huge cuts in medicare. Health care spending grew by 13% last year, accounting for 30% of states' budgets.

In my locality, health spending has been cut by both the city and county. One councilman, Dwight Pelz, put it bluntly,'we are reducing our commitment to the social safety net in our community. Across the country we are becoming an increasingly selfish, greedy and cruel society.'

oramar · Nov 26, 2002

sjoe, I remember the early Clinton years very well. People really brough this on themselves. There was a lot of extra money in the system then. Instead of it going to take care of uninsured it went into pockets of CEOs and stockholders.