According to the Associated Press as cited in the Post article, "Cuba has made recent advancements in biotechnology and exports its treatments to 40 countries around the world, raking in an estimated $100 million a year. ... In 2004, the U.S. government granted an exception to its economic embargo against Cuba and allowed a California drug company to test three cancer vaccines developed in Havana."
Additionally something that might help in the future if you ever become injured, you should try to be more pro-active with your care. For instance, going to the library and reading books about your specific injury might enable you to empower yourself to actually engage in therapeutic activity in the home environment rather than waiting around for a physical therapist to tell you what exercises to do. You can even get some self help therapeutics, hot packs, ice, analgesics are readily available and with a little self directed learning you would be surprised what the body is capable of accomplishing.
Sean
I think that this post is less than helpful in advancing the discussion of how to improve access to health care. I respect the skills and knowledge of my colleagues in their ability to care for their own injuries and illnesses.
Profit ahead of people leads to poor health care results.
Additionally something that might help in the future if you ever become injured, you should try to be more pro-active with your care. For instance, going to the library and reading books about your specific injury might enable you to empower yourself to actually engage in therapeutic activity in the home environment rather than waiting around for a physical therapist to tell you what exercises to do. You can even get some self help therapeutics, hot packs, ice, analgesics are readily available and with a little self directed learning you would be surprised what the body is capable of accomplishing.
Sean
Thank you for the advice.
I think I should follow the instructions of the physicians rather than treat an injury myself. But my family practice and orthopedic physicians instructed my not to move to a position that caused the pain to increase.
I did not know what my specific injury was and neither did they.
An in line skater came down a hill, couldn't stop, and knocked over a concrete bench. I turned my bicycle to avoid being hit but my arm was stopped by the bench less than a second before he hit it. I ended up face down in the sand while my arm remained behind.
That was in 1994. My shoulder was injured. At that time I did research shoulder injuries at the UCLA medical library. Thought it could be a rotator cuff injury but it was not.
I did use ice at first and took ibuprofen. My MD and the personnel lady at my hospital told me that 2 weeks is usual for approval to see a specialist. I continued working.
After the 2 weeks I had an authorization for the orthopedic physician. I got an appointment in a week. He X-rayed it, ordered the MRI, and put me on disability because I could neither move my arm nor think clearly due to the pain.
Then I waited 2 weeks for authorization.
One week for the MRI. I then had to get my primary physician to do more paperwork for authorization for followup with the orthopod.
AFTER I carried the MRI request to the MD and got an appointment PT was ordered.
I do not think I know enough to bypass a professional. My MD wanted me to have 12 sessions over 4 weeks but only 4 were authorized.
That was enough because I did the excercises several times a day, improving rapidly.
In 2000 I had the same symptoms on the other side. My primary Doc was going to put in for authorization but I told her I would pay myself to avoid waiting 2 weeks for authorization.
She the recommended a different shoulder specialist who did X-rays and got me started on PT the same day. I never missed a nights work.
Of course it was a different injury probably caused by favoring the shoulder that was injured first.
I am sorry to be so dumb. I somehow though that since I already paid for the care I would get it. Silly me.
Now I have "the Blues" premier. So far no problem. I needed a lumpectomy a few years ago and with Blue Cross, Blue Shield there was no wait. Hope to be so fortunate should the need arise.
PS: When I had my recent colonoscopy I chose to pay an extra $150.00 for a CRNA to administer propofol rather than the conscious sedation usually used. I had a dedicated anesthesia professional instead of an RN who could be expected to assist the GI Doc instead of continuously monitoring my oxygen saturation, cardiac rate and rhythm, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and level of consciousness.
Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
This required some proactivity on my part, in other words, I didn't sit around and wait for everyone to do everything for me, because most people are lazy in my opinion. I dont know what happenned in your particular situation but maybe you should try to be more pro-active and not blame everything on private insurers, at the same time somehow believing if government comes in and takes over all of these problems will magically disappear. Just my opinion. Oh and by the way, I am a nurse anesthetist.
Sean.
Most nurses are proactive in their care.
You should blame the insurance company, if it is a private company with services that you are paying for. We expect quality of care in the hospital, and we should expect quality of care from our insurance companies. Capitalism is a great thing- it would be great if we were offered more choices from our employers, but we are not. Therefore, that limits our ability to shop around.
I was "fully insured" by PacifiCare. Waiting for authorizations had me wait exactly six weeks for an MRI. It was a total of 11 weekd befor they authorized the physical therapy that finally helped.
That is 11 weeks I was disabled instead of working my full time night shift in the ICU. Taxpayers supported me on state disability.
WELCOME TO ALLNURSES.COM!
What field of nursing are you in?
At least your getting Disability
My sister in Fla is still waiting for tests and disability, All they do is keep pumping her full of Narcs.
My sister in Fla is still waiting for tests and disability, All they do is keep pumping her full of Narcs.
I am sorry for what your sister is going through.
I was on disability in 1994. We in California have a small amount deducted from every paycheck for state disability insurance SDI).
I received a check for about 1/3 what I earned working full time nights. I had the option of using sick time to supplement that up to my regular pay without overtime.
There was no problem getting the SDI. As soon as my MD filled out the paper I took it to the state office. Three days later I got the first check.
Hmm -- 6 weeks is better than 6 months in my opinion. When I hurt my knee last year, I had an MRI within 2 days of my injury. My insurance is blue cross blue shield, blue care. The day of the injury I stayed while the nurse called blue cross to get the pre-cert, once the pre-cert was given I called around to local MRI centers to find out when the fastest available appointment could be granted. Like I said, two days post injury the MRI was completed and fully paid for. This required some proactivity on my part, in other words, I didn't sit around and wait for everyone to do everything for me, because most people are lazy in my opinion. I dont know what happenned in your particular situation but maybe you should try to be more pro-active and not blame everything on private insurers, at the same time somehow believing if government comes in and takes over all of these problems will magically disappear. Just my opinion. Oh and by the way, I am a nurse anesthetist.
Sean.
In 1994 PacifiCare always took ten business days to authorize a specialist or a test. There was NO calling around because I had to use my hospitals MRI only and inpatients went first.
In my post I did not blame. Just told what happened to me.
I think that this post is less than helpful in advancing the discussion of how to improve access to health care. I respect the skills and knowledge of my colleagues in their ability to care for their own injuries and illnesses.
Profit ahead of people leads to poor health care results.
I think that this post is less than helpful in advancing the discussion of how to improve access to health care. I respect the skills and knowledge of my colleagues in their ability to care for their own injuries and illnesses.
Profit ahead of people leads to poor health care results.
Of course - It is unfortunate it took you longer than normal to receive physical therapy.
I was on disability in 1994. We in California have a small amount deducted from every paycheck for state disability insurance SDI).
I received a check for about 1/3 what I earned working full time nights. I had the option of using sick time to supplement that up to my regular pay without overtime.
There was no problem getting the SDI. As soon as my MD filled out the paper I took it to the state office. Three days later I got the first check.
Paul Krugman has an interesting comment about healthcare today:
We offer free education, and don't worry about middle-class families getting benefits they don't need, because that's the only way to ensure that every child gets an education - and giving every child a fair chance is the American way. And we should guarantee health care to every child, for the same reason.
I spent three days in Canada recently, with one of them at a family reunion in London Ontario area.I made a point of asking the almost 70 (Canadian) family reunion participants what they thought of their healthcare,which they call "Medicare", they knew I was from the US, but they did not know my personal views on the subject. ALL of the reletives I interviewed stated though flawed, they would not trade their system for ours. Emergencies were dealt with promptly and efficiantly with absolutely no expense. Any wait times were better than having to foot the bill themselves or pay for expensive health insurance "like the Americans". When I asked if they thought access to free healthcare was a right, to the person they stated "yes" or "of course" or "naturally". Many had a hard time believing that there are those in American society that believe free healthcare is not a "human right".They expressed to me that the only ones who could possibly feel this way were those in the health insurance industry, they were surprised that intelligent Americans would trust a "for profit" company with their healthcare access. My cousin had recently broken her foot and expressed to me that she was very satisfied with her care and prompltly looked after.
After I finished the interviews I expressed my own opinion on American government healthcare access.There were many surprised and dismayed to learn of my own experience with disability and not being able to afford Cobra, subsequently bankrupting myself, losing my life savings and being supported by my children during the two year plus wait for SSDI. I told them this was not unusual and a great number of bankruptcies are due to medical debt . They stated they would rather have taxes taken out of their income up front than to lose their house because of medical debt.Many could not understand how Americans have tolerated this system for so many years. I couldnt explain it, I dont understand it myself.
HM2VikingRN, RN
4,700 Posts
I think that this post is less than helpful in advancing the discussion of how to improve access to health care. I respect the skills and knowledge of my colleagues in their ability to care for their own injuries and illnesses.
Profit ahead of people leads to poor health care results.