Health Care: The Ticking Time Bomb

medpsychRN · Jul 20, 2009

If folks would like a view of how the government presently "manages" healthcare ask a serviceman.

My sons have been enlisted in the Air Force since before 9/11. There are wonderful physicians but trust me there have been nightmares. There are 2 incidents with my daughter-in-law, that if she hadn't been in the military we would have sued. One involved her tearing her lady parts from the cervix to the opening during delivery of my granddaughter. I attributed it to unsupervised pitocin drip.

Beyond that, all treatments are scripted. Meaning if you have a particular complaint, you are prescribed a certain medication. There is little if any flexibility. They have been treated at various bases throughout their career and are always prescribed the same medication.

lamazeteacher · Jul 20, 2009

perhaps someone has already addressed the question of what will happen to the salary of nurses. one sure way to maintain a budget it to cut staff or cut hourly wages.
no, the way to stick to budgets, is to use as little time of the highest paid workers, as possible. therefore nurses and nurse practitioners will see patients more, to explain their conditions and treatment (as they should, and do to some extent, but it's all left to discharge procedure, with too little time is alotted for it, due to the need to get the patient out, because they're tired from getting dressed; and another one is waiting for the bed).
doctors do that poorly, if at all. then patients, not willing or understanding the protocol of their treatment, develop complications, which is more costly. learning is often the result of choosing the right time and place. patients are much more comfortable at their own homes, and relaxing more, actually perceive what is told to them better.
after discharge from hospital, home health nurse visits to patients, rather than having patients make doctor office visits, lessen strain on people with fragile conditions. that physical and emotional stress can produce greater complications. i've heard many patients say, "i don't know why i had to go to that doctor, so soon after i got home". well, it could be accepted by patients' insurance coverage for payment, that's the primary reason!
using computers, doctors can update their information of the patients' progress, or poor progress. pictures of postop sites can be input, etc. in the end they're liable, if they don't access their computers for information and updates.......
imagine the amount of money you've spent on your education. i don't know any other profession which would allow the government to set their pay grade. lawyers??? no way!
civilians working at u.s. military health care locations do it all the time, and make much more usually, than jobs in the private health care communities pay! for the life of me, i don't understand why so much money is wasted by having duplicate systems. hospitals, clinics and their staffs could be utilized for civilians and military personnel.
there are many ways the present system is being abused. i'm sure there are many people that can be blamed. i believe one solution is to fix the present problem before taking on another. what's the rush for nationalized health care???

it's beyond fixing!!!

the rush is due to the severe long suffering of many consumers of health care, physically, emotionally, and financially. that has come to a sordid peak, requiring change now. it is long overdue. the universal health care plan is needed to fix all that!!!!

nursing will be more appreciated for how much we do, better than physicians who now handle education, prevention, immunization, and just listening to patients' concerns, so they know they are heard and can participate in their care. :nurse:

jbluehorseh · Jul 20, 2009

this talk about how bad a public system will be is bit dumb. currently, the dictation of serves goes on everyday by the insurance companies now, but you here very little talk about it. we as americans can make the public system good or bad as we want. it's up to us.

akares · Jul 21, 2009

You people need to stop calling it FREE healthcare. Nothing is FREE. ONLY illegal aliens get their healthcare free. What I want to know is what percent of these undocumented are going to be covered under Obamas plan? and Why. What we need to do first is to amend some parts of constitution to exclude this group to be covered. Next, aLL politicians should be mandated to sign up for this same national healthcare reform(should this pass), including OBAMA. So far, only 42=Republicans have signed up for it, and 0=Democrats. Please petition against this reform. I for one am sick of covering for those we take advantage of the system. :heartbeatOnly the elderly, children and the disabled SHOULD be covered for Free healthcare. No No No for healthcare reform:nono: to all others. I have no problem paying for my insurance and working hard for it. Healthcare is not a RIGHT........work for it.

Fuzzy · Jul 21, 2009

I haven't said that I want free healthcare. I want affordable and available healthcare. Since I have pre-existing conditions and work in a position with no health insurance, right now I have neither.

Fuzzy

K98 · Jul 22, 2009

Discussion on these forums is virtually pointless, as both sides are pretty much dug in. I have found writing my federal representatives a much more productive activity. Our socialist congresswoman voted against cap and trade, and appears to be ready to dump Obamacare as well. She wants to keep her phony baloney job in congress. Both senators are wavering as well. Outstanding.

lamazeteacher · Jul 22, 2009

Discussion on these forums is virtually pointless, as both sides are pretty much dug in. I have found writing my federal representatives a much more productive activity. Our socialist congresswoman voted against cap and trade, and appears to be ready to dump Obamacare as well. She wants to keep her phony baloney job in congress. Both senators are wavering as well. Outstanding.

Well, I agree that politicians of every party, vote any which way they can, to keep their jobs. We put our convictions in the pot that keeps our own dollars with us. Everybody has their own axe to grind, and it's pretty disappointing that so many "rats" are deserting the "ship" of hope, that a well planned health care system will ever be put together in a way that benefits everyone.

That line from Shakespeare occurs to me, "et tu, Brute", as no one is interested in helping with anyone else's problems. Perhaps we have enough of our own, but I think maintaining the staus quo will ruin the "middle class", the hard workers of this country. Even they have become persuaded that "their" tax dollars will be misspent by government. They stopped being their dollars the day they went to the IRS, but it seems there are strings on them, that convince us that we have power. If we do, how is it that we're still at war? How come employers are paying less toward our health care than ever before? Why are so many houses in foreclosure?

So what do we say when we contact our representatives in congress? Do we tell them the truth, which comes out being against those whose luck has almost run out? Or do we insist that our President should be given a chance to show the American people that the plan many doctors conceived, can work? I personally believe it will work, if given time and the money that very rich people will never miss.

We do realise that the way things are going now, there will be more health care expense for us, will happen, don't we? Those unlucky souls who couldn't see a doctor soon enough to prevent their condition from becoming critical, will get health care that costs far more, as they do now! :cry:

lamazeteacher · Jul 22, 2009

This is from Quote-of-the-day, a blog about health care revision (mostly).

Bill Moyers Journal

July 10, 2009

Bill Moyers & Michael Winship: Some Choice Words For "The Select Few"

"Enter "the select few who actually get it done." Three out of four of the

big health care firms lobbying on Capitol Hill have former members of

Congress or government staff members on the payroll, more than 350 of them

and they're all fighting hard to prevent a public plan, at a rate in

excess of $1.4 million a day."

Health care policy has become insider heaven. Even Nancy-Ann DeParle, the

White House health reform director, served on the boards of several major

health care corporations.

President Obama has pushed hard for a public option but many fear he's

wavering, and just this week his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel the insider

del tutti insiders indicated that a public plan just might be negotiable,

ready for reengineering, no doubt, by "the select few who actually get it

done."

That's how it works. And it works that way because we let it. The game goes

on and the insiders keep dealing themselves winning hands. Nothing will

change, nothing until the money lenders are tossed out of the temple, the

ATM's are wrested from the marble halls, and we tear down the sign they've

placed on government the one that reads, "For Sale."

Ah, and the "Trojan Horse" rides again.........

tewdles, RN · Jul 23, 2009

Meanwhile, middle aged, middle class people who have worked hard for decades sit in pain because their "insurance" refuses to pay for the $10/patch pain relief that they need. And the janitor who cleaned your kid's school for 30 years is denied his wheel chair in Ohio because the state has cut all Medicaid funding for that equipment and therapy. The 60 yr old male who just changed jobs cannot have his surgery that will dramatically improve his quality of life and significantly decrease his monthly health expense because he has a "pre-existing condition" and his "insurance" won't even consider funding it for a minimum of 6 months. No, we don't need reform...we should be afraid...very afraid...just like the adds say. Please excuse my tongue in cheek comments. The notion that American reform will some how be the same as ANY other country's health system is simply silly...it will be an American system built on the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before us, it worked pretty well for the constitution. I sincerely hope that all of us who comment on this thread are not limited to just this forum. We must exercise our voice in the political arena as well as in the public.

jimmy53 · Jul 23, 2009

Hey, I hear ya, we need reform.....NOT a gov't takeover! That would be a complete disaster! How would you like to be a gov't employee? I work in DC amongst throngs of them and lemme tell ya, nurses are NOT robots! They do their jobs, work hard and pull their weight....for the most part! It's the opposite at the DMV!!!

ssing45 · Jul 23, 2009

The argument is about health care, not about all the other expenses of life in the US.

The point was the middle class cannot afford the lifestyle of the poor.

mwboswell · Jul 23, 2009

The point was the middle class cannot afford the lifestyle of the poor.

What????? Please explain.

Health Care: The Ticking Time Bomb

Would you support a public health care option?