Health Care: The Ticking Time Bomb

dlatimer · Jul 6, 2009

I think a public plan would be a way to keep the for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals/corporations/insurers honest. I also think it is only one part of the problem with healthcare, especially hospitalizations. Hospitals used to be structured to supply care. Now, it seems, it is for profit and that has led to other health problems. This article by Paul Oneil is spot on.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/opinion/06oneill.html?th&emc=th

my 1.3 cents worth

Ron Houston · Jul 6, 2009

You may be right, but we have some seriously disillusioned Obama supporters in our family. Didn't get the hope and change they wanted. Even a recent college grad knows that one can't spend one's way out of a fiscal crisis. How much was that national health care going to cost???

I have the hope that President Obama will take positive steps to reform health care. As for how much it will cost to reform health care. It will cost less in national treasure than this war in Iraq cost that the previous administration put this country in.

Ron Houston · Jul 6, 2009

We are all assuming that health care is a right guaranteed to us, which it is not. I would ask that you please read the Constitution of the United States and see what the role of the federal government is supposed to be. Then look at the size of the current federal government and the power it wields.

You are right it does not guarantee us any such right in the constitution. But then it also does not give anyone the right of and education but the vast majority of us believe that every child is entitled to an education which we support with our taxes as we should. Not too long ago in our countries history women and african americans were not allowed to vote. We as a country corrected that wrong just as I pray we as a nation will correct the wrong of our health care system.

Ron Houston · Jul 6, 2009

Also, Kennedy and Obama are worlds apart. Kennedy would be a Republican in today's political climate.

Kennedy and Obama are worlds apart? I think not. John Kennedy in his 1000 days in office increased the minimum wage, created the Peace Corps, obtained better Social Security benefits, passed an urban renewal package, fought for civil rights and used diplomacy before war.

John Kennedy knew the importance of dialogue with our adversaries. Sure looks like the same things we Democrats including President Obama still support.

D.R.A. · Jul 6, 2009

I am not even the tiniest bit confident that government can provide fair and balanced healthcare if it's mandated........on the other hand I am neither a pessimist or an optimist.....I am a realist. Always willing to listen and consider any plan they put out there before making a decision.

elkpark · Jul 7, 2009

Our system isn't perfect far from it. But at least anyone can get access to healthcare. Emergency rooms can't turn away people.

I hear people say this all the time, and it simply isn't true. Hospital EDs are required, by federal law, to stabilize emergency conditions. That's it. They are not required to treat anything that isn't an emergency. Until recently, most hospital EDs have treated everyone just to protect against making a "wrong call" and ending up in court later, but more and more hospitals are starting to balk at this and turn people away, refer them to urgent care clinics, etc. for non-emergencies.

And they are certainly not required to treat even emergencies for free. Hospitals routinely turn bills over to collection agencies and take people to court to get paid, if there is any money or assets to be taken. This is how even middle-class families who (mistakenly) thought they had good insurance (just because they'd paid all those premiums all those years, HAHA) wind up in bankruptcy court over catastrophic medical bills every day in this country.

dlatimer · Jul 7, 2009

ACU.....I am totally against 'feeding on the government', mostly because the government is us. On the other hand, if we could trust the captains of capitalism, then we wouldn't need government regulation at all. The greedier, more corrupt the are, the more we need government regulation. In economic models the government is the regulator and protector of the worker, otherwise the producers would continue to lower wages, force us to buy all our products from them and lobby for increased taxes for their subsidies. Are you familiar with Adam Smith, John Galbreath, W. Edwards Demings?

AZ_LPN_8_26_13 · Jul 8, 2009

Our health care system hurts everyone. Premiums are expensive and increasing every year. Doing nothing today will cost taxpayers 2-3 times more in the next few years.
Currently, the "public option" is the biggest obstacle when it comes to health care reform. Many believe that it will be the end of health care as we know it today - others think that it is long overdue.
Would you support a public health care option?

Yes, I would support a public health care option, for those who could not afford the cost of coverage on their own. My wife and I would not qualify for such a program because we have excellent health care and insurance where we work now (we both work for a hospital) but we both believe that no one should be shut out of the healthcare system because they lack money. I'm willing to see more of my tax dollar go to this - I have no problem with it.

Concerning that little poll with the three choices: I put down yes, I support it, but that doesn't mean I don't care how it's set up - of course I do - all of us do. Having the the third choice "depends on how it's structured, etc." appears to be an attempt to "water down" the "yesses" somewhat - maybe that wasn't the intent, buttt ....... I am going to count response #3's as a "yes"....

AZ_LPN_8_26_13 · Jul 8, 2009

Take a look at the line up of people who are opposed to this, and why. Insurance companies, lawyers, stockholders and CEOs of for-profit healthcare entities..... I think it's time to throw out the fear/scare-mongering and just get down and do something about all this. Somewhere along the line many people in this country were brainwashed into believing that the government is our mortal enemy. It's not. Sometimes the government is the only thing that stands for justice and fair play for the average guy. I shudder to think of what things would be like if there were absolutely no regulations on anything (a lassiez-faire capitalists wet dream) and many people were actually working tirelessly to try and make this a reality. Can anyone say Bernie Madoff????? Where was the SEC while all of this was happening? Not a medical example, but you get the message (I hope). This is what happens when we give people a blank check and a do-as-you-please free pass to do anything. I myself welcome the pendulum-swing back in the other direction. Maybe more people will be held accountable. And no, I don't trust big business - at least with government we have elections from time to time, and in theory they are supposed to be accountable - private business is top-down & proprietary - what they do financially is supposedly none of your business or concern. One of the biggest lies of the last half of the twentieth century - that the "for profit/business model" is the way to go for everything, including healthcare.

ptadvocate81 · Jul 8, 2009

Just a quick question... I have debated this with my spouse over and over again... We both agree 100% that healthcare should be a right not a privilege. But my question for fellow healthcare workers is this. Would you be for this plan even if it meant that your pay was cut to say $12/hour? It is my belief that there would be cost cuts to support a plan of this nature and I think that pay would be one of those. Just a little something to ponder....

ShayRN · Jul 8, 2009

The thing everyone is missing here is that under Pres. Obama's plan the gov. healthcare plan would be OPTIONAL. If you already have insurance, you keep what you have. I think this is a fantastic option for people who have to decide between taking their medication or eating that month. We have people on this board who are telling us that is their reality and they are getting flamed for it.

My uncle is a truck driver and has a beef farm (his wife takes care of it when he is on the road.) Guess what, no insurance. What a fantastic way for them to get health insurance. You will not find two harder working people in the world, they DESERVE the option to buy affordable health care and not worry about losing everything. To me this is simply a no brainer. Unless ofcourse you have never lived with the uncertainty of tommarow and just don't get it. (I am not talking those of you who were without insurance when you were 21 and in college, I am talking about people, HARD WORKING AMERICANS that are 45, 50, 60 and cannot afford or cannot get insurance.) Seems to me the congressmen who are most vocal about opposing this plan have gov. supplied health insurance and their loved ones are protected. Shame on them all.

misswoosie · Jul 8, 2009

Just a quick question... I have debated this with my spouse over and over again... We both agree 100% that healthcare should be a right not a privilege. But my question for fellow healthcare workers is this. Would you be for this plan even if it meant that your pay was cut to say $12/hour? It is my belief that there would be cost cuts to support a plan of this nature and I think that pay would be one of those. Just a little something to ponder....

Well we are all in nursing for the love of the job aren't we:D

This is what I was trying to convey here.There will never be a bottomless pot of money for any UHS, and if people think that nurses lose out compared to Drs then why do they think it would be any different with UHS?

Same with CEOs of hospitals- we were given a 2.5% pay rise this year, negotiated (ha ha) by our useless unions.Our CEO got a 30% pay rise-and this is in a public funded system.UHS is no Nirvana and I think that many who say they want the system would be apalled at our hospitals,staffing levels and pay.

There was a post some where from someone who had gone to see a Dr in Sweden whilst visiting relatives.They were suffering from diarrhoea and had a fever.They were apalled that there was no blood work and they were sent away being told it was a virus. Yup-sounds about right. In a UHS you will not get bloods done -they are saving their money for the patients with multiple risk factors for CVD,asthma,diabetics and a multitude of other things that the government has set targets for.Unforunately you don't feature. I would love to know how many people each year are wrongly diagnosed by their GPs crystal ball as having Irritable bowel or UTIs.

But even in a UHS those that work and pay contributions (ours are about 7% plus the employer pays about another 7%)
the people who pay are still paying for those who don't ie those who don't work or claim benefits, or work without paying tax and contributions becasue they don't declare the work and work for cash in hand.
There will always be compromises for a UHS and I think a large part of the spending in healthcare in the US goes on hospitals and state of the art technology-which can't be said for here in the UK.
Depends if people want to compromise on access to investigations and treatment, salaries for those who work in healthcare and hospital facilities, cleanliness and age. Of course you may end up with a far better system than ours, but remember, nurses in the US are among the best paid in the world.