National Health Care, Your Thoughts

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As the 2008 presidential race draws nearer, health care is fast becoming a hot topic for debate. What are your thoughts on a national health care plan proposed by Hilary Clinton and other democrats? If this becomes law, how do you think it will effect you as a nurse?

I am personally against a national health care plan. I feel like it is putting too much power in the hands of government. It will lead the way to America becoming a socialist country.

Actually the data says exactly the opposite about single payer. More money will end up going for care rather than less.

Interesting comment from NASI:

Economist Peter Lindert finds that high levels of social spending in European democracies have not slowed economic growth, as long as the benefits and taxes are well designed. Social programs that cover nearly the entire population and are financed by broad-based low-rate taxes, such as payroll taxes or value-added taxes, have almost no

effect on a country’s ability to grow and prosper. Lindert’s research contradicts the oftstated assertion that social welfare spending necessarily slows economic growth because the benefits and taxes discourage recipients and taxpayers from being as productive as

they otherwise would be.

...

Lindert’s study strongly challenges the notion that high spending on health and income security programs results in slower economic growth. His research shows, instead, that universal social insurance programs and broad-based taxes do not harm a nation’s ability to grow and prosper.

...

Another element of the U.S. health care system that should be examined closely is the variations in care and costs within the United States. One recent study divided the country into hospital referral regions and examined Medicare spending in those areas. The researchers found that Medicare costs in the highest quintile of regions was 28 percent higher than in the middle spending quintile, and about 61 percent higher than in the lowest-spending quintile, yet the

quality of care reported across those quintiles is at best flat. What is the cause of these variations? “The key variant in this country appears to be the delivery system—the supply side. It is supply-induced demand,” Ebeler said. It may be possible to match the efficiencies achieved in the lower cost areas of the country—which are comparable to Western European spending levels—while enhancing the quality of care provided. If so, this step would begin to slow the

growth in the cost of health care in the United States.

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.
Another twist on this issue: the people who need health insurance the most, the disenfranchised, the poor, those in poverty, are the very people who need to be empowered to vote. We would have no problem electing the next president with a good universal health care proposal and other elected officials if we could support voting from all who needs change the most.

What are the statistics on the actual voting turn-out in this country?

We are entrenched in a system that clearly does not work. But there is no will to change it. Without the political will, it will stay the same. I am concerned about my own retirement, if I will be able to afford my medications and long term care, given I am single, with no children and have some chronic illnesses which have made it difficult for me to have a good retirement plan etc. I have a vested interest in seeing things change.

With this said, I hope all children receive insurance. The single payer website was very thought-provoking on this subject (post), don't know how it would influence working nurses, but it very well could improve preventative health issues. We need to refocus on diseases reappearing that were once gone from the U.S.

We need to help our own nation out and start using some of the budgeted monies for programs such as these instead of pouring money into other countries. IMO

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It seems to me that things cannot continue this way. I am thinking SOMETHING major is going to have to change in the next ten (or fifteen?)) years.,. I am concerned about this because I plan to be in the healthcare workforce..

WHat do you guys think? I think we're the only industrialized nation without government healthcare for EVERYONE. I can't imagine this can keep going on. There are too many people uninsured. I was terrified about turning 23, bc I was losing my (kaiser) healthcare... I happened to get married a month before I turned 23, so no worries now. I really feel for all the people my age who might have some sort of condition and no health insurance because their jobs won't cover them.

In Hawaii, employers legally must cover anyone working over 20 hours a month. When I worked at starbucks, they said after only 1 month of work I would qualify. Thats AMAZING. everywhere else I've lived (PA, WA, FL, CA)- you had to work somewhere at least 6 months and work 25-35 hours at least every week to qualify on the 6 months. I've also worked at a variety of places where there was NO option of healthcare no matter how many hours you worked.

Any thoughts on what the future might be looking like..

You guys are on the inside so... have any changes happened lately?

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Insurance is not always the savior everyone seems to make it out to be. My insurance recouped the cost of my child's hospitalization; they just took the money back from the hospital. The hospital just sent me the bill for $2,000. This hospitalization was nearly 3 years ago, and I got the bill last week. Now I am caught in the middle between my former insurance company and the hospital.

I see the trend continuing for higher deductibles, more "sorry we don't cover that", higher premiums and more uninsured.

It is easy to talk about universal health insurance, but harder to make work. The US is different from other industrialized countries; we have the third world living conditions in a land of plenty. Americans also have high, often unrealistic expectations of healthcare.

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More companies are also starting to require employees to shoulder more and more of the premiums, as well as much higher deductibles, etc. They say they can't afford to insure people the way it once was done, and I can believe it. Costs have spiraled out of control.

I must say, part of the blame, even a small part lies with the insured. Because we're insured we expect to get every diagnostic test and treatment whether we need it or not. The population wants perfection in their healthcare. If an outcome is not perfect, they are quick to sue, further driving up costs. Too many people don't want to take the responsibility of looking out for their own health and instead wait for the magical medical wand to fix them, rather than going a preventative route.

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

It's going to get much worse with the population living longer. Preventative care is a drop in the bucket compared to the last year of life in our elderly population which is like the Niagara. Why do we want to live forever?

I thought about this yesterday as we coded a 87 yo, brought her back only then to have her family sign a DNR and order comfort care only-had her extubated (after shocking, meds, and a good pounding) and then she died. Her last 1 1/2 day was spent in a busy ER, alone, scared, tubed, vented, and in pain.

Health care costs will continue to climb because our country has a skewed vision of what is necessary in this world. A trillion dollars in Iraq, but no 17 billion for the health insurance of America's poor and lower middle class children. THANKS GEORGE BUSH...:o

Maisy:o

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I guess there isnt a solution then?? How are all the other industrialized nations pulling off universal health care?

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Many opinions on this topic.

I'm going to move this thread to one of the several existing and ongoing threads on this topic. Enjoy the discussion!

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Nation's healthcare crisis gets personal

I write a lot about healthcare reform. Now it's personal.

I was diagnosed this past week with diabetes. As of Friday, I was injecting myself with insulin, something I'll be doing four or five times a day, every day, for the rest of my life. Without the injections, I'll likely die....

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus7oct07,1,7915141,full.column

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Is there an example of free market healthcare making safe, therapeutic, effective care available to anyone working full time?

Lasik eye surgery.

Orthodontics.

Eye glasses/exams.

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Lasik eye surgery.

Orthodontics.

Eye glasses/exams.

~faith,

Timothy.

Timothy,

You raise an interesting point that some of the fastest-growing and most highly desirable (from the standpoint of physician practice) areas of medical practice are those that are largely not covered by private or publicly funded insurance plans.

Infertility and cosmetic surgery would be other examples, since they are often excluded from coverage.

Patients who desire these services find a way to pay for them, at relatively lower cost than other types of medical care, because they involve direct negotiation of price and payment terms between provider and patient, without the costly interference of a third party payor.

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I am glad these are affordable BUT I know 40 something man who is not insured. He paid for the eye exams at a store.

Turns out he has normal pressure glaucoma so bad he cannot drive.

It happened so gradually he didn't know what was happening until he sees as though through a tunnel.

If he had gone to an opthamologist he would likely have been diagnose in time for eye drops to save his vision. Now he cannot work and has applied for disability.

YES he is in school to learn a trade that doesn't require a drivers license.

BUT with many insurance plans would he have seen an opthomologist?

May I request someone to comment on this article?

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...41,full.column

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