will universal healthcare ( in the usa) cut RN pay?

citylights89, BSN, RN · Aug 23, 2009

I would think that with universal healthcare that would mean more work available to the nurses since more people are seeking medical treatment. However, if they have accessible preventative care then they lessen their chances of getting to a critical stage in their health where the nurse would definatley be needed, lightening the load some. Maybe there could be a change in job openings, but I don't really see why the salary would change. The employer pays in proportion to how much he is paid, right? Correct me if I'm wrong, which I may be with some employers. But if they are definately getting paid by the government and accountable insurance companies, then they should be able to pass the wealth along vs. not geting anything my the uninsured and having to make up for it some way to get a balance.

If I repeated anything, I'm sorry. I don't feel like reviewing 620+ posts.

forrester · Aug 25, 2009

In one breath you manage to deamonize nurses for wanting to protect their salaries and in the next claiming how great it is that the CNA has increased nursing salaries. Why is everything management or corporate a conspiracy theory with a lot of nurses on this board? The "out to get me" paranoia on the board is amazing.

I'm not demonizing anyone for anything!

I merely point out that being concerned only with your self interest does nothing to address the global concern over patient care.

As to the comments regarding AONE and ANA, history indicts them.

PS- It took several breaths

dianabay · Aug 25, 2009

MY son was born with HLHS. Our insurance company terminated his coverage following his first surgery. It was recommended we get divorced so that I could have him covered by Medicaid.
We did not get divorced and it has been tough for us as we would not 'play the system' as many people do. It is terrible that people are forced into situations that they never imagined they would be in. Over the past 2 years we have been burdened with a massive amount of debt. We need to consider bankruptcy now. But sadly our son will need a heart transplant in the future, and that will be expensive. I am not only talking about the medical cost, but also the food, gas, room to stay, etc, and not to mention the fact that one or both parents may have to take unpaid time off work.
It is not as simple as CRNA2007 seems to think it is.

Baby heart:

First, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that your family has had to endure such a nightmare. It is cruel to put parents of a chronically ill child through such additional stress. You should be able to concentrate on your son's well-being. Anyone who believes in holistic care can readily see how such stress takes your energy away from your son and the healing process.

I have said that for every horror story I hear about a single-payor system (and there are), I can tell you two about the current system here. Unfortunately Babyheart, your family is a perfect horror story. It must have been very difficult for you to share your story with us; thank you for doing that.

I wish your family and your little boy the very best, and will keep you in my thoughts....

Di

dianabay · Aug 25, 2009

Originally posted by Forrester:

"I'm not demonizing anyone for anything!

I merely point out that being concerned only with your self interest does nothing to address the global concern over patient care.

As to the comments regarding AONE and ANA, history indicts them.

PS- It took several breaths"

Forrseter:

In one breath you made an excellent point about addressing this issue beyond our own interests

AND you cracked me up! :chuckle........or was it in two breaths? :wink2:

forrester · Aug 26, 2009

Originally posted by Forrester:
"I'm not demonizing anyone for anything!
I merely point out that being concerned only with your self interest does nothing to address the global concern over patient care.
As to the comments regarding AONE and ANA, history indicts them.
PS- It took several breaths"
Forrseter:
In one breath you made an excellent point about addressing this issue beyond our own interests
AND you cracked me up! :chuckle........or was it in two breaths? :wink2:

Two breaths, one deep and one shallow.

dianabay · Aug 26, 2009

Two breaths, one deep and one shallow.

:chuckle I like your sense of humor, Forrester!

UMAshtangi · Sep 26, 2009

To Neatnurse: You already are paying for their healthcare. When the uninsured present to the ED needing an appendectomy or having an acute MI they're not denied treatment. Who do you think is paying for that? We pay for it with our taxes. I would rather chip in for somebody's preventative care than their $10,000 just for walking in the door ED trip.

And, you won't be paying any more in taxes unless you make over 200k-250k a year.

CRNA2007 · Sep 27, 2009

To Neatnurse: You already are paying for their healthcare. When the uninsured present to the ED needing an appendectomy or having an acute MI they're not denied treatment. Who do you think is paying for that? We pay for it with our taxes. I would rather chip in for somebody's preventative care than their $10,000 just for walking in the door ED trip.
And, you won't be paying any more in taxes unless you make over 200k-250k a year.

1. If were already paying for their health care then why the need to raise additional revenue?

2. How does preventative care prevent someone from needing and appendectomy?

3. So its okay as long as someone else is footing the bill for healthcare? Will you have the same attitude when the government starts docking your check for the costs?

K98 · Sep 27, 2009

To Neatnurse: You already are paying for their healthcare. When the uninsured present to the ED needing an appendectomy or having an acute MI they're not denied treatment. Who do you think is paying for that? We pay for it with our taxes. I would rather chip in for somebody's preventative care than their $10,000 just for walking in the door ED trip.
And, you won't be paying any more in taxes unless you make over 200k-250k a year.

Heh. That's a whopper. Look, is that a unicorn?

LandauGuy · Sep 28, 2009

Although Obama would come close to meeting his goal of cutting in half the deficit he inherited by the end of his first term, the CBO predicts that deficits under his policies would exceed 4 percent of the overall economy over the next 10 years, a level White House budget director Peter R. Orszag yesterday acknowledged would "not be sustainable."

The result, according to the CBO, would be an ever-expanding national debt that would exceed 82 percent of the overall economy by 2019 -- double last year's level -- and threaten the nation's financial stability.

"This clearly creates a scenario where the country's going to go bankrupt. It's almost that simple," said Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), the senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who briefly considered joining the Obama administration as commerce secretary. "One would hope these numbers would wake somebody up," Gregg said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032001820.html?hpid=topnews

Under questioning by members of the Senate Budget Committee, Douglas Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, said bills crafted by House leaders and the Senate health committee do not propose "the sort of fundamental changes" necessary to rein in the skyrocketing cost of government health programs, particularly Medicare. On the contrary, Elmendorf said, the measures would pile on an expensive new program to cover the uninsured.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/16/AR2009071602242.html

Reform does not mean "expand giveaways". Reform is a reduction is costs, not an expansion of care to everyone. We cannot afford as a country to do this. By 2020 this country will be broke and then NO ONE will get care. I don't grasp why, for so many people, this is such a difficult thing to understand.

Medicare and Social Security are collapsing, conveniently enough...JUST BEFORE baby boomers start to retire. How is this nation going to give everyone health care and pay the enormous debt involved in these programs coupled with an expansion in 'food stamp' and other social programs? This is leading us into a pit from which we will never escape. Wake up.

1 in 9 Americans on food stamps:

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE55270Y20090603

Obama to spend 10.3 Trillion on welfare in the next decade:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/upload/SR_67.pdf

Roughly 50 cents of every dollar our government is spending is 'borrowed" money through sales of Treasuries or direct monetization of debt. 30 year treasury bonds used to be sold a few times a year and are now sold every few weeks.

'Will we take a pay cut' isn't even the question. 'Will the country survive' is the real issue.

K98 · Sep 28, 2009

Although Obama would come close to meeting his goal of cutting in half the deficit he inherited by the end of his first term, the CBO predicts that deficits under his policies would exceed 4 percent of the overall economy over the next 10 years, a level White House budget director Peter R. Orszag yesterday acknowledged would "not be sustainable."
The result, according to the CBO, would be an ever-expanding national debt that would exceed 82 percent of the overall economy by 2019 -- double last year's level -- and threaten the nation's financial stability.
"This clearly creates a scenario where the country's going to go bankrupt. It's almost that simple," said Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), the senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who briefly considered joining the Obama administration as commerce secretary. "One would hope these numbers would wake somebody up," Gregg said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032001820.html?hpid=topnews
Under questioning by members of the Senate Budget Committee, Douglas Elmendorf, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, said bills crafted by House leaders and the Senate health committee do not propose "the sort of fundamental changes" necessary to rein in the skyrocketing cost of government health programs, particularly Medicare. On the contrary, Elmendorf said, the measures would pile on an expensive new program to cover the uninsured.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/16/AR2009071602242.html
Reform does not mean "expand giveaways". Reform is a reduction is costs, not an expansion of care to everyone. We cannot afford as a country to do this. By 2020 this country will be broke and then NO ONE will get care. I don't grasp why, for so many people, this is such a difficult thing to understand.
Medicare and Social Security are collapsing, conveniently enough...JUST BEFORE baby boomers start to retire. How is this nation going to give everyone health care and pay the enormous debt involved in these programs coupled with an expansion in 'food stamp' and other social programs? This is leading us into a pit from which we will never escape. Wake up.
1 in 9 Americans on food stamps:
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE55270Y20090603
Obama to spend 10.3 Trillion on welfare in the next decade:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/upload/SR_67.pdf
Roughly 50 cents of every dollar our government is spending is 'borrowed" money through sales of Treasuries or direct monetization of debt. 30 year treasury bonds used to be sold a few times a year and are now sold every few weeks.
'Will we take a pay cut' isn't even the question. 'Will the country survive' is the real issue.

Obama promised to "fundamentally remake" the United States. Survival of this country as we know it was never in the cards. A lot of folks are in for an awful surprise.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Sep 28, 2009

To Neatnurse: You already are paying for their healthcare. When the uninsured present to the ED needing an appendectomy or having an acute MI they're not denied treatment. Who do you think is paying for that? We pay for it with our taxes. I would rather chip in for somebody's preventative care than their $10,000 just for walking in the door ED trip.
And, you won't be paying any more in taxes unless you make over 200k-250k a year.

Actually, no you don't pay for it through your taxes...those that are insured pay for it for through higher premiums...The average U.S. family and their employers paid an extra $1,017 in health care premiums last year to compensate for the uninsured. Yes, it will cut RN pay, you might not get paid less by the hour but they are going to take more out of your pay check for taxes...where do people think the money to cover everyone is going to come from anyways? And its not so simple as..."well everyone will be having to pay more taxes so it will be fair"...An astonishing 43.4 percent of Americans now pay zero or negative federal income taxes. I pay enough taxes as it is, I don't want to pay more so everyone can have cruddy government health care...personally I think they should do away with income tax and home owners tax and have 20% sales tax so EVERYONE has to pay....