Hugh_Hoy Posted September 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 The past decade the media and government has cried about how few people are going into the health fields as doctors and nurses. Yet the gov wastes money in wars that are not necessary, and on giving our hard earned tax dollars to non-US citizens around the globe. How easy to take that money to help our own it would be. Many, many citizens, young people, could use those wasted dollars to go to school to become the nurses and doctors we need. Plenty of smart American kids can't go to school/uni who could easily be trained to take these jobs rather than farm them out to immigrants we import to take these jobs. (Fuck, most of the doctors I have seen the past decade or more, my father was seeing when ill, and my mother sees now, are now Indians! Immigrants who got their green cards due to their having the skills and schooling they received overseas where they came from. Nothing against Indians, but where the hell are all the Americans that used to do these jobs?) A fraction of the money wasted on the Iraqi war could pay for it all and more. If we must borrow trillions from the Chinese at least we could spend it on our own citizens on healthcare, schooling, and infrastructure, and on things that would benefit all American citizens, rather than the corporate elite and the other countries we spend it on, and the wars and police actions and all the other non-essential things it is wasted on. We do not spend it on promoting democracy around the globe. We spend it on helping the corporate hegemony that controls our government and country at the expense of our own citizens and the rest of the poor and disadvantaged of the world. It is disgusting. I don't disagree with you on the above. However, I can't fail to recognize there are sufficient left-wing/liberals who qualify as "rubes" who blindly follow their emotions to the point of balancing out the scene. (Except for here on Thai360 where they enjoy a decided majority.) HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardinalblue Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Actually it has been 45 years but who is counting... We keep hearing it is running out of money. But who is saying this? It is those same people who wants to privitzed Medicare just like they have done with our health care in general. It is an issue that more money is going out than going in (older society more retirees combined with less workers conributing - that has nothing to do with controlling costs). The problem that the gov faces is the private side is the one that is charging the gov to take care of its senior citizens. The root of the problem stems from the private side of the equation and the gov is compromised with trying all sorts of things like DRGs, economies of scale, etc in trying to put pressure on the charges they are incurring from the private health care side of the equation. What is not working is the current hybrid system where gov pays but all the costs are created managed and passed on to the gov for payment. Is the gov providing doctors or is it private practioners? have you ever asked yourself that? Why is the gov paying but I am using private providers? I wouldn't call that a fair competitive system. Public health is a dying animal in our society and this trend needs to be reversed.. Do you remember (started under Reagan) that more than 80% to 90% of public American hospitals closed during the 80's and early ninties. Every county had one or more hospitals. Thousands of hospitals have closed. Did that contain costs? It sure limited access for the poor or as we called it "ER dumping". The answer at that time was lets privatized health care and we have done that. Let the free market dictate costs. It hasn't worked because health care economics and regular economics don't work under the same principles... We need universal health care for the masses but where the providers work for the gov and costs are contolled by the gov and not the private sector. I am not saying do away with private health care as the rich and middle class will want. But let there be real competition between the public and private sectors. Presently, there is not. I wonder if the privates sector will then really make efforts to contol cost or else face the fact of losing patients (insurance companies = revenue sources which will go out of business) to the public side.. Lets debate... CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted September 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 CB...I'm sure I could debate you on most of your claims with just a few "googles". For instance, you note that 80-90 % of public hospitals closed. Yet, you don't seem to be able to explain why or what impact those closures actually had on the availability of health care. According to an Inspector General's report, during the time period you referenced, there were 5000 hospitals in the entire country. How many were public hospitals. According to that same report, access to such/similar care as provided by those closed hospitals did not seriously impact the geographical areas concerned. The closures were generally small hospitals (40-45 beds) and other facilities were, on the average, available within 10 miles. I seem to recall that the actual number of hospitals closed on a yearly basis (in the time period you note) was in the neighborhood of maybe 200. Many of those merged with other hosptials, were renamed, converted to other types of health care services, etc. You seem skeptical about reports that Medicare is running out of money, if I catch your drift; and, you seem to believe that this is some kind of nonsense which is being promoted by special interests. This inference is interesting in itself. I'd like to hear more...with some facts to back it up. In the meantime, I'll just put my trust in the latest report by the trustees of social security, if you don't mind. :content: For my part, I'd like to read what you have read so that I can see where you are coming from. From there, maybe a "debate" could ensue. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Isn't that akin to what we've done with 40 years of Medicare, Medicaid, and about 6 years of the drug benefits under Federal auspices? Medicare is running out of money, states are are burdened with more and more Medicaid demands, and the drug benefit program is costing 3 times as much as projected. And you think we'd get a "deal" with a Federal program that will cut costs? Oh, my ! (I got some leads on swamp land in Florida for ya and an email from some place in Nigeria that will set you up for life. ) HH Another elegant solution proposed by Mr. HHypocrite. Oh wait, sorry, he has proposed NOTHING so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 If it is the opposing party's plan, some people will be against it no matter what. Sore loser's who have no real alternative plan themselve's, yet try their damnedest to obstruct anything the opposing party suggests and tires to fix the problems (massive problems) left by their own inept party leader's who the majority of the nation kicked out in the last elections because THEY ONLY ADDED TO THE PROBLEMS AND HAD NO SOLUTIONS. Still waiting to hear the conservative solutions proposed to SOLVE these problems. Other countries around the world have found solutions to healthcare for their citizens that works for them. America prides itself as being the leader in health care (if you can afford it) and being the richest nation in the world. Yet, cannot seem to get this done. It is quite obvious to many that there is a problem and things need to change and this needs a solution. As long as we have assholes on both sides of the aisle crowing about "...the best healthcare in the world..." NOTHING can be accomplished. I believe Amerika ranks around #37 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Up to $3,800 fine for failure get health insurance Now the Nazi US gov is trying to demand that all people buy health insurance...WTF...many do NOT have the $$$ to buy health insurance...WTF are these politicians smoking??? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090908/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_baucus_plan_1 A top senator is calling for fines of up to $3,800 on families who fail to get medical insurance after a health care overhaul goes into effect. The plan from Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana would make health insurance mandatory, just like auto coverage. It would provide tax credits to help cover the cost for people making up to three times the federal poverty level. That's about $66,000 for a family of four, and $32,000 for an individual... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpiceMan Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Sounds like the senator is in the pocket of the insurance companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allistar Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 You think that the requirement to get health insurance will extend to expats? I wouldn't count aginst it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 For x-Pats, just buy BUPA. It costs like 1500 Baht a year fora basic policy...however...will this be acceptable? Buzz is...the US gov is looking to not pay social security if you live outside the USA...nothing exact on this, but they are talking about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted September 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 Another brainfart by Demoncrats currently in power. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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