allistar Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 The type of controls that we need is more competition among insurance companies (the Republicans have endorsed allowing insurance companies to operate across state lines, which is a start), bring in more, qualified foreign doctors (the AMA will never allow this), encourage countries to build medical centers that cater to americans and which are up to U.S. standards and covered by insurance. Thats just a start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rchapstick Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 It is not just high cost or low cost providers. Americans are also grossly over treated. Give you a real life example from a friend that is an anesthesiologist. A guy with terminal liver cancer comes in and wants a hip replacement. He has three months or so to live, and he wants an operation that requires 6 or more months to recover from. But under the laws today, insurance will cover the procedure and the guys has the operation. Dies 2 months later. Probably added over $100K to his end-of-life health care costs. Per my friend, they do stuff like this all the time. And this is what Caribou Barbie was screaming "death panels" about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 [ why do you think we need controls on this shit? What kind of controls do you propose? HH I'm on the record as saying I want a national health care plan...or at least access to the same type of care and coverage the politicians all have. Short of that, who do you propose should keep your health care costs down, and how? I know you don't like government in your business...so what should we do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 The type of controls that we need is more competition among insurance companies (the Republicans have endorsed allowing insurance companies to operate across state lines, which is a start), bring in more, qualified foreign doctors (the AMA will never allow this), encourage countries to build medical centers that cater to americans and which are up to U.S. standards and covered by insurance. Thats just a start. I've also advocated some of what you said. Also, there is an arbirtary quoata that they keep on the number of doctors. The 'excuse' is that the U.S. provides the best medical care in the world and that's why. I've read stories that its easier to become a doctor in places like Germany and other countries with very competant doctors on par or better than what we have in the U.S. Its BS. I have a two friends in medical school. Both were pre Med, graduated with very high grades and MCAT scores but couldn't get into one of the better med schools, one went the Caribbean route. If both were in France, Germany or Canada they'd be in one of their better med schools. The AMA has been spouting the lie that only an American med school will do. Most of us should know better. India and Thailand have become places for medical tourism due to cost but Americans also discover the quality is just as good and sometimes better. We have been fed a buch of BS that the average American doctor is better than a Canadian, British, French or German doctor. Many new procedures camed from Europe. Things like lasik surgery did. I got it done when it was very new and was surprisd to learn that it was first used overseas. The standards that the american med schools use are not to ensure quality but to keep the number of doctors low. The AMA has initially fought EVERY program to make medicine cheaper and wider like HMOs, they initially fought Medicare and it wasn't because of costs. They fought all advances initially. How to combat this? I know its another level of bureaucracy but the government should have their own qualification standards and give a licensen to practice medicine. What people don't realize is that the license to practice medicine is a private license NOT a government license. Allow government universities (state schools, Harvard and such are private and cand oo what ever they want) to allow this new standard to compete with the AMA's. More doctors will be in the system. Also, forgive part of med school loans if they work for a certain time in under served areas like Appalacia and Compton. I would also suggest that an international body like the UN offer a lump sum tax free award to any new ground breaking medicines. A new cure to fight Cancer or whatever, and the company or research facility, even a government facility of some nation gets a monetary award based on its importance. Is a cure for Cancer worth 50 billion or 100 billion? I'd think so and the costs are spread over all the nations. Other cures can be worth 10 billion, 20 billion or what have you. The rule is the world gets its use free. The amount would more than cover R&D and profits. The 'big' breakthroughs sometimes cost about 2-4 billion in R&D over many years. So a one time payment of 10 billion or 15 or even 20 billion, tax free would be more than fair and very profitable. Why not have some sort of free trade like agreement medically? Why can't the U.S. and Canada have some sort of agreement allowing treatments for certain things across borders and compete on price. Litigation happy Americans would have to sign something that limits awards for malpractice. The same can be done for nursing of which there is a shortage right now. Nurses are more in demand than doctors in some hospitals. I worked briefly at a medical technology company that was started by doctors and run by doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc. and I was surprised to learn that. The insurance companies (and others in the industry) will fight it tooth and nail but the President should get all the governors of states to agree on making medical care easier across state lines. State and federal hospitals that accept this new government medical license which would put pressure on the AMA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Overrule the AMA, more doctors enter the system..now the insurance companies will say there is more risk and malpractice insurance will increase. Between the AMA, insurance and big pharma they have a system that they control and regulate. It would take a major change and a lot of politicians with big balls to get it down...IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted November 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I remember when a small town in Kentucky that couldn't attract an MD brought in a Canadian doc. The AMA had a fit and eventually forced the guy to return to Canada. Now the town has no MD again, but the AMA is happy. WTF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave32 Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 The same can be done for nursing of which there is a shortage right now. Nurses are more in demand than doctors in some hospitals. I worked briefly at a medical technology company that was started by doctors and run by doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc. and I was surprised to learn that. Tangential to the conversation: I don't get the whole nursing thing. Did you know that the schools in Scal will put you on a waiting list (and some even a lottery) to get into their nursing programs? And yet if you go to Sunset med center approx half of the RNs have been brought in from overseas to meet demand. Our Healthcare system is a complicated mess at best. I work in it and don't have a good handle on what steps could be taken to make it better -- so many hands in the pot. Big money and big influence. I do think it's safe to say, without being patronizing, that we're headed for problems. Yeah, pointing out the obvious. I'm not sure whether the current overhaul being pursued will be successful, or even how to measure success in this arena -- but something DOES have to be done. Some sort of accountability and management of this labyrinth has to evolve or.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCorinthian Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 It is not just high cost or low cost providers. Americans are also grossly over treated. This is very true. And we have not big pharm or the MDs to thank for it. Lawyers did that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun_Kong Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 A couple of days ago, John Boner again asserted that Amerika has "... the best health care system in the world". Measured by what? When you start with this much bullshit, what positive outcome can you possibly expect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted November 9, 2010 Report Share Posted November 9, 2010 While one could quibble over what "best" means, I do believe that the U.S. has one of the "best" health care systems in the world. Note: there is a differnce between "health care" and "medical care". But this thread is about the complete ass-kicking the Demoncraps took a week ago in the elections. :bangit: :bangit: :bangit: I'm only hopeful that Pelosi keeps her place on the Demoncrap throne for another two years. It'll be much easier to dump Obama with her ugly mutt on the tube as much as she can arrange. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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