More on Moore's "Sicko"
Here's a recent piece by Larry Elder.
And I still haven't had anyone tell me what exactly is so broken with our present system we need to scrap it and start over with a more socialist inclined model. I know this blog isn't the Drudge Report or Little Green Footballs but I do get some hits and somebody has to be reading this thing.
I admit it, I'm an innocent in the area of healthcare problems. If anyone has experience or knowledge about the problems we face in this country that would justify deepsixing what we have and starting over, please speak up.
5 comments:
I am no michael moore fan, but I can say that because I pay for my own insurance, I fork out over $1,000/month for 70% coverage (I still have to self insure the 30%). AND we have no health problems. Now, imagine if you are sick and or poor. Now remember that small business are canceling coverage, and big businesses are reducing it.
Where does that leave we the people? On the outs.
I am no fan of socializing medicine, but I must admit that the medical establishment is raping the American people (e.g., why are prices higher here?).
Some of this is the unreasonable cost of malpractice insurance and sue-happy Americans, and a lot of it is just plain greed. But it is certainly not a just system.
Just my thoughts.
I love the blog, btw. The John Wayne picture got a chuckle.
Over a grand a month? For only 70% coverage? Ouch!
I'll admit there are problems with our system and you certainly highlight some of them. Does this make it unfixable? I dunno. But I know that problems we've had in the past have been taken care of.
As an example, it wasn't too long ago that a trip to the emergency room always entailed getting sidetracked by some desk jockey wanting all the particulars of your insurance before allowing you to see a doctor. In some cases (unless my memory has gone completely south) folks were turned away because the hospital didn't accept their insurance. Much of the horror stories were urban legend I'm sure, such as the guy who supposedly bled to death after being refused service. But there was enough truth in them to have the present policy of "everyone who goes to the ER gets taken care of" enacted.
So while it isn't a just system is it beyond repair? I dunno.
Thanks for the response, it gives me more information on the problems we DO have. And thanks for the compliments about the blog.
yes, there are LOTS of problems and the system should be reworked. But I challenge folk to find solutions OTHER than socialized medical. These are not the only two answers available that we must pick the lesser of the two evils.
The biggest problem with the system stems from the decision, by the AMA, in the late 40's to limit the scope of medical education in this country.
Many small medical schools were closed and few have been opened since. This has resulted in both the doctor shortage and the huge number of foreign docs. This is one of the main contributors to the huge increase in medical costs.
We should pump out new docs until they command no more than others with similar education, college professors, for example.
The unrestrained greed of big pharma and for profit hospitals doesn't help.
Reddog,
unrestrained greed I agree with.
I'll have to research WHY the AMA closed all those small schools....to the best of my recollection from nursing school it had to do with regulating what was taught and making sure that all schmucks with MD after their name had the same amount of knowledge. Similarly to all nursing schools must be accredited I might be mistaken as to the exact reasoning though.
In this area I've not seen a doctor shortage, or a huge number of foreign docs...nurses, however are a different story...
One of the real biggies driving the price of health care is that medical school costs so stinking much (along your same lines)...then MD's feel they have to be compensated to pay off those school loans..then get used to the pay rate and regular raises.........in this I agree more smaller schools would help.
Thanks for the good input, I'll chew on it awhile longer.
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