Healthcare costs

[Edwina's Secretary]

You can learn alot from PetTalk....like herehttp://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=153276 and learn about just how well our healthcare system works.

Or perhaps you remember one of our members taking up a collection to pay for her hearing equipment? Because as a recent graduate - not yet employed - she does not have medical insurance.

We have the most expensive healthcare system in the world (greatest spending per capita). And by standard measures our healthcare rates no higher than 17th.

People (as in politicians and the like...) say healthcare should be between the patient and the doctor. All fine and well if you have a doctor. By our system - no insurance - no doctor - except the emergency room. Which drives the price up.

If you have been treated for acne - insurance companies will deny you coverage.

To be the only western country that accepts a system where medical care is so expensive and only available to those who can afford it -- without delivering value is an embarassment. People who live in countries with single payer systems - when surveyed (not "one off anecdotal" stuff) are more satisfied with the care they get.

Getting the facts about the cost and quality of other systems helps to get past the fear of the unknown!

[rosethecopycat]

DO NOT LET THE IDIOTS IN D.C. fool you into NATIONALIZED HC.

Start by looking into the multi million handouts from court cases that are so blatantly outrageous that they boggle the mind.

Put limits on what juries can award first.

That will lower the prices of malpractice insurance, the costs of producing meds, implants and services.

IT's a simple fix, take the F wad ambulance chasers out of the picture and thing wll get reasonable.

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Our prez just came out and touted the EMR-electronic medical record.

Now, All you 'privacy advocates' should take note about the EMR and the ability for hackers and stupid employees to access YOUR information.

The company that I worked for started to look towards the EMR in '89. 20 years ago-there barely got it together in the last two year to implement the system.

This same company was fined 250,000 dollars and they fired and counseled 20+ employees for accessing the records on the OCTOMOM. Private records? Nope, if you have a password to access the system, you can peek into any record in that particular system.

This also happened in one of the university hospitals, where some celebrities had their records looked at.

Another problem is someone accessing you info then having to leave that station/terminal logged in and having someone come in behind them and seeing what they were looking at.

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Part of the problems for any electronic info gathering systems is that you are forcing the RNs, LVNs, NPs and other people to waste time trying to log info into the system.

One of the new ideas was to have PDAs that the docs would carry around with them, log patient info they go back to their offices or nurse stations and down load the info into the system.

LOL, I used to find pagers, stethoscopes and even wallets in the bathrooms that belonged to them. If a doctor loses a day's worth of info on his patients, what happens then?

Even though a paper system is bulky and archaic, it put the info down on one page and it was a verifiable source is something needed to be looked at.

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In the old world, Doctor's would make a telephone order, the nurse would document that on the chart, sign the Dr's name and initial it.

Now there is no validating an order or 'signature' in the doctor orders.

Complicate that for nurses who will take the easy way out and use a terminal that is opened on another account or asked a co-worker to note the order.

In the perfect world, no one would snoop, take the easy way out or make a mistake in typing out info that goes into a PERMANENT RECORD.

Just wait, the stories of medical malpractice-another cost inducing bugaboo in HC- stemming from screwed up data in EMR systems will start to surface.

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"Hi, I am calling in for my prescription......It should be ready!"


"Nope, it doesn't show up on my computer!!!!"

"But, I spoke to my physician yesterday!"

"It's not in the computer, so I cannot help you!"


Your (insert the malady here) can wait for the data to catch up?

Richard, Central Services has just informed me that you have been promoted to Information Retrieval.

[RICHARD]

Richard, Central Services has just informed me that you have been promoted to Information Retrieval.

Dead pan or Bed pan humor?


I almost spit up my evening cocktail all over my WHITE t-shirt.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I read in the newspaper this weekend about 60% of the bankruptcies in this country are a result of medical care.

The system we have is broken. We are paying top dollar for inferior care. While complaining about it we don't want to look at solution that might be "government"...

Sort of like cursing the darkness while refusing to light a candle...

[rosethecopycat]

Dead pan or Bed pan humor?


I almost spit up my evening cocktail all over my WHITE t-shirt.

Your name is Mr. Buttle, correct?

[rosethecopycat]

I'd still rather go with strong Tort reform and less government control.

[RICHARD]

Your name is Mr. Buttle, correct?

Well, kinda..

The end that don't face people is..

[Puckstop31]

Here's the thing.... I understand all the arguements for a single payer system. I know our system is broken and needs to get better.

But here are some questions.

1.) Where does the Constitution allow for Federal Government to take over/mandate health care?

2.) Do we REALLY trust the Federal Government to "fix" something as massive as the US Healthcare system? I remind you all that it is 1/5th of the ENTIRE economy.

3.) Most importantly... Do you really want to surrender even more personal liberty to the Feds? For what?


But most of all.... OBEY the Constitution. Just because it is "good for you" or the "right thing", does NOT make it Constitutional. The road to hell is always paved with good intentions. Look at where the "New Deal", "War on Poverty", "War on Drugs", "The Great Society", etc got us... TRILLIONS upon TRILLIONS in debt and we still have all the same problems.


We will reap what we sow... This is all history repeating itself.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I have noticed some people post sweet requests for everyone to have cancer screening, etc. Great sentiment but not a reality for the 50 million Americans without healthcare insurance.

When you have to choose between feeding your kids or getting a pap smear...well, I know the choice I would make.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Today I had to tell two employees of a client of mine they are terminated. Both are in their 50's. Both provide income...and sooo important...medical benefits for them and thier families.

Of course I told them about their COBRA rights. But I know...that after rent and food...there will not be the $600 to $800 per month to pay for the insurance. They will be fortunate if unemployment covers the rent.

Speaking of COBRA...do you know if your employer discontinues medical insurance - for whatever reason ---- including going out of business there is no COBRA? COBRA benefits are through the employer not the insurance company - so if the employer no longer has insurance - you no longer have COBRA rights.

I suppose some might think it the "fault" of these two people today who lost their jobs and their medical insurance...and the medical insurance of their families.

I don't.

[blue]

I suppose some might think it the "fault" of these two people today who lost their jobs and their medical insurance...and the medical insurance of their families.

What?

[Nomilynn]

I was unemployed for 8 months. I had medical coverage that entire time. I was able to see my doctor, get blood work, go to the hospital if I needed, without worry. I am a diabetic, so I need to have regular work done frequently. That isn't my fault. It's also not my fault that I was laid off. Yet I should be denied medical care because of this?

The system here may not be perfect, but it's sure better than what is in the US. My parents lived there for 12 years, and I saw how hard it was for people. The longest I've had to wait to see my GP? 4 days. And that was because he was on holidays.

[RICHARD]

3.) Most importantly... Do you really want to surrender even more personal liberty to the Feds? For what?

Dude!

Again, the same people who are so very adamant about protecting the most intimate part of their lives-medical information-are willing to let the government sponsor a system that will allow that information to be put into a 'paperless' system that HC workers and hackers can access.

If identity theft is so prevalent, what will keep unauthorized people from hacking a system to get info that will allow them to steal an indentity for their own use?


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I had to laugh when I heard a story about a woman who took on an identity to have breast implants done. I think they did catch her, but if people are willing to go that far to have surgery, what are the rest capable of?


Rose,

The name is TUTTLE!


What is the weather like in Brazil this time of year?

[Edwina's Secretary]

Again, the same people who are so very adamant about protecting the most intimate part of their lives-medical information-are willing to let the government sponsor a system that will allow that information to be put into a 'paperless' system that HC workers and hackers can access.

If identity theft is so prevalent, what will keep unauthorized people from hacking a system to get info that will allow them to steal an indentity for their own use?

And this is different from today...how? Medical records are hacked into...and published in the National Enquirer all the time.

A doctor recently wrote a prescription for me on a piece of paper. It was for a sore on my ear. I was instructed to put the cream on my right leg twice a day. Bad handwriting or sloppy reading?

How does paper vs. paperless reduce mistakes? How does paper enhance security?

Was that "dude" or duh???

[rosethecopycat]

Paper or paperless....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xNnR...eature=related