The Ridiculous Costs Of The Health Industry

Am I the only one who thinks the health industry is a total sham? Why does it cost half a million dollars for cancer treatment? Why does it cost 30,000 grand for a sex-change operation...? It's only a few hours long operation...thats like...10,000 bux an hour...

 

I had a few x rays done the other day

I'll return . this thread when i get the bill. My insurance doesnt kick in until i meet my deductible

I know it will be a couple grand at least

But the thing is, the xray equipment looked ancient. I'm sure the hospital has already had a return on their investment and then some, it just cant possibly cost very much at all to take a couple of xrays, it took all of about 5 minutes.

Healthcare really is a scam

 

you people would freak at a canadian bill...

my last one what would have probably been $20k for you guys ...cost me a whole $45

 

But you hav paid into the system for years spaceman, you hav paid into an insurance that is called taxation, health insurance tax.

 

I would rather pay the tax towards health care than extreme excessive military.

 

I just found this article today, which amazingly enough it talks about everything I said in that closed thread. My statements were based on personal experience... or people close to me. and people wonder why I don't vote liberal in Canada anymore. NDP is just as bad. So much corruption in the liberal party. Conservatives do not steal at all because they receive funding, donations from people who work, not abusing the tax dollars.

http://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/index.php?p=Hot+News&id=257

And yeah, who wouldnt rather that, but you don't want t be easy pickings either. In this world It seems countries need defences because of fanatics. Greed.

 

For profit hospitals is sort of a fucked up idea to begin with

 

Yeah, the health care costs are completely and inexcusably out of control in this country (USA). The drug companies can set whatever price they please for their specialty drugs, even if it the cost far far exceeds the cost to produce the drug. Greed is rampant and profit/people.

 

not really

ive taken way more from that system than ive ever paid into it

 

We pay healthcare tax here too but it only benefits children and the elderly living in poverty and anyone drawing medicare over 65.

And then on top of this tax we pay insurance premiums and most plans carry deductibles so we pay even more out of pocket before we can even use the insurance we pay for.

But timeturner hit the nail on the head, our for profit system is the real problem. I would like to see single payer here, but if that never happens i would like to see the US at least move away from a proft based system so that the average person can afford to pay for healthcare out of pocket.

 

While we are covered here under our provincial plans they do not cover some things. Most people who are employed also carry private insurance through their employer to assist in the items not covered by the province. Most private insurers do have deductibles but they are generally fairly reasonable but often the caps are not on some services. Most dental and prescription medications and eye care are privately covered. Those who do not have such plans can claim it on their personal income tax as medical expenses and if you have enough in the year it can result in the lowering of your tax base. If they have a low income they can also apply for provincial assistance to help with cost, for example Trillium plan.

 

Not exactly an unbiased source.
edit: I mean the link not your personal experience.

 

Why weren't they unbiased? Because they are pro life and Christian? I am not a bible thumper but what they stated was very accurate with regards to the government taking away and adding things. Also what they said about scandal, misuse of funds.., and the cancer scandal, taking away cancer care ... very accurate. Just because people are pro life doesn't mean they are lying about facts. I provided lots of sources to show this from news sources.

By the way, I am pro choice

 

Our taxes are heavy Mel. I don't know if you read how much we pay, those who work pay for healthcare... also the lotteries here are government run and the money from that us suppose to go into hospitals... the liberals misused it. Abused it... stole it.

Did you read any of the links from the closed thread? This is kind if a repeat of that thread.

 

Just the one about the average family of 4 paying around 11k a year

So not much different from what an insured family of four pays in the US really

And yeah that sucks, i didnt realize taxes were so high for healthcare in Canada. According to another article I found, there has been a 48% increase in healthcare costs since 2005 in Canada

 

Last year I got health insurance. I am healthy and on no meds. I only got it in the event something were to happen to me (like an accident and I broke yet another bone) and I wound up in the hospital for a few days. Just a few (3) days in the hospital here, with no special treatment could cost upwards of 60K. When I broke my ankle in 2012 and I had to go into surgery to get a plate and 7 screws, I spent 2 nights there. The bill was over 80K. At that time, nothing was in my name (thank God) and the hospital was able to write it off as a charity case, or something like that.

After Mama put property in my name, I knew I had to get insurance or both of us would have to be willing to risk losing everything.

At the time I got the insurance, I was 59. (I'm now 60.) I got a $10K deductable, with the only "specialty" being an addendum that covers cancer, heart, and stroke. I pay around $200/month. If I'm lucky, that money just gets to go down the drain. smh

edit: Its a little over $200/month.

 

like you we pay, except the government is not held accountable.... cant impeach in Canada and what is covered and not can change on a whim,.. at least with private health care you know what you sign up for an what is covered, here they just take away. Also, wait times are a lot worse in Canada. Brutal. 6-8 months for MRI and that can be the difference between life and death.

I know what I say is not popular, but often the truth in these things is not popular. People don't want to hear it, I do not stick with one paper. Like we live in a fantacy that the government has pushed as true. People really think of it as free. :-/. Another reason why I have had trouble getting medication. Our medication ... also a problem. The government tries to control and subsidize the cost, We have at times Americans crossing the border to get their medication because it is cheaper, but it really is not. We also don't have the supplies for this.

http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba323

Here is an example of health care. I started to bloat... I was so tired... went to see my GP. He ordered an ultrasound, internal kind. Went to get it, never had one before. 3 weeks to get the ultrasound. The woman took an hour.,. Walked out in pain. 1 hour with that thing poking around trying to get a picture. She didn't get good views. Useless images... waited a week for the results to be sent to my doctor, he called me in... said you need more, they were no good. So he gives me a requisition for another one. 1 week this time I had to wait to get the ultrasound... so I get it only 15 minutes this time and she got the pictures. I felt violated thinking if the first one. Then the results have to go back to my fam doc again. So now I am 2 months in... very tired and my stomach us getting bigger. So the result come in, takes a week to get in to see my doc. He tells me my right ovary is large, how large he can't tell. So then he says, you need to see a gynocologist, 4 months to get in to see one, then she says you need an MRI... 6 months at least I waited for the MRI... then results sent back to my gyno and fam doctor (GP) . Another month. Then they say, well it is the size of an orange, it has to come out... it us blocking your colon it is so large.... then they have to set up for the surgery at the hospital. Sept 13... a friday. I remember saying, sure... unlucky Friday the 13th... let's do it and laughed. I looked 9 months pregnant. Everything out if whack completely tired Took about 18 months from start to get surgery. Luckily it was not cancerous.

Even if you do have additional health care ... that does not mean different wait times, Just means semi private rooms or private... and the doctors don't have to deal with government forms I guess?

 

That is AWFUL!!! Good grief I can't do anything but be astonished at the ridiculous amount of time you had to spend waiting and waiting. I'm so glad the growth wasn't cancerous.

 

Yes it was brutal. Getting results back from having it taken out took months as well because the gyno was so booked up. ... droctors triple book ... meaning three appointments in 15 minute time allotments. months to get in to see her waiting to hear results. Then there is scar tissue now, they took the tube so well. Cut nerve endings. Never really had bad menstrual cramps before that surgery... now I get them. Feels like someone is stabbing me. It is apparently like losing a limb, the body still sends the signal thinking it is there. The other ovary picked up where one left off, didn't miss a beat.

Now my mom went in for a colonoscopy, they removed polyps... 6 months later she goes into the hospital emerg because she is bleeding and a nurse says, oh ... yes I see here you have colon cancer. My mom says what? The nurse said... oh no one told you? More to it than that, but this had been going on for years and no one told her it was cancer.. removing polyps.... No reports were ever sent to her GP regarding cancer.

So yeah, needless to say I think our system is in the toilet.

So I don't know how much I am willing to pay but with what the government takes I expect a lot better than 3rd world treatment. They have raped the system. Denied cancer patients care, cancer scandal in Canada, They are going to raise the rates. Better for them (the liberal government in canada) to have people die than pick up costs.

I just can not say that a sex reassignment surgery should be on the list for covering when a lot more people just in general should get better treatment,

And it is upsetting when people say how good canadas system is. The lie that the liberal government told everyone. We have nothing to compare it to, we just believed it. The world agreed. The world thinks it but it is not true. Yeah I am disillusioned, but hey.. I woke up the hard way and glad I did.

 

^^^^ After reading that, Sssshhhh I am sitting here flabbergasted. That your mother had cancer and NO ONE TOLD HER is unconscionable. WTH That is more than a "breakdown in communication"...that is an epic fail. So, apparently she only had the surgery and no treatment such as radiation or chemo. NOT that I think those treatments are always the answer by any means; but, it certainly seems she should have had those options available to her. However, when a person doesn't even know they have been diagnosed with C, they have no idea they need treatment options.

Again, that is absolutely flabbergasting. I cannot imagine. As terribly flawed as our health care is here in the US, I've never heard of anybody coming close to anything like that. Here, you won't have any problem getting diagnosed, if you are able to get to a doctor...getting treatment may pose problems though.

It sounds like health care all over the "Americas" is pathetic. Perhaps we should look at the Europeans (specifically England) and see how they are doing it because I hear nothing but good things about their health care plans.

This may sound quite lame...but I really hope your Mom is ok now and that you get to feeling better.