US Healthcare debate discussion

Really... the best way(s) to "fix healthcare" in the U.S. are to get rid of the chargemaster!! (people being charged because of "chargemaster prices" - absurd amounts such as $70 for band-aids, etc.---- and also to change the fee system for doctors in this country... instead of paying doctors more money based on running more tests and just, DOING more... pay them more on an outcome based system.

Until things, such as the above, get fixed nothing else is going to help.

 

I recently needed to spend a half a day in a U.S hospital. The bill was
$ 10,000 plus a $ 1,000 bill for a Dr. who I talked to twice. I was charged
$ 450.00 for two meds. $ 8000 for a CT scan. Thankfully I have Ins. which took care of most of it. But how can our system continue as IS ??
I haven't heard of any real or workable SOLUTIONS to our HealthCare problems !!!

 

For those of you who don't know I think American, is talking about the person in charge in each hospital whose job title is called "The Chargemaster" who is responsible for setting the prices for items found in the hospital, treatments, cafeteria food, and the like for a hospital to remain profitable on their balance sheets.

To an extent this is another reason why healthcare costs are rising in the USA, I don't believe Obamacare addresses this aspect of the healthcare crisis, in round two both State legislatures AND the Congress need to do something about this problem, if they can get control of the corrupt aspects of government under control. The issue Obamacare addressed was mainly healthcare access, and pre-existing conditions abuses, which in my view is a good change in the right direction.

But back to what American was talking about, his talk about the "chargemaster" is directly related to what I said about regional doctor-hospital monopolies in certain counties and states, they drive up the costs, insurance reacts by driving up premiums.

And doctors who would rather have medical practices that are privatized are kinda leveraged to not go it alone, and join a hospital-regional private company because of the medical community protections in case of malpractice suits, because being a part of a large network ensures a certain quota of patients, the brand name of the hospital and it's reputation, some of the best medical technology that a private practice couldn't afford alone and access to medical peers and mentors.

Also keep in mind after medical school most new Doctors want that stable patient flow, because they're paying off all their debt.


I do like how Germany for instance, pays for medical school so new doctors don't have this burden and have more private practice flexibility.

I also like how Germany got rid of the gatekeeper system, and allows individuals to go straight to a specialist immediately and bi-pass general practitioners.

So there are a lot of aspects, of foreign healthcare systems that can be applied in the states to great positive affect...but as long as critics of healthcare reform speak in generalities and NOT specifics....the nation is not getting smarter on this issue.

 

Yeah, I have to go to sleep now but I will post more about the chargemaster next time I come on here and check this. One fact about it is though that the interesting thing about the "chargemaster"- which yes, it's a book of prices for things in hospitals... everything from your gown, gauze, band-aids, to ct scans, doctor visits..everything... they are ridiculous prices no where NEAR what things cost.. the interesting thing though is that medicare refuses to pay the chargemaster price- they get billed what is seen (determined) to be a fair price that the doctor (and everyone else involved in a particular hospital stay) makes money for their time and energy... but not a ridiculous price. Because that's all medicare will pay. Whereas people with health insurance or uninsured get charged a ridiculous amount more. If you look at a hospital bill it's not uncommon to see something like "$45" for 4 Tylenols or something similar.
In any case, as I said, I'll come back to this thread more later and try to tie in what I was saying into whether or not the Affordable Care Act is a "good" or "bad" thing.. but my point on it was that unless things like that (chargemaster prices) get taken care of, the price of insurance is never going to go down no matter how one acquires it.

 

And yes, that is a sample hospital bill of the ridiculousness of the chargemaster.

 

Americans aren't healthy enough for universal healthcare. They'll bankrupt the system. Imagine, little Johnny sneezes and his mother rushes him to the hospital and demands every test possible and will have a parade of lawyers brought in if she is denied.

 

That doesn't make sense.

 

I became aware of how out-of-whack our system is about 15 years ago when I went to the clinic because I had a splinter in my foot I couldn't get out. Spent 4 hours there, got a bill for $1200. 15 years ago. Must say the GOP doesn't seem to have any alternative ideas on how to keep costs down, so the determination to repeal Obamacare is a terrible idea. I would prefer a single-payer system, tho. Here's an area where we need socialism.

 

Well the problem is the "chargemaster" comes with the notion of private-for profit hospitals.

It's just part of the nature of the beast, of having private hospitals which many Americans don't want to let go of (Myself included), because I don't believe Britain or Canada or Japan have that chargemaster problem.

In fact Japan, has the opposite problem if not charging ENOUGH. (see the frontline video I linked too)


Question at everybody: has anybody watched the video I linked to yet in it's entirety? (Not skimming through it and quitting)

Because I really would like the dialogue here to continue from a common baseline of information. Thanks

I know they keep saying "repeal and replace", but before I feel even comfortable with them doing that, I want to know how and what they'd replace Obamacare with.

I need specifics from them not general soundbytes about having healthcare competition across state lines.

(Note: I live in California, and my healthcare plan comes from Texas at the present moment, so in my view insurance across state lines is happening already and it's not driving down costs. Classical economics isn't working on this particular product of the free market system, because the product has evaluated it's consumer, before setting the base price premium, Pre-Obamacare.)


I don't see, dinners out, or cars saying the same item is one set price for one individual A, but if individual B wants it, it'll cost double what it would cost for individual A.

Classical economics does not describe this phenomena, and it's why I feel any soundbyte made on the premise of classical economics when it comes to healthcare is an outdated philosophy and is null and void.

 

bump

 

Where I live, the healthcare used to bee free and for everyone. But now, you have to pay money a poor family in modern values don't have to get help.
The "best" choice you can do is to go to a private doctor who is pretty cheap who will either give you bad therapy or profit out of your money.

It start to get more and more like the US healthcare system. Which makes me sad. Really sad...:bigcry:

 

What country specifically are you from?

 

It is sickness and/or injuries that affects individual Americans, and healthcare spending, both private and public have an effect on the figure we call our GDP.

Healthcare should NOT be allowed to become a Federal government administered program without allowing the people a say in amending our Constitution to fundamentally change the U.S.A. into a Federally administered Welfare State also known as a Socialist form of Democracy.

The Federal government should have responsibilities relating to the infrastructure which directly has affect on all of us, and leave the State and local governments to provide care for and acceptable by the people who inhabit their areas of control. Otherwise we will have become little more than a redistributionist welfare State progressively moving us towards the point of which economic collapse cannot be prevented.

Roads, bridges, rivers, lakes, waste disposal, and other items make up the infrastructure which a Federal government should rightly oversee. People are simply inhabitants who use and/or receive benefit from the existing infrastructure. Infrastructure is/can be maintained perpetually over many generations as need requires. People, on the other hand are simply occupants of the societies NOT infrastructure, and unless their existence is equally under threat, such as in the event of war or a communicable disease capable of spreading uncontrolably, the Federal government has no business intervening in how they interact unless they pose a threat to one another.

 

a few months ago, I spent 5days in the hospital for tests. $16,000.00+ ... I had my blood drawn a couple times, pissed and shit for them, and played xbox...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSjGouBmo0M"]Why Are American Health Care Costs So High? - YouTube

 

But the concept of sickness and healthcare spending are linked.

Communicable diseases that already get to the point (like the Spanish flu) is already too late.

The whole point is to have a healthcare system that pushes preventive care, not waiting and procrastinating policy that waits until situations are already so dire that intervention is only warranted then.

Obamacare isn't socialized medicine in the sense of government OWNING something, regulating something and forcing competition sure, but that doesn't warrant the label of socialist, it just force PRIVATE sector healthcare companies to compete in one place.

It's a tweak on classical economics.

 

My state passed a bill in the house and waiting on Senate approval that will make it a criminal offense to enforce any part of Obamacare in this state.

Thus providing John Stewart with at least an episode's worth of material for his "Thank You, South Carolina" segment.

 

I don't see where our health care system was failing before ObamaScare, the poor and uninsured were receiving treatment paid for by the taxpayers AND those who availed themselves of medical services paying out of pocket more than they would have had to pay were the poor and uninsured not receiving care for which they did not pay.

ObamaScare is socialized medicine in the sense of government forcing some to pay even if they would prefer to pay out of pocket and remain uninsured taking full responsibility for their own care needs by free choice. The inclusion of private sector healthcare companies doesn't make it any LESS socialist in my book.

 

Just out of curiosity what are the typical healthcare insurance premiums for say a family of 4 (two adults and 2 children) and for a single man/woman in the US? Do premiums reduce through loyalty schemes? Are there different levels of insurance?

Sorry if these sound stupid questions im not from the US (live in the UK and we very fortunate over here to have the healthcare system we have). Its just ive read thst its expensive for your healthcare insurance but ive not seen how expensive.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-...emption-obamacare-another-myth-153149342.html

^Just to clarify Congress isn't exempt from Obamacare either.

I saw the claim in these forums earlier from someone who said they were exempt. It might've been this thread it might've been one of the others.