The Trouble With Healthcare Reform, In Numbers

Wish it were that easy

To Collins of OR--I have worked in health care and I am sorry to say that many people become sick through no fault of their own, just bad luck, bad genes, or bad environment. There are others who contribute to their illnesses through bad self-care or not following the doctors' orders. A recent survey found that only about 5% of Americans are following advice not to smoke, to drink only in moderation, to exercise 30 min 5 days a week, to keep a normal weight, and to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. I have decided that it is best to withhold judgment.

I would be very happy to see us become a healthier society, and in fact I hope a change in attitudes will be one consequence of our shared "footing the bill."

SusanRN of AL @ Sep 15, 2009 23:30:55 PM

A Nurse Looks at Health Care

As a regular volunteer in a free clinic, I have plenty of experience with the uninsured. As a self-employed person paying all my health insurance costs directly, my deductible is so high that, except for a major catastrophe, my family is basically uninsured. There is no good way out of these problems until we can reduce the cost of US medical care.

Almost no one seems to recognize that one major cause of these soaring costs is our own "sue crazy" culture. Until we start charging the cost of ridiculous suits to the person and lawyer who filed them and have torte reform to limit the astronomical amounts currently awarded, changing the health insurance system will not change the huge cost of medical care at the root of the problem. This is a hugely uphill and largely unaddressed problem, since most of our legislators are lawyers! A large part of their campaign funds come from other lawyers. An obstetrician can basically work three days out of the week simply to pay his malpractice insurance. Any doctor is likely to order expensive and probably unneeded tests "just in case" he might get sued later. These things hit all of us hard in the pocket book. They are bankrupting the whole system. Let's do something constructive about it NOW!

Why does New York City have more lawyers than the entire nation of Japan? Because "we the people" are willing to keep them busy.

Diane of NC @ Sep 09, 2009 22:55:05 PM

What I really want from the Government

Why doesn't Health Insurance defined by it's various components like car insurance?

Because car insurance has specific categories and definitions I can shop and compare apples-to-apples making an educated purchase.

If the various parts of Health Insurance were defined across the country, consumers would be able to purchase the elements of health care they needed and not be asked to pay for components they don't need.

Do we have enough doctors, technicians, nurses to provide services at a reasonable rate?

The best way to reduce doctors charges, fees incomes - is to have plenty of doctors available. Why not have a college tuition incentive/scholarship program specifically for people training in these critical fields. As these medical positions are filled the program can be trimmed to adjust for future needs.

Third we have to quit stuffing the pockets of lawyers with cash every time a procedure does not have the result the patient hoped for. Much of medicine is still trial and ERROR. Huge payouts based on empathy for an injured patient need to be tempered with reality. Torte Reform, the limiting of how much someone can sue for must be addressed. Any Health Care plan without Torte Reform will just shift more cash to the attorneys and not help the people who really need care.

Ginny of CA @ Sep 09, 2009 20:49:10 PM

More than meets the eye

There are 2 main concerns I have with the health care reform.

1: Government seems to have the capacity to change the rules as they go along. Government's decision on "what works and what doesn't" to determine what's covered in health care, may change just as radically as their subsidy of public school text books have, over the years. They would likely get political and it could be used as leverage to get people to go along with certain beliefs and views in the future. I am not comfortable with Governments controlling vital decisions like that when they are already covertly planning population-control measures and other things that might effect "who lives and who dies".

2: Money is the main motivator. Drug company, insurance company and gazzillionaire representative lobbyists care little about anything in reality, further than the financial bottom line. Health care has gotten too expensive. True. And it's partly because some professionals believe that their services really are worth $1000 per hour. A slightly smaller house )or fewer of them), a slightly smaller yaght, and fewer cars might impact the cost of health care? Any solution that doesn't require the top providers and executives to sacrifice equally along with the rest of us, won't cut it. If the average individual has to sacrifice (reduce incomes, increase costs, etc. to the tune of 10% of their incomes, then the doctors should also be willing to sacrifice 10% of theirs.

One more thing. Many people choose to do things that intentionally cause harm to them. I am willing to help pick up the health care tab as a tax payer for a victim who is harmed and needs medical help-- but I am not willing to allow people to smoke, take drugs and drink excessively causing medical problems and them ask me to pay for them. I will help vote out of office any elected official who spends my money that way.

UNLESS----- when I neglect to put oil in my car, the government will fix my motor when it breaks.

So let's provide a health care solution that works for those who are doing some minimum standard of maintenance-- but not for anyone who tries to purposely drive up their health needs. if someone chooses to smoke a pack a day, they shoulod not get cancer care-- because they are intentionally acting in ways that are proven to cause cancer.

Collins of OR @ Sep 09, 2009 18:55:45 PM

I agree with a little of what John Crawford says

I do also feel that our goverment is full of liars and money hungry politicians. But so are the health insurance companies. There not in it for our benefit, but thier own. Its just a business and they are out to make a profit. One of the problems is that no matter how much profit they make, its not enough. I want a complete revamp on the healthcare system. I dont feel that the goverment should run it. I dont feel the the insurance and HMOs should run it. Our care should be determined by our doctors. And they should CARE for us.

I know there are a few out there that dont want this healcare reform because they dont want it goverment ran. But i bet the majority of the people that are aginst it, Stand to loose from it.

The one benefit I see in having a Goverment healthcare system is that, We still have the right as voters to not reelect someone into office that we dont feel is serving in our best intrests. We do not have that ability to do this with the CEOS of the Insurance and drug companies.

Lynn of AR @ Sep 09, 2009 18:36:42 PM

What makes universal plans work?

I grew up with universal/public health care in a country which has lower infant mortality rate and higher life expectancy than in the US. So it "works" in delivering results. However, two fundamental differences compared to here makes it to "work": 1) people take much more responsibility over their own health and live a much healthier life style than here. This means significantly lower diabetes-and-other-obesity-related diseases for example.

2) Much less defensive medicine practices, giving significantly lower costs for care and medication. Proponents of THIS health care reform talks about the relatively amounts that is actually paid out in law-suits as the potential cost-savings related to tort reform. The actual savings is in doing less tests etc and prescribing less medicin.

Any supporter of THIS health care reform will be VERY hard pressed to find ANY example where universal care works without these two things in place. Otherwise all we do is make the priority that people living now will have medical care and rack up debts too high for future generations to pay, leaving them without any money for medical care.

I am all for a health care reform, but let's be realistic about it before we commit to this huge spending.

anna of NC @ Sep 09, 2009 18:08:13 PM

Keystone 65 Health Plan East

I am a 78 year old women living only on my SS benefits. I feel lucky that I haven't had to go to a hospital for any reason this past year as I would have had to pay $250.00 per day until I paid $1,500.00. It is hard enough to make ends meet without these high co-pays. Why don't you figure out a insurance just for people over 65 with the same rate and the same benefits without high co-pays. If you give some good thought it can be done done.

Jean Lentz of PA @ Sep 09, 2009 18:01:10 PM

Show me a healthcare insurer...

who doesn't profit off your fear of illness.

Why should this industry hold this Nation's health hostage?

In answer to John Crawford: Medicare, Social Security...

It's the ever expanding health care costs that are killing small business. As a Nation we shouldn't have to sacrifice our lives for the continued easy profits of big Pharmaceuticals and the massive Insurance industry.

j grove of CA @ Sep 09, 2009 17:38:42 PM