A serious conversation about how we are going to cut health care costs...

"I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security.”

Ok, BHO said that in response to those that went to a Tea Party, which was about the ridiculousness of government spending and liberty issues...which was sort of funny all on its own.

I don't want to be in Social Security. I don't want anything from it, I don't want to contribute. I see the continual intervention of government in pretty much every issue to be dishonest and destructive. Health care is not a right, but it is an opportunity to use a business of care. Get out.

What do others think?

 

I'm ok w/ a government safety net offered to people temporarily (3 months/6 months every ten years - based on your social security number) and paid for by my taxes.

Agencies, FDA (for one) should be oversight rather than regulatory.

Private insurance should exist and each person/family should purchase their own, directly (i.e. not through a company). Private insurance should be used in catastrophic situations only. Normal visits should be out of pocket.

How the hell did we get to the point where companies offer benefit packages and we pay insurance to get a simple diagnosis from a Dr. for say, the swine flu?

 

I think I want back every cent I pay into Social Security. I also think it's BS we are maintaining a program everyone agrees will fail.

As for health care the first thing is address the problem of why the same goods and services (medicine) in this country cost 10-100 times more than other countries. Next, kick every pharmaceutical lobbyist off capital hill. Clean up the existing industry first before even dreaming of "health care". There is no "care" in the health industry anywhere from insurance to the pill makers.

 

^^ oh yeah, I agree. Gimme my SS money back. What a ripoff.

 

Dude, the cost is simple. You got one of two.

There is no incentive for drug Companies to produce a cure but there sure is money in providing a maintenance drug.

You want to cut cost, the real cost of health care, get rid of lawyers.

I hear a lot of talk about caping industries that pollute. May it is time to get rid of the contamination in the system and cap maltrice suits.

JMHO, of course!

 

I agree with you on this. I've been forced to pay into SS, and medicare since I started working so I want it back. I started drawing SS when I turned 62 so, providing I don't die first, I'll get that back. I figure I'm ahead of the game on medicare. I had a knee replaced in Dec of 08 and it didn't cost me anything except for my Part B deductible. ($134.00)

I don't know how our system compares to other countries when it comes to the rate of pay a Doctor earns for a procedure, but I'll bet our Drs earn a lot more. For example, the Doctor that spent less than two hours replacing my knee received $3500.00 for his trouble. That's pretty good pay. Personally, I don't think he's worth quite that much. So far, the total cost on my knee stands at about $65000.00. That is about 5 times what it would have been in Costa Rica. One of the hospitals there is owned, and staffed by Harris Hospital in Fort Worth. The facilities there are first rate. It's almost like a resort with each room being private, with kitchen, and bedroom for family. Why the big difference in costs?

I wish I knew what the answer is on health care. It seems out of control, but where does one start in an effort to reduce it?

 

Those are good points.

And I'll offer in some overhead to the doctor, and certainly his corporation that he probably has in order to protect his practice.

We have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, correct? But we need to incorporate to protect our personal assets. Again, all because of lawyers that have sought to punish for things that can be mistakes, "acts of God", and other issues that aren't negligence, a real issue that a lawyer should be necessary for.

I'm sure the building he rents or owns has a substantial tax placed upon it.

I don't know what the exact cost of a medical education and continuing education are, but I'm sure the premium for insurance is substantial given that liability insurance for a track day is $800 to several thousand a day, depending upon your audience, your organization, your volume. Are a third of costs of medical care tied up in liability?

Then, how much value is there in an operation?

 

Another question related to the $3500...

How much is the doctor actually going to get paid for that by Medicare? As my GP told me, he looses $100 on each Medicare/Medicaid patient he sees. So, that increase in overhead gets passed on in increased rates to private payers and insurance.

 

Dave,
You can legally opt out of social security on religious grounds. I made the decision about 15 years ago to stay in because my business required a lot of credit. At that point it was more advantageous to stay in the system than to drop out of the system. Now I've already paid in the maximum. If I was to drop out now I'd probably lose money.

You don't have to be a minister to opt out. I looked for a link but only found links for ministers to opt out. It is very easy to get the information. It's right in the code. Just go to your local SSI office and ask to see the codes. But I must emphasize that you can opt out only for religious reasons.

 

I work in the healthcare field, (cardiac cath lab supervisor), and I can tell you that the prosthetic joint eats up a whole lot of the $65000.00. I was told at one time that our hospital was taking a loss on joint replacements due to the price of the device.

 

IMHO, the answer is cradle to grave care. Keep people healthy in the first place. Prevent the illness instead of treating the symptoms.

I will say that (and coming from someone who deals with the industry daily), healthcare is BIG BUSINESS. There is a lot of money to be made off of sick people. Doctors themselves I think truly want to help sick people, but the rest of the industry (hospital management, pharmecuetical companies, hardware providers, etc) want everyone to be sick. The sicker you are, the more money they can make off of you.

 

Yeah, I think you or someone else put that up. I looked at it and I think what I saw made it seem like one had to be a minister.

I didn't sign up for it. I think, wait, I know it's a failed program.

 

So, what are you personally advocating? That government do this or the individual?

Well, if they can make people that want to be well well, why shouldn't they make money, even big money?

 

I think SS is a waste of time. Medicare on the other hand is needed if we continue with the medical system we have currently. I don't think people over 65 would be able to find private insurance to take its place since it would be totally cost prohibitive. Insurance companies are in business to make money even if there margins are low. People over 65 just don't make good business sense to insure.

 

Which came first?

Two wrongs to make a right?

I'd be open to more open immigration if we didn't have a welfare state that rewards people that don't work.

Do we have a medical system or do we have a government that has just meddled it all up? I think it's screwed because of the meddling. As it goes more toward the European model, care will get rationed. So, can Orvis get a knee replaced without having both of them being trashed? Does he have to wait until 70? Can he obtain it with his own money if he desires?

And what portion of the US Constitution covers the providing of medical coverage?

 

Here's a serious answer.

Stop eating so much and exercise more. It sounds so easy, but casual observation suggests it's the most difficult lifestyle change our fat society could attempt.

 

Maybe you're on to something. With all of the Dollar valuation issues, "work ready" government programs, and carbon taxes, people will have to walk to their work of filling holes that were opened the day before and they won't be able to afford food.


Anyone else see Jan Schakowsky say that the aim of the new government program is to destroy the private health insurance program?

 

Social Security for me is the way I am supporting my grandparents, parents, and in-laws....

I don't believe that SS will be there when Paul and I retire so I'm not planning on it. This means living very simply and utilizing our retirement planning to the best of our ability. In 91 months we will be completely debt free (home, motorhome, ect.) and then we'll be able to invest more at that time.

We're self sufficent, something that this country was built upon.

Dawn

 

You have a wind generator right? How's that working?

 

We do but it's not up yet. Paul works 40 - 45 hours a week and with making our home more energy efficent, that has been placed on the back burner for now.

It is a Jacobs 17.5kw generator, used. Before putting it up Paul is going to rebuild it for piece of mind and to save us the hassle of doing it later. When that time comes we're going to go with a hybrid system with wind and solar. Although that will cost us some $$$ to get it done. Good thing is that the cost of solar is coming down and the efficencies are going up.

I tossing around the idea to see if the MREA may want to use our generator as a teaching tool.

Dawn