healthcare

[The_Girl_Of_Summer]

Health care is a huge mess and while it seems nothing being proposed is going to fix things, we can't let them stand as they are either. The status quo is awful, but will changes make things better or worse? Is it better to pass a mediocre bill just to get something through and make some kind of change, or to hold out for a stronger bill even though a stronger one might never get passed at all? I don't have any answers and it seems no one else does, either, no matter what they say or what side of the aisle they occupy.

But something's gotta change.

Obama's biggest problem with the new bill for healthcare is that he tried to do a large bill when he should have done smaller bills this is a big reason, i feel, that healthcare is not going to pass. We do need a new system but we also need anti-trust law placed on insurance compaines, which would regulate price and coverage. And we need a new system to cover the 46 million Americans without health insurance. The reson doctors cant make money off medicare is when they refomed it the took away the idea that they were going to completely pay off the bill because eveyone were jacking up the prices and medicare was spending more than they got.

[Glennsallnighter]

My goodness!! I'd agree with Lou about our healthcare system over here. Effectively its 2 tier. There is 'Public' and 'Private'.

Public is essentially free. People under a certain income and with a long term condition/disability have 'medical card' which effectively gives them free consultations and medicine no matter what the problem is. So do all people over 70 years of age. But anybody can go free if they want.

The main downside of going public is that if it is a common complaint you may have to wait a while to get the care. Once in the system however you are treated as well as a private patient. Like my dad is waiting for a hip replacement operation. The public system is a 'no frills' system but for the most part it works.

Private means you pay for it. HOWEVER most people who go private have health insurance which for full hospital cover costs us €2200 per annum for myself, hubby and the two kiddies. That covers everything, hospital care, xrays, consultations but NOT medicine. HOWEVER if a family spends more than €95 per month on meds then the balance is free. The private hospitals are more luxurious and probably more comfortable as well. And there are more support services as well.

You do NOT have to make up any difference in fees nor is your policy loaded if you DO claim. ie you pay the same premium whether you have a huge claim in a year or NO claim.

The main thing is that nobody is refused healthcare based on an inability to pay.

Hope this makes sense!! Good luck with your study GOS

[Molly]

The reson doctors cant make money off medicare is when they refomed it the took away the idea that they were going to completely pay off the bill because eveyone were jacking up the prices and medicare was spending more than they got.

I agree that there were many abuses to a system that went largely unchecked for way too long. But, it seems to have swung the other way now. The regulations are mindboggling and the penalties for not following them are staggering. What this means is there are more "behind the scenes" healthcare workers (which I am one of ). It takes more "office people"/non-clinical people to get a patient from the admitting department until that person's bill gets paid (if it gets paid). This means hospitals and clinics hire more people to manage the paperwork. Someone has to pay for this...and it's reflected in higher operating costs.

I'm not advocating going back to the old days of doctors charging at will and hospital CFO's raising costs unchecked. The checks and balances are a good thing. But, I think the average healthcare consumer doesn't realize the amount of people it takes just to attempt to keep up with and adhere to the governments ever-changing regulations.

[bernie's bender]

the exact same people who were against seatbelts are against healthcare.

nothing ever changes except the individual issue's name.

For fun, go back and read about who was for and who was against safety belts and legislation to require them to save lives. What you'll find is....

the same exact quotes, vilification and nonsense.

our attention span (in the US) and our actual memory for what actually transpired and transpires... would be humorous except for those who suffer from our fear and prejudice.

[Koala]

First of all let me say I'm not so familiar with the healscare from the US and UK, so it is for me an interesting discussion!

We have also 'Public' and 'Private' Insurance. Private insurance are usually self-employed or eg teachers or police officers. The most salaried like me are usually insured by a puplic health insurance.
Once a quarter, you have to pay $ 13 consultation fee (however only if you must visit a doctor)!But only once if you has to go in this time to several doctors, you gets a receipt that you has already paid! If you need a medicines you must be paid a small part itself. People with a low-income or chronically sick people must pay nothing for their medications, so much I know!
For my knee I need at the moment a bandage, because I have got them of the doctor prescribed,
if I had to pay only 13$ for it, normally such a thing costs 135$. I had never problems with my insurance, I can choose which doctor I go to or in what Hospital, if necessary!
All in all a good health care!

[Freypower]

Our system is fairly similar to Britain's NHS but I don't think it is as comprehensive. My fear is that if a conservative government is elected the whole lot will be dismantled and everyone will have to pay for everything. My family has no private cover at all - we rely on Medicare. It's only dental treatment that is expensive for us as you can't claim ANY of that back from Medicare. Medication is expensive though - I am on high blood pressure tablets and it's $30 per packet for those, every five weeks.

[The_Girl_Of_Summer]

First of all let me say I'm not so familiar with the healscare from the US and UK, so it is for me an interesting discussion!

We have also 'Public' and 'Private' Insurance. Private insurance are usually self-employed or eg teachers or police officers. The most salaried like me are usually insured by a puplic health insurance.
Once a quarter, you have to pay $ 13 consultation fee (however only if you must visit a doctor)!But only once if you has to go in this time to several doctors, you gets a receipt that you has already paid! If you need a medicines you must be paid a small part itself. People with a low-income or chronically sick people must pay nothing for their medications, so much I know!
For my knee I need at the moment a bandage, because I have got them of the doctor prescribed,
if I had to pay only 13$ for it, normally such a thing costs 135$. I had never problems with my insurance, I can choose which doctor I go to or in what Hospital, if necessary!
All in all a good health care!

Koala, At the end of this class i have to submit a proposal of what kind of system i would like to see and i plan on doing something simular to Germany's system.

And thank you to everyone who has taken an intrest in this topic its really helping to get not only the government views, like in my books, but to also get the public opinion's on these healthcare systems