The future of healthcare in the US?

[Skibo]

Oh you're sick? Old? Here take a pain pill and make and appointment with the assisted suicide administrator Thank you Have a nice day. Linky

[The Lost Manatee]

The only difference I see is that that offered an alternative. I've known two people who were denied treatment as prescribed by their doctor by their HMOs. I think it is a terrible thing that we have to ration care so that insurance companies can turn a bigger profit.

[UAHparrothead]

How about some solutions instead of more bitching and moaning and fear mongering?

[green1]

Just heard today that the 4th ranking Democrat in the House, John Larson from CT, had elective heart valve replacement surgery.

Would this be covered for you or I under Obama's plan?

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/20 ... gery-.html

[ph4ever]

I knew it had to be Oregon or Washington because of the suicide. Like The Lost Manatee said, people who have insurance have been denied treatment.

This is not the future of healthcare in the US it is the NOW.

[no shoes]

I guess I don't understand enough about what is proposed, as things are very different on this side of the pond.....

But why do I only hear bad things about what these changes will do - what about all those people who are not able to afford healthcare at the moment - surely it will be better for them?

There is a lot of scare mongering about the national health service but believe me there is much more good than bad.......

[ph4ever]

I guess I don't understand enough about what is proposed, as things are very different on this side of the pond.....

But why do I only hear bad things about what these changes will do - what about all those people who are not able to afford healthcare at the moment - surely it will be better for them?

There is a lot of scare mongering about the national health service but believe me there is much more good than bad.......

Sometimes having healthcare insurance really doesn't help. I've known of people who had to take out loans and second mortgages because their healthcare insurance policy didn't pay for enough of their treatment without them doing so.

Sometimes the hospital will work with them to try to obtain financing for their healthcare for the employed but non insured. Some hospitals will treat indigent people - but the service and treatment you get is sometimes vastly different from what an insured person will get.

[Skibo]

How about some solutions instead of more bitching and moaning and fear mongering?

Plenty of solutions have been offered. Tort reform for example. How about allowing people to select insurance from other states? There are already over 1000 insurance options available, another option is not going to make it cheaper. Right now, I have the option to change insurers if I'm not happy with my insurance, read the current house bill, I won't have that option, in fact, my only option is the govt option if my current insurance ends for any reason. Social security will be bankrupt soon, medicare/cade is a mess and just about out of money and even the people that are on that are required to get supplemental coverate, depending on the political agenda, the VA is either a model or the worst thing ever. I've seen more scandals and bad stories of the VA so am more inclined to believe it isn't very good. As the current system exists, nobody is denied treatment. So why does a 1000 page bill have to be passed in 15 minutes or less? A bill that wouldn't even take effect until 2013?

I like things the way they are, I don't want to depend on the government for anything but the defense of our borders. I would like the option to opt out of the social security ponzi scheme. I'll take care of myself thank you. I also help many others with contributions to various charities and involvement in service organizations.

No do like a good liberal pawn and report my fishy activity to flag@whitehouse.gov.

[UAHparrothead]

How about some solutions instead of more bitching and moaning and fear mongering?

I like things the way they are, I don't want to depend on the government for anything but the defense of our borders. I would like the option to opt out of the social security ponzi scheme. I'll take care of myself thank you. I also help many others with contributions to various charities and involvement in service organizations.

No do like a good liberal pawn and report my fishy activity to flag@whitehouse.gov.

Well good for you. Like everything else, if you are happy to hell with everyone else right? What about everyone you doesn't have health insurance? What about the people who go bankrupt because of medical bills? Screw 'em, it ain't you, right???? Now do like a good conservative pawn and listen to Hannity and Limbaugh, you'll need some new ideas for your cute little retorts.

[BFinnsUp]

Does anyone know of actual, independent, resources that outline the facts about the different bills or proposed bills? What I have heard on the news is slanted one way or the other and shallow on facts. Elected officials seem to be more worried about bashing each other and their ideas right now than explaining anything.

I have health insurance and am lucky in that is it is still covered by my employer. However, I have watched the cost of it rise exponentially over the past 6 or 7 years and know that they will not be willing to cover it forever. Although I prefer things to be settled in the private sector, there seems to be a problem with the system that needs to be fixed. If the only way to accomplish this is through government intervention then maybe that is the way it needs to be.

[C-Dawg]

What I want to know is how Congress is going to vote on House Resolution 615. I find it funny that Obama and the rest of the Dems want to give everyone in America health care....but not to the level they get.

I think the public servants in Washington should get the same health care as the public they serve. If they want to shove a program down our throats...then they should be the first to sign up.....but I find it funny under the current draft of the Democrat healthcare legislation, members of Congress are curiously exempt from the government-run health care option, keeping their existing health plans and services on Capitol Hill. If Members of Congress believe so strongly that government-run health care is the best solution for hard working American families, I think it only fitting that Americans see them lead the way. Public servants should always be accountable and responsible for what they are advocating.

House Resolution 615, sponsored by rep. John Fleming of Louisiana gives the Senate and Congress the opportunity to put their money where their mouth is, creating a government-run health care plan where they can lead by example and enroll themselves in the same public plan.

To email your Congressman and let him know how you feel on this issue.....click the link below

http://fleming.house.gov/index.cfm?sect ... tiontree=1

[Elrod]

Insurance merely shifts the responsibility for payment. The goal should be to reduce the cost of healthcare so that more people can afford it.

Start with tort reform. Any costs associated defending malpractice suits will be passed on to patients. There are lawyers that pride themselves on choosing a venue that will add to the size of the settlement.

Venue, the Key to Driving Favorable Settlements in Maryland
"The value of the lawsuit, as opposed to the loss, is drastically affected by venue. The differential in lawsuit value, based upon venue, holds truest in personal injury case. The same case, with the same facts and injuries, is worth substantially less on the Maryland Eastern Shore versus Prince George's County, for example. We know this because we can track jury verdicts over time and determine a pattern."

One of the factors that cause name brand prescriptions to be expensive in this country are the cost of product liability suits.

The Intersection of FDA Drug Labeling Requirements, State Tort Laws, and Drug Manufacturer Responsibility According to the U.S. Supreme Court
"Plaintiff, a professional musician, lost her hand to gangrene when she was administered Phenergan, an FDA-approved drug manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for treating the nausea which often accompanies severe migraine headaches. During her first visit to the clinic, Phenergan was administered by an intra-muscular injection. The Plaintiff returned later in the day, but this time the drug was administered by an “IV-push” intravenous injection by the attending physician’s assistant. Unfortunately for the Plaintiff, the “second” injection procedure caused the drug to come into contact with arterial blood, resulting in the onset of gangrene and eventually the amputation of her hand and forearm."

"In a nutshell, the Wyeth case holding emphasizes that prescription drug manufacturers have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the safety and effiicacy of their products."

What this account does not mention is that a properly performed “IV-push” will not cause the drug to come into contact with arterial blood.

Administrators that don't contribute to patient care add to the cost of healthcare. Michelle Obama was a VP at the University of Chicago Hospital while her husband was a state senator. After he was elected to the U.S. Senate, her salary was doubled to over $300,000. That same amount would have paid a couple of ER physicians or 4-5 Registered Nurses.

Reducing the cost of healthcare will go farther toward getting Americans insured than forcing them to participate in a program that probably won't provide for them in their time of need.

[UAHparrothead]

I agree that tort reform is high up on the list for things that must be done in order for real change to occur. Also, there needs to be a lot more care taken in all the waste that occurs in the medicine, i.e. unnecessary testing and prescription abuse. The health care lobby has their hands down the pants of those on both sides of the aisle which probably means that nothing good will be accomplished.

[flipflopgirl]

Insurance merely shifts the responsibility for payment. The goal should be to reduce the cost of healthcare so that more people can afford it.

Start with tort reform. Any costs associated defending malpractice suits will be passed on to patients. There are lawyers that pride themselves on choosing a venue that will add to the size of the settlement.

Venue, the Key to Driving Favorable Settlements in Maryland
"The value of the lawsuit, as opposed to the loss, is drastically affected by venue. The differential in lawsuit value, based upon venue, holds truest in personal injury case. The same case, with the same facts and injuries, is worth substantially less on the Maryland Eastern Shore versus Prince George's County, for example. We know this because we can track jury verdicts over time and determine a pattern."

One of the factors that cause name brand prescriptions to be expensive in this country are the cost of product liability suits.

The Intersection of FDA Drug Labeling Requirements, State Tort Laws, and Drug Manufacturer Responsibility According to the U.S. Supreme Court
"Plaintiff, a professional musician, lost her hand to gangrene when she was administered Phenergan, an FDA-approved drug manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for treating the nausea which often accompanies severe migraine headaches. During her first visit to the clinic, Phenergan was administered by an intra-muscular injection. The Plaintiff returned later in the day, but this time the drug was administered by an “IV-push” intravenous injection by the attending physician’s assistant. Unfortunately for the Plaintiff, the “second” injection procedure caused the drug to come into contact with arterial blood, resulting in the onset of gangrene and eventually the amputation of her hand and forearm."

"In a nutshell, the Wyeth case holding emphasizes that prescription drug manufacturers have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the safety and effiicacy of their products."

What this account does not mention is that a properly performed “IV-push” will not cause the drug to come into contact with arterial blood.

Administrators that don't contribute to patient care add to the cost of healthcare. Michelle Obama was a VP at the University of Chicago Hospital while her husband was a state senator. After he was elected to the U.S. Senate, her salary was doubled to over $300,000. That same amount would have paid a couple of ER physicians or 4-5 Registered Nurses.

Reducing the cost of healthcare will go farther toward getting Americans insured than forcing them to participate in a program that probably won't provide for them in their time of need.

Very well said E!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the time for hospital "systems" in the US to take stock and delete all of those paper pushers that do NOTHING to help a patient's care and focus the money on docs and nurses who are qualifed AND cut the costs so that the "working poor" who can't afford insurance can afford HEALTHCARE!!!!

[East Texas Parrothead]

Here's something to think about when discussing health care reform .....
Vickster is a BNer who helps out every year with the food at FFF .... Before she got sick, she was a caterer, so she really knows what she's doing. She's my hero because she never quits.

Can you imagine facing the choices she has???

I just wanted to give you a status update. A few of you probably already know this, but it's easier to just e-mail everyone as people are always asking about my health.

I started my first day of tests and appointments today for a heart transplant evaluation. I have numerous tests and appointments the rest of this week, two days next week, two days the following week and one day the week after that. I have to have non-fasting and fasting labs, meet with a dietician, renal doctor, pulmonary doctor, physciatrist, nuerologist, surgical doctor, social worker and the transplant coordinaitor. They will do ultrasounds on all of my organs, a CT scan of my brain and my lung, an angiogram for my heart and a colonoscopy.

Then based on all that, they will confer to see if I am a candicate and can be put on the list. The doctor told me I have one to two years without a new heart or a VAD pump implant. I know I have lots of people praying for me and I have a lot of faith. I have turned this over to God and I have a peace. I know that only he knows how long I have or if there is a heart for me.

Right now, I am feeling pretty good. The fluid retention is under control and I'm walking more. I'm also cutting down on carbs and sugars and trying to loose some weight. Secure Horizons has approved me for this transplant evaluation so I will not be charged the $100 per test co-pay and that was a big relief. I will have to pay all the doctor's visits at $25 each - an extra $150 that I really don't have so will have to make adjustments some where. It's really overwhelming.......the cost of the transplant is covered by Secure Horizons, but the anti-rejection drugs that I would have to take (if a heart were to become available) are astronomical. Either $3,000, $4,000 or $8,000 a month and I would be responsible for 20% of that. They have to know going in that I can handle the expense of the meds required following the transplant. Even at $3,000 a month, that's $600 that I would have to pay........and that's impossible......so I need to work on a plan.........if possible, I'm going to try to find a job through DARS working from my computer at home a few days a week. My other option would be to sell and give up everything and live with someone and pay minimal rent, so I can afford the meds, but that doesn't seem likely. They told me to talk to the social worker and see if there are any programs that might help - but I'm sure I'm one of thousands on a fixed income that also need help with their anti-rejection drugs. I'm not sure when they need to know and I think I have some time to try to work out something, but if not, I'll just take whatever time I have left.

I know many of you are praying for me and I would like to ask you to continue to pray for me as I get through all the testing. If I get put on the transplant list, there are 3 levels. I would be a 2. Then there are 1B's and 1A's with the 1A's being the sickest and at the top of the list. I am also O Negative which means I fall into the last group. And again, they have 10,000 people needing hearts and only get about 2,500 each year.........but I believe in miracles......so we'll see.

Now if I could just win the lottery, that would be great.

Thanks for being my friend and for your encouragment. The doctor has told me that having a large support group of friends is very important and I've been blessed with many friends.

[flipflopgirl]

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (((((((VICKSTER))))))We will find some money for some of the meds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BN can DO IT!!!!!!!

[ph4ever]

Insurance merely shifts the responsibility for payment. The goal should be to reduce the cost of healthcare so that more people can afford it.

Start with tort reform. Any costs associated defending malpractice suits will be passed on to patients. There are lawyers that pride themselves on choosing a venue that will add to the size of the settlement.

Venue, the Key to Driving Favorable Settlements in Maryland
"The value of the lawsuit, as opposed to the loss, is drastically affected by venue. The differential in lawsuit value, based upon venue, holds truest in personal injury case. The same case, with the same facts and injuries, is worth substantially less on the Maryland Eastern Shore versus Prince George's County, for example. We know this because we can track jury verdicts over time and determine a pattern."

One of the factors that cause name brand prescriptions to be expensive in this country are the cost of product liability suits.

The Intersection of FDA Drug Labeling Requirements, State Tort Laws, and Drug Manufacturer Responsibility According to the U.S. Supreme Court
"Plaintiff, a professional musician, lost her hand to gangrene when she was administered Phenergan, an FDA-approved drug manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for treating the nausea which often accompanies severe migraine headaches. During her first visit to the clinic, Phenergan was administered by an intra-muscular injection. The Plaintiff returned later in the day, but this time the drug was administered by an “IV-push” intravenous injection by the attending physician’s assistant. Unfortunately for the Plaintiff, the “second” injection procedure caused the drug to come into contact with arterial blood, resulting in the onset of gangrene and eventually the amputation of her hand and forearm."

"In a nutshell, the Wyeth case holding emphasizes that prescription drug manufacturers have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the safety and effiicacy of their products."

What this account does not mention is that a properly performed “IV-push” will not cause the drug to come into contact with arterial blood.

Administrators that don't contribute to patient care add to the cost of healthcare. Michelle Obama was a VP at the University of Chicago Hospital while her husband was a state senator. After he was elected to the U.S. Senate, her salary was doubled to over $300,000. That same amount would have paid a couple of ER physicians or 4-5 Registered Nurses.

Reducing the cost of healthcare will go farther toward getting Americans insured than forcing them to participate in a program that probably won't provide for them in their time of need.

I agree with you that healthcare costs should be reduced to be more affordable to Americans. And normally I would be all for tort reform except for prescription drug manufacturing companies unless the whole process of getting drugs approved by the FDA faces a drastic overhaul. For years now it's been way too easy for drugs to get approved by the FDA. The FDA does not monitor the clinical trials themselves - they take information regarding the clinical trials from the drug manufacturers. U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) evaluates the information supplied to them by the drug manufacturer and over the past several years the drug manufacturer has not been 100% forthright in their reporting of any possible adverse side effects regarding their drugs. That's one of the reasons why for several years you periodically see those tv ads "If you or your loved ones have taken _____ and suffered adverse side affects or death call xxxxx" A LOT of those drugs involved in lawsuits were fast tracked and gained quick approval by the FDA. Chantix, the smoking cessation drug is one of the latest. Pfizer simply did not report negative side affects that some in the clinical trial experienced. As soon as Chantix was approved Pfizer salesmen were sent to visit physicians in mass to physicians offices bearing gifts and other perks to entice physicians to prescribe Chantix. So in certain cases yes I can see where the drug manufacturer should be held responsible for the ill effects encountered by use of their product. Heck 9 months after Chantix was approved my doctor wanted to prescribe it to me and I was the one that told her about all the negative side effects being reported not only after it's release but also during the clinical trial - there were blogs and postings all over the internet about it. I also wonder how much is spent by the drug companies in perks to entice physicians to prescribe their products?

[ph4ever]

Here's something to think about when discussing health care reform .....
Vickster is a BNer who helps out every year with the food at FFF .... Before she got sick, she was a caterer, so she really knows what she's doing. She's my hero because she never quits.

Can you imagine facing the choices she has???

I just wanted to give you a status update. A few of you probably already know this, but it's easier to just e-mail everyone as people are always asking about my health.

I started my first day of tests and appointments today for a heart transplant evaluation. I have numerous tests and appointments the rest of this week, two days next week, two days the following week and one day the week after that. I have to have non-fasting and fasting labs, meet with a dietician, renal doctor, pulmonary doctor, physciatrist, nuerologist, surgical doctor, social worker and the transplant coordinaitor. They will do ultrasounds on all of my organs, a CT scan of my brain and my lung, an angiogram for my heart and a colonoscopy.

Then based on all that, they will confer to see if I am a candicate and can be put on the list. The doctor told me I have one to two years without a new heart or a VAD pump implant. I know I have lots of people praying for me and I have a lot of faith. I have turned this over to God and I have a peace. I know that only he knows how long I have or if there is a heart for me.

Right now, I am feeling pretty good. The fluid retention is under control and I'm walking more. I'm also cutting down on carbs and sugars and trying to loose some weight. Secure Horizons has approved me for this transplant evaluation so I will not be charged the $100 per test co-pay and that was a big relief. I will have to pay all the doctor's visits at $25 each - an extra $150 that I really don't have so will have to make adjustments some where. It's really overwhelming.......the cost of the transplant is covered by Secure Horizons, but the anti-rejection drugs that I would have to take (if a heart were to become available) are astronomical. Either $3,000, $4,000 or $8,000 a month and I would be responsible for 20% of that. They have to know going in that I can handle the expense of the meds required following the transplant. Even at $3,000 a month, that's $600 that I would have to pay........and that's impossible......so I need to work on a plan.........if possible, I'm going to try to find a job through DARS working from my computer at home a few days a week. My other option would be to sell and give up everything and live with someone and pay minimal rent, so I can afford the meds, but that doesn't seem likely. They told me to talk to the social worker and see if there are any programs that might help - but I'm sure I'm one of thousands on a fixed income that also need help with their anti-rejection drugs. I'm not sure when they need to know and I think I have some time to try to work out something, but if not, I'll just take whatever time I have left.

I know many of you are praying for me and I would like to ask you to continue to pray for me as I get through all the testing. If I get put on the transplant list, there are 3 levels. I would be a 2. Then there are 1B's and 1A's with the 1A's being the sickest and at the top of the list. I am also O Negative which means I fall into the last group. And again, they have 10,000 people needing hearts and only get about 2,500 each year.........but I believe in miracles......so we'll see.

Now if I could just win the lottery, that would be great.

Thanks for being my friend and for your encouragment. The doctor has told me that having a large support group of friends is very important and I've been blessed with many friends.

I know a guy that didn't qualify for the drug assistance program for his HCV treatment drugs (back then avg cost $ 2400.00 a month and he needed the 72 week treatment). His insurance paid all but $ 500.00 a month. He had to take out a second mortgage on his home. The exact same drugs in Costa Rica cost $ 850.00 a month total. That's just not right. You can't blame the cost of lawsuits in the US for the huge difference in costs - the only lawsuits for the HCV drugs concern a new drug that was, you guessed it, fast tracked by the FDA.

I will keep your friend in my prayers - I completely understand what she's going through. In the US there's an average of 17,000 a year for a liver transplant with only avg $ 7,000 a year performed and with a liver you can be a living donor and donate a part of your liver to save a life but not enough people are living donors.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Thanks, Connie. It's a b**** to have choice like these.

[UAHparrothead]

Administrators that don't contribute to patient care add to the cost of healthcare. Michelle Obama was a VP at the University of Chicago Hospital while her husband was a state senator. After he was elected to the U.S. Senate, her salary was doubled to over $300,000. That same amount would have paid a couple of ER physicians or 4-5 Registered Nurses.

Isn't that a redistribution of wealth? Isn't it the business of the hospital how much they pay their employees? Are you suggesting that the government regulate the salaries of hospital employees? Michelle Obama was VP of Community and External Affairs not necessarily an "administrator". She did block an attempt to recruit black girls to be guinea pigs for a vaccine. Her raise came with her promotion from Associate Dean to VP.