Obamacare- I have to say it

[NCFJ]

OK here's the deal. I have not had health care since 1995, nor has my wife. We were both accustomed to Pay as you GO and have. So we got involved in Obamacare. Lord help us. Heather has been in to see a Dr and had a complete physical, all was covered. That seems OK. They sent us paper work that requires us to prove we are US citizens. I would think that this fact is well documented in the information other branches of the government already has at their finger tips, but hey they are so stressed over there in government.

I am allergic to bee stings and having an EpiPen is a good thing. I used to pay cash and get them for $60 each and they lasted a year. I have 4 expired units sitting on my desk. They are not even good paper weights. Soooooooooo, Heather gets a script called in for them when she goes for her physical. Now you can only get Epipens in 2 paks $350.00 at CVS. But Hey, the makers of Epipen are benevolent enough to grant me $100.00 of making a two pak only $250.00. I got by just fine on a single $60 unit for years, but now they tell me I need two and charge me $122.50 a unit and tell me they are doing me a favor.

Oh yeah, Epipens are not covered by most insurance companies until you are out of your total care deductible. Ours is $3,500.00 combined.

This is one shining example of how insurance and drug companies influence medical care in this country.

Rant over, for this post at least

 

[lt1fire]

Sadly another glaring example of how F'd up health care is in our country.
I feel your pain as pills that Andrea needs ever month have jumped 400% in the last year.

This video my friend showed me a few months back is dead on as to why health care costs are so sky high in the US.

5 years ago when I was a health care major in college we had a huge assignment one semester to compare health care costs of our assigned first world country vs the US.

All 40 of us came up with almost the exact same thing as this video and we all had 9 months or time to research it.

Enjoy and be mad

 

[NCFJ]

Heather and I watched SICKO by Michael Moore the other night. After accepting it is MM's point of view, a great deal of the facts shown boggle the mind. All of a sudden, France makes sense.

I really think this one person in France in the above movie got it and said this, don't shoot me if I miss quote, this is the jist.

"In France, the government is afraid of the people, we tend to revolt. In the US the people are afraid of the government"

Interesting statement.

 

[JohnVee]

Ask some veterans if they were ever happy with their GovCo healthcare process. GovCo can't run s***. That's why they farm everything out now. Ask a healthcare worker if they like the idea of obamacare. Lowercase on purpose.

Healthcare (anything Medi-) as handled by the gov't is the most corrupt business I've ever experienced. The same private insurers we've all had for years are the same ones who GovCo contracts to; they're just more able to stick it to you (and the rest of the healthcare industry) as contractors than they are as private insurers. There has always been loopholes big enough to drive a truck through - every now and then, they close one and claim success at fighting fraud. Yes, I have worked in the industry. Still trying to forget everything I ever learned or experienced.

I'm still curious as to how many doctors will be retiring early over the next 5 years. At least Indians speak English - we'll be their residency guinea pigs.

Yes, I'm overly pissy today. Pressing send anyway.

 

[Cirbo]

Indirect healthcare worker here too. I'm watching all the hospital lay-offs and closures that the media doesn't seem to want to talk about with a bad feeling.

 

[krzyabncanuck]

Talk to me about the VA. Oh thats right , it finally made it all over the news. Welcome to gub healthcare.

 

[NCFJ]

Nothing is going to change until we get government to understand that skimming 70% off the top to pay Insurance companies and the big medical machine is never going to work. Far too many pockets getting lined for this system to change much.

 

[sschruff]

Nothing is going to change until we get government to understand that skimming 70% off the top to pay Insurance companies and the big medical machine is never going to work. Far too many pockets getting lined for this system to change much.

I could write a 100 page reply r/t both the overall state of healthcare and the VA's never ending FUBAR.

Instead, I'll direct you to this:

documentary: Fat, sick and almost dead (over 3 years into it - for myself, two family members, and numerous patients; excellent results)

Book: Eat right for your type (over 5 years into it - same as above); get the older version, 96-97 edition.

Yoga/massage/holistic medicine: has kept me away from the surgery farm and equally as important, being a lab rat for the pharm companies.

Like our government, healthcare is a racket and while it has its' place, it is predominately nothing more than an ATM for pharm, ins. and gov't entities.

I'll talk to you over the phone r/t the Eippen. . .might have a solution for you.

Shane

 

[NCjeff]

So since we all know the healthcare system is royally F***ed. Whats the answer?

Move to Canada, France, Cuba, etc, etc...??? (Not 100% sold on socialized medicine)
Yoga, massage, exercise, and cross my fingers nothing horrible happens to me and my family? Which by the way if it does the insurance company will sure as s*** find a way to not pay for it.
Vote for Bernie?

Can it really be fixed?

 

[izzyandsue]

Not Cuba, no, not that please, took us too long to get out.

 

[sschruff]

So since we all know the healthcare system is royally F***ed. Whats the answer?

The answer is a collective push for change but the healthcare FUBAR is only one part of the puzzle. I'm assuming you know this already and thus know that the financial control of (insert problem here) will never reach what would be considered 'good for the masses' - that is, without a outright overthrow of our government. Therefore, the answer starts with me, you, and every other individual that faces (insert problem here). This in and of itself brings about another problem - how many of us would give up what they have/their way of life to wage a fight against the government?

Move to Canada, France, Cuba, etc, etc...??? (Not 100% sold on socialized medicine)

Have you lived in a country with socialized medicine? I have and can speak from experience - no complaints; had equally as good, if not better, treatment compared to what I have rec'd in the States.

Yoga, massage, exercise, and cross my fingers nothing horrible happens to me and my family?

Crossing your fingers has nothing to do with the above scenario. Educating yourself, however, does. Cry 'witchcraft' all you want, NCjeff, but yoga, massage and changing what I put into my body has kept me active, fit, and healthy despite an extensive injury/trauma history. Moreover, I didn't cross my fingers and instead educated myself when our trusted medical doctors told me their projection r/t my future quality of life. As most ppl don't take the time to learn or simply investigate what someone is telling them, you may be the sort of person that believes the big pharma push r/t 'there's a pill/procedure for everything'?

Which by the way if it does the insurance company will sure as s*** find a way to not pay for it.

They don't pay for it now and will never pay for it despite EBM/P data demonstrating the overall reduction is healthcare and healthcare associated costs. Here's another one for you: On a patient's billing sheet - the one we fill out based on our interaction with a patient - why isn't there a billing code for getting someone off of meds, decreasing their frequency of visits r/t improved health status, etc.?

Vote for Bernie?

Does it really matter who you vote for at this point? Do you think that's air you're breathing?

Can it really be fixed?

There was a point in time when the general populace of this country would do something about it and moreover, without hesitation. That simply isn't the case any longer. Self-preservation has overtaken sense of duty, honor and accountability.

Shane

 

[elkaholic]

Indirect healthcare worker here too. I'm watching all the hospital lay-offs and closures that the media doesn't seem to want to talk about with a bad feeling.

And they are hiring the hell outta financial folks to make sure they can suck the gummint teat dry ....

I believe that the reforms put in place by the ACA will result in a strong parallel to what the airlines are facing now with a lack of qualified pilots. The ACA is resulting in an increase in overall costs while reducing payments to practitioners. The extra cost has to be covered somewhere.

The airlines cut pay in the 90s when executives saw they had 100 applicants for every job while the cost of becoming qualified to be a captain went up. They now cannot find qualified pilots and the FAA recently moved the required retirement from 60 to 65 because of a lack of pilots: who's gonna spend $150K to learn to fly and have to live in their parent's basement in order to survive on regional airline pay. I believe ACA will drive the same thing with MDs. Who's going to come out of school with $500 - 750K in debt when there will be little chance to find a job that will allow you to pay off the debt and live a the same time?

One of many things I dislike about the ACA (I refuse to call it that other name ... can't say that guys name without getting ...)

 

[onemanarmy]

So why does it cost $500K for medical school?

No amount of yoga and eating right will help a medical emergency (broken bone, head injury, gunshot wound/ etc)

It's all our own fault. If everyone just paid out of pocket and what they could pay, then the healthcare industry would settle into a nice little supply/demand pricing scheme and move on from there. Of course it's corrupt, too much money to be had when everyone pays hundreds of dollars to an Ins. company every month and never use it.

But many would argue that we have the best health system in the world. Is that because we attract the best doctors and scientists with all the money that is to be made? If the money wasn't there, and it wouldn't be without the insurance companies paying the doctors and hospitals whatever they charge, would it be the same? Where else would you want to go when you get Ebola?

 

[sschruff]

So why does it cost $500K for medical school?

Depends on many factors. 500K isn't the usual total - maybe over the life of the loan but most ppl I know/work with pay additional in order to reduce % fees.

No amount of yoga and eating right will help a medical emergency (broken bone, head injury, gunshot wound/ etc)

I almost don't want to address the above comment. Common sense should dictate services rendered. If you have a fxxxing open chest wound, I agree with you, get medical attention and skip the yoga class. Now, if you're fat, eat like you're still 15, smoke, don't exercise, consume ETOH, etc., then you should shoulder part - if not the majority - of the responsibility of/for your health status. Aside from true medical emergencies, holistic modalities are EB and proven (if you ask me for references, I'll direct you to UpToDate.com or you can pay me $95/hr to do the work for you). Again, common sense. . .shouldn't be that difficult.

It's all our own fault. If everyone just paid out of pocket and what they could pay, then the healthcare industry would settle into a nice little supply/demand pricing scheme and move on from there. Of course it's corrupt, too much money to be had when everyone pays hundreds of dollars to an Ins. company every month and never use it.

Agreed and great point. Hence the upswing of conciserge services/clinics. If I sent the IRS 40-60% reimbursement of my taxes, think I'd still have control of my house/bank accounts? Yet it's legal for them to reimburse me $90-$135 when I bill for $225? Justify this: 10-day supply of (insert any longstanding atypical abx here) before Obamacare, ~$30; after Obamacare, ~$125 - $337? Have you researched 5 yr profits for insurance companies? 750m & up in profits, yet I have to do a 45 min PA for a Rx that a patient has been on - and well controlled by - because the costs are too high now?

But many would argue that we have the best health system in the world. Is that because we attract the best doctors and scientists with all the money that is to be made? If the money wasn't there, and it wouldn't be without the insurance companies paying the doctors and hospitals whatever they charge, would it be the same? Where else would you want to go when you get Ebola?

Agreed and another great point. You can't simply focus on one problem and neglect another. The interrelatedness is so confounded that it'll make your head spin. Personally, I don't see a fix without a total revamp and as you stated, the $$ corruption reward will not go down without a significant fight.

Shane

 

[onemanarmy]

Agreed and another great point. You can't simply focus on one problem and neglect another. The interrelatedness is so confounded that it'll make your head spin. Personally, I don't see a fix without a total revamp and as you stated, the $$ corruption reward will not go down without a significant fight.

Shane

I understand what you mean by eating healthy and exercising, but that won't stop everything.

And yes, common sense is not that common anymore.

Case in point, the woman who is blaming the fireworks for killing her son after he drank too much and lit one on top of his head.

 

[sschruff]

I understand what you mean by eating healthy and exercising, but that won't stop everything.

I hear that statement on a daily basis. I usually answer with, "Yes, you're 100% correct", but then go on to explain the mythological nonsense behind the need to cure everything. . .all at once. It's hard - we are creatures of habit and to instill a change in a person's 20,30,40 year long routine is extremely difficult. However, I've experienced and witnessed the results firsthand in a small number of my patients. There is no cure-all, no magic pill, and traditional medicine is specifically designed around maintaining, not really correcting. It's analogous to being between a rock and a hard spot.

And yes, common sense is not that common anymore.

100% couldn't have said it any better myself.

Case in point, the woman who is blaming the fireworks for killing her son after he drank too much and lit one on top of his head.

Litigation and the associated easy reward for blaming someone else. This one aspect consumes the majority of my daily practice and directly influences my willingness to go 'above & beyond' for a patient. Darwinism exemplified?

Shane

 

[GarnerFJ40]

I don't want to defend most Big Pharma companies, becuase just like in any business, a few bad apples spoil the basket. But, knowing what I know in what goes into the manufacturing processes for drugs, I can tell you it's expensive. Yes, you have to make a decent profit, because unlike other commodities sold on a market, drug failures are about 90%.

Here's a manufacturing similarity: If Toyota created 100 different types/lines of cars, gave about 5000-12000 people their own car to drive around for 5-7 years before deciding only 10 of them would actually work/sell, what do you think a new Landcruiser would cost you today? Oh, and by the way, the 10 cars you just made are going to be copied by Nissan 7 years after you start selling them and there is nothing you can do about it?

 

[JohnVee]

@GarnerFJ40 I completely understand your post and will not argue.

However...We recently had an ER visit and just got the bill. $200 for 2 Ibuprofen tablets. I can guarandamtee you that I've not spent that much on ibuprofen cumulatively in my life.

 

[izzyandsue]

I typically stay off politics and religion (since in many places is the same), but ACA was supposed to ensure that I, as an employer, provided decent healthcare to my employees. No biggie, we have to do that anyway to attract and retain good talent. The part that was not mentioned is how much more we had to pay due to insurance inceases resulting from ACA. That sucked. Then there is this from Science Daily, 1/08:

"A new study by two York University researchers estimates the U.S. pharmaceutical industry spends almost twice as much on promotion as it does on research and development, contrary to the industry’s claim. The researchers’ estimate is based on the systematic collection of data directly from the industry and doctors during 2004, which shows the U.S. pharmaceutical industry spent 24.4% of the sales dollar on promotion, versus 13.4% for research and development, as a percentage of US domestic sales of US$235.4 billion."

Having these types of clients in my firm, they (healthcare providers) are not interested in improving their processes to reduce cost and help consumers, hospitals and doctors by large do . They engage us because the competition just got harder and old monopolies can't be maintained.

For example "Izzy, we have reduced the time dramatically from the time you enter the ER to the time we get you to a room" Me "but does the time to actually see a doctor and get treatment got better?" them "well, no, that was not our goal, why do you ask?" Nuff said.

Going back go Cuba, will bring bigger guns this time.

 

[GarnerFJ40]

@GarnerFJ40 I completely understand your post and will not argue.

However...We recently had an ER visit and just got the bill. $200 for 2 Ibuprofen tablets. I can guarandamtee you that I've not spent that much on ibuprofen cumulatively in my life.

Yes, but that specific cost won't go to any drug company profits. That's all hospital profit/offset.