What's Wrong With American Healthcare?

[American History Magazine]

James Mohr examines the history of American health care.


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[Mountain Man]

It became primarily abut profits rather than patients. It's that simple.

[Biscuit]

You can't say that for everyone, though I would put most hospital CEOs in that category. They well be nice people, but there are numbers to crunch and people for them to answer to if they want to keep their job.

I know alot of doctors who give discounts, match payments for financially strapped people, and sometimes don't even charge for simple services like writing a prescription or stitches for a student with no money. Hospitals always bill for the full amount possible.

[Mountain Man]

They're the minority, though.

I practiced for thirty years, and the single major factor that drove me to retire early was that it wasn't about the patients, anymore. Medical decisions no longer drove care - cost vs profit did.

[Heidi]

Very true MM....working class men lives arn't worth anything compare to money.
The working class man and his family are the ones that keep the country running and to be kept down to make the high socitey feel speical.

The government knows the healthcare can be improve,but the question is,does the government really want to imporve it?

Whats wrong with American healthcare..well least America has got one,some countruries do not!

The country I am living in now...there healthcare is AOK...private healthcare is more expensive but in anycase,it still looks after you.

What America can do...take some notice of other countries and see if it would work in America,or fire the medical professions and hire new medical professions.

[Biscuit]

How much experience do you have with American health care?

[Heidi]

I am assuming you are talking to me?
I just read and heard a little about USA healthcare...I was just giving some suggestions.

[cecilia]

Originally Posted by Biscuit

You can't say that for everyone, though I would put most hospital CEOs in that category. They well be nice people, but there are numbers to crunch and people for them to answer to if they want to keep their job.

I know alot of doctors who give discounts, match payments for financially strapped people, and sometimes don't even charge for simple services like writing a prescription or stitches for a student with no money. Hospitals always bill for the full amount possible.

We in Britain might complain about the NHS but the services above are "free" to us, and i think that we don't realise how lucky we are, compared to other forms of healthcare.

[globetrotter]

From what I have read and heard about the system in the US, as well as what colleagues have shared with me about it (I work in health care), is that the most problematic aspect of the US system is that the health insurers seem to be able to make up the rules as they go along.

Profit before patient care, which has already been stated in this thread.

[Biscuit]

They do have a nasty habit of denying things they are supposed to pay for. I am pretty lucky in that my dad has written one protest letters stating that they were denying coverage on something that that was in my policy. They paid, and quickly.

I am very happy with my health care and do not want it changed. I don't have personal experience with the UK, but I do with Oz and would not want to trade for their health care. While it may meet their needs, it is not the same quality of care that I am used to getting.

[cecilia]

Some would argue that there is a two tier system here, but in my opinion every Consultant that i have seen, have been brilliant, i personally think a good doctor is good whether private or not, and over here it's the same doctor.

[rotorwash]

I think the biggest cost factor in US healthcare is malpractice insurance. The biggest problem with US healthcare is that Congress doesn't have to live under it.

It must be pretty good, here at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill we have a large number of foreigners coming for treatment. I haven't heard of too many people leaving the US for healthcare unless its to go to Mexico to try a drug not approved here.

RW

[Biscuit]

The other factors that make US health care expensive are:

1. Subsidizing the uninsured with essentially free medical care.

2. Hospitals competing and duplicating expensive services in areas where the population can't support those premium services.

3. The death of health care: The $10 co-pay. First of all, it means a big pay out from the insurance company. Secondly, people are much more likely to go the doctor for nothing if they don't have to pay much money. A $50 co-pay makes people evaluate their true needs much more than a $10 co-pay.

Now imagine, what it will do to the system if everyone has low co-pays. Health care costs could well sky rocket into a much nastier beast that we currently have. Our system isn't perfect, no one's is, but it meets most needs, all the emergent ones, and letting the government in on it will insure that it gets much worse.

[General Staff]

Originally Posted by Biscuit

The other factors that make US health care expensive are:

1. Subsidizing the uninsured with essentially free medical care.

Then maybe make it insured at the expense of the State. And tax everyone to pay for it. Like education. It works elsewhere.

Or am I missing something again? And if so, what am I missing, other than vested interests?

[Gorque]

Fixation upon the exceptions instead of the norm?