Was listening to the news this morning and one story was about the death of the actress, Mz Richardson a couple weeks ago. Turns out that if she had been given a simple test she would likely still be alive. But that this test was not authorized under the Canadian health system because of cost. Top that off with the long delay in getting her to medical treatment because of the lack of helicopter medevac service and you have a relatively young woman dead because of inadequate health services due to Government regulation. Is this what we really want in America?

J_9

Of course it's not. As a nurse I am quite frightened by the idea of socialized medicine. I won't be able to order an ultrasound if I feel that there might be a shoulder dystocia because it's "too expensive." That simple test could save the life of the baby I am ordering it for.

excon

Hello 450:

I don't want the government in the examining room with me and my doctor.... But, right now, I've got the government in there AND an insurance adjuster.

Frankly, I don't know what the insurance adjuster is doing there. Certainly HE'S going to deny me services too, just like you think the government is gonna, otherwise he WOULDN'T be there. No??

Why do YOU think he's there? Or do you even get that he is. Certainly the email you get from the right wingers isn't going to tell you about them.

Seems to me, that health care would get a whole lot cheaper, and be more widely available if we removed ONE of those FOUR people from the examining room..

What??? You don't think insurance companies are making money here?

excon

J_9

Excon, my love,

Did you not know that we, as medical professionals, can manipulate the insurance companies when necessary? Yes, there are billing codes, etc. but when there is a medical necessity, we can re-code the procedures so that your insurance company will pay. And, it's LEGAL!!

excon

Hello again, J:

Me theenks you could do the same with the government. I dunno why not.

excon

ETWolverine

Government Run Universal Health Care isn't universal, doesn't create health, and doesn't care.

Government-run Universal Health Care results in rationing of health care, which means that millions of people won't get the care they really need. Therefore, it is NOT universal.

Government-run healthcare doesn't provide health care. It provides, at best, health insurance, and at worst, miles of red tape. Therefore it doesn't provide health.

And government-run agencies are crewed by people who don't give a damn... go to any Department of Motor Vehicles office and tell me if that statement isn't true. The government and its employees don't care.

Elliot

ETWolverine

Lack of competition.

In the end, insurance companies are businesses. If they get a reputation for not covering the procedures that they say they are going to cover, clients will go elsewhere for coverage. So it is in their best interests, in the end, to provide the services they promise. In the end, that's how they get new customers and make money. That incentive doesn't work in a single-payor government-run system that doesn't have competition.

There is no incentive for the government to pay out on benefits, and every incentive for them to make it as hard as possible to obtain benefits. Every penny they don't spend on health care is another dollar that some politician can use for his pet pork project.

That's why it won't work to change codes in a government-run system.

Elliot

excon

Hello again, Elliot:

Tell me why you think the insurance agent gives a damn, or cares about you at all. You're HAPPY to have HIM in the examining room with you.... I can't tell why. Maybe you own insurance company stock. Come on, El. Don't keep secrets. Why do you think your insurance company is going to treat you any better than the government would?

I can tell that you're IGNORING the insurance agent issue. That tells me a LOT.

excon

NeedKarma

I read the whole story in the Globe and mail about the timeline of Ms. Richardson's events. I'm curious to know what this simple test is 450donn. By the report it is possible that nothing would have helped Ms. Richardson who walked away from the scene of her ski fall of her own accord. Not even a helicopter flight would have helped. An autopsy would reveal more details.

ETWolverine

As I said, because they are in the business of making money, it is in their best interests to keep their clients happy. Ergo, they usually are. It doesn't matter whether the employees really give a damn or not, because they HAVE to do their best for the client or else they get fired by a company that wants to be competitive.

The government has no such incentive to keep employees happy because they have no competition.

Elliot