Question News & Politics
America already has single-payer healthcare?
Jwalden --- Constitution Party October 11, 2009 18:27:34
- 19 answers
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- +15 raves
Medicaid patients are 50 percent more likely to die after heart bypass surgery than those with private insurance http://www.urbancure.org/article.asp?id=3175
If you want to know about government healthcare, you don't have to look to Great Britain or Canada. Just look at our own at-risk communities where 60 million Americans are currently on a single-payer government system called Medicaid. The result: 40 percent of physicians won't accept Medicaid patients. 65 percent of physicians say their reimbursements don't cover their costs of treatment. When admitted to a hospital, those on Medicaid are far less-likely to survive than those on private care. According to one study, Medicaid patients are 50 percent more likely to die after heart bypass surgery than those with private insurance. States put final decisions in the hands of state bureaucrats, not in the hands of doctors. In the face of overwhelming evidence that government healthcare means rationing or substandard care, shouldn't we want less of it, not more?
If you want to know about government healthcare, you don't have to look to Great Britain or Canada. Just look at our own at-risk communities where 60 million Americans are currently on a single-payer government system called Medicaid. The result: 40 percent of physicians won't accept Medicaid patients. 65 percent of physicians say their reimbursements don't cover their costs of treatment. When admitted to a hospital, those on Medicaid are far less-likely to survive than those on private care. According to one study, Medicaid patients are 50 percent more likely to die after heart bypass surgery than those with private insurance. States put final decisions in the hands of state bureaucrats, not in the hands of doctors. In the face of overwhelming evidence that government healthcare means rationing or substandard care, shouldn't we want less of it, not more?
To force doctors into government-run health care is to make them like indentured servants who will never be able to practice medicine as they believe is best again. No wonder so many want to retire or change professions.
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If we want reform, #1 we need to start with corruption in Medicaid and medicare and we do not need a bill in congress to do that tomorrow morning.
#2 TORT reform - we already have Mississippi and Texas as test cases to look at the strides they have made. Mississippi is furthest along.
#3 remove the barriers to competition by allowing companies to compete nation wide, these folks that want 'competition' should allow it
#4 Nation wide risk pools for pre-existing and the uninsured with companies spreading the % of risk according to their size so that large companies bear more of the risk than the smaller ones. Using # of currently insured is a good way to distribute risk but there are others. #5 Free or low cost clinics in depressed areas for help to those truely destitute. Medical personnel could receive 'credit' for student loans via this system while giving care at the same time.
And lastly,...
If we want reform, #1 we need to start with corruption in Medicaid and medicare and we do not need a bill in congress to do that tomorrow morning.
#2 TORT reform - we already have Mississippi and Texas as test cases to look at the strides they have made. Mississippi is furthest along.
#3 remove the barriers to competition by allowing companies to compete nation wide, these folks that want 'competition' should allow it
#4 Nation wide risk pools for pre-existing and the uninsured with companies spreading the % of risk according to their size so that large companies bear more of the risk than the smaller ones. Using # of currently insured is a good way to distribute risk but there are others. #5 Free or low cost clinics in depressed areas for help to those truely destitute. Medical personnel could receive 'credit' for student loans via this system while giving care at the same time.
And lastly, no one should be forced to have coverage if they do not want it but it should be affordable for all with vouchers for those who cannot pay. Vouchers they can take to any company as they shop for the best plan for them. Yes, there would be huge competition for those vouchers. If your goal is competition - then do something that actually helps the nation grow.
Somewhere along the way, people decided that they were entitled to complete coverage for every visit, every check-up, and every single thing they wanted. That is one of the things that has driven up costs for everyone. What really needs to be covered is catostrophic care, surely we can all assume some responsiblity for our own health care. Also the non-compete contracts - Bush administration tried to get congress to pass the use of competition on medical equipment (wheel chairs etc) and congress (in their infinite wisdom ) refused - what year?? 2007-8 - So I have no trust that this same congress has any interest in reform at all. Their bills are about government control of health care. No more and no less.
The medicare patients in the nursing homes get the budget rooms with multiple people in a room that does not include the same as those paying in the other part of the nursing home.
That's the same as the UK faces in all their hospitals. People are in Wards...not private rooms unless they are super sick. No private TV's in the rooms, you have to go down the hall and watch in the tv room just like many nursing homes have. Forget it if you don't get alone with those in the room and want to watch something else.
What does a TV have to do with health care? Plenty, as it helps relax people to take their worries away from their health or possibly dying and the stress factor does make a difference how fast someone heals.