Obama Backs Health Care Reform

The first hurdle to over come is the physicians. In the United States, because doctors have the potential to make as much money as the market can bear to pay, we have the best and brightest physicians. Unfortunately, greed causes ethical issues to arise. Some of the saddest issues I have seen, deal with over treatment and under treatment of people. Doctors have become unable or unwilling to have conversations with patients and families about the benefits and draw backs of treatments and some doctors seem to have forgotten there comes a point in time where no treatment can prevent death. I have seen doctors tell patients and families, “We’ll start an IV, get some fluid in the patient, so they can get a little stronger and come back in for more chemotherapy.” The appropriate answer in this situation should have been, “I am so sorry, but your wife is actively dying, and there is nothing left to do.” In this situation, the patient and family had the ability to pay, there was still money to be made. I have also seen physicians refuse to treat people, or demand payment upfront from patients and families based on their funding sources. If you belong to the two socialized medicine programs in this country, Medicare and Medicaid, it can be hard to find a doctor willing to treat you. Your payment sources, Medicare and Medicaid, don’t pay well, and the doctor’s practice is a for profit entity.

In the doctor’s defense, our court systems have awarded unbelievable personal injury verdicts, and doctors pay large malpractice liability premiums. The problem with Health Care is it is people, caring for people, and I have never met anyone who is perfect. I make mistakes every day. I try hard not to, but I am only human. When I make a mistake, it usually means I have to work twice as hard to fix my mistake and then catch back up on all my other work. When doctors, nurses, and therapists, make mistakes, people lose their lives, or live with terrible consequences. Until we can design, perfect machines to care for us, mistakes will be made.

The second hurdle faced by Health Care is Insurance Companies. I have a friend who has really great insurance, and had to have surgery. When my friend got his Explanation Of Benefits, the insurance company had paid $5,000 of the $25,000 balance. When my friend called his insurance to find out about the $20,000 he was told this was a “contractual amount”, which means the insurance has negotiated the set price of $5,000 with the provider for the type of surgery my friend had. If I had the same surgery, but did not have insurance and had to private pay, would I of had to pay $25,000 for the same surgery my friend got for $5,000? If so, this is wrong. I have no words to explain how wrong this is. Why are there so many different prices, payments for the exact same thing? I believe the price should be the price, should be the price, regardless of who your payor source is for Health Care.

Karen of NE 7:25PM March 12, 2009

Has anyone out there seen the Michael Meyer movie Sicko?

Check it out, government funded health care does work. Maybe not here because of the imbedded and accepted business practice of manipulating and ripping off the little guy. Like several people interviewed in this movie say; in our country (Canada, France, etc.) the government fears the reprisal of the people if it doesn’t keep the people’s priority #1. In the U.S. the people fear the government and go along with the dictates for fear of being cut off, or, out of any good they think they are getting. To me that says a lot. Even though I am very skeptical of this information being unbiased, totally objective and honest, I am also very skeptical of our government’s way of looking at people as a source for their multi million/billion $ bonuses. What a bunch of sheep we have allowed ourselves to become.

Jim Baylor of CA 5:36PM February 06, 2009

Has anyone out there seen the Michael Meyer movie Sicko?

Check it out, government funded health care does work. Maybe not here because of the imbedded and accepted business practice of manipulating and ripping off the little guy. Like several people interviewed in this movie say; in our country (Canada, France, etc.) the government fears the reprisal of the people if it doesn’t keep the people’s priority #1. In the U.S. the people fear the government and go along with the dictates for fear of being cut off, or, out of any good they think they are getting. To me that says a lot. Even though I am very skeptical of this information being unbiased, totally objective and honest, I am also very skeptical of our government’s way of looking at people as a source for their multi million/billion $ bonuses. What a bunch of sheep we have allowed ourselves to become.

Jim Baylor of CA 5:36PM February 06, 2009

Has anyone out there seen the Michael Meyer movie Sicko?

Check it out, government funded health care does work. Maybe not here because of the imbedded and accepted business practice of manipulating and ripping off the little guy. Like several people interviewed in this movie say; in our country (Canada, France, etc.) the government fears the reprisal of the people if it doesn’t keep the people’s priority #1. In the U.S. the people fear the government and go along with the dictates for fear of being cut off, or, out of any good they think they are getting. To me that says a lot. Even though I am very skeptical of this information being unbiased, totally objective and honest, I am also very skeptical of our government’s way of looking at people as a source for their multi million/billion $ bonuses. What a bunch of sheep we have allowed ourselves to become.

Jim Baylor of CA 5:36PM February 06, 2009