Michael Moore's Latest Target: Your HMO

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse1

We have one of the worse and most larcenous health care systems in the industrialized world, all reflected by its incredibly shameful stats. I'm currently looking at a forty thousand buck operation that takes a couple of hours and a week or so in the hospital. Luckily, I have insurance that will reduce the robbery to only an outrage. Many people don't.

I've never liked a Michael Moore, but he's right a lot, espicially in this case. Wait till he does one on the Justice system.

Just so I'm clear - you think it is larcenous for the doctor and the hospital to charge you 40K? If so, do you think they would charge less in a government controlled health care system? Do you advocate price controls in all areas or just health care? Who will decide the appropriate charges? How will they insure that competent people will want to enter an industry requiring long hours, extensive (years) training, incredibly high liability risk and still manage to make a good living?

[dmek25]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Just so I'm clear - you think it is larcenous for the doctor and the hospital to charge you 40K? If so, do you think they would charge less in a government controlled health care system? Do you advocate price controls in all areas or just health care? Who will decide the appropriate charges? How will they insure that competent people will want to enter an industry requiring long hours, extensive (years) training, incredibly high liability risk and still manage to make a good living?

right now my insurance company dictates to the doctors how much they will pay for certain procedures. they also dictate what procedures are necessary, and those that aren't. this is definitely NOT good thing.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by dmek25

right now my insurance company dictates to the doctors how much they will pay for certain procedures. they also dictate what procedures are necessary, and those that aren't. this is definitely NOT good thing.

Under a universal health care system run by the government, wouldn't the government be dictating what operations were necessary? If not and the government would leave it up to the doctors, wouldn't the number of operations jump along with the tax burden?

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Just so I'm clear - you think it is larcenous for the doctor and the hospital to charge you 40K? If so, do you think they would charge less in a government controlled health care system? Do you advocate price controls in all areas or just health care? Who will decide the appropriate charges? How will they insure that competent people will want to enter an industry requiring long hours, extensive (years) training, incredibly high liability risk and still manage to make a good living?

Joe, you bring up another component to the problem. The "allowable", ridiculous, out of control, lawsuits that can be filed. The medical community is strapped with the burden of defending, and paying gigantic awards. Seriously driving up the cost of healthcare

[dmek25]

Originally Posted by Hog1

Joe, you bring up another component to the problem. The "allowable", ridiculous, out of control, lawsuits that can be filed. The medical community is strapped with the burden of defending, and paying gigantic awards. Seriously driving up the cost of healthcare

i disagree with this. with the kind of outrageous money the people in the medical field make, if they screw me up, i want paid. no, it wont make me better. but it might make them think twice about operating on my left leg, when the problems in my right leg.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by dmek25

i disagree with this. with the kind of outrageous money the people in the medical field make, if they screw me up, i want paid. no, it wont make me better. but it might make them think twice about operating on my left leg, when the problems in my right leg.

There's the misconception. For the most part DRs don't make that much more relative to the barriers to entry than do most average college graduates. Unless they specialize, lots of training, then they are getting paid pretty well but not the King's ransom that lots of people want to believe. Once you factor in liability insurance most doctors aren't making anything near outrageous money.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

There's the misconception. For the most part DRs don't make that much more relative to the barriers to entry than do most average college graduates. Unless they specialize, lots of training, then they are getting paid pretty well but not the King's ransom that lots of people want to believe. Once you factor in liability insurance most doctors aren't making anything near outrageous money.

Lawsuits against OBGYNs have gotten a lot of press and they tend to make massive amounts of duckets.

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by dmek25

i disagree with this. with the kind of outrageous money the people in the medical field make, if they screw me up, i want paid. no, it wont make me better. but it might make them think twice about operating on my left leg, when the problems in my right leg.

Yah, I hear you D.
The deal for me is the amounts put on this type of thing and the legitimacy of same. If I'm your patient, and you mess me up, there needs to be some sort of calc for deriving a reasonable solution. I don't know for sure, but I don't think that exists today.
Granted, it blows when something happens to someone you care about in a negligent manner. There should be punitive action of some kind taken against the doc. There should be some kind of compensation to the victim or their family, depending on the severity. In this case, I think reason has left the building.
I don;t think doc's in general don't make the scratch they used to. At least I think they have to hussle a lot more to get it. Be part of a group referring to there own specialists, therapists, testing facilities, etc.
I was part of a business bringing up a small group of doc's for cosmetic stuff a few years ago, and I was shocked. We quit taking most ins, as we could not get anything for our services. I'm not saying doc's are not living pretty good, but ai don't think most of them enjoy the wealth many people think.
The system needs to be stripped down and start over. it is killing itself

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Just so I'm clear - you think it is larcenous for the doctor and the hospital to charge you 40K? If so, do you think they would charge less in a government controlled health care system? Do you advocate price controls in all areas or just health care? Who will decide the appropriate charges? How will they insure that competent people will want to enter an industry requiring long hours, extensive (years) training, incredibly high liability risk and still manage to make a good living?

Your right on look at the terrorist attacks that just failed over seas. Part of the reason this happened is beacause they have a hugh doctor shortage and were allowing in thousands of doctors to fill those needs. So in the rush to do so the terrorist saw an open door and took advantage of the situation.