bstone
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In short order there will no longer be such thing as an uninsured patient. Soon all ambulance rides will result in payment. This is a Good Thing.
Healthcare reform passed in the USA
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In short order there will no longer be such thing as an uninsured patient. Soon all ambulance rides will result in payment. This is a Good Thing.
JPINFV
Gadfly
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...because Medicare actually pays for what things cost. Also, if the Massachusetts system tells you anything, it's that just because someone has insurance doesn't mean that they will automatically have no barriers to access.
ExpatMedic0
MS, NRP
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Here is a question, does the healthcare bill cover any of the current medical debts owed by non-insured patients prior to the bill passing?
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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My congressman's auto email asked for my comment. Quote:
"Man up and pass it. Time to quit dancing with Big Medicine and people refusing to separate Church and State".
Well, I didn't exactly write "man-up", but I mumbled it.
Now we will watch who starts whittling it to slivers.
And by the way, when will TRICARE follow October's presidential order to offer coverage to retired reservists under 60??
"Man up and pass it. Time to quit dancing with Big Medicine and people refusing to separate Church and State".
Well, I didn't exactly write "man-up", but I mumbled it.
Now we will watch who starts whittling it to slivers.
And by the way, when will TRICARE follow October's presidential order to offer coverage to retired reservists under 60??
Shishkabob
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Actually there's still about 18 million people that this wont cover, according to Democrats own numbers.
Oh well... this will be fought in atleast 38 states, and it will be overturned by the US Supreme Court if the court follows its own precedent. You can't force someone unwillingly into a contract, then fine them if they refuse.
Sorry, but last I checked the legislative body was to do the majority's wishes... and the majority of the country did not want this bill in this form.
Aidey
Community Leader Emeritus
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It's going to be a long day at work tomorrow....
In fact, I may just hide in my ambulance the whole shift, and avoid the main station entirely. It's going to be like the WWF in there. *shudder*
In fact, I may just hide in my ambulance the whole shift, and avoid the main station entirely. It's going to be like the WWF in there. *shudder*
JPINFV
Gadfly
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See... tomorrow would be interesting at school with the discussion of this, except for the fact that we just started spring break.
Aidey
Community Leader Emeritus
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We have several employees, including the supervisor who will be at work when I get there, that are incapable to debating things civilly. The supervisor is one of the worst...he's a smug condescending jerk when he thinks he is right, and it's impossible for him to be wrong. *eyeroll*
MS Medic
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Seeing how people from Canada who have socialized medicine drive here to get health care, at what point in time does the concept become a good idea? Will it still be a good idea when health care rationing starts?
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Hal9000
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It does not address the foundational lack of correct valuation of healthcare.
JPINFV
Gadfly
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Here's the problem with health care. People want to treat it like the only thing that matters is getting the high score on life expectancy. A large number of things that health care does has absolutely nothing to do with life expectancy but quality of life. Heck, short of suicidal ideation treatment and addiction treatment, the entire field of psychiatry could be disbanded because it's primarily focused on treating quality of life issues and not increasing life expectancy. The issue of perspective (quality of life vs quantity of life) is an issue throughout all of medicine (including EMS) and unless we seriously start considering rationing non-life saving care (sorry, mommy or granny is going to have to use that walker or power chair for the rest of he life because we don't want to pay for her knee or hip replacement), then government running the show isn't going to work. Heck, unless we start planning on rationing care, the entire issue of cost vs life expectancy isn't the metrics that we need to be looking at.
MS Medic
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After my initial snap here are my other 2 cents.
First off who has read any of this 1000 plus page monster that was shoved down everyone's throat in congress?
Does it stop the practice of defensive medicine, which is probably the single most cost inducing aspect of the field?
Why should someone in their early twenties (I'm in my mid 30's) be forced to have full coverage medical insurance? While they are statistically most likely to suffer from major trauma, they are statistically very unlikely to become sick to the point that they need anything other than hospitalization insurance.
What happens when all the mom and pop businesses that make up the backbone of the American economy can't afford to provide the government mandated insurance and lay off large numbers of employees?
What happens to people who do not want to pay large insurance premiums and self insure instead? Since insurance providers want to generate a profit just like all businesses, it is actually cheaper to bank roll what would be the costs of your insurance premiums and pay for your own medical coverage out of pocket.
Lastly, does the U.S. Congress have to come off their honey pot deal and get this same coverage as John Q. Public? If you don't know what their benefits package is, you need to look that up. It will make you sick to your stomach.
In my personal opinion, if the government had really wanted to cut health care costs, tort reform to cut the costs of defensive medicine would have been enacted and then everyone would have had MSAs set up for a tax free withholding.
First off who has read any of this 1000 plus page monster that was shoved down everyone's throat in congress?
Does it stop the practice of defensive medicine, which is probably the single most cost inducing aspect of the field?
Why should someone in their early twenties (I'm in my mid 30's) be forced to have full coverage medical insurance? While they are statistically most likely to suffer from major trauma, they are statistically very unlikely to become sick to the point that they need anything other than hospitalization insurance.
What happens when all the mom and pop businesses that make up the backbone of the American economy can't afford to provide the government mandated insurance and lay off large numbers of employees?
What happens to people who do not want to pay large insurance premiums and self insure instead? Since insurance providers want to generate a profit just like all businesses, it is actually cheaper to bank roll what would be the costs of your insurance premiums and pay for your own medical coverage out of pocket.
Lastly, does the U.S. Congress have to come off their honey pot deal and get this same coverage as John Q. Public? If you don't know what their benefits package is, you need to look that up. It will make you sick to your stomach.
In my personal opinion, if the government had really wanted to cut health care costs, tort reform to cut the costs of defensive medicine would have been enacted and then everyone would have had MSAs set up for a tax free withholding.
Melclin
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*sits back with a bag of popcorn to watch the real time satellite feed of the north american continent visibly change colour from all the friction between friends, coworkers, and family that will inevitably occur tomorrow*
Let the games begin!
So people will be required to purchase insurance. Maybe it's just me, but if people could purchase insurance they would.
If the average single person plan is between 10-12K /year with a family plan up to 15K per year, keeping my tax return isn't going to purchase insurance for my family.
as much as I advocate that since medicine benefits society, society should bear the burdon if it, today with this plan passed, I am happy that I have an out. (residency in a country other than the United States of spiraling into the gutter with a gov. handout to already the most profitable industry in the place)
best of luck to you all
So people will be required to purchase insurance. Maybe it's just me, but if people could purchase insurance they would.
If the average single person plan is between 10-12K /year with a family plan up to 15K per year, keeping my tax return isn't going to purchase insurance for my family.
as much as I advocate that since medicine benefits society, society should bear the burdon if it, today with this plan passed, I am happy that I have an out. (residency in a country other than the United States of spiraling into the gutter with a gov. handout to already the most profitable industry in the place)
best of luck to you all
OP
OP
bstone
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I live in MA and was on Commonwealth Care until recently. It was an HMO run by Network Health. I got sick last month and called my doctor at 10am. I was in his office and being examined at 2:15. I think the MA system is a damn good one.
OP
OP
bstone
Forum Deputy Chief
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OP
OP
bstone
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And Sarah Palin used Canadian health care all the time.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/08/palin-crossed-border-for_n_490080.html
The reform bill is absolutely nothing like the Canadian system. You do know that, right?
JPINFV
Gadfly
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Your situation seems atypical then. According to an USA Today article in June 2009, the average wait time in Boston is 50 days.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-06-03-waittimes_N.htm
Similarly (I can't find the article now), Massachusetts last year was trying to force through a bill requiring physicians to accept the new small business health insurance plan as a condition of licensure. That would be like saying EMTs working on Medicare patients only gets paid half of what they're normal hourly wage is.
Shishkabob
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Search for the news stories yourself. Democrats initially stated that there are 50mil people without insurance. They then stated that this gives coverage to 32mil. 50-32=18. So 18mil people still aren't covered.
What's your view on the minority clearly doing the opposite if what the majority wants? Our viewpoints don't matter? I dont like some person in Washongton saying my viewpoint doesn't matter and that they know better even though they are in the minority.
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mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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I for one don't have a sore throat.
SOme other measures "rammed down our throats":
1. A standing army.
2. Social Security.
3. Creation of NHTSA (fought by Big Five automakers of the time), which begat, you guessed it...
4. Organized EMS pertaining to prehospital care (AMA wanted care to be firtst aid level before being seen by a doctor).
5. Voting rights (heck, ANy legal rights) for women, racial minorities, and people between 18 and 21 (draft age).
As a RN and former medical case manager, former EMT, and old guy needing more tuneups, let me tell you there is NO actual "EMS" or "Medical Care" system in the U.S. as people refer to it. It is a loose conglomeration of entities who for the most part are interested in money and the continuation of their personal and corporate power (see the history of Blue Shield/Blue Cross for how this comes about).This bill is a start, it can and will be refined and honed and earmarked etc as any other, but it is finally a start.
Follow the money; if you can't follow it, why do you think it can't? Name names, cross link them. And look at the media campaigns, incuding "viral internet", trying to tell us what we want.
SOme other measures "rammed down our throats":
1. A standing army.
2. Social Security.
3. Creation of NHTSA (fought by Big Five automakers of the time), which begat, you guessed it...
4. Organized EMS pertaining to prehospital care (AMA wanted care to be firtst aid level before being seen by a doctor).
5. Voting rights (heck, ANy legal rights) for women, racial minorities, and people between 18 and 21 (draft age).
As a RN and former medical case manager, former EMT, and old guy needing more tuneups, let me tell you there is NO actual "EMS" or "Medical Care" system in the U.S. as people refer to it. It is a loose conglomeration of entities who for the most part are interested in money and the continuation of their personal and corporate power (see the history of Blue Shield/Blue Cross for how this comes about).This bill is a start, it can and will be refined and honed and earmarked etc as any other, but it is finally a start.
Follow the money; if you can't follow it, why do you think it can't? Name names, cross link them. And look at the media campaigns, incuding "viral internet", trying to tell us what we want.
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