The Twin Pillars of Health Care Reform

Townhall.com ^ | June 13, 2019 | Scott Rasmussen

[semimojo]

...health insurance that forces people to pay for coverage of medical procedures they don't need" is junk.

That's one way to put it, or you could ask if spreading the cost of a procedure across everyone who purchased the insurance makes it "junk".

Depends on what answer you're fishing for.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
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President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America
President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations on 09/19/2017.

Ramirez political cartoon:  Google LARGE VERSION 06/12/2019: LINK  LINK to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).
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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Just $428.00 dollars to 98.00%

[GailA]

They are going for Medicare for ALL. And that is a BIG DISASTER. We have Medicare/Tricare Life, both are Dictatorships. With a allusion of choice in doctors/hospitals, but test, lab work, meds are totally controlled by DoD. When they change out formulary you best hope there is a replacement for your med. If not, TOUGH you can’t appeal it doesn’t matter if it’s a life and death issue.

[GailA]

I’m fighting with Express Scripts over covering my Linzess, they required a Prior Authorization letter, which the Gastro sent them, it was insufficient, they need more info, What more do you need than the Colon is Paralyzed from Gastropresis and Linzess has the least side effects comes in more strengths? I’ve taken it over 2+ yrs to dump the colon that doesn’t work. Now you want a Prior Authorization you are just going to TURN DOWN ANYWAY? If my colon doesn’t empty it will RUPTURE. Then you have ER surgery, Sepsis, or death. If it would do any good to CALL Kustoff’s office I’d have done it, he’s to busy with PHOTO OPS. Lamar is retiring, Blackburn worthless. Calling TRICARE LIFE IS NOT AN OPTION.

[GailA]

I remember the OLD health ins, that didn’t pay doc office visits, scripts. Just OB, ER with co-pays unless you were admitted.

This is the latest from Fox https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/alfredo-ortiz-house-ways-and-means-single-payer-health-care-democrats?fbclid=IwAR2hP8l9OJrE07bqlatOEOc2piJ5GjgeoprKG6w0kheb9O8WINwJ1pOi_bQ

And VOX https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/12/18662722/ama-medicare-for-all-single-payer-vote-2020?fbclid=IwAR2dpYrM6G3kXwer8s_SqpF35O9-K8CdUYh1sHArr17EIbL-wdevGyEKZvg

I can tell you most Canadian’s who can afford health care come to the USA. Those who can’t only the fairly healthy get treated. I’ve a 50 yr old friend who’s DYING of an Incurable disease, he can’t find a doctor to treat him, he’s given under mg pain meds, he turns 50 on the 16th, if he lives another month it will be in NAZI TORTURE THAT WOULD MAKE Dr. Josef Mengele PROUD. Glace Bay man with incurable condition can’t find a doctor
Nikki Sullivan (nicole.sullivan@cbpost.com) https://www.cumberlandnewsnow.com/news/regional/glace-bay-man-with-incurable-condition-cant-find-a-doctor-174052/?fbclid=IwAR0FsZW4Hbuc204-lGH8G_BGEdLgpwStg8vq67d-GB9FEKhTjRNOjXZqfKI

Cape Breton man can’t find family doctor despite pain he calls ‘living hell’
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/find-doctor-pain-man-adhesive-arachnoiditis-referral-medical-health-1.4471666?fbclid=IwAR2fySFzgVJP6nd7w-GtGb2CppCDmBDRSZHL3tQXAmSkY7bLQdnbKBPua7c

16 Key Findings about Arachnoiditis
https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2019/6/7/16-key-findings-about-arachnoiditis

[NonValueAdded]

I didn't say eliminate Tort Law, I said reform it.

Who pays the jackpot settlements? WE DO. Through a combination of higher insurance rates, increased drug costs, and charges for procedures. Who wins? The lawyers. And the gubermint from the taxes on the settlement. Corporations don't pay taxes and penalties, the customers do. It's all pass-through. Back when the ACA was in the news, there was an item that said 10% of healthcare costs was related to malpractice premiums.

You watch the TV commercials and you realize the final step in the life-cycle of a drug is a lawsuit. When there's foul play, definitely punish those responsible. But also factor in there's risk for cutting-edge treatments. Did that stent give you 10 more years? Was its breaking free something that could have come out in clinical trials or was it something that could not be known at the time? Should any settlement amount go to fill someone's pocket or set up a fund for corrective surgery. If we wait for everything to be proven to the nth degree, how many don't get those extra years from the best technological advancements available. We, through Congress, push for fast-track availability of the latest cure but then turn around and sue, sue, sue around when something goes wrong. There has to be a balance and a recognition that there are risks and trade-offs.

You say lawyers will only take the lucrative cases? Well, there's a reason for reform right there. What percentage of the victims go unrepresented? Hardly seems a fair or just system. No, I don't have the answers but I can recognize a system that isn't working.

[amihow]

The system is not fair, but, the usual reforms offered usually protect everyone but patients. Take experimental drugs, treatments, but with full disclosure, which would eliminate a lot of suits. The drug companies and doctors need to quit hiding info.