The degradation of American healthcare

American Thinker ^ | 08/02/2025 | Terry Paulding

[SeekAndFind]

I’m not a doctor. The following are my observations of the medical system as a patient, not a professional opinion.

I’m hoping for change; that is, for Congress and President Trump to decisively end Obamacare. We must push the healthcare industry towards healing from the abominations foisted upon it by over-regulation, DEI, gaslighting, cumbersome reporting, and a system that doesn’t incentivize health. RFK Jr. is helping by slowly tackling diet and immunizations.

The pharmaceutical industry’s financial vice-grip on doctors, stifling independent diagnosis and creative, proactive treatment, does no service to the ill. Research follows funding, and if there’s no profit, there’s no research. Medical journals follow along, again bowing to the almighty Big Pharma dollar, and the result is to leave people in a downward health spiral. By pushing profits over health, the healthcare industry causes harm first, rather than actually helping many patients. The whole system needs a rewrite, lest we follow our socialist-medicine allies down the rabbit hole to healthcare Hell.

Image by AI.

We already have overt evidence of system decline. Specialist doctors have had to join large, hospital or university-based practices to circumvent the burdens placed upon them by the system. Have you tried to make an appointment with a specialist in one of these systems lately? Your GP is just a traffic director, sending you to the “right” affiliated specialist group. Need an orthopedist? First, let’s figure out which body part—the knee specialist is different than the shoulder doc. We have dedicated breast cancer surgeons who wouldn’t dream of touching another body part.

[SeekAndFind]

Once referred, the wait to see the right person is interminable. As is the wait to get diagnostic tests done. Typical pattern in my experience: Two-month wait for the appointment. Another two months’ wait for diagnostic tests. Another for the (often only video) appointment to go over the results. Another two months’ wait to get to the next recommended specialist for evaluation…and then, you hope, some action after that. Never mind that you must live with pain for that long. No wonder people get addicted to painkillers.

[SeekAndFind]

This was a chart that I saved BEFORE Obamacare was passed. I think things have gotten WORSE after we passed Obamacare:



So what am I seeing here? The blue portion shows how much each of these countries pays per capita ( that means per person, for those of you in Rio Linda) for government funded health care. See that one over there on the left? That's the USA. We already pay more taxes than most other countries just to cover the 28% or so of us that qualify for government funded healthcare. ( the elderly, the poor, the military, and congress)

[Veto!]

Lucky me, my MD did not goto med school in the US where pharmaceutical companies fund med schools. I asked him whether I should get a covid shot and he said, “You look very healthy to me, Come back in six months.”

Best doc ever is from Nigeria. Literally prescribes 10 nutritional supplements to keep me healthy. I’ve lived here 15 years, had a cold once about seven years ago.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This might have something to do with it:

[SeekAndFind]

That graph looks like a similar one for America’s COLLEGES and Universities.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

That graph looks like a similar one for America’s COLLEGES and Universities.

[SaveFerris]

(The degradation of American healthcare)

ALL ACCORDING TO PLAN

See: “Obamacare”

[John Milner]

OMG, try to talk to a person.

“Press 1 for English.”

“We’re the best ever - providing the highest rated medical care in the whole freaking UNIVERSE!”

“If this is an emergency, dial 911.” (No S4!7, Sherlock!)

“Call your pharmacy if you need a prescription refill.”

“Our hours are 10-4.” Etc...

“Did you know you can contact us as www.greatestever.com?”

“Would you like to use our chat bot? It does nothing but frustrate all our callers. You could be one of them today.”

Now.. Enter your name, date if birth, phone number, insurance card number.

If you are calling for Drs X, Y or Z press 1. If you’re calling for Drs. A, B or C press 2.

“Your call is very important to us. We are really backed up today, your wait time is 25 minutes.”

Or you get some voice mail asking you to leave a message with the same information you entered already. Hoping they will actually call you back.

Then, if you’re lucky, you get someone whose English is almost undecipherable.

I think they want you to die.

[SaveFerris]

(I think they want you to die)

1) Obamacare
2) COVID-19
4) COVID-19 va666ines

[Getready]

In the late 70’s doctors, and hospitals were getting reimbursed fully by government and insurance. So they charged high amounts...then the government and insurance companies got wise and started paying only set amounts for a procedure.. So for example an endoscopy was charged at $850 dollars...government would pay $300. Take it or leave it So providers got wise and started increasing the things they charged for ..So one charge for an office visit, or office EKG, another charge for pulmonary function, etc...now, regular docs are just gatekeepers, sending patients to unnecessary specialists cause they might get sued if they miss a diagnosis or they don’t have training to do specialized procedures. Gotta’ go to ER if there is no M.D.available (general or specialist)...it’s a pile o’$4/7!

[Rappini]

This piece reminded me of my situation where an MRI tech in 2010 recommended an Ultrasound check on my kidneys. An MRI was again requested by my pain management doctor last year, that’s when they found a 9cm tumor on my right kidney, so in April I had a Radical Nephrectomy. They took it out, nobody caught it, I guess Pain Management folks didn’t care.

[packagingguy]

It’s true that Americans crow about having “the best healthcare system in the world”. That might (and that’s a big might) be true if you can afford the astronomical costs.

[Albion Wilde]

An acquaintance of mine got ten deer tick bites while gardening— they went up under her shirt and shorts all the way to her naughty bits. She rushed to her Kaiser Permanente doctor and asked for the antibiotics to make sure she wouldn’t get Lyme disease, a well-known risk from deer ticks, and very hard to cure. Her K-P doc said, “Well, let’s wait to see if you develop symptoms…”

I could hear her head explodind from miles away. She raised hell and got treated. But that shouldn’t have even been necessary.

[bravo whiskey]

My situation is totally different. I get a sinus infection every winter. This time I had a severe headache the started on a Sunday in January. Was able to see someone in my primary care and she managed an MRI on Thursday. Got a call to go the ER that night and had sinus surgery 2 days later. 4 days in hospital. 3 weeks later got another expedited MRI on a Friday. Went to ER Saturday morning and had brain surgery that afternoon for a large abscess. Spent 4 days in neuro ICU. Over the next 2 months saw numerous specialists in infectious disease, kidneys, sinus, neuro and was on some strong meds. By May was off all the meds, third MRI showed NO abcess. I have a 2 inch crease and a small plate in my skull and no aftereffects.
Yes I am very grateful.

[PeterPrinciple]

They took it out, nobody caught it, I guess Pain Management folks didn’t care.

---

Maybe, or the system didn’t care.

I remember reading having a medical meeting for my mom. After some discussion, the doctor turned to the health care worker and asked what we could do.

[PeterPrinciple]

the abominations foisted upon it by over-regulation, DEI, gaslighting, cumbersome reporting, and a system that doesn’t incentivize health.

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Last time I was in the hospital, they were all focused on the computer, not me.

Doctor told me I could leave on friday at 5pm. Nurses came back and told me that didn’t work with house keeping.