Medical costs

[TexasFreedom]

I wanted to give an example of how insane medical costs in the US are.

I was talking to someone who does some of the accounting for a hospital. You know those little bottles of insulin? The hospital charges about $90 for each one. Take a wild guess what they pay for them? How about 14 cents. That is a mere 6000%+ markup.

I just read where a young man died because he was rationing his insulin.

My observation is that medical supplies costs in the US are typically 5-10 times the price in most of the rest of the world. We are financing the majority of medical research for the rest of the world. You see countless prescription drug ads on TV because that is how they 'bribe' the media to not expose/focus on this raping of the US people. Crazy.

 

[Robinjopo1]

When I was between insurance companies (thank you Obama) . I told my doctor I would be self pay and my bill was much lower than they were charging insurance companies.

 

[TexasFreedom]

Robin,

Don't get me started on oBama-Scare (like the new name, abbreviates to BS!).

30-something year old kid of a friend has BS. Broke her arm this past week, went to the ER. They referred her to a specialist because of the type of break. Very painful. They told her to go to Walmart & get a sling to support the arm, and that her appoint is out 2 weeks. Can anyone say "wait in line"? But Obama said it would be better! Uh, right. But it's all ok, the kid is a liberal. Let her learn the hard way if she insists...

 

[jontte]

you've clearly given hospitals and insurance companies " carte blanch" at some time in your history to charge what they want..

 

[grayghost668]

why do you think so many go to Mexico for Dental work,,,,,,

 

[TexasFreedom]

GG, you have to be careful with that. A fellow I know went down & got 6+ fillings. Within a year they started falling out, and more than not have had to be replaced.

Not all dentists down there are junk. I think he only paid $100 or $150 for all the work. But you need to know in advance which docs are good & which to avoid. Of course, docs here can be good or bad as well.

 

[grayghost668]

GG, you have to be careful with that. A fellow I know went down & got 6+ fillings. Within a year they started falling out, and more than not have had to be replaced.

Not all dentists down there are junk. I think he only paid $100 or $150 for all the work. But you need to know in advance which docs are good & which to avoid. Of course, docs here can be good or bad as well.

I don't know,,,I had a Hernia repaired and in less than 6 months the repair failed,,,I had to go in for a second surgery ,,,the poor care here cost me a body part I was mighty fond of,,,one testicle and a lost of function ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so bad chit can happen anywhere

 

[DrHenley]

you've clearly given hospitals and insurance companies " carte blanch" at some time in your history to charge what they want..

Part of the problem started when they stopped allowing individuals to take deductions for medical expenses and medical insurance but allowed companies to take deductions, pushing everyone into group policies through their companies. Now you had several layers of bureaucracy added in between the individual and the health care providers, and the insurance companies dealt with the companies instead of the individuals. The other part of the problem was also insurance related - medical malpractice insurance. That allowed lawyers and insurance companies to dictate how medical practices were run, and added significant costs to medical care. All sorts of mandatory tests are required in order to prevent people suing for not checking everything.

My uncle was a very successful thoracic surgeon who stopped practicing because of the overwhelming costs of medical malpractice insurance.

 

[Robinjopo1]

Obama Care: I get fined if I can't afford to purchase the crap policies offered, but if i come here illegally, I get it all FREE.

Also with more benefits than allowed citizens. Now the Dem candidates want to give free everything.

Maybe what TRUMP has done with the "They must seek asylum at the first county they arrive" may help.all the Hondurans, Guatamolans etc would have to apply in Mexico

 

[Brent S]

Part of the problem started when they stopped allowing individuals to take deductions for medical expenses and medical insurance but allowed companies to take deductions, pushing everyone into group policies through their companies. Now you had several layers of bureaucracy added in between the individual and the health care providers, and the insurance companies dealt with the companies instead of the individuals. The other part of the problem was also insurance related - medical malpractice insurance. That allowed lawyers and insurance companies to dictate how medical practices were run, and added significant costs to medical care. All sorts of mandatory tests are required in order to prevent people suing for not checking everything.

My uncle was a very successful thoracic surgeon who stopped practicing because of the overwhelming costs of medical malpractice insurance.

I knew an obgyn dr that wanted to work two days a week during retirement and couldn’t make it work due to the insurance costs too. That area was drastically in need of them too, but he had to retire completely. Sad.

 

[Kevin L]

I've worked in healthcare for 30 years, and I agree with most of what's being said in this thread.

I agree that part of the problem are medical malpractice suits, and the fact that our culture is very focused on litigation and lawsuits....with the bottom-feeding, predatory, low-life attorneys benefitting the most.

You know who created a lot of this? It's a funny story.

There was a lawyer who also happened to be a Hollywood actor named Melvin Belli.

Belli had a starring role in the original Star Trek series in the 4th episode of the 3rd season ("And The Children Shall Lead"), where he played a noncoporeal hostile alien, among many other roles in other movies and TV shows.

He was the one who created a legal tradition of suing the hell out of physicians, hospitals, medical schools, and so on. He was an evil genius who wrote numerous legal textbooks on medical lawsuits that are required reading in law schools to this day.

It was because of him that cynicism began to take over the medical field, and create a situation where--to practice medicine--lawyers must--in effect--be consulted like a fellow physician or medical specialist.

I don't know that I have an answer.

It does seem that the overhanging threat of lawsuits does serve to keep people on their toes and make sure that they do their jobs. It also seems like it makes coporations accountable for some of the horrible things that used to be the norm in the past.

Unfortunately, the costs get passed down to the patient.

So, I don't have an answer.

 

[Robinjopo1]

I remember his name

 

[Kevin L]

I remember his name

I'm sure you do. He was called the "King of Torts".

He amassed more than $600,000,000 dollars (in 1940s, 50s, and 60s money, no less!) by suing everybody.

He sued companies, he sued doctors, he sued the government, and so on.

He is the one who started the tradition of bringing defective parts, tools, gear boxes, or whatever he was suing about into the courtroom. He had no problems with getting graphic and gruesome when it would sway the jury toward his side.

To top it all off?

Whenever he won a case, he would fly the pirate flag (the skull and crossbones "Jolly Roger") in front of his office before the inevitable party.

Since he saw himself as something of a vicious pirate, I can't suggest that he was dishonest with himself.

He was such an asshole.

 

[TexasFreedom]

Kevin,

I have a key part of any solution: Loser Pays lawsuits. Anyone that files a lawsuit will be liable for all legal costs and time/hassle if they can' prove their case. That would end the worst of the lawsuits and make quite a few other reconsider. And it would put a ton of these slimebag lawyers out of business.

It's not the whole solution, but it would go a long way.

 

[Kevin L]

Kevin,

I have a key part of any solution: Loser Pays lawsuits. Anyone that files a lawsuit will be liable for all legal costs and time/hassle if they can' prove their case. That would end the worst of the lawsuits and make quite a few other reconsider. And it would put a ton of these slimebag lawyers out of business.

It's not the whole solution, but it would go a long way.

I'm not sure if your solution would actually work, but I will bet that your answer would make things better than they are now.

I really, really, really don't like attorneys.

So, while we're on the subject, do you know what the difference is between a lawyer and a catfish?

One is covered with slime, has poisonous spines, slithers around in the mud, is a bottom feeder, and will eat its own young...and the other is a fish.

Also, do you know why some devoutly religious people hate lawyers?

Simply because lawyers are living proof that humans actually evolved from pond scum.

 

[WGregMiller]

And.....

What’s the difference between a plane full of kids crashing and a plane full of lawyers crashing?

One is a tragedy...

 

[Kevin L]

Or the difference between an attorney and a prostitute?

A prostitute will stop f----g you when you're dead.

 

[Kevin L]

One more, and I'll move on to other topics.

Did you hear about the lawyer who woke up from surgery, and all the window blinds were down?

There was a fire across the street, and his nurse was concerned that he'd think that he had died.....

 

[tmttactical]

Kevin,

I have a key part of any solution: Loser Pays lawsuits. Anyone that files a lawsuit will be liable for all legal costs and time/hassle if they can' prove their case. That would end the worst of the lawsuits and make quite a few other reconsider. And it would put a ton of these slimebag lawyers out of business.

It's not the whole solution, but it would go a long way.

That is already in affect in most courts. The real problem is "lawsuit settlements". Too many companies look at the cost of fighting, and just settle, right or wrong lawsuits. To stop the frivolous lawsuits, mandate all lawsuits either are dropped --- no settlement or they go to trial. That will stop all these ridiculous suits. Valid suits will go to trial.