Healthcare

[tmttactical]

Hey, no worries, I got a plan for you and YES --- you can keep your Doctor and Yes, if you like your existing plan, you can keep it. Oh, oops, that lie was already used but a past lying President. I got fortunate and by the time the penalty phase started, I had retired and got on Medicare.

You want really good affordable health plans, then allow a set of plans the average citizen can sign up for. Group plan prices without having to work or join a specific company or group. Call it the National American Health Care Group Plan and government can't setup any special regulations to hamper it's savings. Now the real competition for this huge group of people will drive down costs while still maintaining quality timely health care. If an employer with a thousand employees can get a deal, just imagine what a group with a few million would get. This is not rocket science, it is simple math and incentive. Now the bleeding hearts will say what about those with pre-existing conditions. Follow the number folks. Let the government just help that really small number of people and allow all the rest to join the National American Health Care group and save a ton of money, while preserving fast, quality medical treatment, that is actually affordable. JMHO

 

[KateMTx]

You should like guns.

Some are useful tools for getting food, an improvement on tools humans have been using since the dawn of time.

I'm glad you like Freedom, also something humans have been trying, more or less successfully, to enjoy since way, way back.

I'm sorry insurance is a hassle.

I've tried to like guns. I know I should like them, but I don't, and I don't know how to change that.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Hmmm.

It's a tough call. If you were in a situation where you had to defend yourself, is there anything else you would be comfortable with? If you have that, and your confident it's effective, then maybe you don't need a firearm, or need to like them.

But guns are effective, bar none. They are the "best, last defense".

There's a whole sporting aspect that is a lot of fun, like darts or bowling.

But it's fine. There's a lot to prepping that isn't about guns.

 

[tmttactical]

I've tried to like guns. I know I should like them, but I don't, and I don't know how to change that.

You don't have to like guns. Just respect them and know how to use them. I personally enjoy shooting, not game hunting (don't need the meat) but target and varmint. There is not a requirement to like a tool but one should know how to use it and have it close to hand. Now a fear of firearms is a different subject. Firearms are expensive and if you don't enjoy using them, that is okay, get one or two for self defense and call it good. My plan is to have over a dozen different caliber rifles and a couple different hand guns. Not for self defense but for the fun and challenge of shooting. Can I shoot 3 shots at 100 hundred yards and cover the holes with a dime? Can I hit a 18 inch steel target at 1,000 yards? It is not the love of guns but the challenge to beat my previous best.

I am not a big fan of digging post holes but I do want a fence. Guns are the same, just another tools to accomplish a task that may not be fun but is needed.

 

[Brent S]

My take on guns is I wish we lived in a perfect world where we didn’t have a need for them. The reality is there are a lot of really rotten people in the world. With you being a young woman, on her own in the world, I think it is just a wise thing to have some sort of protection. Guns come with risks for the owner however, so learning about safety and respect for them is a must. Everyone has to live with what they are comfortable with, but I think personal protection, espechially for a woman, is wise. If the economy drops, as so many of us here feel is inevitable, it tends to bring out the worst in a lot of people and I like knowing that the ones I care about are as safe as they can be.

 

[DrPrepper]

I know, but so many other countries have done this very successfully, we would have to follow the best models to set it up.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Many countries have government run health care. I don't know that these government run healthcare programs always the best. There are a lot of things you hear from people in those countries that talk about the downside.

One obstacle that other countries haven't had to deal with in creating their own healthcare, is pharmaceutical companies. Politicians keep talking about changing healthcare, but the never talk about taking on the big pharmaceutical companies. These pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars on commercials, drug reps, lunches for the entire doctor's office staff etc..and then the American consumer pays $4-$8 per pill sometimes even more. That doesn't happen in other countries.

Here is a website that you can put your doctor's name in and see how much money they have taken from pharmaceutical companies in the way of free lunches and other gifts. https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/

My doctor is on there for $180.00. He allows only certain reps to bring coffee occasionally. The doctor across the hall from him is on there for almost 10K. Cardiologist and other high paid specialist are even worse.
You might just think by not going to a doctor on the list would solve the problem, but the drug companies pass all that off to you and me in the form of price per pill and Medicare tax dollars.

Here is another recent example of a drug on 60 minutes that cost $80.00 to manufacture, but they charge over $4000.00 for it. You would think that a lot of scripts wouldn't get filled with such a price tag, but the prescriptions for this medication have skyrocketed thanks to bit of a scam the pharmaceutical company is running. If they can do it with this drug, the can do it with others, and in fact they have.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/evzio-...ug-naloxone-with-a-4000-price-tag-60-minutes/

I think we need to fix this before we change the current model..even though the current model isn't a good one. It is easy to look at other countries and say, "Well we could just apply that here." The problem is we aren't are England, Switzerland, Germany or any other place. We are America, and we a have unique set of problems. Unfortunately, we have brought on many of these problems and now they are raging out of control like a California wildfire. I see politicians glossing over some of the biggest troublemakers regarding healthcare cost. They want to take control and implement healthcare programs, but they don't want to tackle the elephant in the room. Once we give way to a government run healthcare, if things go further south, we will have little to no recourse.

I am not for government run health care, and I am also not saying it couldn't work, but it would take many years and it would be a large undertaking to do it correctly.

 

[Brent S]

All I’m certain of is the system is broken now. You go to a dr and end up getting billed from 4 different groups and pay 10times what it should cost. I’m open to any constructive ideas, government run or otherwise.

 

[tmttactical]

All I’m certain of is the system is broken now. You go to a dr and end up getting billed from 4 different groups and pay 10times what it should cost. I’m open to any constructive ideas, government run or otherwise.

The system does need to be fixed but nothing run by the government has ever been efficient or cost effective. Medicare for all would be like VA quality medical care for all. Frame it in those terms and see how many will jump at the chance to sigh up. The system can be fixed but it certainly cannot be run / administrated or by fee regulated by the government. Laws mandating once a drug price is set to, must be applied to all countries. No special deals for one country and outlandish prices for another. Insurance companies should be able to competed across state line and group coverage plans can be established. National competition will drop prices. There are a million ways to improve medical care and lower cost but being run and subsidized by the government is not one of them.

 

[Doreena]

The system does need to be fixed but nothing run by the government has ever been efficient or cost effective. Medicare for all would be like VA quality medical care for all. Frame it in those terms and see how many will jump at the chance to sigh up. The system can be fixed but it certainly cannot be run / administrated or by fee regulated by the government. Laws mandating once a drug price is set to, must be applied to all countries. No special deals for one country and outlandish prices for another. Insurance companies should be able to competed across state line and group coverage plans can be established. National competition will drop prices. There are a million ways to improve medical care and lower cost but being run and subsidized by the government is not one of them.

I understand what you are saying about our government now, but yet other countries have it working...you think that we will never have a system that could be reformed?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[DrPrepper]

I understand what you are saying about our government now, but yet other countries have it working...you think that we will never have a system that could be reformed?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

One other note of concern about the government is Medicare. For years it has been know that they baby boomer generation has a larger population than the current one. No politician republican or democrat a like has ever wanted to make a cost adjustments because it would require raising taxes and possibly costing the senior citizen vote. For everyone of us working, their are 3 retired people on Medicare. It is like going to the bank and depositing $1.00 and with drawing $3.00. If you have a large sum of money in the bank, it will work for a while, but at some point, you will be out of money.

Before the government goes off creating new healthcare systems, shouldn't they make long over due repairs to what they have?

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

The VA has never done me wrong. Maybe it's where I go? Nice place, no lines, short waiting periods, knowledgeable folks willing to help cut red tape... I don't expect free, no cost health care from them, and they exceed my expectations whenever I go. Always cheaper and nicer than I expect.

As far as Universal Health Care and the system, and other countries pulling it off... We spend too much on war. We spend too much maintaining a conventional (and huge) military, in the face of a changing battlefield reality.

We didnt "defeat" ISIS on the battlefield. The US main stream media forgot about them, and they ceased to exist.

I'm saying, by the way, that they were a created enemy to begin with. Another enemy to justify funding the next 6 Trillion dollar intervention.

How is it we can spend enough to fund health care for all without raising taxes, but when we talking about funding health care for all we always have to raise taxes?

I'm against universal health care in principal, but something sure isn't right.

 

[Brent S]

I have received excellent care from the VA. Yes, I’ve heard a lot of the horror stories and am sure there are bad people in the system. Personally though, I have always been treated with respect and had excellent care from them. I also will note that I always treat them with respect too. A lot of times in life you get what you give.

 

[tmttactical]

I understand what you are saying about our government now, but yet other countries have it working...you think that we will never have a system that could be reformed?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yes I do think we can reform our medical system but it won't be one run by the government. The system is fixable but not with the concept you can have a free lunch. Fix the big pharmaceutical companies (rate mandates) remove the barriers to a National Group Insurance plan, special plans for pre-existing conditions, higher rate plans for self inflicted health problems (smokers, obesity, alcohol / drug addition, etc.) There are fixes but not without some pain for some group. So the real problem is that nobody wants to fix the problems if it affects a portion of their base.

Understand other countries started out with a different medical system and a different government type and different tax base. You can have a great system if the people are willing to pay 80 or 90 percent of their income in taxes. You cannot compare different systems without comparing all the different part of the equation. The same as you cannot compare two different automobiles, you cannot compare two different countries medical system. Different, tax base, different attitudes, different financial needs, different cultural styles. Too many difference to say this system worked in Denmark or Sweden, so it will work in the USA. Vague promises do not work. Forcing other to subsidize the poor choice of other will not work. But there really are ways to fix our system, so keep fighting for it but DO NOT BUY INTO THE FREE LUNCH crap. There is no absolutely fair system for everybody and it will certainly not be free. Never has been and never will be. Somebody always has to pay the bill.

 

[DrPrepper]

Yes I do think we can reform our medical system but it won't be one run by the government. The system is fixable but not with the concept you can have a free lunch. Fix the big pharmaceutical companies (rate mandates) remove the barriers to a National Group Insurance plan, special plans for pre-existing conditions, higher rate plans for self inflicted health problems (smokers, obesity, alcohol / drug addition, etc.) There are fixes but not without some pain for some group. So the real problem is that nobody wants to fix the problems if it affects a portion of their base.

Understand other countries started out with a different medical system and a different government type and different tax base. You can have a great system if the people are willing to pay 80 or 90 percent of their income in taxes. You cannot compare different systems without comparing all the different part of the equation. The same as you cannot compare two different automobiles, you cannot compare two different countries medical system. Different, tax base, different attitudes, different financial needs, different cultural styles. Too many difference to say this system worked in Denmark or Sweden, so it will work in the USA. Vague promises do not work. Forcing other to subsidize the poor choice of other will not work. But there really are ways to fix our system, so keep fighting for it but DO NOT BUY INTO THE FREE LUNCH crap. There is no absolutely fair system for everybody and it will certainly not be free. Never has been and never will be. Somebody always has to pay the bill.

Well said.

 

[DrHenley]

Here is a website that you can put your doctor's name in and see how much money they have taken from pharmaceutical companies.

$126

 

[DrPrepper]

$126

You have a doctor with integrity. I see a LOT of abuse go on daily... it’s disgusting.

 

[tmttactical]

I see my doctors twice a year and that is just to maintain my prescriptions (diabetic). It is not that I don't trust doctors but I also do not revere them. They are just people in white coats, honest or corrupt, again just people.

 

[Brent S]

I like the fact that you threw out some good ideas in your post. Too many just complain and say NO. The whole point of a discussion is to come up with ideas to help a situation, not just to argue. I really liked the idea of charging more for self inflicted issues from smoking and obesity and such. I do think a government run plan could work as long as it was set up right to begin with. The problem is most of the politicians will never agree to good ideas and only want what either lines their pockets or favors their state. Obama did not write the health care act. He got politicians together from both sides and told them to come up with a plan. The final plan they made was all they could agree to, which is why it was far from perfect. I also agree that taking on the greed from big Pharma is a big part of the equation. Again though, so much is spent on lobbying politicians that it ensures nothing will get done. I’m for private companies doing the drug research for new medicines as they tend to be more efficient than government workers, yet I think there should be limits on profits allowed since this is for the good of all mankind. Greed is a strong instinct. Mankind has come a long way with technology but hasn’t progressed much with our basic emotions. That’s why I am a prepper and don’t feel very optimistic about the future.

 

[TexasFreedom]

I've said this repeatedly. Big Pharma own the media. No harder than 'follow the money'. Every other commercial on TV is for some odd illness and some drug for it. If you go see your doctor, he'll recommend this drug, you will not surprise your doctor by saying "I saw a commercial for drug JKL from company XYZ, would it help with my ABC illness?" So why do big pharma run these commercials?

SO simple an answer, the media are beholden to them. If NBC were to run a series of 'investigative journalism' shows exposing the massive over-charging of prescription drugs in the US, people would rebel. Why can you buy XYZ's pill JKL for $2 in Canada but the same pill is $400 in the US? But somebody thinks we can do this AND have reasonable healthcare costs? The US is paying for drug research that the rest of the world is getting for free. So the drug companies run lots of ads to prevent these 'investigations' and keep people clueless. It's not a hard connect-the-dots game.

And if I were a big pharma CEO, this is exactly what I would do. Maximize my company's profits without breaking laws...

But to get the truth on some of this, you need to read some media that aren't funded by drug companies.

 

[Robinjopo1]

The only point I want to make is that Big Pharma does not get credit for all of the billions of dollars they spend on research and development.

The can spend a billion dollars and suddenly something goes wrong and they have to shut it down for the good of the people. But, that is a billion dollars that they have lost and have to make it up somehow.

I agree the price of meds is outrageous, but they also need credit for their good works too.