JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Help the animals In Japan!!!!!!!!so sad

Hospital rates are high because all those without insurance, including those illegally in our country, use them for free, not only for emergencies, which would be fine, but also for head colds and any other imaginable need. In addition, scam artists and drug dealers ALSO use them, lie about conditions to get valuable prescriptions for narcotics which sell for 20-100 bucks or more per tablet on the open drug market. If all non US patient medical costs and all non emergency costs were removed from hospital costs, it would be entirely different and if prices were high, then you could complain with honesty and accuracy. But if we have to pay not only for our own care, but everyone elses (often 2 out of 3 people in an ER do not have insurance or are illegally in the USA) then the hospital has no choice but to spread the cost across those few who pay. The alternative is they simply close most hospitals, so when real life emergencies happen, many people die. Again, any life threatening emergency should be covered, insurance, payment or not. It's all the rest that cause the problems.

4 of my 6 primary specialist doctors are considering leaving the profession. They can't afford to practice because, though they less often have to deal with the uninsured/illegal problem, they receive so little per visit from their biggest clientele, medicare and medicaid, that they can't pay their bills, their malpractice insurance and the costs of being open for business. Most have been forced to be bought up/employed directly by hospitals (all 6 of my specialists were independent or part of their own group practice 3 years ago, now all of them work for the same hospital). One of my doctors, from Bulgaria, says it's almost as bad here as there now from an earnings point of view. (Although she says healthcare over there is horrendous). Our copays go up each year because that's often most of the money they get for a visit. I think it's worth $30 dollars to see my doctors. Our insurance overall saves us tremendously because of my prescriptions alone. If you are sick, it's worth it no matter the cost if the care is keeping you alive and functional. There's no where else in the world, even if it was 100% free, that I'd rather go for any serious health problem. Would you? Government run healthcare will take it all away. All my doctors are 100% against Obamacare including the others I only see now and then (I think I have seen over 20 doctors in the last 2 years). None of them believe it will help. All of them think it will drive out most of our doctors to go practice elsewhere or learn a different trade. Long waiting lists are already starting to crop up in the USA, where you used to get a test within a couple days worst case, now it takes weeks. Getting a doctors appointment can take months. A new doctor for a first visit can be over 6 months. (I'm still waiting to see a new primary care physician because the one I have had since I was 12 has not been able to keep up with my range of health issues and suggested I find a new younger doctor). More and more doctors are refusing to see anyone without private health insurance. That means soon only the richest in the USA will have decent health care, and we'll move closer to socialist/communist health care which the left is all for. Because those running things are all rich and know their kids and families will get the good care while us peasants will get government care. Would you rather see doctors in Russia, China or the USA if you were poor? how about middle class? how about rich? how about illegal? In most countries, if you are illegal or even a legal non citizen, you can't walk into a hospital in an emergency and get ANY care. Think about that the next time you complain about your health bill. What is more important you could be spending your money on? In the US, if you are poor, free food is there. If you are homeless, there are a range of shelter options (though most of the USA homeless have mental health problems that must first be addressed before they will accept any help). I've worked in social work offices for years, I've helped the abused and the poor and homeless. If you have ANY of those problems, the USA is the best place you could be. And sorry, but I know Canadians who skip waiting lists there for serious operations and care, cross the USA border and get it here. Sure, if you have minor problems, a broken bone or flu it may be much better. But try dealing with brain tumors, or breast cancer or stroke damage there compared to here. I love Canada, but that's not where I am going for help.

Brian