Medicare is attempting to save the financially troubled health care program by charging wealthier beneficiaries higher premiums — even though the wealthy use Medicare the least. But the real ethical dilemma facing Medicare and all health care insurers is whether premiums should be based more on health risks. If someone makes the lifestyle choice to smoke, he will use more health care dollars in treatment. Someone who has paid taxes, saved money and chosen to avoid fatty foods can reasonably argue he shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of those who chose to “supersize.”
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82 Comments
Medicare is a socialist program and with that comes the inequality of benefit distribution.
Those who use it the most pay the least and those who use the least pay the most.
It’s always going to be that way.
Just another example of how you get punished in this country for making good choices. Not only should I have to pay more in property taxes, but now I have to pay more for Medicare when I reach 65?I guess I’ll just quit working so hard, take up smoking and drinking, sit on my ass all day, and complain about how unfair the system is to “poor” people like me.
Are we going to create a smoking and junk food police force to catch the evil-doers on medicaid?How would we determine who and then enforce this?Are we going to take Bush’s lead, by shooting first and thinking later?Hmmm….
Something is really wrong when someone can buy cigarettes with a vision card. Yes, I actually saw it happen. The government cost of taking care of the health problems caused by smoking is astronomical, yet the government is willing to subsidize smoking. Why not take all that money and quit cutting services for the severely disabled? I guess that would take common sense, an asset our government is totally lacking.
Mary, remember the tobacco settlement to states a few years back. They were suppose to help stop smoking campaigns and help state health funding.
North Carolina spent their reward on a government ran tobbaco drying warehouse to help tobbacco farmers. Call it irony?
EVERYONE participates in risky behavior. From Farmers who inhale dust all day, to kids who car surf to rich businessmen who drink every day.
Mary,If you did see someone buy cigarettes with a vision card, you should/could have called the store manager. It is NOT allowed, in fact, in some places like Dillon’s, the computer will stop any such transaction.
I think like the WIC program, the Vision Card should be setup so that people can only buy certain things, like milk, bread, eggs, caned veggies, hamburger helper, etc.. things that make real food, not prepackaged ho-Ho’s, sota, pork rines, and candy. (All of which i have seen people with vision cards buy).
Yes, Joe W. prefers that poor people have the decency to suffer quietly or better yet, just die . . .
Auto Insurance preimiums are based on ones diving record why not health insurance?
Good point Dingus…
Why should I, a very healthy younger person who doesn’t smoke cigarettes or are obese pay as much or more than some fat ass who chain smokes…
OF COURSE these premiums should be tied to lifestyle choices. People with more risky behavior (sorry, Politcal_mom, not everyone shares equal risk) should pay more - just like in the auto insurance industry.
However, the problem is in the reporting of who is risky and who isn’t. How can we possibly track this info? A blood test could ID smokers, heavy drinkers, drug users… But how about those that participate in risky sexual behavior? Or those that skydive? Poor drivers? The limits are endless.
We would have to be careful that the documentation process doesn’t cost more than the “do nothing” alternative.
KSGolf makes good points. How do we define the behaviors we are concerned about? Eggs are high cholesterol but they are also a good protein source. Some activities might be hazardous but are good physical activity. I question, for example, whether skydiving is all that hazardous if he knows what he is doing.
Smoking, excessive drinking, ‘chew/dip’; these are pretty easily defined. Diet, activity, etc are not.
Looking at the workplace and tying that with company-sponsored health insurance brings me to a ‘carrot not stick’ idea. Make healthy choices easier and more available. Good food options, places for plasant walking (after all they give smoking places), perhaps exercise availability. These are all ideas we have kicked around in my business classes and I’d like to see implemented. I think it is win-win in that a healthier employer should also be more productive (and cheaper to health-insure)
TracyMedicaid is a state administered program, for the disadvantaged. It is basically a welfare program. It is subsidized by the Federal Government and run by the States. Age is not a factor in determining eligibility.Medicare, on the otherhand, is automatic for everyone with enough “quarters” of service in their lifetimes, at age 65. Medicare is also available for those on SSDI or Disability, regardless of age, if they qualify.Part A is for “Hospitalization” and Skilled Nursing care. There are gaps in coverage, deductables and co-insurance.Part A is fully subsidized by the taxpayers, costing the individual nothing, in most cases. It is mandatory for those who qualify.Part B is voluntary. The premium for Part B, for those who elect to take it, is $88.50 this year. This premium is generally deducted from your social security check, but not in all cases.In 2007, “premium indexing” (means testing) begins.For those with less than $80K the premium will be $98.20.For those between 80K and 100K the premium will be $111.20.For those between 100K and 150K the premium will be 130.70.For those between 150k to 200K the premium will be 150.10.For those over 200K the premium will be $169.50.—-Obviously, these higher premiums offer one more reason, on top of federal income tax, state income tax, and the taxation of social security benefits, for people to reduce taxable income.The tax shelter and annuity business is about to sky-rocket!—-Now, even though I work in the busines and understand the budgeting problems of most seniors, Let me tell you something:Most middle aged Americans would JUMP at the chance to pay the highest, $169.50 premium for coverage similar to Medicare partB. Of course, we would ALL like to have “Free” Part A benefits, but the country could never afford that.(I am guessing that if any type of national health care package is ever enacted, it will look alot like Medicare, with “gaps” in the plan that can still be covered by private insurance, just like the Medigap business does today.)—I just attended a seminar on this subject yesterday but I can’t find my notes —You can qualify for Medicare Part A under a program where you have to pay “Part A Premiums” if you dont have enough quarters of service under the SS and CMS rules.That “Part A Premium” for those who want the coverage, and cant qualify for subsidized Part A coverage, is pretty steep.Likewise, the Part B premium is still heavily subsidized by the government, even with the new “indexing” to begin next year.I will post those numbers when I find them: the true actuarial cost of Part B and Part A, and the current “Part A Premium” for those who dont qualify for “free” Part A.—-If we want to talk about cost, and “fairness,” please consider that Medicare premiums are the only health care premiums that don’t go up with age. The 65 year old pays the same as the 90 year old.I would also fight the back door attempt at “big brotherism.” I don’t want to let the camel’s nose in the tent on “lifestyle” issues.What government “cop” is going to be in charge of checking our blood nicotine levels and our height/weight and diet?NO THANKS!
Medicare Part A premium, for those who do not qualify for “Premmium Free Part A” is currently: $393.00 per month.
You or your spouse have to work “30 quarters” to qualify for Premium Free Part A.
With the affluence of this society, there is absolutely NO NEED to banter over these little details.
It is time for free national health care for all Americans.
Paul, yeah, medicare-medicaid.I’ve mixed em’up, I’m sure.I’ve also had real-estate, insurance and mortgage liscenses in the past, but I haven’t worked in those fields for years.Just not my bag.Hell, I couldn’t sell water in the dessert. HA.At least we do agree, this ’scarlett letter’ for lifestyle is unenforcable, and pretty much a stupid idea.
Free national health care = the same low standard of health care for all.
Nathan
YOU already HAVE free health care!
There is NO proof that health care for all would lower the quality of the care.
Now folks might have to wait 10 minutes longer in the waiting room which would be a bit more crowded.
Let’s let you look your REAL arguement square in the face Nathan.
It is YOUR position that the sick should suffer or die if they cannot pay for health care. To shorten your waiting roon stay, you would let someone else die.
JR,
I don’t have free health care.
What I lack in salary compared to an equivalent civilian job is made up for with the so called “free” health care you speak of.
I loose my “free” health care as soon as my orders are done.
Relax Nathan you are helping me make a point.
Consider the unused or underused medical care in this nation.
Doesn’t every prison have a Dr.?
Don’t military bases have medical facilities?
There is potential to use the lag and off time in those resources.
JREconomic rules apply everywhere.Take away incentives in the health care field, and quality will suffer.Also, EVERYONE has access to health care.Hospitals generally can’t deny service based on ability to pay.Ability to pay has very little to do with the quality of service provided.And, reverting back to the top of this post, why do I have to pay for the health care INSURANCE of those who refuse to buy their own coverage?The Disabled have Health Insurance through Medicare, as do the Seniors. The poor have health insurance through Medicaid.Of those that are left, that are not covered by a group plan or their own, individual plan, this is what I have seen:Many people can afford health insurance, they just decide not to buy it!Your union buddies provide the most telling examples of why we have a problem.Small deductables in health plans can have a huge impact on keeping total health costs down.Unions resist all cost cutting measures tooth and nail, however.
For auto insurance you get good driver discounts.Shouldn’t healthy living choices get you the same?
Oh no you don’t Paul.
Don’t you put this on unions!
Group plans worked fine for decades. It is HMO’s that have caused the problems you mention.
Pauls claims aside we are the only western nation that does not provide health care to its citizenry.
JR,
And somehow we are the one providing almost all the medical research and breakthroughs… while many travel here to get health care…
Oh yes, woe is me, things are so awful here.
You are known to lie Paul. But I am gonna cut you a break and guess you are just misingformed about care for the poor.
Emergency rooms are required to provide STABILIZING CARE ONLY.
I know a guy broke his leg and lost his job.
Of course, he lost his insurance too.
When it came time for the cast to come off, he could not find a Dr. to do it. He did not have the money to pay for it. He finally had to cut the cast off himself.
Yeah Paul, I’ve seen those cost-cutting measures in action. Some years back, a friend was diagnosed with MS and fired from her job the next day so the company insurance wouldn’t have to cover it!
You can’t argue it couldn’t be easily better Nathan!
Our pharmaceutical companies use tax dollars for research. They then sell medicine for “what the market will bear”. What this means is that we pay more for the same medicines than other countries importing them from us.
You’re right on there JR. How far of a drive is it to El Pharmacia?
A good argument can be made that the US finances the world’s drug research through higher prices that other contries refuse to bear.
Thank you Kia
I’m gonna keep “right on”
We always hear “let the market work”
Well, it did! Folks started ordering their medicine from Canada. Well we can’t have that! The FDA put one foot on that idea by not certifying the meds as safe. The pharms jumped on it too by threatening to stop or limit exports of the meds.
Oh yeah we got the best medical care in the world ….IF you can afford it. I have a problem with that. I say the resources are there to care for everyone on some level.
We have computers and the capacity to super utilize resources. There is enough there to care for our people.
Perhaps a second tier system administered by medics and EMTs.
These are SOME ideas.
I prefer getting mine from Mexico. No joke. Allegra D. Not supported anymore on my insurance card. Claritin is supposedly just as good. Which of course if it was, I’d take it.
Nathan,You might look up sometime the number of Americans who go elsewhere for affordable surgery and medication. You might be surprised!
Last time I was at the pharmacy, one of my prescriptions cost, milligram for milligram, approximately the wholesale price for diamonds. The difference is that diamonds are forever, and the prescription was for thirty days!
Yes the US does have the finest health care - if you can afford it.
I just feel it is in the best interest of our entire country to have at least a basic health care plan for each citizen. If you want more coverages, then you can pay for anything else you might want.
Working Americans shouldd be able to go to the doctor when they need to, not when they can afford it.
Everyone should be charged something towards their health care plan. Currently we have Medicaid people running into the Emergency Rooms when they have a cold. Now that just doesn’t make sense.
This is just not good use of the health care resources.
And, I have worked for doctors for 20 years. I have yet to meet one that is middle class. Most doctors, especially specialists, are millionaires.
Lifestyle choice is a bad ideal, I have known of people that have never pick up bad habits and still suffer the same faith as those that have the bad habits.It sounds like Medicare is attempting to come up with accuses not to paid out benefits.Charging the wealthier beneficiaries more premiums would be good because they have been allowing special interest (the wealthier people) caps on the amount of premiums and taxes to be paid.The percentage amounts to wages have been an unbalance yoke for way too long a time.The price of wealth should be of a greater responsibility to its subjects that of where the wealth came from, not the lesser.
Darn Golf, I thought I was safe from you here.
Everyone does participate in risky behavior. Would the oil plant guy pay just as much as I do because the things he inhales are JUST as dangerous, if not more so?
There is a disease farmers get from inhaling crop dust. Coal dust…printer fumes…
the list could go on and on. And kids participate in the riskiest behavior of all. That is why their death rate is high.
Everyone pays for everyone else’s healthcare anyway, it makes sense to go to universal healthcare..instead of paying for it twice (like you already do if you have health insurance) you’d only have to pay for it once.
And contrary to popular belief, the US does NOT lead in healthcare. We are farther down the list on quality of care than Cuba.
Let’s see, gays would have to pay more since their more subject to aids. Minorities that choose to live in higher risk zip codes would have to pay more. People that consume alcohol would have to pay more. Adulterers would have to pay more. Sounds like a conservatives’ heaven, except for the drinking, and adultry premiums.
political momYou are dead wrong on Cuban health care.Cuba is a basket case, a poverty stricken country and way behind the times in all areas, including health care.What international leaders fly to Cuba to get operations?? lol.
As far as people being fired to get them off of company insurance, you can keep your insurance for at least 18 months now under COBRA laws. Yes you have to pay the premiums but you do have insurance.
Where do we draw the line?The government pays for the food of the poor, just like the government pays for the health insurance of the poor.Some now think the government should pay for the health insurance of everyone, including the people who refuse to pay for their own insurance but could afford to.Why doesnt the government pay for everyones food?Why doesnt the government pay for everyones housing?Why is this something government should do?
Government control of any enterprise outside of “command” top down areas, government does poorly. Government can run a military or a police force, but government messes up anything that requires innovation, alternative approaches and cutting edge technology.
You socialists wont admit that government isnt well suited to do everything.
By the way, Medicare doesnt even run Medicare, Medicare contracts with private companies to do all Medicare claims and paperwork. This has been the case for a very long time.
Socialized medicine and health care is coming. You can hate it all you like. But it IS coming.
The pharmaceutical, insurance, and medical industries have become entirely too greedy. That’s one.
Aging folks require more health care. The baby boom generation is aging into that area of need. That is two.
Greedy industry is offshoring their manufacture. As they do so, they are bailing out of the promises they made to the workers that formerly made them billions. Pension funds for them are wiped out. Insurance obligations to them are abandoned. These things must then be provided by the governent. That is three.
Game, set, match.
Socialized medicine and health care are going to be a reality. That is an undisputable fact.
Rather than continuing to fight the inevitable, why not try to do something productive and work to make the transition to the new reality as easy as possible?
Have you ever tried to pay the COBRA premiums? They are so sky high that if you can afford them, then you can pay for your own health care bills in cash.
No one keeps their COBRA that I know of.
Paul, you must live in a fantasy world
If the Republicans would have allowed Medicare to negotiate for the cost of drugs the way the VA does, prescriptions would cost seniors and the govt. about half what it does. So Joe, what say ye?
http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf#search=%22world%20health%20health%20care%20nation%20rank%22
I’m pressed for time this morning and can’t find quickly the report from the World Health Organization that shows the US overall is right underneath Cuba for quality of health care. But it is there.
JRThe baby boom generation will NOT force socialized medicine.Quite the contrary, as the babyboomers move into the “over 65″ age group, and have Medicare, they will quit advocating for a government program for those who arent poor who are under age 65.
Steve,You are WRONG on the Part D drug plan.There IS negotiation on costs, but the government is not involved in that negotiation. Show me a “disclosure form” on any Part D plan, after you buy it. They have to give you such a form.On that form, there will be a section called “rebates.”That is one area where price negotiation takes place.Each Part D provider negotiates directly with each drug manufacturer for quantity discounts.There is also direct negotiation on “preferred” drugs and on “tier ranking.”This bargaining, again, takes place between the insurance companies and the manufacturers.
CRYes COBRA is high, but for those who get layed off or get very sick, it is worth every penny. COBRA is the ACTUAL cost of the insurance, without the employers subsidy.You think COBRA is high? Well thank your employer for picking up such a large expense on your behalf for all these years!I have a question for you: Have you ever asked a self employed person what he or she is paying for health insurance?Generally, the premiums are slightly lower than COBRA would be, but the deductables are going to start at $1,000 and go as high as $10,000 on an HSA family plan.—-Folks, we have the best health care system in the world. It is expensive because it is the best.Socialized medicine will lower the quality.There are reasonable steps we could take to keep cost increases in line.For instance, Everyone should have to pay a deductable. There are people who abuse their health coverage, and the hypocondriacs would slow down on their abuse, if we charged a small amount of deductable and co-insurance, at least, to everyone.Also, the malpractice insurance premiums for some doctors, like OB-GYN, is now over $500,000 a year in many areas of the country.Medical malpractice is real. Some who are injured need lifetime care after thier injuries. However, all of us “pay” for these high awards.I don’t think we need to cap “actual” damages.We do need to eliminate “punitive” damages, because those damage awards punish all of us.
“Folks, we have the best health care system in the world. It is expensive because it is the best.”
Sorry, you’re wrong about that. Our mortality and disease rates are far from the best.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190569,00.html
Tony,One of these days, when you’ve chosen to be 70 and are falling apart, you’ll wonder why those premiums are so high when your income is so low. You just might want to rethink that!
Sure America has a great health care system, if you can afford it. Sixty-five million Americans have to face destitution if they ever have any severe medical problems.
Paul, what is it about you that revels in people suffering?
Paul,How does limiting an injured person the right to recovery improve the quality of care?Something like 10% of doctors are responsible for 90% of the malpractice. Find a way to put that 10% out of business, and the malpractice problem will pretty much vanish.Another concern is that the doctor that botched my wife’s surgery immediately joined the military to avoid several lawsuits. He stayed there until the statute of limitations ran out, and then resumed his practice. Too many mediocre doctors do that. It doesn’t speak well of the care our soldiers get!The medical community really needs to do some housekeeping. If they can’t or won’t, then the government should!
JedPunitive damages are damages over and above the “right to recover” they are nothing more than a pay off to the trial lawyers.How does it help the quality? Well you complain about price, then I tell you what goes into the calculation of price, and you say you dont want to change anything.Guess what folks? In all countries that have “socialized medicine” for all ages, they have either completely eliminated malpractice lawsuits, completely eliminated punitive damages, or completely elimated class action lawsuits against medical drug and equipment manufacturers. Some have actually outlawed all lawsuits.(I wonder how many people have successfully sued the government of Cuba???)You cant have it both ways.Those of you who want Government run health care will actually limit lawsuits more than those of us who dont, if you follow the lead of every other country that has gone down this road.Examples?Canada has outlawed class action lawsuits against drug manufacturers.One of the things you do lose if you buy drugs from Canada is the right to enter a class action lawsuit.
DougYou are wrong.Those who are poor have Medicaide coverage.Those who can’t qualify for Medicaide have protection from creditors through the courts.You can keep your car and your house under our current laws, and Pensions and IRA’s and 401(k)s are protected.Your arguement does not hold water.
JedMalpractice insurance generally works on a “claims made” basis. Some does work on a “date of injury” basis.Either way, you can still make a claim, in your wife’s case, and then the law protects the doctor until he is out of the service, and the statute of limitations doesnt count does it?If he has malpractice insurance I doubt that he joined the military to avoid paying a claim, he would just let his insurance deal with it.If he doesnt have malpractice coverage, I still think he can face court when he is out of the military. The law just “tolls” the schedule, service days dont count towards statute of limitation days, as long as your suit is filled in a timely manor.Am I wrong?Also, I am very very aware that medical malpractice happens.Even the best doctors get sued, however.Malpractice claims are a big driver in insurance costs.Actual damages are fair.Punitive damages are not fair.Also, I would agree that the Medical field needs to police itself better.
Paul, thanks for the suggestion that I have health insurance but I still don’t. Sure, I can still have some items if I declare bankruptcy. Yes, I know you don’t care if the poor or the middle class suffer with more and more restrictions and limitations put on their income. You never answered why you enjoy seeing people suffer.
Paul,I don’t actually know his insurance status at the time, but it turned out that he had a number of suits filed against him. Unfortunately, he was the only urologist the HMO would allow us to see.Our lawyer said that he was immune to suit in the death of my wife since he joined the military within a week of our discovery that he botched her operation, and that the statute of limitations would run out before he left the service. I can’t imagine our lawyer turning down such a blatent case of malpractice if suit was possible, since I would have let him have the money and settled for the doctor’s head on a pole!
DougWhat is your real point? You advocate putting the government in charge, completely, regardless of whether or not our situations are improved.How am I making anyone suffer?I see people every day who are on Medicare and have been declined for a particular proceedure.Medicare doesnt pay the first $1,000 or so in the hospital. ($952.00 this year but it is going up.)You think you can waive the “government wand” and prevent suffering.You can’t.Every government program limits access, every government program limits benefits. Every country is forced to ration care where government benefits are concerned.I dont enjoy seing anyone suffer, as you keep claiming.I understand that “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” This is a basic rule of economics.What socialists and liberals do is they find identifiable beneficiaries of their programs but they dont take responsibility for the pain their programs cause.Annonomous victims, visible beneficiaries. Higher taxes will cause higher bankruptcies, higher unemployment, less job growth. Liberals won’t take responsibility for the “pain” of any program.You will have to limit access, limit proceedures, ration care and do many of the things that other countries have had to do if you want the government to take over completely.We do have the best health care system on Earth.I dont believe the Cuba or Communist or dictatorship numbers.Do we believe any of the old numbers the Soviet Union used to give us?And again, who has successfully sued the Cuban system for medical malpractice?Again, government run medical programs, run by other countries, ALWAYS include tort reform. Other countries limit malpractice claims far more than the United States does.You are advocating a fantasy: a system that provides exactly the same quality that we have today, that will cost you nothing at all, and you still want to sue your doctors!It wont happen.If Democrats take the House, Senate and White House, it still won’t happen.There is no mathmatical, actuarial, political or economic way that you can make your pipe dreams happen.There will be huge pain in any change that you would support.
JedThe “wrongful death” limit in this state is, I think, $250,000.Let me state, for the record, that I dislike HMO’s intensely.HMO’s turn every doctor into a small insurance company. The primary care physician must pay out of pocket for specialists and second opinions.I think HMO’s force unethical behavior on otherwise good doctors.I am sorry for your problems. However, what we really need is stricter licensing and disciplinary actions against really bad doctors.Even the best make mistakes, however.Haven’t most of us had a car accident that was our fault?
Paul,Yes, even the best of us make mistakes, but we learn from them, and don’t make them again. This doctor, and others like him, make most of the mistakes for the entire medical community, and should be kicked out of the profession rather than sent to treat our military personnel!Actually, I haven’t had a car accident that was attributed to me. My insurance rate is phenominally good!
JedBy the way, I am very sorry for your loss.I have a family member who will be disabled for life due to medical malpractice.I think actual damages should be recovered.I simply question whether “fines” or punitive damages belong in a civil malpractice court room.If the doctor should be punished, let it be by his licensing board!
Paul,If the licensing board had the guts to do it, I’d agree with you, but doctors seem to be more interested in lowering claims than cleaning up their profession, and the insurance companies are happy to raise premiums on all doctors rather than refuse to insure the incompetent ones. Sure, there are areas of medicine that are prone to risk, but there is where the most competent ones should be!
Paul,Punitive damages are the only weapon we patients have in the fight to eliminate the bad apples in the medical profession.
Each provider ‘negotiating’ individually is not the same thing as the combined negotiating power of negotiating for all medicare recipients.http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=292769
The US offers the best health care in the world. I have no idea where the idea that Cuba’s health care is better than ours. Maybe it’s because it’s free to everybody, like Honduras, but it’s certainly not the best….far from it. Impoverished countries don’t have state of the art hospitals and treatment. If you live in a poor country and get really sick, you usually die. You don’t see too many disabled people in those countries riding around in wheelchairs like you do here because their system can’t afford to take care of their disabled citizens.When I was in Provenciales (which is very close to Cuba)last month, one of the ladies I was traveling with had an bad accident and there wasn’t even a hospital there. The best care she could get was in a little clinic during the day, then they put her in a motel overnight (with no medical staff to take care of her), then brought her back to the clinic the next day. If she would have need intensive treatment, she probably wouldn’t have lived.I don’t think socialized medicine is a bad idea, too many people can’t afford health care here unless it’s subsidized by the government or insurance. My cancer treatment cost well over $70,000. I was just so grateful we had good insurance. If we can spend a billon dollars a day in Iraq, we should be able to subsidize health care for all our citizens, and it doesn’t mean that the quality would necessarily go down.
Kssam, I asked the manager why someone could by cigarettes with a vison card, he told me that part of the card is considered cash, and people can buy whatever they want with it. The part that’s for food doesn’t allow them to buy cigarettes or liquor. Just the same, the government shouldn’t pay for people’s smoking or drinking habits. If people on government assistance quit smoking, the money the government could save not treating smoking related illnesses would probably pay for basic health care for everyone in this country.
SteveActually, each provider of Part D coverage, negotiating with each drug company, is better than having a government employee in charge.This we we get honest pricing.This way, if there is any price fixing at all, they will go to jail for anti trust violations.This is the free market at work.
Paul,As long as the drug companies have patent protection, there’s no such thing as a free market. The drug companies have us over a barrel and know it. Honest pricing? you’ve got to be kidding! My solution would be that in cases where lives are at stake, a drug company would have to submit to an independent audit, and if found to be making in excess of a set profit on a particular drug, would lose the patent, and that drug could be made by any generic company. When I’m paying $245 for 60mg of drugs, somebody is making excess profits! Street heroin is cheaper.
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TF,$17,000? That wouldn’t pay for a week’s hospitalization with no complications! Even with good insurance, most of you thankfully have no idea how expensive a serious illness or injury can become. When my wife suffered a stroke, her total bill was well over half a million, of which about a quarter wasn’t covered, and that was twenty years ago! It’d be double or triple that now.
Research and Development cost money. So does future liability, some money has to be be set aside for lawsuits. The actual manufacturing costs of many drugs can be very high. The usefull shelf life of many drugs is very short.What other country comes up with as many drug patents as America?When the government bans profits, the government will sentence to death all of those people who are waiting on expensive cures!
Paul,Yes, R&D costs money. that’s why the vast majority of breakthrough drugs are discovered at major universities and paid for by government grants.Most, if not all the lawsuits over drugs have involved the companies covering up bad research results in order to sell more drugs. All that could have been avoided with a little honesty, but hey, it’s capitalism!According to friends in the industry, actual manufacturing costs of even the most expensive drugs are in the pennies per dose range, and have nothing to do with pricing, which is based on elasticity of the demand.What about all those people waiting on a cure they can afford?
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Medicare is a socialist program and with that comes the inequality of benefit distribution.Those who use it the most pay the least and those who use the least pay the most.Insurance Premiums should be tied to lifestyle choices. People with more risky behavior should pay more - just like in the auto insurance industry.
EVERYONE participates in risky behavior. From Farmers who inhale dust all day, to kids who car surf to rich businessmen who drink every day. And they all need insurance at any given point of time.Check out these Health Insurance Basics on bills.com (www.bills.com/healthinsurancearticle2/) and have a look at it.
Steven.
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A comprehensive look at Universal HealthCare.
Very easy to read and understand:
http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php