Comments on: Public more supportive of health care reform than lawmakers

By: sursum

sursum — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:59:36 +0000

The reason there are fewer CAT sans etc available or done in countries with universal insurance is interesting. Each scan has the same invasive radiation effect as 500 x-rays. They were only of value in 2% of all head injuries, 90-80% of all backstrain and kneee joint scans were shown to have no clincal importance all. The higher the income the more often scans were ordered and when ordered they were done by labs in which the MD had a fiscal stake 66% of the time. As a tool for diagnosis they are complimentary to, but not better than exisitng methods. Most scans are ordered by MD’s not speciaists and the one big reason is to cover their butts in case of a law suit. The health insurance companies know this, that is why they question every one ordered for it is very expensive and in many cases, just a cash cow. Maybe other places figured that out beforehand instead of just going whole hog into the latest “test du jour” by big medicine, for they do have a higher standard of living to begin with. The top 4 are Iceland, Norway, Canada and Australia. We’re listed at no. 15. These other guys got the bucks, so it ain’t being short of funds to buy the things that shows them with considerably fewer units per capita vs America

By: Jed

Jed — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:37:12 +0000

Jimbo isn’t about to give up his chance for a quick boob job I see. He may also need elective surgery to have his nose lowered too.

By: BlueJay

BlueJay — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:45:33 +0000

“57 percent of those surveyed said that they would be willing to pay higher taxes so that all Americans could have health care.”

Maybe there IS hope for America after all.

The majority realize that we are all in this together and resist the urge to be put at one another’s throat.

By: BlueJay

BlueJay — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:41:22 +0000

I’m sorry son, we have to get out of the way and let the people with money have care.

By: BlueJay

BlueJay — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:39:29 +0000

“Government controlled health care is only good if have a martyr complex and want give up you current care for care with long waits for specialized care and decision made by bureaucrats. But to be fair, everyone gets to be equally miserable.”

Well forgive me outlander, I had no IDEA you were SUCH an important and busy man. I sure didn’t get that impression meeting you.

Imagine that. You are SO important and busy that you can’t wait behind six people instead of five for health care! That sixth person needs to get out of your way!

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:32:01 +0000

Can Taxes Help Improve Obesity Rates?

New York state governor David Patterson wants to place an obesity tax on non-diet soft drinks and fruit drinks (only those less than 70% real fruit juice). The problem really is one of money for New York state and not obesity, which in lies the issue. Patterson is simply looking to make up the state’s budget short fall. As always, this type of tax will hurt the poor the most. Some will argue that the monetary pain will be enough to convince many state residents, mainly the poor ones, not to purchase these ‘empty calories.’ However, it provides no guarantee that these calories will not be replaced with other cheap empty calorie options.

http://www.obesityrates.net/

By: BlueJay

BlueJay — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:31:44 +0000

“Give me my liposuction! Give me my facelift! I’m covered! I will NOT be made to wait five minutes! Let the damned poor die!”

THIS should be a plank in the Republican platform.

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:30:22 +0000

Ya think this has an impact on US Health Care Costs?

Obesity Rates by Country

# 1 United States: 30.6%
# 2 Mexico: 24.2%
# 3 United Kingdom: 23%
# 4 Slovakia: 22.4%
# 5 Greece: 21.9%
# 6 Australia: 21.7%
# 7 New Zealand: 20.9%
# 8 Hungary: 18.8%
# 9 Luxembourg: 18.4%
# 10 Czech Republic: 14.8%
# 11 Canada: 14.3%
# 12 Spain: 13.1%
# 13 Ireland: 13%
# 14 Germany: 12.9%
= 15 Portugal: 12.8%
= 15 Finland: 12.8%
# 17 Iceland: 12.4%
# 18 Turkey: 12%
# 19 Belgium: 11.7%
# 20 Netherlands: 10%
# 21 Sweden: 9.7%
# 22 Denmark: 9.5%
# 23 France: 9.4%
# 24 Austria: 9.1%
# 25 Italy: 8.5%
# 26 Norway: 8.3%
# 27 Switzerland: 7.7%
= 28 Japan: 3.2%
= 28 Korea, South: 3.2%

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:23:37 +0000

Pedant
Posted June 22, 2009 at 9:58 pm | Permalink
JimJohnson
Posted June 22, 2009 at 9:50 pm | Permalink
1/3 of Doctors Are OVER Age 55

Newer Doctors Not Willing to Work Long Hours
—

Good grief. This is an argument for rationalized heatlhcare, then.

It can’t be an argument for lowered healthcare costs. If you have fewer doctors serving more patients, then the only rational answer is to ration care.

You guys can’t even think clearly.
—————————–

Or more incentives to encourage existing doctors to stay in practice longer, and more students to go to medical school to become doctors.

Or Pendant, your Government ObamaCare will decide who gets treated or not.

(Check the PDF link above for some nice graphics showing the Doctor Shortages. Supply & Demand even under ObamaCare will largely impact price, and determine how big the shortage of care will be. Even the ONE can’t change the laws of Economics.)

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:15:48 +0000

AMA Response to Obama:

“To help physicians optimize patient care, new innovative payment approaches that focus on care coordination and disease management are needed. The former senators recognize that permanent Medicare payment reform must be part of health reform, saying in their proposal that ‘the SGR as implemented today impedes efforts to reform Medicare reimbursement to provide incentives for high-quality, high-value care.’

“Other key elements of reform highlighted in the proposal include promoting greater adoption of health IT, quality measurement and medical liability reform.”

(In other words, cutting doctor pay will not lead to High-Quality, High-Value care. Ya get what ya pay for jack.)

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news-events/news-events/ama-commends-bipartisan-effort.shtml

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:09:07 +0000

outlander
Posted June 22, 2009 at 9:44 pm | Permalink
1. Why do these “poor quality” health care systems deliver longer life spans and lower infant mortality?

———-

It’s not an indication of superior health care Capn. It has a lot more to do with our fat azz lazy American lifestyle.

Government controlled health care is only good if have a martyr complex and want give up you current care for care with long waits for specialized care and decision made by bureaucrats. But to be fair, everyone gets to be equally miserable.
—————————

America is the fattest nation on Earth. Obesity rates are high and growing every year. Obesity has been linked to the diseases that cause the majority of deaths in America:

Heart disease
Diabetes
Strokes
Cancer

Health Care if but one factor.

Health Care can’t cure everyone who chooses to Eat Themselves to Death.

By: American_Way

American_Way — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:05:38 +0000

Too few doctors and nurses are indicative of both the Canadian and the UK healthcare systems. I posted it above.

Facts. Not made up sheat like you libs are doing.

Continue to ignore facts. Live in your fantasy world of utopia.

You are going to be disappointed. Nothing will every satisfy you. Those complaining in Canada and UK? Liberals. Governments are not doing enough.

By: American_Way

American_Way — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:03:33 +0000

Public college costs are rising faster than inflation!

By golly give us a free college!!!!!
(nevermind this is a government run operation – it’s irrelevant. Government run healthcare will be more better. LoL)

BTW, inflation is based on a average of certain commodities cost. (and there are several different ones for COLA adjustments)

Everything which is RISING, should, as a human right – be paid for by the government.

Government makes money. They have the money trees.
It’s no sweat for them to pay for stuff. LoL.

By: Pedant

Pedant — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:58:29 +0000

JimJohnson
Posted June 22, 2009 at 9:50 pm | Permalink
1/3 of Doctors Are OVER Age 55

Newer Doctors Not Willing to Work Long Hours
—

Good grief. This is an argument for rationalized heatlhcare, then.

It can’t be an argument for lowered healthcare costs. If you have fewer doctors serving more patients, then the only rational answer is to ration care.

You guys can’t even think clearly.

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:58:12 +0000

FEAR FEAR AND MORE FEAR FROM OBAMA

LOOK AT HIS ANECDOTES, AND CHECK IS LACK OF FACTS

Make no mistake: the cost of our health care is a threat to our economy. It is an escalating burden on our families and businesses. It is a ticking time-bomb for the federal budget. And it is unsustainable for the United States of America.

When it comes to the cost of our health care, then, the status quo is unsustainable. Reform is not a luxury, but a necessity. I know there has been much discussion about what reform would cost, and rightly so. This is a test of whether we – Democrats and Republicans alike – are serious about holding the line on new spending and restoring fiscal discipline.

But let there be no doubt – the cost of inaction is greater. If we fail to act, premiums will climb higher, benefits will erode further, and the rolls of uninsured will swell to include millions more Americans.

If we fail to act, one out of every five dollars we earn will be spent on health care within a decade. In thirty years, it will be about one out of every three – a trend that will mean lost jobs, lower take-home pay, shuttered businesses, and a lower standard of living for all Americans.

And if we fail to act, federal spending on Medicaid and Medicare will grow over the coming decades by an amount almost equal to the amount our government currently spends on our nation’s defense. In fact, it will eventually grow larger than what our government spends on anything else today. It’s a scenario that will swamp our federal and state budgets, and impose a vicious choice of either unprecedented tax hikes, overwhelming deficits, or drastic cuts in our federal and state budgets.

To say it as plainly as I can, health care reform is the single most important thing we can do for America’s long-term fiscal health. That is a fact.

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/house-delegates/2009-annual-meeting/speeches/president-obama-speech.shtml

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:54:36 +0000

Ahhhh…You Don’t Need a Doctor, See A Physician Assistant Instead!!!

This report was designed to inform physician workforce planning. There is much work to be done to better understand the dynamics of the physician workforce—in order to better inform physician workforce planning. To that end, future efforts should:

• Continue to promote carefully considered changes in medical school capacity and the availability of GME positions as part of a broader strategy to address physician shortages;

• Promote efforts to make more effective use of the limited physician supply, such as through the use of non-physician clinicians and other health professionals, and to improve productivity;

• Recognize and respond to physician life-style concerns, i.e. promote flexible scheduling including part time work. Given the large number of physicians over age 55, their decisions as to when to retire will have an enormous impact on the supply of physicians

• Improve data collection and workforce studies and expand collaboration among health professions organizations on data and workforce policies.

http://www.tht.org/education/resources/AAMC.pdf

By: WSClark

WSClark — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:54:35 +0000

“How racist of you to criticize white people like that, Clark.”

Typical of a white person – anything mentioned about the disadvantages of being non-white is “REVERSE RACISM!!!!!!!!! The MEDIA is anti-WHITE and anti-CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!!!”

The poor, oppressed, mistreated and down-trodden WHITE CHRISTIANS need to be saved from the minority, non-Christians and the minority non-white people of America.

‘Cuz it’s the RIGHT thing to do.

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:50:38 +0000

1/3 of Doctors Are OVER Age 55

Newer Doctors Not Willing to Work Long Hours

These Two Factors Lead to A Major Problem NOT Solved by Cost Cutting – Without Impacting Timeliness, Distance from Doctors, and Quality of Care

Of course, amongst these aging cohorts are their physician members. As the population ages and requires increasing amounts of care, the nation’s physician supply is also aging into retirement.

Already, more than a third of them are 55 or older (Figure 35). This creates not only straight forward replacement needs on the supply side, but a strong incentive to better understand physician retirement patterns and how they are changing over time.

http://www.tht.org/education/resources/AAMC.pdf

By: outlander

outlander — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:46:27 +0000

How racist of you to criticize white people like that, Clark.

By: outlander

outlander — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:44:50 +0000

1. Why do these “poor quality” health care systems deliver longer life spans and lower infant mortality?

———-

It’s not an indication of superior health care Capn. It has a lot more to do with our fat azz lazy American lifestyle.

Get back in line son.

By: Pedant

Pedant — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:43:50 +0000

American_Way
Posted June 22, 2009 at 9:38 pm | Permalink
“Healthcare prices are rising far faster than inflation”

So are the cost of public education at any of our state/federally funded colleges. (you ignored this earlier.)
—

I ignored it because it’s irrelevant.

By: WSClark

WSClark — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:39:19 +0000

As usual (white) conservatives are against any benefits for (non-white) poor people yet they cry “socialism” at every turn, while enjoying the benefits of police and fire protection, roads and bridges, schools and libraries and other “socialistic” programs.

Conservatives don’t give a damn for (non-white) people unless they are good (white) Christians that haven’t fallen on hard times and they raise their (all-white) children in the way of the lord.

(White) conservatives have one goal in mind – what’s in it for me?

If it is not a profitable venture that benefits their pocketbook, they are against it.

Until they need help – then they demand a bailout.

By: American_Way

American_Way — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:38:17 +0000

“Healthcare prices are rising far faster than inflation”

So are the cost of public education at any of our state/federally funded colleges. (you ignored this earlier.)

What’s the solution?

(and that’s just ONE example – prices are rising on everything – even oil. Should government buy your gas?)

By: JimJohnson

JimJohnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:37:29 +0000

AmWay-

The Libs acccuse the Cons of using FEAR tactics, though tonight we have presented the facts from many sources.

Now Here is a Fear Tactic from Obama:

“Simply put, the status quo is broken. We cannot continue this way. If we do nothing, everyone’s health care will be put in jeopardy. Within a decade, we’ll spend one dollar out of every five we earn on health care – and we’ll keep getting less for our money.

That’s why fixing what’s wrong with our health care system is no longer a luxury we hope to achieve – it’s a necessity we cannot postpone any longer.”

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/06/06/obamas_weekly_address_goals_for_health_care_reform_96879.html

Remember how Obama said we needed the Bailouts NOW!

Remember how Obama said we needed the Stimulous NOW!

Same Old Siht – From Obama – FEAR!

By: Pedant

Pedant — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:36:12 +0000

“Pedant won’t even read to see the facts.”

Nah. I’ll read unbiased facts.

The trouble is that you don’t have any.