The Problems With Healthcare Costs

The problems with healthcare costs stem from the overly inflated costs of medical school, the extremely high costs of medical equipment and the inevitable every-last-dollar-you-have' costs of medicine and treatment.

Bring on the AI doctors!
Robot surgeons!
Automated factory production of medicine!

Let's quit paying for all the costs of dumb humans trying to get through med school and then looking up google while they are giving you a checkup because, there's just too much to know, to know it all!

Send in the droids
Let the robots have a chance!

Costs will eventually drop drastically and we can finally have a universal health plan, paid for by the worlds' taxes and implemented worldwide under the jurisdiction of the Council of 9, the designated Chairmen of the New World Order, which is stationed in the World Capitol, New York City, Atlantic Northeastern Province, Area 1.

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein

I think the people who set the prices are the ones collecting the money is the problem. The people who own the hospitals also own the healthcare administration companies. It's called a cartel. It's like a monopoly but it's more than one company. Prices are fixed. And premiums are inflated for no reason other than to serve the shareholders.

What we need is Medicare for all. Change one line of one law from "65 and over" to "25 and over" and problem is solved. Competition will wring out inefficiencies in profits going to CEOs and dividends. What we really need is a few non-profit hospitals to keep the private companies from gouging the American consumer.

Right now, the problems with healthcare in this country is not rocket science. The billionaires who own hospitals pay the lobbyists to force the politicians to pass laws creating cartels and monopolies in exchange for campaign financing. Campaign financing for politicians is like heroin. It's extremely addictive and impossible to get off of.

originally posted by: EmmanuelGoldstein
Bring on the AI doctors!
Robot surgeons!
Automated factory production of medicine!

Let's get the AI uber drivers right before we have AI systems doing complex surgery:



The problem with computer programs is they are only ever as intelligent as their programmers. Or even worse, computer programs only ever do exactly what they are told to do and nothing more. Computer programs have no self-awareness needed to understand their own limitations and how to get beyond them.

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein

Cost?

Oh you mean taxes... yeah they suck...

I'm getting real tired of people thinking "medicade" or "medicare" or whatever the next name for raising taxes to fund public free/cheap healthcare is going to actually help when the problem IS NOT the lack of socialism in our healthcare industry.

IT COSTS TOO MUCH to get help. Every single doctor charges way too much. Every office building. You'll pay more for an aspirin at the hospital than a bottle of aspirin costs at the already inflated store cost.
Spend a night in a hospital? Be prepared to drop ten grand.
If you think that money goes to the nurses who cart around your ibuprofen you're mistaken.

socialized healthcare in this country won't fix this problem- it will simply increase taxes on those who actually work to the point that they cannot afford to live.

The problem with health care is no one knows how to tell hospitals and pharma to hell with their astronomical prices. I mean insurance companies and the gubment. $400 for a gown that is reusable and may cost $30? Get out of here! I understand they have to make a profit, but the prices are beyond unreasonable. If people think socializing it will fix it, look at how much college costs. Be a lot less if they weren’t guaranteed x amount of dollars.

one's death is anothers profit…!
big pharma understood it well
cancer will never be cured…! 5/10 years treathment is an goldmine for them..
ofcource in the end you die anyway

a reply to: ressiv

example:
my wife suffers breastcancer..
one consult for less than half an oure by specialist including an xray of mammals costed 800 euro's

a reply to: dfnj2015
Yep they also own the MRI and CT scan imaging centers. They refer you to their own money machines.

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein

Did you know, that if a hospital or a doctor just charged 1.00 (one) dollar for a surgical procedure, then the hospital is fined, does not get Medicare reimbursement from the government. The hospital and/or doctor would then be ineligible for medicare/government reimbursements.

Do you know who put this in effect?

The government.

They did this so people would get upset by the high prices and scream for government healthcare.


Republicans and democrats are responsible for this.

You are demanding that the people who caused the problem be the solution.

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein

Trouble with the cost of everything is our fait currency.

The dollar isn't worth anything.

a reply to: Akragon

Taxes - payroll are a part of the Cost of healthcare. (yif)

originally posted by: lordcomac
I'm getting real tired of people thinking "medicade" or "medicare" or whatever the next name for raising taxes to fund public free/cheap healthcare is going to actually help when the problem IS NOT the lack of socialism in our healthcare industry.

IT COSTS TOO MUCH to get help. Every single doctor charges way too much. Every office building. You'll pay more for an aspirin at the hospital than a bottle of aspirin costs at the already inflated store cost.
Spend a night in a hospital? Be prepared to drop ten grand.
If you think that money goes to the nurses who cart around your ibuprofen you're mistaken.

socialized healthcare in this country won't fix this problem- it will simply increase taxes on those who actually work to the point that they cannot afford to live.

Let's say you pay 2.25% of gross income for future medicare (your employer puts in another 2.25%). And you pay let's say $800/mo in insurance premiums (that 'wonderful' employer sponsored private insurance) . Then you have a $2000.00 deductible before your insurnance kicks in. Then you have co-pays - lets be conservative at $30 a visit and the denied claims and overage amounts that insurance doesn't pay. Then there is usually some sort of cap.

So the cost to you, the employee, for this fabulous insurance is approximately. Payroll tax ($50,000.00 x .025 = $1,125.00) + premium $800 x 12 = 9600.00. So $1,725.00 a year before you walk into a doctor's office. After walking in, add and additional $2,000 a year. That brings us to $3725.00 before co-pays and amounts insurance won't pay.

That's money out of your pocket for poor outcomes in may cases.

This doens't include your companies cost (which they pass on to all of us), the interest service, and other less obvious costs of healthcare.

Only the wealthy can afford decent healthcare under this system.

The aggregate cost to the individual can be mitigated in many ways and the most efficient is Medicare for All.

IMO the two top problems with heathcare is this.

number two ... not holding people responsible for their actions.
what i mean is (sad I have to dumb it down for some) things you CHOOSE TO DO (be good or bad) but not accept the consequences of those actions.
you choose (ex) overeat, smoke/vape, not eat as healthy as you can, have more kids than you can afford, choose the latest smart phone over saving for medical care, ect and EXPECT THE REST OF US to cover you.
I am not referring to things you cannot control happening to you like born with diabetes or despite your best efforts you get cancer. nor true accidents or emergencies .
but if you choose to be here illegally, you choose to smoke like a chimney , take drugs ,ect you only get basic medical care and pay what you can..

i work my ass off in a dangerous job to get heathcare for my family.. why should I pay again for you to get knocked up multiple times or you choose to keep smoking after your last heart attack?

but even taking this into account the biggest problem with heath care is this..

number one...

not having your rates public / treating heathcare as any other service in the free market..

look if I say want my car engine repaired...
I can go to each mechanic and see what they would charge to fix it for XX problem

now to those saying "your body isnt a machine" you are correct.
but just like my car engine there could be another problem not seen and that would cost extra and we expect that.

same with heathcare.

why is it if say someone needs a hysterectomy. You cant go to each doctor/hospital and get an overall price for the procedure from start to finish.
try asking?
you get the run around with things like "well depends on what your insurance pays", if your in network, if your doctor practices here, what drugs you may need, what "tests", and the always "other factors"

never "well if nothing goes wrong" price or worst case price.
hell the only consistent is "what is your insurance" and "you can only stay as long as they say"... with usually trying to kick you out as fast as they can.
the same day surgery centers isnt to save you money.
its to save the insurance money and get as many people as they can in and out for their profit.
even they wont get specific.

to be fair there is some glimmer of change in the diagnostic area.
they are centers trying for customers so they offer some rates on services with insurance companies offering discounts/benefits even cash payouts (rare) to people who use them.

IMO the first thing they need to do in heath care to reduce costs is MAKE IT MANDATORY they publish a "price list", make it easier for people to see what the insurance pays for (sometimes its like reading furniture assembly instructions ") and let us SHOP AROUND
bet if everything out in the open and they had to truly compete with each other the prices would drop...

scrounger

originally posted by: spacedoubt
a reply to: dfnj2015
Yep they also own the MRI and CT scan imaging centers. They refer you to their own money machines.

Sounds like a solid business plan.