Originally Posted by Guest

Are you a picture of health or do you actually get healthcare? If so, then you are in one of the ones in "need" of which you speak. Yes, the number in need keeps rising. What would you have the government do about that? People get sick most of the time through no fault of their own. Sickness is a side-effect of life. Maybe just like the younger ones here dictate about not driving after such and such age, maybe people should just not live after such and such age. Or any age, for that matter, if they have the misfortune to get sick.

As for the doctors making too much money, I guess you think that they should go back to doing everything themselves...no hospitals, no nurses, primitive drugs where if you lived then you lived...otherwise, too bad, and took chickens in return for their services. Who do you think pays the nurses salaries, rents/leases/owns the office, buys the equipment, buys the supplies, pays for the janitorial services? And last, but not least, who pays their outrageous malpractice insurance premiums in order to protect them from the many frivolous lawsuits and the few that are legitimate? Remember, Medicare et. al, only pays what they approve which is far lower than what is billed. What do you think doctors would come out with if they billed what you think they should? Not even enough to pay the bills, much less have any take home pay, that's what. Have you also considered that they do not get 'overtime' pay, yet often have to work outlandish hours just to take care of those ever expensive needy people? Do they get to enjoy every evening at home with their families without work interruption?Did/do you take bottom dollar for whatever your job was? Please show me someone who willing works for less than the job normally pays just so they can avoid being considered greedy by others. I could go on, but if you fail to get the picture.........

We all paid into Medicare all our working lives and continue to pay premiums, so we most certainly are not getting something for nothing. We also have deductibles and co-pays, so once again, we are not getting our care for free. All insurance is 'subsidized' in some form. In private pay, it is by you.

Originally Posted by Guest

IN THE REAL WORLD, the US does not deny healthcare to anybody.

People who have nothing to loose-no property, no savings are in fact immune from suits attempting to collect unpaid medical bills. Their bills are a loss to the medical profession
and like any other THEFT, needs to be added to the bills of others. Simple explanation of why you are billed $20 or so for an aspirin.

In the US 80% of all medical care is paid for by either insurance or the government. The system is simply crazy.
There is no reason to ask the price or to ask about whether the ....... is necessary. IF, I SOUND NUTS try it
ask your doctor is it necessary-ask your doctor about less expensive options.

I spent 4 days at the villages hospital. The bill was 50,000. AETNA paid 30,000 COVERING THE BILL IN FULL.
If, I had decided not to pay for insurance, I would have been billed, I would have had to pay TWICE WHAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY PAYS FOR THE SAME EXACT SERVICE-simple explanation of why you cannot self insure your medical care.

We insist upon the same care for all. Whether they pay for it or not-THIS IS CRAZY.

Under what came to be called OBAMACARE, the US felt a need to invent the wheel. THIS IS CRAZY-they only needed to see how the rest of the industrialized world does it FOR HALF THE COST and the results, while they too bitch about it, the results are about the same as ours, far as life expectancy.

I've read that lawsuits and fear of lawsuits add 30% to our medical costs. Perhaps, a great place to look for cost savings. Only trouble is most of our politicians are attys.

Many of our people-including the OP-think the medical people make too much money so in a lawsuit the reward will be huge. Not necessary because of fault but just due to the concept of take from the rich. YUP, that cost too
will be in your medical bill due the cost of INSURANCE.

THERE ARE NO EASY SOLUTIONS. PEOPLE ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO ARGUE WITH THEIR HEART INSTEAD OF THEIR HEAD. FOR THAT MATTER PEOPLE ARGUE WITH THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND SOME DO NOT EVEN REALIZE THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE DOING.