Quote:
Originally Posted by SNOK
Exactly! There will be a beaurocrat that will decide what prodedures or medications you may have based on your age, general health, health history and family history. Just when you need the help of medical science the most, the beaurocracy will deny it to you, because it is too expensive for your age and life expectancy. Some will be told "NO" and to just suffer and die, while others (those of the desirable demographic) will be approved. Your doctor esentially will be asking permission from the beaurocracy to treat. His prescriptions will be only recommendations that can be filled only if approved by the beaurocacy. Actually, we aren't that far from it now with insurance companies and HMO's. The big change will be that approvals will be government conrtolled. When that happens, it can't help but have polictics involved - the desirable demographics issue. This is exactly what is coming, and apparently sooner than we think. The TV residents, because of their general age bracket, will be very affected by the rationed health care policies as this unfolds.
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I generally do not post on the political forum and I do not believe that the health care of Americans is a political issue. That said ...
SNOK's description of what health care would be like is EXACTLY what it is like now, with the power that the government has given 'big business insurance.'
Example: My physician recently prescribed a particular medication for me--not experimental, not even name brand, rather a generic. Mailed it in, got it back, called to find out why. Turns out a clerk decided that my physician was wrong and I didn't need it. Can you imagine?! So I ended up paying for it, meaning I enriched the insurance company in its clerk's decision to refuse it.
Example from the other point of view which I've written about on other threads: In December I was treated at The Villages Hospital ER following an accident in which I managed to turn a hand into what looked like ground beef. I received the most incredibly outstanding care there from a PA who was either directly caring for me or was hovering over me and nearby for SIX HOURS, successfully restoring my hand though I have lots of healing ahead. He submitted a bill to the insurance company for a munificent just under $500. The infamous insurance company clerk decided that I didn't need so much care and had the power to subtract slightly over $400 from this charge and paid him about $94; I pointed out that our oldest son is a grocery clerk at an upstate NY supermarket where he earns more in six hours. Is this right?
Continuing example: My hand will need another year to heal, requiring lots of therapy and exercises. First, the insurance company clerk decided that I don't need the splints and other equipment that support my healing, so I paid for them; I am fortunate that I can afford them but know that there are others who cannot. And second, as of this past Monday the hand therapist told me she has to cut back on my obviously very necessary appointments because, according to the insurance company, I'm running out of allowed visits. I'm in serious trouble....
I know someone who has a life-threatening condition requiring use of a medication that has to be carefully monitored, involving a stat blood test every couple weeks, meaning that as soon as the blood is drawn, a driver has to be called to take the specimen to the lab immediately. The lab's charge for the test: $28. The insurance company's payment for the test which is mandated as full payment (that is, no further charges for the patient) is $3. How can a lab stay in business and provide the service this person--and the rest of us at times--needs? And who pays the $28, I asked? 'Oh, the uninsured have to pay full freight!' Is this believable?
I served as a volunteer with Hospice (and was instrumental in bringing the Hospice movement into our rural corner of New York State; we are snowbirds here in TV) and can tell you that I NEVER saw the present system victimizing people MORE at a time when they are LEAST capable of dealing with it.
Or I should say, the health care system is NOW in deep excrement; tell me it's not broken! Its machinations CANNOT get worse, no matter what the government does about health care....