Tell us, where did our government go wrong?! When and where did our nation's health care system break down and why do you think it happened? Has it always been struggling in your opinion? Do you think our health care is fine right now?
Although I'm woefully ignorant about this topic and my opinion is probably worthless....I tend to blame the insurance companies who seem to have taken control of the entire health care system. It seems that their desire for profit has caused the escalation of prices and the decrease in patient care. When I was a child, my parents could go to any doctor they wanted, any hospital they wanted. Now, we are slaves to the insurance companies. I can't even get a wart burned off my son's finger without tons of paper work, insurance approval forms, visits to my primary care doctor, and so on. I have solved this problem by boycotting doctors offices. I haven't gone to a doctor for years. That'll teach them!!!!
There are numerous problems in the system, but the common demoninator seems to be greed. Insurance companies, drug companies, hmos, docs, and, yes, consumers all are grredy. For years, the system moved along, fairly healthy and unchecked. The consumer benefitted from a system that required us to pay very little for our health care. Yes, our premiums seem high, but they are tiny compared to the actual cost of care. We, consumers, are actually spoiled. And now that the system is unhealthy, all sides are to blame. Not just the other guys.
I think that a major factor in the inflation on the health care costs is the increase in malpractice suits in the US. There should be a better way to resolve certain issues in health care that would reduce the amount of money spent in that area.
I suppose if we want people to visit doctors less, we could not have insurance. But it is probably unfair to put all the blame on insurance companies. Now that I have a family, I tend to feel that I have benefited more from insurance than I have been hurt by it. While we do need to find a solution, I'm not sure we need to assign blame so much.
I don't think that we can assign blame in this matter because all partied involved are to blame for the increase in cost. There are too many factors that are contributing to the increase but if we are trying to stay current with the ever advancing health care, then it is going to increase costs. I think that it is now a major issue because it has gone unchecked for too long and now there need to be some major changes to improve the system.
I also have not studied this issue to a great extent. But, besides what Cheryl said about the insurance companies’ desire for profit, I think the lack of legislative limitation on malpractice awards has put a strain on physicians who then pass on their costs to the public.
I agree with Brad's comment about the consumer's role in the healthcare industry. Everybody wants to medicate their kid as soon as the child seems ill, can't learn in school, can't sleep, sleeping too much, etc. Where is our role in all of this? Where is our personal responsibility for overmedicating ourselves and our children? I know Brad is very familiar with our rising healthcare costs in LPS because we use our insurance vastly more in comparison to other districts.
I would agree with Cheryl, Brad, and Roger and say that there is defnitely problems with the system. My son Brady had to get some kidney tests done at Children's Hospital last July. Just a few weeks ago, we received a bill for $1100. I was shocked to have to pay this amount of money in addition to the deductible we had already pay, along with what we pay as a premium every month. As another example of how the problem has increased exponentially, I paid just $200 to have my daughter three years ago. This past year, I paid approximately $1500. I did not change plans...
I think that part of the problem is that there are so many parties involved in the process. Doctors, insurance, billing companies, collection agencies, employers, etc. all have their hands in the pot. When everyone wants a piece of the pie, the pie just keeps getting bigger and bigger (which might also lead to our problems with obesity...:))
The one word that keeps coming to mind is GREED! By whom, I am not sure. I believe that Insurance companies at some point, went unchecked and now it is out of control. I was in a car accident a few years back. When I got the bill, I was charged around $70,000 from the hospital. After the person at fault had to pay my medical bills to my insurance company(just the bills, no profit) it ended up being almost half of the $70K. That is a huge markup!!! My father is a dentist and insurance companies set his prices. He has to find out what they will be and then charge enough of a profit off of that so he can keep make enough money to keep his business going. Fortunatley, things for him aren't as bad as they are for MD's, as many people have had to drop dental insurance due to high premiums. I believe there are others besides the insurance companies that are making the huge $$ here (drug producers, politicians, etc., etc.). Could write on this topic for a lot longer, but time is up...Let's just hope it gets fixed!!
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10 comments:
Although I'm woefully ignorant about this topic and my opinion is probably worthless....I tend to blame the insurance companies who seem to have taken control of the entire health care system. It seems that their desire for profit has caused the escalation of prices and the decrease in patient care. When I was a child, my parents could go to any doctor they wanted, any hospital they wanted. Now, we are slaves to the insurance companies. I can't even get a wart burned off my son's finger without tons of paper work, insurance approval forms, visits to my primary care doctor, and so on. I have solved this problem by boycotting doctors offices. I haven't gone to a doctor for years. That'll teach them!!!!
There are numerous problems in the system, but the common demoninator seems to be greed. Insurance companies, drug companies, hmos, docs, and, yes, consumers all are grredy. For years, the system moved along, fairly healthy and unchecked. The consumer benefitted from a system that required us to pay very little for our health care. Yes, our premiums seem high, but they are tiny compared to the actual cost of care. We, consumers, are actually spoiled. And now that the system is unhealthy, all sides are to blame. Not just the other guys.
I think that a major factor in the inflation on the health care costs is the increase in malpractice suits in the US. There should be a better way to resolve certain issues in health care that would reduce the amount of money spent in that area.
I suppose if we want people to visit doctors less, we could not have insurance. But it is probably unfair to put all the blame on insurance companies. Now that I have a family, I tend to feel that I have benefited more from insurance than I have been hurt by it. While we do need to find a solution, I'm not sure we need to assign blame so much.
I don't think that we can assign blame in this matter because all partied involved are to blame for the increase in cost. There are too many factors that are contributing to the increase but if we are trying to stay current with the ever advancing health care, then it is going to increase costs. I think that it is now a major issue because it has gone unchecked for too long and now there need to be some major changes to improve the system.
I also have not studied this issue to a great extent. But, besides what Cheryl said about the insurance companies’ desire for profit, I think the lack of legislative limitation on malpractice awards has put a strain on physicians who then pass on their costs to the public.
I agree with Brad's comment about the consumer's role in the healthcare industry. Everybody wants to medicate their kid as soon as the child seems ill, can't learn in school, can't sleep, sleeping too much, etc. Where is our role in all of this? Where is our personal responsibility for overmedicating ourselves and our children? I know Brad is very familiar with our rising healthcare costs in LPS because we use our insurance vastly more in comparison to other districts.
I would agree with Cheryl, Brad, and Roger and say that there is defnitely problems with the system. My son Brady had to get some kidney tests done at Children's Hospital last July. Just a few weeks ago, we received a bill for $1100. I was shocked to have to pay this amount of money in addition to the deductible we had already pay, along with what we pay as a premium every month. As another example of how the problem has increased exponentially, I paid just $200 to have my daughter three years ago. This past year, I paid approximately $1500. I did not change plans...
I think that part of the problem is that there are so many parties involved in the process. Doctors, insurance, billing companies, collection agencies, employers, etc. all have their hands in the pot. When everyone wants a piece of the pie, the pie just keeps getting bigger and bigger (which might also lead to our problems with obesity...:))
I agree with Brad--greed is alive and well in our society! Just look at the salaries we pay sports figures and entertainers!
The one word that keeps coming to mind is GREED! By whom, I am not sure. I believe that Insurance companies at some point, went unchecked and now it is out of control. I was in a car accident a few years back. When I got the bill, I was charged around $70,000 from the hospital. After the person at fault had to pay my medical bills to my insurance company(just the bills, no profit) it ended up being almost half of the $70K. That is a huge markup!!! My father is a dentist and insurance companies set his prices. He has to find out what they will be and then charge enough of a profit off of that so he can keep make enough money to keep his business going. Fortunatley, things for him aren't as bad as they are for MD's, as many people have had to drop dental insurance due to high premiums. I believe there are others besides the insurance companies that are making the huge $$ here (drug producers, politicians, etc., etc.). Could write on this topic for a lot longer, but time is up...Let's just hope it gets fixed!!
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