Health Care Issue Must Be Addressed

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/05/AR2006040502348.html

It is tough to speak to this problem eloquently, however the issue is that it keeps getting brushed under the rug and this will not go away!

Culprits:

a. Practicioners overbilling: I look at what it cost to bring my baby in so the “doctor could have a look” – she billed the insurance $350.00 for a 3 minute looksie. There was nothing wrong, but yeah, the fear game and my wife being a new mom allowed for this.  Many doctors have made the human body a profit center – extirpating parts that may be deemed cancerous, at risk etc. If it is a woman’s breast the chances are that a great deal of fuss will go into it, and why not take out both? How many men get their penises or testicles amputated? What is the ratio of female to male doctors doing this? Unnecessary hysterectomies – another profit center. The list goes on and on…

b. Hospitals overbilling, double billing and just out of control: One can pay $3500-5000 for a midwife, however my wife was not into that – so we go the hospital seeking “natural birth” – end up with a C-Section – the anesthesia (applied in a shitty way) was $4500 plus, overall the cost was around $20K for a three day stay at Mt. Auburn. Was it necessary? Not the point of this particular blog – but many are not – they make more money for the hospital and the practicioners involved.

c. Insurance companies trying to fight back with negotiated solutions. then being accused of chintzing on health care. The public relations nightmare.

d. Ambulance chasing attorneys - lawsuits galore. A separate blog could be dedicated to them, for now I will dedicate two more words: John Edwards.

• How many doctors are going broke?
• How many insurance companies are going broke?
• How many people are enslaved to medical bills or going broke? Aha.

Some solutions -

a. State-sponsored ambulatory care – not necessarily run on the state budget – I envision clinics run by interns, doctors awaiting their license to practice in the U.S., nurses, etc, hired by larger companies. A bucket of sorts.

b. Regulation – this has failed miserably owing to the people regulating. They are inept and powerless if they are not inept.

As you can see – I am unable to provide clear solutions – but a farmer’s common sense approach needs to be adopted and we need to stop helping out so many people from overseas for free. This only spreads the burden on us. We must be able to address this problem, as in everything in life, it is a choice – let’s choose to have a healthy nation.