Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us

[Junior]

Hair in your throat?

 

First off, that article is laughable as any type of evidence against what I have said. Medicare works within a system that isn't in Medicare. When a Medicare patient goes to the doctor, he/she doesn't go into a special system that is completely ran by Medicare where all costs are covered by that system.

 

In many ways, it is benefiting from being a part of another system.

Perhaps you'd prefer the example of the VA?

http://www.washingto...01.longman.html

 

You can't use "links" and "evidence". This is about a gut feeling, obviously.

[carlfense]

Hair in your throat?

 

First off, that article is laughable as any type of evidence against what I have said. Medicare works within a system that isn't in Medicare. When a Medicare patient goes to the doctor, he/she doesn't go into a special system that is completely ran by Medicare where all costs are covered by that system.

 

In many ways, it is benefiting from being a part of another system.

Perhaps you'd prefer the example of the VA?

http://www.washingto...01.longman.html

 

You can't use "links" and "evidence". This is about a gut feeling, obviously.

Gubmint bad.

[BigRedBuster]

Hair in your throat?

 

First off, that article is laughable as any type of evidence against what I have said. Medicare works within a system that isn't in Medicare. When a Medicare patient goes to the doctor, he/she doesn't go into a special system that is completely ran by Medicare where all costs are covered by that system.

 

In many ways, it is benefiting from being a part of another system.

Perhaps you'd prefer the example of the VA?

http://www.washingto...01.longman.html

 

 

Carl....

 

You're closer but it's the same thing.

 

Look, I agree that health care needs some major changes with how it works and government is going to need (unfortunately) to be a part of those changes. BUT, your examples come no where close to proving that a one payer system where the government controls EVERYTHING as far as price is a great system.

 

I chuckle even more at the VA example. I have actually been around a few VA hospitals. There is no way I would want to be taken care of in the ones I was in.

On top of that, the innovation and development of treatments aren't done inside either the Medicare system or the VA system. Those systems benefit from innovations that come from outside those systems.

[BigRedBuster]

Hair in your throat?

 

First off, that article is laughable as any type of evidence against what I have said. Medicare works within a system that isn't in Medicare. When a Medicare patient goes to the doctor, he/she doesn't go into a special system that is completely ran by Medicare where all costs are covered by that system.

 

In many ways, it is benefiting from being a part of another system.

Perhaps you'd prefer the example of the VA?

http://www.washingto...01.longman.html

 

You can't use "links" and "evidence". This is about a gut feeling, obviously.

Gubmint bad.

 

Capitalism and freedom...bad.

[Junior]

You call being crushed under the financial weight of a catastrophic illness because you couldn't afford good health insurance to be "freedom"? Interesting.

[carlfense]

You're closer but it's the same thing.

It is the same thing but I can understand how your ideology encourages you to pretend otherwise.

 

On top of that, the innovation and development of treatments aren't done inside either the Medicare system or the VA system.

Also incorrect. You must not have actually read the article. The VA basically pioneered the system wide EMR system . . . and now private hospitals are following.

[carlfense]

Capitalism and freedom...bad.

Freedom=good.

 

Capitalism=mixed bag.

[BigRedBuster]

Congratulations. You found one innovation. I'm proud of you.

[carlfense]

Congratulations. You found one innovation. I'm proud of you.

Don't worry about changing your talking points. Facts shouldn't slow down that train.

[Junior]

21 graphs that show our medical bills are insane:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/26/21-graphs-that-show-americas-health-care-prices-are-ludicrous/

 

 

[carlfense]

21 graphs that show our medical bills are insane:

 

http://www.washingto...-are-ludicrous/

Best in the world!

[Whistlebritches]

21 graphs that show our medical bills are insane:

 

http://www.washingto...-are-ludicrous/

Best in the world!

 

 

We're #1! We're #1!

[VprHis]

21 graphs that show our medical bills are insane:

 

http://www.washingto...-are-ludicrous/

Best in the world!

We're #1! We're #1!

 

I would be interested to see these indexed to cost of living.

 

As far as prices in general, the entire thing is a steaming pile. I work in the clinical research arm of one of the big hospitals in Cleveland, and I can tell you two scary things:

1. Medicare/Medicaid pays out $0.18 on each dollar billed in my area. If the number of people using these services increases as planned, our options will be to turn away all but emergencies or shut our doors.

2. Medical research has slowed dramatically. There just aren't many major new drugs in the pipelines, especially when it comes to antibiotics. The bacteria are outpacing us, and we are going to see uncontrollable infections with increasing frequency.

 

 

On the other hand, some of the biological trials out there are very interesting.

 

The gene therapy trials are mind-bogglingly clever, and with my background in genetic engineering, i must say I'm impressed by how simple some of the vectors are.

 

There's also one for inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis,etc that involves eating worm eggs to treat the disease. I haven't seen any data on how it's working, but from the number of entries on clinicaltrials.gov, I'm guessing it is promising.

[carlfense]

There just aren't many major new drugs in the pipelines, especially when it comes to antibiotics. The bacteria are outpacing us, and we are going to see uncontrollable infections with increasing frequency.

This is true . . . primarily because it's easier to make piles of money with cancer drugs, etc. than discovering and/or developing an antibiotic.

 

Which hospital in Cleveland? It's quite possible that we know some of the same people.

[Junior]

2. Medical research has slowed dramatically. There just aren't many major new drugs in the pipelines, especially when it comes to antibiotics. The bacteria are outpacing us, and we are going to see uncontrollable infections with increasing frequency.

 

 

Indeed. I've been banging this drum for years, but the only thing anyone is ever concerned about is "weaponized" anthrax.