Limbaugh: "Pre-existing condition coverage is not insurance. It's welfare."

[^_^ 5,021]

What if it's a 9 yr. old with appendix that is about to rupture? Leave the decision up to the parents?

Children are technically the property of their adult guardians, so yes. If the parents can pay to have the appendix repaired, then so be it. If not, que sera sera. They can always have more babies. Baby making is free (and fun).

I pay for my own food.

Good. If you're ever unemployed and disabled, I expect you to go into a corner and whither away and die.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Then there's a lot of "jacked up hospitals" out there. Like I said, for simple things they can tell you the price.

But there's no way they will give you the price of something like major ahead of time. They don't even know how much it will cost until they are done.

I'm sure if I go in to work tomorrow if I ask the first 20 medical staff members I see the price of a random procedure, they couldn't even give a ballpark figure.

then that's a problem with the system in place there. Basic charge for removing an appendix shouldn't be hard to come by..... an average price for drugs involved shouldn't be hard to come by and probably should even be inclusive.

The fact that a hospital is willing to say uhhhh $10,000 for you and ummm $25,000 for her is definitely part of the problem.....

[mawilson 2,133]

health care is no more a need than a television is....

Best post yet - GOP should adopt this as their slogan!

[^_^ 5,021]

then that's a problem with the system in place there. Basic charge for removing an appendix shouldn't be hard to come by..... an average price for drugs involved shouldn't be hard to come by and probably should even be inclusive.

What is missing from American healthcare is more DIY-type projects. Like in Steven's hypothetical about the 9 year old kid with the appendix issue, why can't the hospital give the parents (for a reduced price) all the hardware (rental, of course) and drugs needed for the parents to do the procedure at home? A DIY kit, if you will. I'll tell you why they can't. It's because of the way the doctors and nurses have a stranglehold on the supply of doctors and nurses and the way they've lobbied our legislative bodies to make it so only they are allowed to provide these services. Like reading a bunch of books and wasting years in school when real people were busy working and putting food on the table is so admirable. Pffft! Give me a fukcing break.

Edited November 9, 2010 by \

[mawilson 2,133]

What is missing from American healthcare is more DIY-type projects. Like in Steven's hypothetical about the 9 year old kid with the appendix issue, why can't the hospital give the parents (for a reduced price) all the hardware (rental, of course) and drugs needed for the parents to do the procedure at home? A DIY kit, if you will. I'll tell you why they can't. It's because of the way the doctors and nurses have a stranglehold on the supply of doctors and nurses and the way they've lobbied our legislative bodies to make it so only they are allowed to provide these services. Like reading a bunch of books and wasting years in school when real people were busy working and putting food on the table is so admirable. Pffft! Give me a fukcing break.

[^_^ 5,021]

We need more Home Depot and less Beth Israel.

You can do it. We can help.

[Dakine10 5,452]

then that's a problem with the system in place there. Basic charge for removing an appendix shouldn't be hard to come by..... an average price for drugs involved shouldn't be hard to come by and probably should even be inclusive.

The fact that a hospital is willing to say uhhhh $10,000 for you and ummm $25,000 for her is definitely part of the problem.....

They are not saying that. Just that there is no basic charge for removing an appendix. One person could be relatively minor, another could have extensive complications, tissue damage or infection. Some people go home in 2 days some stay for weeks. I'll admit I've never paid a lot of attentention to procedural billing, but I do know there is no way they can determine those charges ahead of time. I would be shocked if you could get anything more than an estimate.

[^_^ 5,021]

They are not saying that. Just that there is no basic charge for removing an appendix. One person could be relatively minor, another could have extensive complications, tissue damage or infection. Some people go home in 2 days some stay for weeks. I'll admit I've never paid a lot of attentention to procedural billing, but I do know there is no way they can determine those charges ahead of time. I would be shocked if you could get anything more than an estimate.

We need to equip our operating rooms with meters so we can watch the cost go up as the doctor works. Then when the patient or next of kin (in the event the patient is unable to communicate) decides the cost has exceeded their threshold, they can ask the procedure to stop.

[Dakine10 5,452]

What is missing from American healthcare is more DIY-type projects. Like in Steven's hypothetical about the 9 year old kid with the appendix issue, why can't the hospital give the parents (for a reduced price) all the hardware (rental, of course) and drugs needed for the parents to do the procedure at home? A DIY kit, if you will. I'll tell you why they can't. It's because of the way the doctors and nurses have a stranglehold on the supply of doctors and nurses and the way they've lobbied our legislative bodies to make it so only they are allowed to provide these services. Like reading a bunch of books and wasting years in school when real people were busy working and putting food on the table is so admirable. Pffft! Give me a fukcing break.

Yeah, those doctors in school work 80 hours a week as residents and make about $30000 a year for it. It's not all fun and games.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Yeah, those doctors in school work 80 hours a week as residents and make about $30000 a year for it. It's not all fun and games.

Most people don't realize the time/effort it takes before a doctor can ever get to a point of making six-figures.... if ever for many.

[^_^ 5,021]

Yeah, those doctors in school work 80 hours a week as residents and make about $30000 a year for it.

Work that much for so little and they have to gall to pretend they know better than us?

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

My my, how did we ever get by without Medical/Health Insurance????

[^_^ 5,021]

My my, how did we ever get by without Medical/Health Insurance????

Do you raise chickens?

[Dakine10 5,452]

We need to equip our operating rooms with meters so we can watch the cost go up as the doctor works. Then when the patient or next of kin (in the event the patient is unable to communicate) decides the cost has exceeded their threshold, they can ask the procedure to stop.

I think your joking, but it's not all that far fetched. People do stop treatment when they see the first bill. It's a big reason why many people avoid going to the doctor in the first place.

Being from Canada, I still remember how strange it was the first time I worked in a US hospital. People spending so much time talking about paying their bill and how much it might be. People thinking that we were just doing tests to make money.

[^_^ 5,021]

I think your joking, but it's not all that far fetched. People do stop treatment when they see the first bill. It's a big reason why many people avoid going to the doctor in the first place.

Being from Canada, I still remember how strange it was the first time I worked in a US hospital. People spending so much time talking about paying their bill and how much it might be. People thinking that we were just doing tests to make money.

The only reason these meters don't exist is because you medical establishment types don't want us to have visibility into your cost structure.