We paid $634 million for the Obamacare sites and all we got was this lousy 404

[unsmiley 111]

My physician is in private practice. He manages himself, I suppose. The hospital I most recently visited is managed by HCA - a private enterprise.

The choice is not between cheap and good despite what you may have "learned" in the right wing echo chamber. We have currently expensive and sub-par.

I want cost effective care like that delivered in every other industrialized country. And interestingly, they all do it with more government not less. The US health care model is a failure.

Sorry but you have no idea what you are talking about. Spoken like a true reflexive liberal with no insight into the healthcare industry. My questions were actually rhetorical. There really is no such thing as true medical private practice in this country. Government controls how much doctors and hospitals can charge both directly and indirectly. How come they don't limit how much my plumber can charge? Or my lawyer? Or whatever line of business you are in?

And if medical care here is "subpar" and a "failure" I wonder why the kings, sheiks, and presidents of this world all travel to the US for their healthcare.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Sorry but you have no idea what you are talking about. Spoken like a true reflexive liberal with no insight into the healthcare industry. My questions were actually rhetorical. There really is no such thing as true medical private practice in this country. Government controls how much doctors and hospitals can charge both directly and indirectly. How come they don't limit how much my plumber can charge? Or my lawyer? Or whatever line of business you are in?

And if medical care here is "subpar" and a "failure" I wonder why the kings, sheiks, and presidents of this world all travel to the US for their healthcare.

Well, Sherlock, there is no truly private practice outside of Somalia. Contrary to your apparent belief, medical practice is not just another job. Doctors actually take an oath. How many plumbers or waiters or cashiers do you know that have to do that? Yeah, none, that's what I thought. What is with the right wingers and their totally failed analogies?

Medical outcomes in this country, the medical outcomes of the entire health care system are sub-par. It's easy to ascertain. That does not mean that there aren't some top notch doctors and medical facilities around which those with tons of cash can use for superior care. There are Americans that travel to Europe or Asia for certain special procedures where the best providers happen to be over there. What I am talking about is the overall outcomes. Those are lacking in this country despite the fact that we pay about twice what other developed nations pay per capita for health care. When you pay twice as much as your peer and get less in return, that's a bad deal in my book. If you're happy with paying for a Mercedes and having a Yugo delivered that's your issue. I'd rather pay for a Volkswagen and get, well, a Volkswagen.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Mr. Big Dog

[Protocol417 161]

For the very rich, medical care in the US is attractive. The system is built for specialization. But that's like arguing that because a restaurant has glowing reviews for high-end cocktails that this means they'll be the best option for providing a very large group of people with affordable, nutritious meals. People might flock there for the alcohol but that doesn't mean the neighborhood won't go hungry.

The US ranks poorly in doctor saturation (exacerbated by pushing doctors away from primary care toward specialization because that's where the money is), available hospital beds, readmission rates, infant mortality, life expectancy, so on and so forth. For the average person, it's not a good system. Even with insurance, it's ridiculously expensive, and the for-profit system encourages pushing people through as quickly as possible. After living in the US my whole life, I was absolutely shocked how much time the doctor spent with me when I had to visit urgent care in London, and how much care she took to listen to me and make sure I was okay, physically and mentally, before I left. Yet if you believe the hype, it should've been the exact opposite. I should be getting amazing care in the US, and spending four weeks sitting in a waiting room in the UK, if all that was true.

I understand the hesitance over the website price tag. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. We spend twice as much on healthcare as other countries, so obviously government involvement does not automatically equal more wasteful spending. There is always, no matter who is in office, going to be things that need to be improved, but we can't improve them if the first response is "oh, there is one bullet point that doesn't work as well as it should, therefore the whole thing should be thrown out and we should go back to how we were without any changes".

[lostinblue 1,989]

For the very rich, medical care in the US is attractive. The system is built for specialization. But that's like arguing that because a restaurant has glowing reviews for high-end cocktails that this means they'll be the best option for providing a very large group of people with affordable, nutritious meals. People might flock there for the alcohol but that doesn't mean the neighborhood won't go hungry.

The US ranks poorly in doctor saturation (exacerbated by pushing doctors away from primary care toward specialization because that's where the money is), available hospital beds, readmission rates, infant mortality, life expectancy, so on and so forth. For the average person, it's not a good system. Even with insurance, it's ridiculously expensive, and the for-profit system encourages pushing people through as quickly as possible. After living in the US my whole life, I was absolutely shocked how much time the doctor spent with me when I had to visit urgent care in London, and how much care she took to listen to me and make sure I was okay, physically and mentally, before I left. Yet if you believe the hype, it should've been the exact opposite. I should be getting amazing care in the US, and spending four weeks sitting in a waiting room in the UK, if all that was true.

I understand the hesitance over the website price tag. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. We spend twice as much on healthcare as other countries, so obviously government involvement does not automatically equal more wasteful spending. There is always, no matter who is in office, going to be things that need to be improved, but we can't improve them if the first response is "oh, there is one bullet point that doesn't work as well as it should, therefore the whole thing should be thrown out and we should go back to how we were without any changes".

Have they taken on the trial lawyers yet,,,, The main cause for malpractice insurance to eat up about a 1/3 of a doctors income. How about having a hospital give you tests for a 100 reasons you don't need just in case they get sued and for NO other reason . They have to cover their butt in court. So how often are doctors in the UK sued for malpractice? What are their rates for their insurance?

[unsmiley 111]

Well, Sherlock, there is no truly private practice outside of Somalia. Contrary to your apparent belief, medical practice is not just another job. Doctors actually take an oath. How many plumbers or waiters or cashiers do you know that have to do that? Yeah, none, that's what I thought. What is with the right wingers and their totally failed analogies?

Medical outcomes in this country, the medical outcomes of the entire health care system are sub-par. It's easy to ascertain. That does not mean that there aren't some top notch doctors and medical facilities around which those with tons of cash can use for superior care. There are Americans that travel to Europe or Asia for certain special procedures where the best providers happen to be over there. What I am talking about is the overall outcomes. Those are lacking in this country despite the fact that we pay about twice what other developed nations pay per capita for health care. When you pay twice as much as your peer and get less in return, that's a bad deal in my book. If you're happy with paying for a Mercedes and having a Yugo delivered that's your issue. I'd rather pay for a Volkswagen and get, well, a Volkswagen.

First, take a chill pill. You are putting words in my mouth, and won't bother outlining each here. I don't have the time.

Your ignorance knows no bounds. The impossible to accurately measure "outcomes" you and your ilk like to cite can be largely attributed to our relatively high rate of drug addiction, alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, violence, and a host of other factors compared to other countries. Those are the things you and our government should be concerned with. No doubt there is waste in the system, but unquestionably we have the best, most advanced healthcare system in the world.

[Karee 4,190]

Have they taken on the trial lawyers yet,,,, The main cause for malpractice insurance to eat up about a 1/3 of a doctors income. How about having a hospital give you tests for a 100 reasons you don't need just in case they get sued and for NO other reason . They have to cover their butt in court. So how often are doctors in the UK sued for malpractice? What are their rates for their insurance?

Good point. I remember living in Canada and I never saw constant lawyer ads during the day or late at night on TV. I think they had limits on malpractice. Of course trial lawyers are big Democrat supporters, so that probably explains the lack of malpractice reform.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Good point. I remember living in Canada and I never saw constant lawyer ads during the day or late at night on TV. I think they had limits on malpractice. Of course trial lawyers are big Democrat supporters, so that probably explains the lack of malpractice reform.

Malpractice Costs Take

Toll on Texas Doctors Houston Business Journal

by Allison Wolla Dr. Stephen Fletcher's medical malpractice insurance went up 200 percent this year. The staggering increase caused him to question how much longer he can continue to run a profitable practice.

Fletcher, who is in private practice in Houston, had worked as a pediatric neurosurgeon in Houston since 1985, but quit his pediatric practice in January because of the increase in rates. His medical malpractice insurance premium is now $80,000 a year.

Although Fletcher still runs his traditional neurosurgery practice, he says he doesn't expect to continue for more than about five years.

Fletcher says there are only three full-time pediatric neurosurgeons in the Houston area because many, like him, have retired recently due to skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates for the high-risk profession.

"We're the only profession that can't pass costs on to the public," says Fletcher. "Most of the children I was treating didn't have insurance or were on Medicaid, so I was basically paying for the privilege of operating on them."

Fletcher says operating on children is the highest risk of all specialties, and with decreasing reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid, it was no longer worth the cost.

"We, as doctors, are taking these increases on the chin, and I'm not sure I'll be able to afford it if the rates go up again," he says.

Fletcher says he has become frustrated trying to determine why his medical malpractice insurance premiums are rising at such an alarming rate. He says it's turned into a "blame game," with health insurance companies pointing to the increasing number of malpractice lawsuits and physicians blaming lawyers for filing frivolous suits.

Fletcher isn't alone in dealing with soaring medical liability insurance rates.

Dr. William H. Fleming III, president of the Harris County Medical Society, says the medical malpractice insurance rates for his family practice business doubled this year. He also blames the increasing number of what he calls frivolous lawsuits.

In Texas, one out of every four physicians had a legal claim filed against them in 2000, according to the Harris County Medical Society. Fleming says that out of all of these claims, 90 percent were closed with no payment made.

According to data from the Texas Medical Association, Harris County physicians are seeing malpractice insurance rates that are 60 percent to 130 percent higher than they were in 1999. And, 32.5 percent of physicians in Harris County surveyed by the Texas Medical Association say they are considering curtailing the types of services they provide.

Data shows that a neurosurgeon carrying $1 million of coverage is being quoted an annual premium of $114,000, a 110 percent increase from last year.

Obstetricians, for the same amount of coverage, will pay more than $62,000 per year on insurance to deliver babies, a 64 percent increase over the 1999 rate of $37,900.

"In Harris County and throughout Texas, it has become a challenge for some physicians to stay in practice," says Fleming. "With skyrocketing insurance rates and lower reimbursements from Medicare and managed care plans, some physicians will cut back on high-risk services or simply choose to wind down their practices. Either way, our patients lose."

Bad Medicine

Fleming says it's often the physicians dealing with the sickest and highest risk patients who have seen the largest jump in their premiums and who are changing the way they practice medicine.

Dr. David Hearne, a general surgeon who practices at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, settled on a lawsuit in 2000 and has since watched his annual premiums rise from $24,000 to $72,000. He says he practiced for 28 years before being named in a lawsuit.

One of Hearne's patients filed a suit over a complication he says they acknowledged was a possibility before the surgery, but says he had no choice but to settle the case.

It's gotten so bad that Hearne says he and many surgeons he knows are considering closing down their practices due to the soaring costs of malpractice insurance.

"It has had a serious adverse impact on my practice, and I don't know how much longer I can survive," he says. "I'm taking it month-to-month right now, and if I can't bring in enough money, I'm going to have to retire soon or find something else to do in medicine."

While the reaction to increasing premiums are the most severe in South Texas and along the Texas-Mexico border, officials say Houston's already-full hospitals are shouldering the burden of the patients who must been seen by a physician.

As physicians in South Texas leave the industry or alter their practices, Houston-area hospitals are seeing more and more patients from areas outside of Harris County, adding to the already-overcrowded emergency rooms.

Ken Mattox, chief of staff at Ben Taub Hospital, says he receives a steady stream of phone calls from South Texas physicians asking him if he can take a patient who needs immediate emergency attention.

Mattox says fewer physicians are performing the risky procedures because they can't afford the insurance --and it's creating a serious burden on Texas hospitals.

He says this problem will affect everybody, and most people won't feel it until they are in need of serious care by a physician.

"There may not be room for you at the hospital because the physicians who would normally take care of you can't afford the insurance," Mattox says.

http://www.calahouston.org/malpractice.html

Trial lawyers are off limits under the kenyans rule. Again How much does a DR in the UK pay for insurance. How many people do you have to see to pay 8-10,000 / month just in insurance rates. Then do test after test that MAY be not done years ago but to cover your ### in a lawsuit you have to do everything under the sun in case you go to court.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Good point. I remember living in Canada and I never saw constant lawyer ads during the day or late at night on TV. I think they had limits on malpractice. Of course trial lawyers are big Democrat supporters, so that probably explains the lack of malpractice reform.

Anyone watched daytime talk shows lately.

Almost every add is

Bare Min coverage insurance

Been Injured Call "insert sleazy lawyer"

Let us help you get the SS benefits you deserve

Easy Title Pawn

[Karee 4,190]

.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Karee

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I understand the hesitance over the website price tag.

This country spends $2.5 trillion dollars on health care every year. $650 million spent over several years to built this nationwide online insurance exchange - state by state no less - is not even a drop in the bucket. We're talking about two and half hundreth of one percent. That's right. The online marketplaces all in cost about 0.025% of what we spend on health care each and every year. Whoopity Doo Dah.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Have they taken on the trial lawyers yet,,,, The main cause for malpractice insurance to eat up about a 1/3 of a doctors income. How about having a hospital give you tests for a 100 reasons you don't need just in case they get sued and for NO other reason . They have to cover their butt in court. So how often are doctors in the UK sued for malpractice? What are their rates for their insurance?

That red herring. Nice.

Malpractice a Tiny Percentage of Health Care Costs One of the principal myths surrounding medical malpractice is its effect on overall health care costs. Medical malpractice is actually a tiny percentage of health care costs, in part because medical malpractice claims are far less frequent than many people believe. In 2004, the CBO calculated malpractice costs amounted to “less than 2 percent of overall health care spending. Thus, even a reduction of 25 percent to 30 percent in malpractice costs would lower health care costs by only about 0.4 percent to 0.5 percent, and the likely effect on health insurance premiums would be comparably small.”

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

No doubt there is waste in the system, but unquestionably we have the best, most advanced healthcare system in the world.

I'm going to ignore the cheap insults you sling as you recognize that you are losing the argument. Suffice it to say that no sane, informed person would make the ridiculous claim that we have the best, most advanced healthcare system in the world. That is pure and utter nonsense. Period.

[Karee 4,190]

This country spends $2.5 trillion dollars on health care every year. $650 million spent over several years to built this nationwide online insurance exchange - state by state no less - is not even a drop in the bucket. We're talking about two and half hundreth of one percent. That's right. The online marketplaces all in cost about 0.025% of what we spend on health care each and every year. Whoopity Doo Dah.

That kind of attitude is why we have a 16 trillion dollar debt.

[Operator 1,927]

For the very rich, medical care in the US is attractive. The system is built for specialization. But that's like arguing that because a restaurant has glowing reviews for high-end cocktails that this means they'll be the best option for providing a very large group of people with affordable, nutritious meals. People might flock there for the alcohol but that doesn't mean the neighborhood won't go hungry.

The US ranks poorly in doctor saturation (exacerbated by pushing doctors away from primary care toward specialization because that's where the money is), available hospital beds, readmission rates, infant mortality, life expectancy, so on and so forth. For the average person, it's not a good system. Even with insurance, it's ridiculously expensive, and the for-profit system encourages pushing people through as quickly as possible. After living in the US my whole life, I was absolutely shocked how much time the doctor spent with me when I had to visit urgent care in London, and how much care she took to listen to me and make sure I was okay, physically and mentally, before I left. Yet if you believe the hype, it should've been the exact opposite. I should be getting amazing care in the US, and spending four weeks sitting in a waiting room in the UK, if all that was true.

I understand the hesitance over the website price tag. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. We spend twice as much on healthcare as other countries, so obviously government involvement does not automatically equal more wasteful spending. There is always, no matter who is in office, going to be things that need to be improved, but we can't improve them if the first response is "oh, there is one bullet point that doesn't work as well as it should, therefore the whole thing should be thrown out and we should go back to how we were without any changes".

Sorry but your rational well informed post is not welcome here. Feel free to come back and post when you are ready to call people names, refuse to listen to the other side of the story and sling feces like an adult.

[Karee 4,190]

That red herring. Nice.

What's even funnier is your source.

Reflecting its growth and expanded commitments, NACCA changed its name 3 times before 1973, when it emerged as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA). In 1977, ATLA's headquarters moved from Boston to Washington, DC.

In 2006, ATLA members voted to adopt a new name: the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Today, AAJ is a broad-based, international coalition of attorneys, law professors, paralegals, and law students.

Source:

http://www.justice.org/cps/rde/xchg/justice/hs.xsl/418.htm