Health care problems and solutions in politics

[Speedwell]

Although things are changing here in the US, most people still view Government as a necessary EVIL, and most still would not want the Government telling them "we are ending your chemotherapy" Insurance companies may do that by refusing to cover your Chemotherapy any longer, but it would not be viewed the same as the Government saying "NO" that's why Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are stagnant, or, dropping in our polls.

When our Government says "we are here to help" most Americans still view that with suspicion.

Maybe within a Generation things may be different. I don't know of any millennial who would say "we trust our healthcare to President Trump"

Many in my Generation would call a National Healthcare System...Tyranny, not all, but many, but we seem to be OK with Medicare, probably because we paid into it for 30 years, or, more.

Yes, the Right has done a good job of misleading the American people about the evils of social programs like universal health coverage.

 

[98cwitr]

Yes, the Right has done a good job of misleading the American people about the evils of social programs.

Social programs, as they are designed today, keep people in a cycle of systemic poverty. Explain to all of us how that is good, right, and just please.

 

[Speedwell]

Social programs, as they are designed today, keep people in a cycle of systemic poverty. Explain to all of us how that is good, right, and just please.

Just like that. Many people actually believe that.

 

[98cwitr]

Just like that. Many people actually believe that.

I believe it because my neighbor's a welfare queen. She won't get married to her daughter's father, she won't get a job, she has no driver's license and when she needs actual cash, she sells the WIC items to other people, among other schemes. She was, or at least acted, surprised that we (my wife and I) had to pay for baby food and then proceeded to literally give us over $100 worth of Gerber items that she got from WIC that she said she was simply going to throw away because they were going to expire and her daughter was eating table foods now. We donated the lot of it. She smokes pot most days in her garage and leads a rather meaningless and unfulfilling life. She can afford it because her basic needs are completely subsidized, either by the government or her baby-daddy. When the hurricane came through last year, she decided that she'd claim food loss and get a $400 check for relief, even though there was no food loss or housing damage. Her mother literally sells her body for crack cocaine (according to this neighbor) and her father is completely out of the picture. There is no motivation. No Hope. No future. I pray for her daughter, who is 3 and is absolutely adorable, innocent, and doesn't deserve the cards she's been dealt.

Now tell me, what incentive does she have to straighten her life up when she'll be "punished," via the loss of welfare benefits, if she were to marry her child's father and get a job? None. The system is designed to keep those in poverty IN poverty. Either this is sheer willful incompetence of government to help people, or it's a power play to keep people dependent on the government. Which is it?

 

[GodLovesCats]

To be honest, the dirty little secret is that most private health insurers would have little problem covering abortion. It's much cheaper to pay for a 1st trimester termination than to cover 9 months of prenatal care, labor, and delivery.

Of course if health insurance companies offered maternity plans for pregnant women, abortions would not be cheaper. How about creating a one-year plan that would cover contraception, ultrasounds, gynecology appointments, treatments for pregnancy complications (including gestational diabetes), medically needed (but not elective) abortions, delivery (including C-sections), hospital stays, and breastfeeding problems? I don't know if it is realistic, but this should make abortion opponents happy.

 

[GodLovesCats]

That’s outrageous. My Nan had a one sided hearing aid for decades and she never paid a penny.

Are you in America (I’m guessing by your mention of the FDA).

Yes I am an American - always have been. You are right; it is outrageous. How does your grandma get a free hearing aid?

 

[Larniavc]

Yes I am an American - always have been. You are right; it is outrageious. How does your grandma get a free hearing aid?

She just went to the doctors when her hearing began to go. That was in the 70s. She got batteries and upgrades as new tech became available (my sister and I used to play androids with the old ones).

Because she had a hearing problem that was congenital I and my sister get free hearing check (as it is congenital). Same with my dad having glaucoma: I get free eye test because of my increased risk.

 

[GodLovesCats]

Oh, well hearing aids come from an audiologist, who is not a medical doctor, no matter what the cause of the problem is.

 

[Larniavc]

1. Government is inefficient and ineffective by it's very nature. We don't need such a system controlling our health

Then how come America pays twice as much as comparable societies per head but has similar or worse outcomes?

America’s maternity death rates are terrible, for example.

 

[Speedwell]

I believe it because my neighbor's a welfare queen. She won't get married to her daughter's father, she won't get a job, she has no driver's license and when she needs actual cash, she sells the WIC items to other people, among other schemes. She was, or at least acted, surprised that we (my wife and I) had to pay for baby food and then proceeded to literally give us over $100 worth of Gerber items that she got from WIC that she said she was simply going to throw away because they were going to expire and her daughter was eating table foods now. We donated the lot of it. She smokes pot most days in her garage and leads a rather meaningless and unfulfilling life. She can afford it because her basic needs are completely subsidized, either by the government or her baby-daddy. When the hurricane came through last year, she decided that she'd claim food loss and get a $400 check for relief, even though there was no food loss or housing damage. Her mother literally sells her body for crack cocaine (according to this neighbor) and her father is completely out of the picture. There is no motivation. No Hope. No future. I pray for her daughter, who is 3 and is absolutely adorable, innocent, and doesn't deserve the cards she's been dealt.

Now tell me, what incentive does she have to straighten her life up when she'll be "punished," via the loss of welfare benefits, if she were to marry her child's father and get a job? None. The system is designed to keep those in poverty IN poverty. Either this is sheer willful incompetence of government to help people, or it's a power play to keep people dependent on the government. Which is it?

I'm sure you would rather it be the latter so you can blame it on the Liberals. But yes, there will always be people who will want to game the system like that. Any system--although it sounds like your state is not doing a very good job of administering its programs. But the purpose of welfare is not to incentivize people to get off of it, merely to keep them from destitution. The incentive has to come from elsewhere.

 

[98cwitr]

Then how come America pays twice as much as comparable societies per head but has similar or worse outcomes?

Gross regulations that cater to the insurance/health provider oligopoly: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-poli...st-certificate-of-need-north-carolina-lawsuit

This drives up costs for EVERYONE, and is only exacerbated by Medicare and Medicaid paying lower rates, and therefore higher costs are extended to the private sector because there literally is no competition. People are locked into their providers and have no choices.

Ever wonder why a hospital will discharge a new mom on Medicaid in hours, but keep a Mom with private insurance for 4-5 days? And we wonder why our insurance rates are so high.....

And they're not similar or worse outcomes; in fact we have great service and good outcomes. Examples include comparing wait times between the US and Canada, or cancer survival rates between the US and the UK. Stark differences that make our system worth reforming, but don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

America’s maternity death rates are terrible, for example.

Let's dive into that. Why is it so bad?

 

[GodLovesCats]

Under the Australian system the government can't say "no." The government has no say in the specific medical treatment you do or do not get. It's not like the private insurance system.

Americans are so fixated on the private insurance driven, for-profit system that I think it's become impossible for them to think outside that system and conceive of better alternatives.

Not exactly true. The government does offer its own type of Medicare plan (totally different from yours as it is only for poor, disabled, and retired people) and Medicaid for disabled people with less than $1500. So private health insurance is not the only way. Unfortunately, what we call Medicare is very limiting. It pays for hospital stays and doctor appointments, but people have to buy medication coverage separately.

 

[98cwitr]

I'm sure you would rather it be the latter so you can blame it on the Liberals. But yes, there will always be people who will want to game the system like that. Any system--although it sounds like your state is not doing a very good job of administering its programs. But the purpose of welfare is not to incentivize people to get off of it, merely to keep them from destitution. The incentive has to come from elsewhere.

I don't blame liberals, I blame those who brainwash folks into progressive ideals. We are finding this in both our schools and churches (see "Moral Monday Movement"). It will result, if successful, into turning all Americans into state-owned slaves. You wanna be a slave? Keep at it....

How's welfare in your state?

 

[Larniavc]

Oh, well hearing aids come from an audiologist, who is not a medical doctor, no matter what the cause of the problem is.

Over hear the GPS are the gate keepers of anything like that. They refer you to a specialist who does all the test then the NHS pats for whatever you need.

 

[Hank77]

I believe it because my neighbor's a welfare queen. She won't get married to her daughter's father, she won't get a job, she has no driver's license and when she needs actual cash, she sells the WIC items to other people, among other schemes. She was, or at least acted, surprised that we (my wife and I) had to pay for baby food and then proceeded to literally give us over $100 worth of Gerber items that she got from WIC that she said she was simply going to throw away because they were going to expire and her daughter was eating table foods now. We donated the lot of it. She smokes pot most days in her garage and leads a rather meaningless and unfulfilling life. She can afford it because her basic needs are completely subsidized, either by the government or her baby-daddy. When the hurricane came through last year, she decided that she'd claim food loss and get a $400 check for relief, even though there was no food loss or housing damage. Her mother literally sells her body for crack cocaine (according to this neighbor) and her father is completely out of the picture. There is no motivation. No Hope. No future. I pray for her daughter, who is 3 and is absolutely adorable, innocent, and doesn't deserve the cards she's been dealt.

Now tell me, what incentive does she have to straighten her life up when she'll be "punished," via the loss of welfare benefits, if she were to marry her child's father and get a job? None. The system is designed to keep those in poverty IN poverty. Either this is sheer willful incompetence of government to help people, or it's a power play to keep people dependent on the government. Which is it?

I fully support a requirement that one must work, if able, in order to be on these types of programs including things like Section 8 housing, etc.
The work can be an internship with a business, an actual job, or volunteer work.

 

[GodLovesCats]

In the UK that would be called ‘going private’ and anyone with money can get it without affecting their ability to access the NHS.

Therein lies the problem. The people who need health insurance the most have less of it to buy insurance plans.

 

[Hank77]

Of course if health insurance companies offered maternity plans for pregnant women, abortions would not be cheaper. How about creating a one-year plan that would cover contraception, ultrasounds, gynecology appointments, treatments for pregnancy complications (including gestational diabetes), medically needed (but not elective) abortions, delivery (including C-sections), hospital stays, and breastfeeding problems? I don't know if it is realistic, but this should make abortion opponents happy.

Insurance companies already cover maternity healthcare.

 

[Larniavc]

Let's dive into that. Why is it so bad?

The US has the "highest rate of maternal mortality in the industrialized world." In the United States, the maternal death rate averaged 9.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births during the years 1979–1986, but then rose rapidly to 14 per 100,000 in 2000 and 17.8 per 100,000 in 2009.

Maternal death - Wikipedia

 

[Larniavc]

Therein lies the problem. The people who need health insurance the most have less of it to buy insurance plans.

Yeah but if you don’t have it you still have access to the NHS.

 

[GodLovesCats]

How is that good when there is only one provider and they're awful? I pay $700/mo to BCBS right now and they have horrible copays. I need another option, a more affordable option. Why can I only pick from one provider if another can offer the same service at a lower rate? Because my employer didn't pick them?

Only one provider? I was never covered by BCBS and have been insured by several other companies as a result of where my parents worked.