NY Times...a Good Piece?

[bobson]

This is an excellent piece about the choices we will have to make in order to provide affordable care. No matter how you look at it care will not be affordable except for the very rich in the future. Government run health care will be a disaster is it is implemented. Your tax bills will explode.

Will we have to ration care, and is it a good idea.

I like this article. Maybe instead of a government run rationed care program you can buy differing levels of insurance?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/magazine/19healthcare-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Some very interesting discussion can result from this.

How much do you think your health insurance company should pay to extend someone's life 6 months?

 

[Mr. Bill]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

Let's not forget that this is the same man who didn't intervene with his grandmother's doctors, even though he didn't feel that it was worth her having her treatment.

Guess now that he doesn't have to apply the same decision criteria to himself, he's out of the woods. Wonder what his momma would've said?

 

[Cornelius]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

Does this article make a selling point for critical illness coverage or a Terminal Illness rider in a life policy?

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

How much do you think your health insurance company should pay to extend someone's life 6 months?

The question should be: how much can we AFFORD to pay to extend someone's life 6 months?

I realize that most folks think that we should pull out all the stops to keep their Grandma kickin' another six months. If we had unlimited resources, it would be one thing...

But we're goin' broke!

If they can, and want to, pay for it privately - have at it.
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Does this article make a selling point for critical illness coverage or a Terminal Illness rider in a life policy?

No.

 

[ABC]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

This is a good article.

I think it predicts the future of any gov. option

And maybe even where medicare is going.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

What we also need to get away from is a MRI costing, say $1,500 and move to the actual cost with a reasonable profit of say $150.

My mechanic doesn't tell me an engine diagnostic is "$2,200" because "well, look at all the R&D that has to go into designing the machine."

Your "$65,000" surgery needs to be more like a "$8,000" surgery or NOTHING new that's implemented will work.

We are not tackling cost control.

 

[Rivers1]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

What we also need to get away from is a MRI costing, say $1,500 and move to the actual cost with a reasonable profit of say $150.

My mechanic doesn't tell me an engine diagnostic is "$2,200" because "well, look at all the R&D that has to go into designing the machine."

Your "$65,000" surgery needs to be more like a "$8,000" surgery or NOTHING new that's implemented will work.

We are not tackling cost control.

Bingo, you nailed it. You stated that perfectly.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

Medication is next - those "$220" a month meds....more like $20. Again with the "all the work that goes into R&D" nonsense from the pharma industry.

I just don't understand how it all begins. Pharma industry comes out with a new drugs, says it'll cost $180 for for 30 pills. All that needs to happen is:

Hospitals: bite me - too expensive
Doctors: bite me - too expensive
Health carriers - not even close, we'll reimburse you say...$20
Public - WFT? $180 for 30 pills? Go sc**w yourself

Why that doesn't happen is beyond me.

 

[dgoldenz]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

Medication is next - those "$220" a month meds....more like $20. Again with the "all the work that goes into R&D" nonsense from the pharma industry.

I just don't understand how it all begins. Pharma industry comes out with a new drugs, says it'll cost $180 for for 30 pills. All that needs to happen is:

Hospitals: bite me - too expensive
Doctors: bite me - too expensive
Health carriers - not even close, we'll reimburse you say...$20
Public - WFT? $180 for 30 pills? Go sc**w yourself

Why that doesn't happen is beyond me.

Because they're not paying $180....most are paying a copay. They'd probably say bite me if they were all paying the full cost.

 

[wildcat]

Re: NY Times...a Good Article???

Medication is next - those "$220" a month meds....more like $20. Again with the "all the work that goes into R&D" nonsense from the pharma industry.

I just don't understand how it all begins. Pharma industry comes out with a new drugs, says it'll cost $180 for for 30 pills. All that needs to happen is:

Hospitals: bite me - too expensive
Doctors: bite me - too expensive
Health carriers - not even close, we'll reimburse you say...$20
Public - WFT? $180 for 30 pills? Go sc**w yourself

Why that doesn't happen is beyond me.

John, it's happened because most people have no idea of these costs. They show their 'Group' ID card and pay thier little co-pay, or $500 deductible for hospitalization, and it's done!

The vast majority of Insured's have no idea and don't care, because someone else is paying for it.