Uh-oh....

[Winter_123]

Al

The rest of us are far beyond that, talking about how it gets paid for.


Dan

I want the government plan. It's free.

 

[SportsNut]

I want the government plan. It's free.

Good point Winter... but speaking of "FREE"... this connotes to "NO VALUE" on the part of the receipient. It is not a benefit but a right, and therein lies the problem.

Case in point. My wife works for a large metro hospital. She occasionally comes in contact with folks that are trying to find out where to go or how to obtain treatment. She was telling me about a recent contact with an irate woman demanding care for her child. My wife suggested that she call the (free) clinic that is available thru the hospital. The woman already did; "They aren't seing any new patients".

Alrighty then... is this a window's glance at what we are all facing in due time...?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Good or bad analogy, who cares but let's say the gov't decided to raise taxes a bit and give free food and free utilities. We can't have people go hungry or have their power shut off.

Grocery stores; shelves bare

Utility companies; out of business as everyone keeps the AC running at 68 in the summer with the windows open and cranks the heat to 78 in the winter. Power grid blows.

 

[Winter_123]

Alrighty then... is this a window's glance at what we are all facing in due time...?

Yup, the root cause of the problem is that your wife apparently needs more training in how to guide people to free stuff. The hospital where she works and the employees there have the old mindset where they are primarliy oriented toward serving people who can pay their bills. All of that will need to be changed around. In the future your wife will be offering guidance to people who are asking where they go if they have private insurance or can pay their bills. Many hospitals will not be accepting folks who have private insurance. Too much paperwork.
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Utility companies; out of business as everyone keeps the AC running at 68 in the summer with the windows open and cranks the heat to 78 in the winter. Power grid blows.

I actually used to do that years ago when I worked for the government. People were still allowed to smoke in offices which was pretty nasty so we would just keep the heat or the AC cranked up and keep the windows open.

It worked out okay though because it was all free.

 

[calrep]

Actually Al you are a prime example of what's wrong with this industry, the inability to look at things objectively and reach a compromise that will work. The current system is broken and, in my opinion, a universal care system will be an even worse disaster. What's really needed is open minded logical thinkers sitting down at a table to work out solutions, not arrogant opinionated jerks who have all the answers.
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BINGO, my friend! We have two factions with agendas, the politicians and the insurance companies who simply cannot get together with an open mind and work out a solution that will really be functional.

 

[arnguy]

Winter, you must have worked in an old govenment building. When I worked for the goverment we were in a brand new building and you could not open the windows----they were sealed shut. At least that kept some people from jumping out of them!

 

[Graham]

The govt. does such a good job runnind Medicaid and Medicare they should do a great job with a natl. system. Eyes rolling...
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I do believe NAHU is spearheading some grassroots efforts...
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I do believe NAHU is spearheading some grassroots efforts...

 

[djs]

BINGO, my friend! We have two factions with agendas, the politicians and the insurance companies who simply cannot get together with an open mind and work out a solution that will really be functional.

Well, you left out the actual health care providers. They could help keep costs down. Oh yeah, you also left out the lawyers, who could quit being so suit happy and help keep costs down (no complaints about a truly bad situation, just the frivoulous stuff).

Dan

 

[Guest]

Actually Al you are a prime example of what's wrong with this industry, the inability to look at things objectively

Correct me if I'm wrong but YOU'RE the person with the bad temper and rose colored glasses.

and reach a compromise that will work.

And tell me oh great wise one, what IS that compromise? I'd like to know. I really would. It's obvious to me that you're the only one who can tell me.

The current system is broken

Not to you and most of the agents on this board who would be happy as hell to see the current IFP system go on for the next 100 years! Greed is good!

and, in my opinion, a universal care system will be an even worse disaster.

You're entitled to your opinion, but that's all it is.

What's really needed is open minded logical thinkers sitting down at a table to work out solutions, not arrogant opinionated jerks who have all the answers.

Nice to see another example of your mature objectivity.

You're so smart... till me how your beloved private sector is going to:

1. control physician costs
2. control hospital daily and procedure costs
3. eliminate the legal costs
4. create technology to help in admin costs
5. create a larger number of PCPs.
6. determine who gets care and who doesn't?
7 control the duplication of high-cost equipment in a region.
8. control pharma costs.

The private sector has tried with HMOs and HDHPs and HRAs and FSPs, and with MC. It simply has not worked.

Don't you think that IF the private sector could do all the above that it would have been done long before now?

Only the government has the power and resources to bring everyone to the table and take control of this runaway train. That's what it has come to. You can deny it or cry about it until the moon turns blue, but it won't change anything... and a 100,000 agents singing the praises of their beloved private sector IFP system that generates six figure incomes for them will be drowned out by the tens of millions of people who want the kind of change that I think is coming.

And when that change comes many agents are going to be unhappy because it is obvious to me that they are are a one-trick-only pony. Every SMART health-only agent on the planet is looking at a career change into life or LTC or maybe even RIA status.

As Judge Judy says: "Good looks are transitory... but stupid is forever."

Al

 

[bluemarlin08]

Why should we limit legal costs? There are LOTS of malpratices happening everyday everywhere. Try to get a quality malpractice guy to take your case, you better have a slam dunk because they are slammed with more cases than they can take. I have been involved with 2 major malpractice cases and finally just gave up.