Top Ten Reasons For Single Payer

[SamSpade]

Tying into our other conversation about the AMA, a couple of points; an awful lot of medical treatment could be provided by nurse practitioners or, perhaps some new designation of provider. I've heard arguments where nearly 80% of medical treatments could simply be done on line, via Skype or what have you, and a new prescription regime whereby you don't have to go to the doctors, wait, be seen and then get the exact same prescription you knew they were gonna give you. Not all, mind you but, the vast majority. Heck, even if it's only 50-60%, we're still talking about ENORMOUS savings.

Give you an example. My son. He MUST see the doctor every month - 30 dollar co-pay - so he can get the same meds he's been taking for six years.

Now I am not sure, but my guess is that there's some regulation that says ADD medication MUST be a prescription from an actual face to face doctor visit.
When I have the prescriptions filled, one of them requires an ID before it can be filled, and there are strict rules as to how much can be filled in a month - and how often.
More than once the doctor visit is a few days EARLY and they can't fill it until the requisite time has elapsed.

This is an enormous waste of his time - but they are used to it. Even the staff will ask "just for meds?".

Similarly - there's usually nothing resembling triage in Urgent Care - which is usually VERY full in any place I go because insurance or not, no one bothers to schedule an appointment
when things are urgent. So a gall bladder attack gets put in line behind a kid with a bad flu (happened to ME, years back).

I have to think that part of the problem is - regulations. Rules they have to follow or face lawsuits. And a part of that is, a litigious society and abuse by consumers.
They MUST protect themselves.

 

[Larry Gude]

Approximately where the Canadians are, you know the ones that come here for the real medical care.

Do you know any Canadians? I do. A bunch of them. They love their system and are far happier than we are except for specialized treatments. Most are that for something like 90 % of their needs, they are far happier than what they see for us.

 

[GURPS]

Now I am not sure, but my guess is that there's some regulation that says ADD medication MUST be a prescription from an actual face to face doctor visit.

ADD / ADHD Meds are usually Stimulants heavily regulated ... I was on Ritalin in the 70's

 

[Clem72]

Do you know any Canadians? I do. A bunch of them. They love their system and are far happier than we are except for specialized treatments. Most are that for something like 90 % of their needs, they are far happier than what they see for us.

I don't know any Canadians. But I have worked with a lot of Australians who have universal healthcare back home (funny enough it's called Medicare), and supplemental insurance for people that want to use private facilities.

They seem to think it's a great system and much better than what their American co-workers have here in the states. Same deal with the couple of guys I worked with in the UK.

I'm sure there are drawbacks to those systems, but there are drawbacks to our system as well (like a 4 hour wait at the emergency room even if you are bleeding from the head because all of the fat drug seeking welfare patients know they can claim shortness of breath and chest pains to cut the line).

 

[SamSpade]

I don't know any Canadians. But I have worked with a lot of Australians who have universal healthcare back home

I've known a few over the years - and they usually LOVE their medical system.

Until they're actually REALLY sick - then they hate it. Saw a lot of Canadians when I lived further north who ventured into the States because they got tired of waits and rationed care.

It really IS great - if you're mostly healthy. Break a bone, need a flu shot, need a prescription or even a fairly common procedure done - yep - great.
More or less walk in, walk out, no cost, no fuss.

Of course, "walking in" and "walking out" is STILL just like here at Urgent Care - sometimes - where you wait a long time, but if you just need a physical or a flu shot, no big deal.

IF however, you have a very sick mom or child who needs to see many doctors and specialists - HERE, you can sometimes see them all in one day.
NEVER happens there.

What eventually occurs in these countries is two-tiered care. You get the government care for "free" - and if you want more, you can PAY for it.
Not seeing how that differs philosophically from what we have. If you have more money, you can get more care.

 

[Clem72]

I will mention that when I moved to this area and wanted to see a "specialist" (dermatologist), I called around and the shortest wait for a new patient was 4 months. MONTHS. If it had been cancer, I might have died before seeing the specialist.

 

[Merlin99]

Do you know any Canadians? I do. A bunch of them. They love their system and are far happier than we are except for specialized treatments. Most are that for something like 90 % of their needs, they are far happier than what they see for us.

Lived there for several years, I know quite a few. If they have anything serious, cancer, heart disease..., they come to the US.

 

[Larry Gude]

Lived there for several years, I know quite a few. If they have anything serious, cancer, heart disease..., they come to the US.

Which is exactly what I said.

 

[Larry Gude]

I will mention that when I moved to this area and wanted to see a "specialist" (dermatologist), I called around and the shortest wait for a new patient was 4 months. MONTHS. If it had been cancer, I might have died before seeing the specialist.

Maybe the dermatologists have the best union going right now?

 

[SamSpade]

I will mention that when I moved to this area and wanted to see a "specialist" (dermatologist), I called around and the shortest wait for a new patient was 4 months. MONTHS. If it had been cancer, I might have died before seeing the specialist.

Me too. It's rare I can see a dermatologist all that easily. I had to see one years ago for a growth on my back, and the only one I could see in a reasonable time was up in Prince Frederick.
That's just a consequence of living away from a city. When I needed to see a pediatric gastroenterologist for my son - it took a month.
Because that's the ONE day a month she is local.

Same with cardiologic testing for my daughter - they only visit here a few days a month.
And my regular dentist practice doesn't have a pediatric dentist on site. Serious surgery I go to DC or Baltimore.

On the other hand, with planning, you CAN get stuff in one day. My wife does that all the time - *yesterday*, in fact.

I don't imagine that living in rural Canada or Australia would be THAT different. The thing that is different is, a HUGE proportion of both those nations are concentrated in just a few metropolitan areas.

 

[Hijinx]

Me too. It's rare I can see a dermatologist all that easily. I had to see one years ago for a growth on my back, and the only one I could see in a reasonable time was up in Prince Frederick.
That's just a consequence of living away from a city. When I needed to see a pediatric gastroenterologist for my son - it took a month.
Because that's the ONE day a month she is local.

Same with cardiologic testing for my daughter - they only visit here a few days a month.
And my regular dentist practice doesn't have a pediatric dentist on site. Serious surgery I go to DC or Baltimore.

On the other hand, with planning, you CAN get stuff in one day. My wife does that all the time - *yesterday*, in fact.

I don't imagine that living in rural Canada or Australia would be THAT different. The thing that is different is, a HUGE proportion of both those nations are concentrated in just a few metropolitan areas.

Anyone ever tried to get an MRI in less than 2 weeks?

 

[GWguy]

Anyone ever tried to get an MRI in less than 2 weeks?

Anytime I've needed one I've gotten one within 2-3 days. And I've had more than a few.

 

[Hijinx]

Anytime I've needed one I've gotten one within 2-3 days. And I've had more than a few.

Good for you 2 weeks was my best time.

 

[Clem72]

Anyone ever tried to get an MRI in less than 2 weeks?

Have not tried to get one down here. Was able to get one the same day at Hopkins.

 

[SamSpade]

Anytime I've needed one I've gotten one within 2-3 days. And I've had more than a few.

About the same with my daughter - ALMOST as fast as I could schedule it. It was different say, 15 years ago, when the only place was a mobile unit in Prince Frederick.
But you can get one almost any time now.

 

[GWguy]

I've heard of people having issues getting an MRI right away, but I never did. I wonder if it has to do with the referring doctor's name, or the type of insurance you carry. I've always had BC/BS insurance which allowed me to pick and choose highly respected and known doctors, which in turn could mean alot for the MRI referral.

Maybe? :shrug:

 

[bilbur]

I do want to ask everyone in favor of the same level of healthcare for every person what they think the benefit to the middle class would be. This would increase the cost of healthcare for the middle class and our reward for working all of our adult lives, staying out of trouble, and paying taxes is we now have to wait in line for quality doctors to fix us. With the amount of money the middle class currently pays for healthcare they should be able to utilize some of the most experienced and highest quality doctors available in their area but if everyone is put at the same level those doctors might not be available. Because of this a less experienced doctor might not be able to save the middleclass taxpayer while the top doctor is saving the heroin addict that never contributed anything. Now the country has lost a contributor while saving a taker. I also believe that we, as a country, would lose our top quality doctors. Why would anyone spend 7 to 15 years of hell to develop a specialty if they know the government will give them pennies on the dollar of what they could have made. These geniuses will just go into other fields that will offer them a greater salary. I know it is a harsh way of thinking about things but the way it is and the way it should always be is you get what you work and pay for. If you take initiative, work your way into a career, and stay out of trouble you will be able to move into a good community with good schools, a good police force, and good medical care. On the flip side if you never do anything to better yourself, are constantly getting arrested, do drugs, or live off the government you will probably have poor schools, a low paid and undertrained police force, and have to rely on clinics for medical care. I am getting really tired of the you worked for it so I am entitled to it attitude. Just my opinion.

 

[stgislander]

My wife had to go through 3 months of physical therapy before the insurance would cover an MRI.