Trumps HC Plan

[awful knawful]

1 minute ago, Mainecat said:

Watch what he does, not what he says.

Dow is at 30k. He doin something

[Ez ryder]

7 hours ago, Mainecat said:

He’s going to jail along with his grifter family and he knows it.

Desperation has set in. Congress better keep him in check or he will invade Canada.

Look another pampers prediction.  Who thinks this one will be any diff than the last 1500 failed attempts lmfao so fucking pathetic 

[steve from amherst]

10 hours ago, awful knawful said:

You're overweight and a high risk?

i smoke butts

[awful knawful]

50 minutes ago, steve from amherst said:

i smoke butts

There ya go.

[jammin]

I'm truly worried about MCs well being 

[Skidooski]

2 minutes ago, jammin said:

I'm truly worried about MCs well being 

He's been on the decline for about four years now

[Highmark]

America's high HC costs are driven by 2 main factors.   We spend way too much money on people during their last few years of life and we have a portion of the population that has extraordinarily high HC costs that are spread onto everyone else.   5% of American's make up over 50% of HC costs.  The Superusers.  

Yes many conditions are not due to lifestyle but many are.   Time to start having some personal responsibility in your care. 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Highmark

[Fireball 440]

1 minute ago, Highmark said:

America's high HC costs are driven by 2 main factors.   We spend way too much money on people during their last few years of life and we have a portion of the population that has extraordinarily high HC costs that are spread onto everyone else.   5% of American's make up over 50% of HC costs.  The Superusers.  

Gotta pull the plug for the good of the country.

[Highmark]

Just now, Fireball 440 said:

Gotta pull the plug for the good of the country.

Gotta start forcing personal responsibility into the cost of coverage.  Sure some conditions are hereditary but some are exacerbated or caused by horribly unhealthy lifestyles. 

[Angry ginger]

36 minutes ago, Fireball 440 said:

Gotta pull the plug for the good of the country.

no question.  Rationed healthcare is really the only solution.   Old and sick,  hope you had a good life  see ya.   

 

[snoughnut]

1 hour ago, Highmark said:

America's high HC costs are driven by 2 main factors.   We spend way too much money on people during their last few years of life and we have a portion of the population that has extraordinarily high HC costs that are spread onto everyone else.   5% of American's make up over 50% of HC costs.  The Superusers.  

Yes many conditions are not due to lifestyle but many are.   Time to start having some personal responsibility in your care. 

Bull fucking shit, do you really believe that BS? 

Costly Healthcare Hurts Everyone

The high cost of healthcare affects everyone, sick or well. It has depressed individual spending power for the past few decades. Salaries for American workers have risen, but net pay has stayed the same because of increasing charges for health insurance.3 Today, tightening up on overspending is urgent to help stretch medical and hospital resources to control COVID-19.

 

Here are six underlying reasons for the high cost of healthcare in the U.S.

 

1. Multiple Systems Create Waste

“Administrative” costs are frequently cited as a cause for excess medical spending. The U.S. spends about 8% of its healthcare dollar on administrative costs, compared to 1% to 3% in the 10 other countries the JAMA study looked at.

 

The U.S. healthcare system is extremely complex, with separate rules, funding, enrollment dates, and out-of-pocket costs for employer-based insurance, private insurance from healthcare.gov, Medicaid, and Medicare, in all its many pieces. In each of these sectors consumers must choose among several tiers of coverage, high deductible plans, managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs) and fee-for-service systems. These plans may or may not include pharmaceutical drug insurance which has its own tiers of coverage, deductibles, and copays or coinsurance.

 

For providers, this means dealing with myriad regulations about usage, coding, and billing. And, in fact, these activities make up the largest share of administrative costs.4

 

2. Drug Costs Are Rising

On average, Americans shell out almost four times as much for pharmaceutical drugs as citizens of other industrialized countries pay. High drug prices are the single biggest area of overspending in the U.S. compared to Europe, where drug prices are government regulated, often based on the clinical benefit of the medication.

 

With little regulation of drug prices, the U.S. spends an average of $1,443 per person, compared to $749, on average, spent by the other prosperous countries studied. In the U.S. private insurers can negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, often through the services of pharmacy benefit managers. However, Medicare, which pays for a hefty percentage of the national drug costs, is not permitted to negotiate prices with manufacturers.2 5

 

3. Doctors (and Nurses) Are Paid More

The average U.S. family doctor earns $218,173 a year, and specialists make $316,000—way above the the average in other industrialized countries. American nurses make considerably more than elsewhere, too. The average salary for a U.S. nurse is about $74,250, compared to $58,041 in Switzerland and $60,253 in the Netherlands.6 7

 



 

U.S. managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs) may succeed in lowering healthcare costs by requiring prior authorization for seeing a high-priced specialist. Use of a nurse practitioner instead of a family doctor can also save money.

 

$11,170

The cost of a hospital birth in the U.S., which is over $7,000 more than the cost in the Netherlands.8

4. Hospitals Are Profit Centers

Hospital care accounts for 33% of the nation’s healthcare costs. Between 2007 and 2014, prices for inpatient and outpatient hospital care rose much faster than physician prices, according to a 2019 study in Health Affairs. U.S. prices for surgical procedures in hospitals greatly exceed those of other countries. A typical angioplasty to open a blocked blood vessel, for example, costs $6,390 in the Netherlands, $7,370 in Switzerland, and $32,230 in the United States. Similarly, a heart bypass operation in the U.S. costs $78,100 compared to $32,010 in Switzerland.9 10 11

 

Today, many hospitals are on the brink financially. What's more, the cessation of elective surgery and severely declining provider visits because of the coronavirus lockdown account for a big part of the decline in the overall economy.12

 

5. U.S. Healthcare Practices Defensive Medicine

Both physicians and hospitals have an interest in preventing lawsuits, so “just in case” tests and scans may be ordered. And these tests can be costly! While a CT scan costs just $97 in Canada and $500 in Australia, the average cost is $896 in the U.S. A typical MRI scan costs $1,420 in the United States, but around $450 in Britain. Researchers have concluded that it’s not the sheer number of tests and procedures but their high price that explains why it’s so expensive to be sick in the U.S.9 7

 

6. U.S. Prices Vary Wildly

Because of the complexity of the system and the lack of any set prices for medical services, providers are free to charge what the market will bear. The amount paid for the same healthcare service can vary significantly depending on the payer (i.e. private insurance or government programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid) and geographical area. For COVID-19, for example, the cost of an urgent care visit and lab tests averages $1,696, but can range from a low of $241 to a high of $4,510 depending on the provider.13

 

The Bottom Line

Most other developed countries control costs, in part, by having the government play a stronger role in negotiating prices for healthcare. Their healthcare systems don’t require the high administrative costs that drive up pricing in the U.S. As the global overseers of their country's systems, these governments have the ability to negotiate lower drug, medical equipment, and hospital costs. They can influence the treatments used and patients’ ability to go to specialists or seek more expensive treatments. Consumers may have fewer choices, but costs are controlled.

 

[Highmark]

16 minutes ago, snoughnut said:

Bull fucking shit, do you really believe that BS? 

Costly Healthcare Hurts Everyone

The high cost of healthcare affects everyone, sick or well. It has depressed individual spending power for the past few decades. Salaries for American workers have risen, but net pay has stayed the same because of increasing charges for health insurance.3 Today, tightening up on overspending is urgent to help stretch medical and hospital resources to control COVID-19.

 

Here are six underlying reasons for the high cost of healthcare in the U.S.

 

1. Multiple Systems Create Waste

“Administrative” costs are frequently cited as a cause for excess medical spending. The U.S. spends about 8% of its healthcare dollar on administrative costs, compared to 1% to 3% in the 10 other countries the JAMA study looked at.

 

The U.S. healthcare system is extremely complex, with separate rules, funding, enrollment dates, and out-of-pocket costs for employer-based insurance, private insurance from healthcare.gov, Medicaid, and Medicare, in all its many pieces. In each of these sectors consumers must choose among several tiers of coverage, high deductible plans, managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs) and fee-for-service systems. These plans may or may not include pharmaceutical drug insurance which has its own tiers of coverage, deductibles, and copays or coinsurance.

 

For providers, this means dealing with myriad regulations about usage, coding, and billing. And, in fact, these activities make up the largest share of administrative costs.4

 

2. Drug Costs Are Rising

On average, Americans shell out almost four times as much for pharmaceutical drugs as citizens of other industrialized countries pay. High drug prices are the single biggest area of overspending in the U.S. compared to Europe, where drug prices are government regulated, often based on the clinical benefit of the medication.

 

With little regulation of drug prices, the U.S. spends an average of $1,443 per person, compared to $749, on average, spent by the other prosperous countries studied. In the U.S. private insurers can negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, often through the services of pharmacy benefit managers. However, Medicare, which pays for a hefty percentage of the national drug costs, is not permitted to negotiate prices with manufacturers.2 5

 

3. Doctors (and Nurses) Are Paid More

The average U.S. family doctor earns $218,173 a year, and specialists make $316,000—way above the the average in other industrialized countries. American nurses make considerably more than elsewhere, too. The average salary for a U.S. nurse is about $74,250, compared to $58,041 in Switzerland and $60,253 in the Netherlands.6 7

 



 

U.S. managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs) may succeed in lowering healthcare costs by requiring prior authorization for seeing a high-priced specialist. Use of a nurse practitioner instead of a family doctor can also save money.

 

$11,170

The cost of a hospital birth in the U.S., which is over $7,000 more than the cost in the Netherlands.8

4. Hospitals Are Profit Centers

Hospital care accounts for 33% of the nation’s healthcare costs. Between 2007 and 2014, prices for inpatient and outpatient hospital care rose much faster than physician prices, according to a 2019 study in Health Affairs. U.S. prices for surgical procedures in hospitals greatly exceed those of other countries. A typical angioplasty to open a blocked blood vessel, for example, costs $6,390 in the Netherlands, $7,370 in Switzerland, and $32,230 in the United States. Similarly, a heart bypass operation in the U.S. costs $78,100 compared to $32,010 in Switzerland.9 10 11

 

Today, many hospitals are on the brink financially. What's more, the cessation of elective surgery and severely declining provider visits because of the coronavirus lockdown account for a big part of the decline in the overall economy.12

 

5. U.S. Healthcare Practices Defensive Medicine

Both physicians and hospitals have an interest in preventing lawsuits, so “just in case” tests and scans may be ordered. And these tests can be costly! While a CT scan costs just $97 in Canada and $500 in Australia, the average cost is $896 in the U.S. A typical MRI scan costs $1,420 in the United States, but around $450 in Britain. Researchers have concluded that it’s not the sheer number of tests and procedures but their high price that explains why it’s so expensive to be sick in the U.S.9 7

 

6. U.S. Prices Vary Wildly

Because of the complexity of the system and the lack of any set prices for medical services, providers are free to charge what the market will bear. The amount paid for the same healthcare service can vary significantly depending on the payer (i.e. private insurance or government programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid) and geographical area. For COVID-19, for example, the cost of an urgent care visit and lab tests averages $1,696, but can range from a low of $241 to a high of $4,510 depending on the provider.13

 

The Bottom Line

Most other developed countries control costs, in part, by having the government play a stronger role in negotiating prices for healthcare. Their healthcare systems don’t require the high administrative costs that drive up pricing in the U.S. As the global overseers of their country's systems, these governments have the ability to negotiate lower drug, medical equipment, and hospital costs. They can influence the treatments used and patients’ ability to go to specialists or seek more expensive treatments. Consumers may have fewer choices, but costs are controlled.

 

None of those take away from the fact that a large % of care goes to a small % of people and timeframe during the last years of life. 

[Angry ginger]

38 minutes ago, snoughnut said:

Bull fucking shit, do you really believe that BS? 

Costly Healthcare Hurts Everyone

The high cost of healthcare affects everyone, sick or well. It has depressed individual spending power for the past few decades. Salaries for American workers have risen, but net pay has stayed the same because of increasing charges for health insurance.3 Today, tightening up on overspending is urgent to help stretch medical and hospital resources to control COVID-19.

 

Here are six underlying reasons for the high cost of healthcare in the U.S.

 

1. Multiple Systems Create Waste

“Administrative” costs are frequently cited as a cause for excess medical spending. The U.S. spends about 8% of its healthcare dollar on administrative costs, compared to 1% to 3% in the 10 other countries the JAMA study looked at.

 

The U.S. healthcare system is extremely complex, with separate rules, funding, enrollment dates, and out-of-pocket costs for employer-based insurance, private insurance from healthcare.gov, Medicaid, and Medicare, in all its many pieces. In each of these sectors consumers must choose among several tiers of coverage, high deductible plans, managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs) and fee-for-service systems. These plans may or may not include pharmaceutical drug insurance which has its own tiers of coverage, deductibles, and copays or coinsurance.

 

For providers, this means dealing with myriad regulations about usage, coding, and billing. And, in fact, these activities make up the largest share of administrative costs.4

 

2. Drug Costs Are Rising

On average, Americans shell out almost four times as much for pharmaceutical drugs as citizens of other industrialized countries pay. High drug prices are the single biggest area of overspending in the U.S. compared to Europe, where drug prices are government regulated, often based on the clinical benefit of the medication.

 

With little regulation of drug prices, the U.S. spends an average of $1,443 per person, compared to $749, on average, spent by the other prosperous countries studied. In the U.S. private insurers can negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, often through the services of pharmacy benefit managers. However, Medicare, which pays for a hefty percentage of the national drug costs, is not permitted to negotiate prices with manufacturers.2 5

 

3. Doctors (and Nurses) Are Paid More

The average U.S. family doctor earns $218,173 a year, and specialists make $316,000—way above the the average in other industrialized countries. American nurses make considerably more than elsewhere, too. The average salary for a U.S. nurse is about $74,250, compared to $58,041 in Switzerland and $60,253 in the Netherlands.6 7

 



 

U.S. managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs) may succeed in lowering healthcare costs by requiring prior authorization for seeing a high-priced specialist. Use of a nurse practitioner instead of a family doctor can also save money.

 

$11,170

The cost of a hospital birth in the U.S., which is over $7,000 more than the cost in the Netherlands.8

4. Hospitals Are Profit Centers

Hospital care accounts for 33% of the nation’s healthcare costs. Between 2007 and 2014, prices for inpatient and outpatient hospital care rose much faster than physician prices, according to a 2019 study in Health Affairs. U.S. prices for surgical procedures in hospitals greatly exceed those of other countries. A typical angioplasty to open a blocked blood vessel, for example, costs $6,390 in the Netherlands, $7,370 in Switzerland, and $32,230 in the United States. Similarly, a heart bypass operation in the U.S. costs $78,100 compared to $32,010 in Switzerland.9 10 11

 

Today, many hospitals are on the brink financially. What's more, the cessation of elective surgery and severely declining provider visits because of the coronavirus lockdown account for a big part of the decline in the overall economy.12

 

5. U.S. Healthcare Practices Defensive Medicine

Both physicians and hospitals have an interest in preventing lawsuits, so “just in case” tests and scans may be ordered. And these tests can be costly! While a CT scan costs just $97 in Canada and $500 in Australia, the average cost is $896 in the U.S. A typical MRI scan costs $1,420 in the United States, but around $450 in Britain. Researchers have concluded that it’s not the sheer number of tests and procedures but their high price that explains why it’s so expensive to be sick in the U.S.9 7

 

6. U.S. Prices Vary Wildly

Because of the complexity of the system and the lack of any set prices for medical services, providers are free to charge what the market will bear. The amount paid for the same healthcare service can vary significantly depending on the payer (i.e. private insurance or government programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid) and geographical area. For COVID-19, for example, the cost of an urgent care visit and lab tests averages $1,696, but can range from a low of $241 to a high of $4,510 depending on the provider.13

 

The Bottom Line

Most other developed countries control costs, in part, by having the government play a stronger role in negotiating prices for healthcare. Their healthcare systems don’t require the high administrative costs that drive up pricing in the U.S. As the global overseers of their country's systems, these governments have the ability to negotiate lower drug, medical equipment, and hospital costs. They can influence the treatments used and patients’ ability to go to specialists or seek more expensive treatments. Consumers may have fewer choices, but costs are controlled.

 

Aren't you against single payer healthcare?  because reality is only government intervention can control any of the above.  All of which i agree is an issue and I am in favor of going to socialized medicine.  

 

 

[Anler]

16 hours ago, spin_dry said:

Not good at all. Not Obama nor trump has addressed the real issue of escalating health care costs. It’s like a god damn hot potato. The main cost driving mechanism under Obamacare was the pre-existing conditions mandate. That is was drove costs up and no one wants to be honest about it. 

They cant. They would have to address the toxic food we eat for one and the pharmaceutical companies have the politicians bought and paid for. 

[Mainecat]

Biden supports single payer....Trump supports lying about a plan for 4 years and doing zero.

[snoughnut]

1 hour ago, Angry ginger said:

Aren't you against single payer healthcare?  because reality is only government intervention can control any of the above.  All of which i agree is an issue and I am in favor of going to socialized medicine.  

 

 

I'm very well aware of that. Government came to the rescue of Wall Street and GM, perhaps it's time for them to do their real job and make HC affordable.

[Angry ginger]

5 minutes ago, snoughnut said:

I'm very well aware of that. Government came to the rescue of Wall Street and GM, perhaps it's time for them to do their real job and make HC affordable.

agreed,   i'd rather see money spent there than on a lot of things.  

[frenchy]

1 hour ago, Angry ginger said:

Aren't you against single payer healthcare?  because reality is only government intervention can control any of the above.  All of which i agree is an issue and I am in favor of going to socialized medicine.  

 

 

not to mention it eliminates the free rides everyone pays for now.