Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Da Geezer]

Someone mentioned above that there was a day when services were actually billed to the patient. I had open heart surgery in 1958. The bill was made out on a pad like we now have in local hardware stores. It read:

Geezer
heart surgery
$ 5,000

[Wild Hoss]

Hack said:


Good post and good article. Concise.

The US has had a growth rate of just under 4% historically. It still amazes me that elites are willing to accept 1.5%.

Well, historically we used to build shit and sell it. Now we "create" wealth by moving numbers around between computers.

[AlabamAlum]

That might be true for some people in various circles, they maybe justified their support for this because they talked themselves into the evolution argument. The truth is it was the best they could get after a historic wave election that gave the Democratic party control of Congress with 60 votes. They could have gotten a little more if Obama had realized the GOP wasn't going to participate at all but not much more.

I think a Canadian-like single-payer (or the psudeo single-payer in the UK) was the goal with many. It really wasn't a secret. I said universal was coming for 20 years before it did and that some form of single-payer or UK-like single payer would be 20 years behind that. None of this is shocking or unexpected. Over the next 5-10 years or so, you will see requirements and mandates continue to go up and reimbursements continue to erode, and as a result Aetna, BCBS, United Heathcare (etc, etc) will continue to stop participating in the Exchange. Out of necessity, the result will be a NHS type system. At least at first.

[Wild Hoss]

l.

But I think we'd both agree that a if Americans walked more and eat a little bit better, it would benefit us all in the long run.

...or go back to the old way. Everybody drinks, smokes, eats red meat and sit on the couch all night, then have The Big One and kick at age 58.

[AlabamAlum]

LOL..

I just have a different view on how to fix they system. That is all.

But I think we'd both agree that a if Americans walked more and eat a little bit better, it would benefit us all in the long run.

Well sure. But people "know" that now without a doctor telling them to (even though the docs do, and have, preached this).

[Dr. Strangelove]

The real issue is with hospital administration. They are a contemptible lot on the whole, typically sodden with drink by noon, and on the links by 2. Their bumbling incompetence, fueled heavily by Irish Whiskey, is responsible for nearly 65% of all healthcare costs in today's system. Regrettable.

[AlabamAlum]

The real issue is with hospital administration. They are a contemptible lot on the whole, typically sodden with drink by noon, and on the links by 2. Their bumbling incompetence, fueled heavily by Irish Whiskey, is responsible for nearly 65% of all healthcare costs in today's system. Regrettable.

Have I told you lately that I hate you?

(Also, lol, well done)

[Hannibal]

Getting the medical bill in the mail and paying it still exists even with medical insurance.

Yes, but if you have health insurance then you are usually paying a small portion of that. Not to mention, you probably have no idea what everything cost before you got your care. I had a surgery last year. My out-of-pocket cost was about $1,000. I can't even remember what the total cost was -- maybe $10,000? I don't even give a shit. Why should I? When I get my prescriptions filled I never see how much my insurance paid for unless I go to my account on the web site.

Tons of administrative costs. Combine that with the nonexistent price signals and that's your recipe for disaster.

[entropy]

did you just tell us AA works in hospital administration?

[AlabamAlum]

did you just tell us AA works in hospital administration?

Don't doxx me, bro.

[Hannibal]

I think a Canadian-like single-payer (or the psudeo single-payer in the UK) was the goal with many. It really wasn't a secret. I said universal was coming for 20 years before it did and that some form of single-payer or UK-like single payer would be 20 years behind that. None of this is shocking or unexpected. Over the next 5-10 years or so, you will see requirements and mandates continue to go up and reimbursements continue to erode, and as a result Aetna, BCBS, United Heathcare (etc, etc) will continue to stop participating in the Exchange. Out of necessity, the result will be a NHS type system. At least at first.

Depends upon who is in charge at the time. There will definitely be a huge amount of pressure for Socialized medicine and we might be past the tipping point where enough citizens understand the concept of fiscal responsibility to prevent a disaster.

Also -- I have to grudgingly tip my hat to whoever invented the term "single payer" to describe a system in which a few hundred million people are actually paying for each individual consumption of a service. George Orwell would be proud.

[AlabamAlum]

Depends upon who is in charge at the time. There will definitely be a huge amount of pressure for Socialized medicine.

Also -- I have to grudgingly tip my hat to whoever invented the term "single payer" to describe a system in which a few hundred million people are actually paying for each individual consumption of a service. George Orwell would be proud.

It's coming. And really, support for some form of socialized medicine goes back to Teddy Roosevelt...FDR, Truman, Nixon, etc, -and others- all tipped their hats toward it.

Yeah, single-payer is supposed to denote one entity writing checks to docs and hospitals. More accurate would be "single-check writer" I suppose.

[entropy]

We recently worked with a Health System (couple thousand beds) on managing insulin inventory (specifically insulin out of pharmacy). Historically, what you used/ordered is what you were paid for.. that changed and for years their org new they were losing money on insulin but had no means of tracking or identifying how or where... Turns out because nurses had no way of knowing what was ordered, when shifts changed, they would look at inventory and submit a request. Typically, they'd order multiple bags so they had them around.

What ended up happening is they would through away insulin bags with medications because they'd expire or they'd end up with excess after the patient left. But building a simple tracking system and one that automatically ordered new prescriptions in a more just in time fashion, they saved close to $6M last year.

While not always good, the squeezing of reimbursement by insurance and the gov't is leading to some good changes.

[entropy]

It's coming. And really, support for some form of socialized medicine goes back to Teddy Roosevelt...FDR, Truman, Nixon, etc, -and others- all tipped their hats toward it.

Yeah, single-payer is supposed to denote one entity writing checks to docs and hospitals. More accurate would be "single-check writer" I suppose.

Everyone will get medicare..

[froot loops]

Apparently the liberal conspiracy that made up rumors that Manafort was unhappy and mailing it in was just a lucky guess.