Healthcare

[MJ12666]

Government healthcare would be more expensive, it'd just be masked into taxes so it doesn't "feel" as expensive.

Healthcare companies go through massive cuts which are unfortunate each year to get to a promising bottom line, but that's part of the beauty of free market capitalism.

When companies compete over prices, the consumer wina. If the government became the monopoly, there's no reason to be cost conscious.

I agree but I do have some issues especially with top executive compensation. When I started with Warner-Lambert many years ago I started as an entry level internal auditor and the CEO was making 30X's what I was making. When I left 20 years latter and was a Director the CEO was making about 300X's. Something just isn't right about the system regarding how much these CEO's are being compensated.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Government healthcare would be more expensive, it'd just be masked into taxes so it doesn't "feel" as expensive.

Citation needed. Virtually all of the top healthcare systems in the world: (1) provide universal coverage for their citizens; and (2) are government-run. The only one that's remotely close to "free-market" is Singapore's, and even theirs is significantly more statist than ours.

Healthcare companies go through massive cuts which are unfortunate each year to get to a promising bottom line, but that's part of the beauty of free market capitalism.

Koon trades his "Female Body Inspector" shirt for a bow-tie and blue blazer. Shilling for microwaved Reaganism is still apparently a profitable grift, but it's not a good look (especially when no one is paying you to do it). Your new brand sucks, dude. I miss the old Koon.

When companies compete over prices, the consumer wina. If the government became the monopoly, there's no reason to be cost conscious.

Thanks for that Econ 101 refresher, F.A. Hayek. We all know how liberal economic theory understands itself to work. The question is whether it actually delivers on that promise.

I agree but I do have some issues especially with top executive compensation. When I started with Warner-Lambert many years ago I started as an entry level internal auditor and the CEO was making 30X's what I was making. When I left 20 years latter and was a Director the CEO was making about 300X's. Something just isn't right about the system regarding how much these CEO's are being compensated.

Fetishizing shareholder value results in a couple predictable outcomes: (1) skyrocketing pay for executives; and (2) short-termism in planning. Combine that with the fact that certain sectors, healthcare and education chief among them, just cannot be delivered on a "for profit" basis without fatally undermining the integrity of the enterprise, and you get the American system. Vastly overpaying for substandard outcomes that get worse with each passing year.

 

[Irishize]

I didn't share it to advocate for M4A, but to highlight the absurd corruption of a system where private health insurers get rich during a global pandemic.

But since you mentioned it, South Korea has handled COVID-19 better than anyone, and their system is basically M4A.

I never insinuated you were advocating for M4A. And I agree w/ his tweets pointing out the obvious windfall (I said as much in my post). Sorry I veered off track of your point b/c it was a good one.

 

[koonja]

Citation needed. Virtually all of the top healthcare systems in the world: (1) provide universal coverage for their citizens; and (2) are government-run. The only one that's remotely close to "free-market" is Singapore's, and even theirs is significantly more statist than ours.



Koon trades his "Female Body Inspector" shirt for a bow-tie and blue blazer. Shilling for microwaved Reaganism is still apparently a profitable grift, but it's not a good look (especially when no one is paying you to do it). Your new brand sucks, dude. I miss the old Koon.



Thanks for that Econ 101 refresher, F.A. Hayek. We all know how liberal economic theory understands itself to work. The question is whether it actually delivers on that promise.



Fetishizing shareholder value results in a couple predictable outcomes: (1) skyrocketing pay for executives; and (2) short-termism in planning. Combine that with the fact that certain sectors, healthcare and education chief among them, just cannot be delivered on a "for profit" basis without fatally undermining the integrity of the enterprise, and you get the American system. Vastly overpaying for substandard outcomes that get worse with each passing year.

Comparing the fat US population to any of those is not right. All those healthy countries - were healthy before they went national, too. No one talks about that though.

The US consumes healthcare like crazy. Make it "free" and the costs will be incalculable to a degree you cannot benchmark by any other country.

 

[irishff1014]

I didn't share it to advocate for M4A, but to highlight the absurd corruption of a system where private health insurers get rich[/I] during a global pandemic.

But since you mentioned it, South Korea has handled COVID-19 better than anyone, and their system is basically M4A.

They have to pay those politicians so they can get away with crap. so they have to make the big money.

But it is flat out bull crap. And they should be punished for it.

 

[Irish YJ]

Glad your cancer was benign & hope your mother is doing well.

Sounds like your mother would’ve been better off firing her oncologist and finding another provider...especially as it sounds as if insurance was not an issue. 2nd opinions are always a great idea especially when considering cancer treatments. Some Med-Oncs stick to the book (no outside the box thinking), some are profit driven (infusions (like chemo or I/O) are what drives the revenue vs oral therapies that are filled outside the practice & some Med-Oncs truly look at it as both an art & science (this is the one I prefer). While there are NCCN guidelines that develop standards of care, not every patient is the same so HCPs should weigh pros/cons when choosing treatments and dosing. No therapeutic area works off-label more than oncology IMO. Frankly, that’s a good thing. Again, I want my oncologist or my loved ones’ oncologist thinking outside the box and leaving everything on the table whether it’s off-label usage (which NCCN oftentimes adopts in their guidelines prior to FDA approval) or a clinical trial.

Thank you. Mom is doing well as can be, but simply old and still struggling with side effects. She's had to put off followups and missed her PET scan last month. One of the PET scans after the first round flagged that it was back last year, so her missing last month is just another thing weighing on my mind.

As far as her Oncologist, one of the top ranked in Indy. I weighed changing. It wasn't just the Oncologist. The doc in charge of her radiation was just as bad. It was also simply the way the entire department treated her. Mixed information, incorrect information, slow response, etc.. The biggest thing was how they treated her when it was just her, and how they treated her when I was around (or my aunt especially after they found out she was a GP), and especially after I had conversation with them. If I would have changed anything, I would have taken her out of that cancer treatment center all together, but that would mean her driving an hour to the other side of town for treatments. Also, feedback from others going through treatments were pretty much the same in terms of how they treated the older vs younger.

And by the way, my doctor was a total prick (personality) and arrogant. I could tell you things that came out of his mouth that would make you go WTF lol.... But he was top 10 nationally and I hand picked him knowing that he was known for lacking bedside manner. He was spot on / blunt, efficient, and his center was amazing.

 

[Irishize]

Thank you. Mom is doing well as can be, but simply old and still struggling with side effects. She's had to put off followups and missed her PET scan last month. One of the PET scans after the first round flagged that it was back last year, so her missing last month is just another thing weighing on my mind.

As far as her Oncologist, one of the top ranked in Indy. I weighed changing. It wasn't just the Oncologist. The doc in charge of her radiation was just as bad. It was also simply the way the entire department treated her. Mixed information, incorrect information, slow response, etc.. The biggest thing was how they treated her when it was just her, and how they treated her when I was around (or my aunt especially after they found out she was a GP), and especially after I had conversation with them. If I would have changed anything, I would have taken her out of that cancer treatment center all together, but that would mean her driving an hour to the other side of town for treatments. Also, feedback from others going through treatments were pretty much the same in terms of how they treated the older vs younger.

And by the way, my doctor was a total prick (personality) and arrogant. I could tell you things that came out of his mouth that would make you go WTF lol.... But he was top 10 nationally and I hand picked him knowing that he was known for lacking bedside manner. He was spot on / blunt, efficient, and his center was amazing.

It can be hard to navigate cancer care b/c it could involve seeing a surgeon, then a med-onc, then a rad-onc. A guy I know who was CFO for a large medical group once told me “there’s the patient-centric docs who are always going to do the right thing and exhaust all options regardless of cost barriers and there’s the profit driven docs....I neeed them both to run this clinic”.

Knowledge is power so your mom is lucky to have you in her corner. There’s some great Neal Love Research to Practice podcasts that focus on breast cancer where some of the world’s leading experts discuss the latest data and standards of care.

 

[Irish YJ]

It can be hard to navigate cancer care b/c it could involve seeing a surgeon, then a med-onc, then a rad-onc. A guy I know who was CFO for a large medical group once told me “there’s the patient-centric docs who are always going to do the right thing and exhaust all options regardless of cost barriers and there’s the profit driven docs....I neeed them both to run this clinic”.

Knowledge is power so your mom is lucky to have you in her corner. There’s some great Neal Love Research to Practice podcasts that focus on breast cancer where some of the world’s leading experts discuss the latest data and standards of care.

In the center my mother went to, they have "coordinators" (not the name they use) that are suppose to span across doctors and schedules to ensure nothing gets left out. I'll put it this way, I've fired much better project managers/coordinators for incompetence...... After I got involved, a new one was assigned, and things got a little better, but still was a bit of a joke.

I really didn't view them as profit centric, just disorganized, and extremely bias in the way they treated older people. The doctor I had was absolutely profit driven but still was 1000% on point. I'll take him every day, and twice on Sunday if I ever have an issue again.

And not so much worried about the breast cancer. Much more concerned about the lung cancer. My mother was pretty resistant to me getting heavy handed at first, until she grew frustrated with mixed messaging. Then she was full on supportive of my aunt and I helping to oversee things. It was hard being 600 miles away for most of it, but we got creative (conf calls, recordings, etc.).

 

[Irish#1]

In the center my mother went to, they have "coordinators" (not the name they use) that are suppose to span across doctors and schedules to ensure nothing gets left out. I'll put it this way, I've fired much better project managers/coordinators for incompetence...... After I got involved, a new one was assigned, and things got a little better, but still was a bit of a joke.

I really didn't view them as profit centric, just disorganized, and extremely bias in the way they treated older people. The doctor I had was absolutely profit driven but still was 1000% on point. I'll take him every day, and twice on Sunday if I ever have an issue again.

And not so much worried about the breast cancer. Much more concerned about the lung cancer. My mother was pretty resistant to me getting heavy handed at first, until she grew frustrated with mixed messaging. Then she was full on supportive of my aunt and I helping to oversee things. It was hard being 600 miles away for most of it, but we got creative (conf calls, recordings, etc.).

I'll bet she appreciates even more than you can imagine. You're a good son YJ.

 

[Ndaccountant]

Citation needed. Virtually all of the top healthcare systems in the world: (1) provide universal coverage for their citizens; and (2) are government-run. The only one that's remotely close to "free-market" is Singapore's, and even theirs is significantly more statist than ours.



.

Can confirm on Singapore. We don't use the public side of the system much, but the private side is really interesting to see who takes insurance and who doesn't. You would be surprised at 1) how many don't take insurance at all & 2) how hard it can be to get into doctors who don't take insurance.

Definitely a great place to be if you are a doctor in private practice that has an "in" with the expats.

 

[Irish YJ]

I'll bet she appreciates even more than you can imagine. You're a good son YJ.

Still trying to make up for all the stuff I put her through when I was young shithead on top of repaying her for her sacrifices raising me lol.. I'll never be able to do enough.

 

[Legacy]

After Dr Bright resigned this week from the NIH after being demoted from BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority), I read this from ND Magazine.

In Sickness and In Health: Back when the polio virus spread disease and fear, my family was caught up in the contagion. by Cathy O’Donnell ’75M.A.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

This is bad for patients considering all the immunotherapies, targeted therapies and other target specific treatments that have revolutionized cancer & other autoimmune issues.

https://www.precisionmedicineonline.com/cancer/proposed-medicare-coverage-criteria-cancer-genetic-tests-alarm-industry-stakeholders

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Trump voters mercilessly mocked over heartbreaking mistake

People on the web are poking fun at those who voted for Trump because they wanted to get rid of Obamacare - only to later realize that they actually need it for their own health insurance.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Yes, Obamacare and the ACA are the same thing.

Yes, the guy who saved you last time is now dead. That means he's no longer in office.

I have as much sympathy for these people as they have fucks to give.

 

[ulukinatme]

Trump voters mercilessly mocked over heartbreaking mistake

People on the web are poking fun at those who voted for Trump because they wanted to get rid of Obamacare - only to later realize that they actually need it for their own health insurance.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Yes, Obamacare and the ACA are the same thing.

Yes, the guy who saved you last time is now dead. That means he's no longer in office.

I have as much sympathy for these people as they have fucks to give.

He wants to replace it with something cheaper. It's right there in the article. I doubt it ends up getting repealed, they talked about that during the first run. If it gets replaced then whatever those ignorant people are losing will have an alternative. It doesn't change the fact they're ignorant about the ACA/Obamacare, but they'll continue to have a coverage option regardless.

In truth, it sounds like he hasn't really talked about terminating the ACA when he was campaigning this last round. Removing it all together was a 2016 goal. In the latest round he's said that he won't remove it but will improve it, and at other times he's talked about replacing it with something better/less expensive. So yeah, those people are going to be covered regardless.

Fact check: Does Donald Trump want to do away with the Affordable Care Act?

Kamala Harris’s campaign claims that he does.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

He wants to replace it with something cheaper.

 

[ulukinatme]

You think he's incapable of finding a better deal? He cut the costs on the F35 project for us by 25% over what Obama agreed to, as well as saving us a billion on the Boeing Air Force One project. Yeah, memes though...

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

You think he's incapable of finding a better deal? He cut the costs on the F35 project for us by 25% over what Obama agreed to, as well as saving us a billion on the Boeing Air Force One project. Yeah, memes though...

Yeah. Concepts of a plan though.

There's no plan. Zero.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Yeah. Concepts of a plan though.

There's no plan. Zero.

I'm guessing you are right.

 

[Giddyup]

 

[GATTACA!]

Do people regularly eat seagulls? Or eagle eggs?

Dear lord you're fuckin' stupid lol.

 

[ulukinatme]

Do people regularly eat seagulls? Or eagle eggs?

Who doesn't?! IYKYK

Now I've got this stuck in my head....youtube.com/watch?v=KTMJvNlTgMM

 

[RDU Irish]

So United Healthcare (UNH) stock is having a day. Down 25% from its high water mark in early November.

 

[NDVirginia19]

 

[TorontoGold]

lmao

 

[GATTACA!]

lmao

Fat poors eat junk food and smoke!! It's their own fault!!

 

[TorontoGold]

Fat poors eat junk food and smoke!! It's their own fault!!

Vaccines cause autism! Measles are cool!

***let's not dig into why people are choosing MAID, which due to provincial governments purposely moving towards a privatized system and leaving the public system underfunded. But dah edgy meme account sez things I liek!

Holocaust denialism! GIGACHAD!

 

[NDVirginia19]

lmao

The US provides roughly 50% of Medical R&D for the entire world, so it is logical that we have more expensive healthcare here to account for that.

Additionally, adjusting for non-health or only tangentially health related deaths (drug overdoses and firearms deaths in particular, which are a bigger problem in the US), our life expectancy is closer to 79.5. Still not great, but not as bad as the graphic conveys in my (biased) opinion.


That being said, the rapid rise of assisted suicide in Canada is sickening

 

[TorontoGold]

The US provides roughly 50% of Medical R&D for the entire world, so it is logical that we have more expensive healthcare here to account for that.

Additionally, adjusting for non-health or only tangentially health related deaths (drug overdoses and firearms deaths in particular, which are a bigger problem in the US), our life expectancy is closer to 79.5. Still not great, but not as bad as the graphic conveys in my (biased) opinion.


That being said, the rapid rise of assisted suicide in Canada is sickening

It's a non-issue. 2022 non-reasonable deaths were 435. We're talking about a population of 40M. It's fun topic for alt right meme accounts to run with, but the data does not even come close to supporting it.

 

[NDVirginia19]

And it jumped 50% in 2023 to over 622 cases outside of “reasonably foreseeable” death. I don’t think the government aiding 600 non terminally ill people to kill themselves is good