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<blockquote data-quote="Debbie MA" data-source="post: 67708" data-attributes="member: 1581"><p>The healthcare system in this country is broken. We are ranked #37 in the world according to the World Health Organization but we spend more money on health care than any other country. More than 50 million people in this country are without health insurance that provides even basic care. Forgive me for my ultra-liberal-Massachusetts-Democratic views but I firmly believe healthcare to be a basic human right (along with food and shelter) and it is disgraceful that a wealthy country such as ours cannot provide that to all citizens.</p><p></p><p>I dont know the solution to the problem but I think that, as a country, we need to consider the following:</p><p></p><p>Most people rely on their employer for health insurance. Some employers provide great health benefits while others provide few or none. I have pretty good health insurance but there are people who work just as hard, or harder, than I do who have very poor or no coverage. Why is health care dependent on employment anyway? There would probably be more entrepreneurs and thriving small businesses in this country if health care tied to employment were not a consideration in career/work decisions. Wouldnt that be great?</p><p></p><p>Many employers are cutting back on what they provide because of rising costs. More of the cost is being shifted to employees. Many people drop their employer sponsored plans when the cost becomes onerous. The working poor generally dont qualify for Medicaid and so have no insurance at all. Some people are willing and able and want to work but dont work because they fear losing health benefits. Theres something seriously wrong with that.</p><p></p><p>A job loss because of a layoff or serious illness will result in loss of coverage. Many (most? I dont know the statistics) cases of bankruptcy in this country are the result of medical debt. I dont think that many people realize that they are one serious illness away from unemployment/loss of health insurance/bankruptcy.</p><p></p><p>Many people do not even qualify to purchase health insurance because of pre-existing conditions or certain, necessary, care is precluded.</p><p></p><p>Why is health care so expensive in this country and why do we spend more money than other countries but are only #37? Some blame the unhealthy lifestyle of many Americans and an aging population. Others point to the high price of new medical devices and technology and the cost of developing new medications. Some want to lay the blame on lawsuits against health care providers. </p><p></p><p>I think a lot of our health care dollars are being diverted to the insurance industry and to administrative costs related to insurance. Years ago I worked in IT for a company that provided computerized billing systems to hospitals. That company eventually went out of business for many reasons but a big one, I think, was the difficulty in providing software that could accommodate all insurers, public and private, in different states, with different and constantly changing requirements. Bills that were accepted one month would be rejected the next month because of format or data requirements or ICD9 coding requirements that had been changed with no notification. I remember re-programming and reproducing bills about 6 times in one month before they were accepted by one provider. The billing office also needed to add and massage certain patient data several times before a claim would be paid. I doubt things have changed much. How much money could be saved by eliminating the middleman (insurance companies)? Could money saved cover the currently uninsured?</p><p></p><p>As I said, I dont know what the solution is to the health care problem in this country (although I have some ideas) but the system is definitely not working for many people. How long will it be before only the very wealthy can afford to purchase health insurance? I dont see our leaders making headway on this issue at all. The last serious attempt, by the Clintons in the 90s, was an utter failure. I hope that Michael Moores movie provides enough outrage among ordinary people that the issue gets serious attention.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Debbie MA, post: 67708, member: 1581"] The healthcare system in this country is broken. We are ranked #37 in the world according to the World Health Organization but we spend more money on health care than any other country. More than 50 million people in this country are without health insurance that provides even basic care. Forgive me for my ultra-liberal-Massachusetts-Democratic views but I firmly believe healthcare to be a basic human right (along with food and shelter) and it is disgraceful that a wealthy country such as ours cannot provide that to all citizens. I dont know the solution to the problem but I think that, as a country, we need to consider the following: Most people rely on their employer for health insurance. Some employers provide great health benefits while others provide few or none. I have pretty good health insurance but there are people who work just as hard, or harder, than I do who have very poor or no coverage. Why is health care dependent on employment anyway? There would probably be more entrepreneurs and thriving small businesses in this country if health care tied to employment were not a consideration in career/work decisions. Wouldnt that be great? Many employers are cutting back on what they provide because of rising costs. More of the cost is being shifted to employees. Many people drop their employer sponsored plans when the cost becomes onerous. The working poor generally dont qualify for Medicaid and so have no insurance at all. Some people are willing and able and want to work but dont work because they fear losing health benefits. Theres something seriously wrong with that. A job loss because of a layoff or serious illness will result in loss of coverage. Many (most? I dont know the statistics) cases of bankruptcy in this country are the result of medical debt. I dont think that many people realize that they are one serious illness away from unemployment/loss of health insurance/bankruptcy. Many people do not even qualify to purchase health insurance because of pre-existing conditions or certain, necessary, care is precluded. Why is health care so expensive in this country and why do we spend more money than other countries but are only #37? Some blame the unhealthy lifestyle of many Americans and an aging population. Others point to the high price of new medical devices and technology and the cost of developing new medications. Some want to lay the blame on lawsuits against health care providers. I think a lot of our health care dollars are being diverted to the insurance industry and to administrative costs related to insurance. Years ago I worked in IT for a company that provided computerized billing systems to hospitals. That company eventually went out of business for many reasons but a big one, I think, was the difficulty in providing software that could accommodate all insurers, public and private, in different states, with different and constantly changing requirements. Bills that were accepted one month would be rejected the next month because of format or data requirements or ICD9 coding requirements that had been changed with no notification. I remember re-programming and reproducing bills about 6 times in one month before they were accepted by one provider. The billing office also needed to add and massage certain patient data several times before a claim would be paid. I doubt things have changed much. How much money could be saved by eliminating the middleman (insurance companies)? Could money saved cover the currently uninsured? As I said, I dont know what the solution is to the health care problem in this country (although I have some ideas) but the system is definitely not working for many people. How long will it be before only the very wealthy can afford to purchase health insurance? I dont see our leaders making headway on this issue at all. The last serious attempt, by the Clintons in the 90s, was an utter failure. I hope that Michael Moores movie provides enough outrage among ordinary people that the issue gets serious attention. [/QUOTE]
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