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Expert
Posts: 1314
 
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | What we have is an out of control cost program from the medical industry .No one wants to talk about that because there is too many people including politicians that are getting wealthy on the medical industri . |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
 
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Frodo - 2017-10-29 8:15 AM
Bear, I remember an earlier thread about health care and your experiences in the UK. The "quiet room" stuck with me.
Yes, that was the elderly, but previously healthy, grandmother who came in with severe, acute abdominal pain and fever. Her abdomen was rock hard because of peritonitis. She was in her 70s.
I scheduled her for the OR and then called the intensivist who ran the ICU, telling him she would need to be there post op.
He asked me, "How old is she again?" Then he said, "And she has diabetes and hypertension?" I replied, "Yes but that's all and it's been well managed." Here was his bottom line, which I will remember for the rest of my life: "Look mate, this isn't bloody America. We simply cannot afford to provide intensive care and expensive surgery to everyone who comes through the door. We have a strict budget in the NHS. She's probably not going to make it anyway. She doesn't need surgery and an ICU bed. She needs dimorph (basically heroin) and a quiet room." He went on to point out how they had to prioritize and people who were no longer productive members were not a high priority. At that time, nobody over the age of 65 was allowed to have open heart surgery or transplants.
The thing is, I went back to tell the family that she probably wouldn't survive without the ICU, etc..... They just accepted these facts. She lingered in that quiet room on IV heroin for two days until she passed away with peritonitis and eventually septic shock.
This is a true story. I has several encounters like this. On the other hand, I learned how to be very frugal in my later practice. I loved the British people, but when it came to matters like this we had huge differences. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | BS Hauler - 2017-10-29 8:27 AM What we have is an out of control cost program from the medical industry .No one wants to talk about that because there is too many people including politicians that are getting wealthy on the medical industri .
BINGO!!! The senators and represenatives elected to represent the people of this nation are securely in the pockets of big pharma, the health care and health insurance industries. We the people will therefore continue to be screwed by the every raising cost of health care in this country. The majority of people are locked into a network by the insurance they are scared spitless to be without, so a free market system is not likely to ever happen. |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| the politicans do not have obama care nor do they want it if they did it would change
?my sister preimum have gone for her and hubby 1400 a month to now 3200 a month how do you afford that
but i am also say if you get helth care you need to take care of yourself
?f |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | The insurance companies are making billions and ACA gives subsidies to them. That is beyond ridiculous. I went from a Cadillac $400.00 policy to a $450.0 policy with a $6,000.00 deductible. So I went from having great insurance to catastrophic medical insurance. I'm now on Medicare and they keep taking coverage away each year. I would love to go back on my $400.00 Cadillac plan. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Nevertooold - 2017-10-29 2:16 PM
The insurance companies are making billions and ACA gives subsidies to them. That is beyond ridiculous. I went from a Cadillac $400.00 policy to a $450.0 policy with a $6,000.00 deductible. So I went from having great insurance to catastrophic medical insurance. I'm now on Medicare and they keep taking coverage away each year. I would love to go back on my $400.00 Cadillac plan.
Yes, and for that Medicare is what Bernie lovers want us to pay $14 trillion over 10 years. Let's not forget that half of the people on Medicare still pay $200-300 a month for supplemental. |
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I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Bear - 2017-10-29 3:52 PM Nevertooold - 2017-10-29 2:16 PM The insurance companies are making billions and ACA gives subsidies to them. That is beyond ridiculous. I went from a Cadillac $400.00 policy to a $450.0 policy with a $6,000.00 deductible. So I went from having great insurance to catastrophic medical insurance. I'm now on Medicare and they keep taking coverage away each year. I would love to go back on my $400.00 Cadillac plan. Yes, and for that Medicare is what Bernie lovers want us to pay $14 trillion over 10 years. Let's not forget that half of the people on Medicare still pay $200-300 a month for supplemental.
United Healthcare hasn't posted what the news premiums are going to be for 2018. We now pay $356.00 for both of us and that doesn't include Medicare and our drug plan. |
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 Peacemaker
Posts: 11220
Location: Nebraska | Anyone have any experiences with “Medica” ? If so please share
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Folks on-line