True story about wait times in U.S.

[auditor0007]

If you took a job with an employer with a group plan you would be rid of the pre-existing condition problem in a year and get the same rate as everyone else in the group.

Our employment culture has changed drastically though. I have a friend that is riffed every so often so he never makes it to year. A lot of contract employees work in this fashion, it is the new fad. But they have to work so they deal. They have to eat and pay rent/mortgages.

The riff strategy is what big business does now. They hire a contractor who hires employees and then limits the term of their employment. Business and sub-contractor then avoid offering any insurance and insurance avoids any PECs. It's a vicious cycle.

Then there is the layer of faster faster faster and higher churn in the employment marketplace. Larger segments of the population are not in long term arrangements with employers as they were in the last century. People consult and take piecework and freelance to make ends meet.

Some people take BS jobs just for insurance so their skills are not being utilized to the extent of their potential. This clogs up the entry level pool which comes out of HS/college every June. The matriculation is stalled. The whole system is a mess.

Again, this is why health insurance should not be tied to your employer. If we want to make a real significant change in healthcare, it should be removing employers as the providers of health insurance.

 

[KittenKoder]

You said government can do nothing right.

This means the government entity which is the military has never done anything right according to you.

Nasa was a mistake and all of those people who were helped by the VA should not have survived because their living through their injuries was a mistake according to yout philosophy.

Tell us why you hate America so much?

No, the military does their job right, otherwise the government wouldn't be able to abuse the control it has of them so well. Also, "the government can't do anything right" is code for "the government only cares about lining their own pockets and taking control of our lives" ... or did you miss that? NASA has been wasting away, because of the government. Half the vets are suffering, because of the government. You have shown nothing the government has done for us yet, nothing. They ruined Social Security by raiding it to pay for pet projects. They vote themselves pay raises all the time while the hard working people have to struggle. They bailout failing companies with our money and no strings attached. .... and to cover one of your bait list items, they overcharge for the right to walk in a state park now.

And the bottom line is that we are the ones who put these people in power. Why aren't we smart enough to vote them out and elect representatives that actually give a shit?

Um ... who's we ... I voted based on issues ... they lied to me.

 

[Toro]

Also, "the government can't do anything right" is code for "the government only cares about lining their own pockets and taking control of our lives" ... or did you miss that?

I'm not sure why people think this. I've worked in both the public and private sectors and I see virtually no difference in people's behaviors whether in private or public sectors. People come to work, do their job, then go home. I never once had a conversation with nor did I ever see anybody doing anything that could be construed as trying to control people's lives. In fact, we tried to give people more freedom by earning more money for them so they could do more things with their lives. As for lining their pockets, the ethical standards were far stricter in government than in the private sector, to the point of it being ridiculous.

In my profession, the biggest difference I see is that people generally take pay cuts to work in government.

 

[Care4all]

bern is right. the answer to the problem is increase our SUPPLY of doctors.....i know 3 people myself that wanted to be doctors that had to change course mid stream because they could not afford the cost of the schooling....

we need MORE medical schools, competing with each other, to bring the price of schools down....

the increase in demand SHOULD naturally increase the supply...

 

[Diuretic]

bern is right. the answer to the problem is increase our SUPPLY of doctors.....i know 3 people myself that wanted to be doctors that had to change course mid stream because they could not afford the cost of the schooling....

we need MORE medical schools, competing with each other, to bring the price of schools down....

the increase in demand SHOULD naturally increase the supply...

And how long do you think the doctors union would put up with that?

 

[AllieBaba]

The reason we don't have enough doctors, as I've said, is that there are only so many slots in medical school, it's a bitch to get in, and a HUGE number of those who are accepted are foreigners. Who don't practice in the US.

Open up the fucking medical schools, give first crack to Americans, and watch the ranks increase.

 

[Diuretic]

Yes, there are only so many slots in medical schools. I've always wondered about that, here at least. Medicine only takes the brightest and the best, no problem there. But how come some of the brightest and the best (who also have other qualities necessary to practice medicine) are missing out on the places at university medical schools?

I would suggest - and I would invite contradiction - that the medical profession's unions have a hand in dictating how many doctors will be able to practice and that is controlled firstly by limiting the numbers of places at university for individuals to study medicine.

I could be wrong but it would be interesting to find out about this.

 

[Ravi]

Yes, there are only so many slots in medical schools. I've always wondered about that, here at least. Medicine only takes the brightest and the best, no problem there. But how come some of the brightest and the best (who also have other qualities necessary to practice medicine) are missing out on the places at university medical schools?

I would suggest - and I would invite contradiction - that the medical profession's unions have a hand in dictating how many doctors will be able to practice and that is controlled firstly by limiting the numbers of places at university for individuals to study medicine.

I could be wrong but it would be interesting to find out about this.

I could be wrong but I don't think doctors have unions.

 

[Diuretic]

Yes, there are only so many slots in medical schools. I've always wondered about that, here at least. Medicine only takes the brightest and the best, no problem there. But how come some of the brightest and the best (who also have other qualities necessary to practice medicine) are missing out on the places at university medical schools?

I would suggest - and I would invite contradiction - that the medical profession's unions have a hand in dictating how many doctors will be able to practice and that is controlled firstly by limiting the numbers of places at university for individuals to study medicine.

I could be wrong but it would be interesting to find out about this.

I could be wrong but I don't think doctors have unions.

Professional associations?

 

[Dis]

The problem is right there. A SMALL amount of money to tackle what needs to be tackled first while a relatively small problem has been given crisis status (the uninsurred)

Circa 45 million uninsured is according to you a 'relatively small problem'?

Allow me to muster a bitter laugh ...

Given the actual population of the world? Yeah, in comparison, it's small...like it or no.

 

[Old Rocks]

We are not discussing the world. We are discussing the state of health care here in the US. And, in that context, 45 million is a very large number. A number that is still growing as there are still jobs being lost.