Welcome to Laser Pointer Forums - discuss green laser pointers, blue laser pointers, and all types of lasers

LPF Donation via Stripe | LPF Donation - Other Methods

Links below open in new window

ArcticMyst Security by Avery

So sick of the government

Joined
May 14, 2013
Messages
3,438
Points
0
Oic, the whole US healthcare system just seems odd to me.

Here ambulances and their crews are operated by hospitals. Cost can be charged to the patient but is fully covered by health insurance in most cases, including trauma helicoper rescue if required.

In emergency situations patients are not usually charged though, but this is something paid for by (quite high) taxes in general.

In some cases patients see the bill for ambulance services, for example if they need transportation by ambulance from one hospital to another. Charges for that are pricey, probably around $1000 an hour, but that includes the actual ambulance, driver, paramedics, supplies and equipment used. If such transport is medically required it usually is covered by health insurance as well.

I'm not sure to what degree high taxes weigh up to the risk of getting high bills, but the US medical system seems very expensive (and not very effective) regardless of how it's paid for.

Yes the U.S. Medical system is incredibly expensive and not very effective unless you are very wealthy and can pay extra for the best care.

Hospitals are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. About 440,000 or more a year are dying in hospitals do to infection or preventable errors, I also very much suspect that some of those that are organ donors are worth more dead than they are alive, and that there is criminal activity going on at large hospitals in major cities. Here in the U.S. When you get or renew your drivers license or state ID card you have the option to be an organ donor or not and it is printed on your ID so they know this when you are admitted to a hospital.

Ambulance transportation is incredibly expensive as I previously explained, they don't just charge by the hour and for supplies used but also for mileage and no small amount either, a few miles adds hundreds of dollars to the bill. Here is a story you will find hard to believe, there was this guy that lived here about four years ago that I was slightly acquainted with who was a pastor of a local church here, he was probably 10 years older than me I don't know exactly but he took a trip to Alaska, I have forgotten now why or just what town he was in, but he had a heart attack in this remote small town in Alaska, they flew in a small jet with medical staff to fly him to a city with a hospital where he could be saved, I don't remember if that was to Anchorage or to somewhere else, but he told me the bill was over $1,000,000. I don't remember if that was just for the flight or if that included his hospital stay and treatment. I hope he had good insurance, he moved away a short time later.

Alan
 
Last edited:





Joined
Mar 27, 2011
Messages
14,125
Points
113
I'm not sure to what degree high taxes weigh up to the risk of getting high bills, but the US medical system seems very expensive (and not very effective) regardless of how it's paid for.

This is an absolutely accurate perception. The US healthcare system is badly badly broken.
 
Joined
Jul 10, 2015
Messages
9,799
Points
113
Yes healthcare is badly broken, and even doctors are retiring early, but on the bright side.....It's all about to cost a lot more........Oh wait.....damn it :scowl:
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2015
Messages
1,222
Points
63
Healthcare is badly broken just like so many other things. It really is piling up, wonder when the tipping point will be reached?
 

Benm

0
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
7,896
Points
113
I guess it all depends on where you are. I'm currently in indonesia where it is fairly expensive for private clinics, but there are public hospitals too that cater to emergency care if you need it. Travel insurance goes only so far, but hospital bills like $10.000 a day are unheard of here either, unless you need complicated surgery on that day.
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
12,031
Points
113
Direct democracy may indeed be feasible! Then we only depend upon one another to do the right thing, not someone we have given all our power to who often does as they wish later, having lied their way through both sides of their mouths to get into power, what do we really expect from this system anyway? We are lying to ourselves to think someone would really represent each of us, or that they wouldn't lie their way into office, if need be. Obama did it and look what happened, he has continued to lie to us while in office too.

Here's a link to a video which probably belongs in this thread:

 
Last edited:

Benm

0
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
7,896
Points
113
I can't watch the video from here (3g with data limits)...

The concept behind indirect democracy comes from practical reasons in any case. Dating back a few millenia the population of settlements became too large to hold personal votes on all issues, and this created politicians to represent the will of a a segment of the population that elected them.

In a day and age where direct democracy was not practically feasible there was a lot to be said for implementing a system like that.

In the 21st century that practical limitation is no longer valid in developed countries though - we could do personal voting online now. The technology is available even for countries with millions of citizens.

I don't think it will change any time soon for countries like the US, but it could be done in some european countries where politics aren't that big of an economic sector on their own, and internet access is very widely available.
 
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
12,031
Points
113
All we need is one successful true democratic government somewhere in the world to crack the door open for the rest of us, what an exciting idea.
 
Joined
Jul 3, 2015
Messages
500
Points
43
Yes healthcare is badly broken, and even doctors are retiring early, but on the bright side.....It's all about to cost a lot more........Oh wait.....damn it :scowl:

@everyone You have no idea how broken the system is. It is full of waste, stupidity, fraud, and many of those in it should not be.

In 2013 my mother's best friend, 85 years old, living in Boca Raton, was mis-diagnosed, then sent to a rehab with a WBC of 24 K and eventually died. We got an autopsy and I reviewed the record and I am in the process of filing a formal complaint against the primary care doctor (who essentially did nothing but billed Medicare,) and a GI group who communicated via chart notes instead of having a conference. They all were so lazy. Had they simply made a phone call when she was admitted they would have learned her WBC was normal a couple of days prior to admission which would have led them to the right diagnosis.

You should read Phamocracy by Bill Faloon as well as other Life Extension Recommendations for improving the health care system.
 




Top