45 million uninsured

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Sarikate

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It keeps me up at night, this statistic! Is anyone else out there ready to tackle this problem, oh, say, 10-15 years from now when we are all fresh out of residencies? Rally!

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Sarikate said:
It keeps me up at night, this statistic! Is anyone else out there ready to tackle this problem, oh, say, 10-15 years from now when we are all fresh out of residencies? Rally!


HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....I'm sorry.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Health Care is Not a Right. If you are being serious, I blame you for all the special extra classes I take in the afternoon to make me a better person. Take Care. Paul
 
There are other threads about what the best potential solutions would be for this catastrophe. But how do/will physicians ultimately take up the fight?
 
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Sarikate said:
It keeps me up at night, this statistic! Is anyone else out there ready to tackle this problem, oh, say, 10-15 years from now when we are all fresh out of residencies? Rally!
It's good to hear that future doctors are willing to tackle this problem, but it seems like the politicians will have a larger role in policy changes than doctors :(
 
I will help kill poor people and minorities by not diagnosing their ailments correctly.
 
Please keep in mind that there is background info impt to this number.

1) It is an estimate, not an actual count
2) It includes a significant # of healthy young adults who choose to not have health insurance because they feel they don't need it
3) It includes older adults who choose not to have health insurance because they want to have other things more than they want to spend $ on insurance
4) It includes a number of people who qualify for aid (Medicaid or other such services) but have not applied

and, yes, there are people who want health insurance, don't qualify for government aid, and for one reason or another don't actually have health insurance. Just know that this last group does not add up to anywhere near 45 million.
 
DrMom said:
Please keep in mind that there is background info impt to this number.

1) It is an estimate, not an actual count
2) It includes a significant # of healthy young adults who choose to not have health insurance because they feel they don't need it
3) It includes older adults who choose not to have health insurance because they want to have other things more than they want to spend $ on insurance
4) It includes a number of people who qualify for aid (Medicaid or other such services) but have not applied

and, yes, there are people who want health insurance, don't qualify for government aid, and for one reason or another don't actually have health insurance. Just know that this last group does not add up to anywhere near 45 million.

GO Dr. MOM!!!! Tear em up!!!!!!!!!!!
 
DrMom said:
Please keep in mind that there is background info impt to this number.

1) It is an estimate, not an actual count
2) It includes a significant # of healthy young adults who choose to not have health insurance because they feel they don't need it
3) It includes older adults who choose not to have health insurance because they want to have other things more than they want to spend $ on insurance
4) It includes a number of people who qualify for aid (Medicaid or other such services) but have not applied

and, yes, there are people who want health insurance, don't qualify for government aid, and for one reason or another don't actually have health insurance. Just know that this last group does not add up to anywhere near 45 million.

So, DrMom, what does the final number of "actually" uninsured come out to be? And does the 45 million account for the number of underinsured Americans?
 
It's not a numbers game. 45 million, 100 million, 5 million, whatever - it's too many people, any way you look at it. Don't you think?
 
Sarikate said:
It's not a numbers game. 45 million, 100 million, 5 million, whatever - it's too many people, any way you look at it. Don't you think?

We are not saints. Don't confuse youself. We are doctors.

Well maybe if we each stopped paying $1200+ a year(each year) for defence and put that money towards health insurance....never mind..........BOOOOOOOOOM

::looks at the missle on T.V Screen::

Yep...my tax dollars at good work...:(
 
Sarikate said:
It keeps me up at night, this statistic! Is anyone else out there ready to tackle this problem, oh, say, 10-15 years from now when we are all fresh out of residencies? Rally!

Just thinking...if those of us who end up with our own practices could devote 10% of our time to those who have no insurance, taking a nominal fee or nothing at all, that would solve a large chunk of the problem. I don't know how feasible it is, in the end, but it would probably be more cost-efficient than a lot of other solutions.
 
Is anyone else out there ready to tackle this problem, oh, say, 10-15 years from now when we are all fresh out of residencies?

If we assume that human nature does not change in the next 10-15 years and extrapolate from current graduating residents, we can safely say "no".
 
Hi all -
Yes, the number is huge, absolutely, and yes it does include a lot of people who don't "need" health insurance. The people who need health care most - and use it most - are seniors, and they are covered with medicare.

Another point, just because people don't have health insurance doesn't mean they don't have "access" to health care. Most people if they have a heart attack or fall from a ladder go to the emergency room. The problem here is many people who go there don't pay - which makes hospitals raise prices on everyone else.

I am not convinced the uninsured is such a critical issue because most hospitals do not turn anyone away - even if they never pay. If we had people suffering and did not do anything about it - it would be more serious.

This is the system we have, and it is a balance of many interests - including hospitals, insurance companies, physicians, and paying patients - who want to maintain the high quality healthcare we have here - as opposed to the generic/socialized medicine we see in Europe.

In my opinion, the problem we should focus on is making quality health insurance more affordable.
 
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jmv1083 said:
It's good to hear that future doctors are willing to tackle this problem, but it seems like the politicians will have a larger role in policy changes than doctors :(

Thats why i think i will be a doctor turned politician.
 
docdaname said:
Thats why i think i will be a doctor turned politician.

Same here. The first thing I am doing is putting Flash on the axis of evil!
 
swifteagle43 said:
Same here. The first thing I am doing is putting Flash on the axis of evil!
the first thing im doin is puttin your icon picture thingy in the axis of evil, the purple hippo creeps me out, man
 
I always think that the best solution for this issue is to propose an universal health care system, but like I say there will always be people (rich or whatwever) to reject it. Anyways health providers can do so much. It is up to our politicians to tackle this disaster.
 
the best way ..... severly limit lawsuites by instituting a 'loser pays' system. If you take someone to court, and lose, you pay their lawer and court fees. This makes malpractice ensurance companies more willing to go to court rather than cut a check. Use this along with some other ingenuity yet to be brainstormed to drive down health insurance costs, then move to a cash only system.
 
swifteagle43 said:
Same here. The first thing I am doing is putting Flash on the axis of evil!


I haven't even responded to this thread. This is the 3rd time you've attacked me in some way or another on a thread I haven't even been a part of (most memorable was when you said my mom was ugly on a thread about what you were willing to do to get into med school). You are beginning to annoy me. And my name is flash, not Flash. :cool:

:idea:
 
The problem with healthcare in this country is that NO ONE is responsible for their own health. Many of youi havent seen what happens in the clinical setting. Most PCP office visits are: Diabetic checkup, HTN checkup, smoking cessation or related issues. Most health related issues we have in this country is because the public CHOOSES not to live a healthy lifestyle. It is not difficult to eat healthy, not smoke, limit alcohol consumption, etc. Instead, the American public has chosen to PAY for expensive drugs or insurance to keep their fat a$$es eating at McDs everyday, sipping on 124oz Super Humungo Big Gulps while puffing on a 5-pack a day habit.
Until the obese, the smokers, the drunks, the druggies, and even the avg american starts to exercise (the easiest thing to have a healthy life....look at that fatsos on "The Biggest Loser") and gives up their vices, we SHOULD NOT and CANNOT have a universal health care plan. We cant afford one. Why should I, I healthy, nonsmoker, occasional drinker bodybuilder pay for others while they can kill themselves?
stomper

Oh, as far as the 40mil uninsured goes....if the left put into a fund for insurance for those individuals rather than give the 527 all those millions, each individual would end up with quite an extensive healthcare plan.
 
stomper627 said:
Why should I, I healthy, nonsmoker, occasional drinker bodybuilder pay for others while they can kill themselves?
stomper

Oh, as far as the 40mil uninsured goes....if the left put into a fund for insurance for those individuals rather than give the 527 all those millions, each individual would end up with quite an extensive healthcare plan.

Well, if everyone was perfectly healthy like you, we wouldn't have much of a job, now would we?
 
ingamina said:
Well, if everyone was perfectly healthy like you, we wouldn't have much of a job, now would we?

Accidents happen (As a future EM physician...I wont be out of work), auto immune diseases happen, genetic defects, etc....
what Im saying is there is no reason why we waste money on the things that are preventable.
stomper
 
Maybe we could cap med-malpractice (&pain/suffering) at a more reasonable number than all your future earnings, your first born, your left arm (b/c you are right handed after all), & your grandmothers pension, & use the decrease in mal practice payments to encourage "free" (volunteer) service for the underinsursed/uninsured.
Universal Health Care is like communism, good in theory, but it won't last once ppl start having to schedule appt months in advance, and sure you can see the doctor as often as you want b/c it's "free," but when you're sick in August an appt in November isn't help. (Yes there is a wait like this, my cousin lives in Sweden, & that's how they told him it was before his wife could see their doctor)
 
sunni said:
Maybe we could cap med-malpractice (&pain/suffering) at a more reasonable number than all your future earnings, your first born, your left arm (b/c you are right handed after all), & your grandmothers pension, & use the decrease in mal practice payments to encourage "free" (volunteer) service for the underinsursed/uninsured.


Fewer than 1% of all medical liability/malpractice cases result in the extravagant rewards that we are all so very well aware of. Of those rare cases that recieve extravagant rewards, most are given based on extreme physician negligence, followed by a cover-up, circle the wagons defense were colleagues refuse to admit the negligence of the defendant physician(s). Furthermore, very few (if any) extreme liability rewards are actually payed out - most, if not all, are severly reduced by a judge, whether it be the original case judge or reduced on appeal.
Despite what physicians, HMOs, PPOs and hospital associations tell you, tort reform is a very small piece of the puzzle when it comes to fixing the finances of the medical system.
 
stomper627 said:
Why should I, I healthy, nonsmoker, occasional drinker bodybuilder pay for others while they can kill themselves?
stomper

Good post.
 
dr_pepper said:
Fewer than 1% of all medical liability/malpractice cases result in the extravagant rewards that we are all so very well aware of. Of those rare cases that recieve extravagant rewards, most are given based on extreme physician negligence, followed by a cover-up, circle the wagons defense were colleagues refuse to admit the negligence of the defendant physician(s). Furthermore, very few (if any) extreme liability rewards are actually payed out - most, if not all, are severly reduced by a judge, whether it be the original case judge or reduced on appeal.
Despite what physicians, HMOs, PPOs and hospital associations tell you, tort reform is a very small piece of the puzzle when it comes to fixing the finances of the medical system.

Those EXTRAVAGANT awards, no matter how few of them there are, make it so that insurance companies settle the VAST MAJORITY of cases. I mean that less than 1% reference must refer to ALL CASES...those dropped and those settled (which are the vast majority of cases). So you must know that many of these settlements are not disclosed and that the reality of the insurance industry situation is difficult to judge. But despite your claims against the extravangt award there is a reason over the past two decades that the number of insurance companies that handle medical malpractice has significantly decreased. Cases, settled even when its clear negligence was not to be had, must be reported by the physician every time he applies for priviliges at a hospital or for a new job and these settlements amount to a burden for the cost of healthcare in this country. Insurance companies settle a good number of cases where negligence is not clear because they fear the extravagant jury award...so keep the costs of all those settlements in mind (and it is a huge cost) when considering tort reform.

They settle because as John Edwards was clearly so well versed in lay juries really have no place trying to comprehend medical data. They see a paralyzed child or a grieving mother and the burden becomes decidedly on the defense to prove that their physician-client was not responsible. That's why we need tort reform and a system of peer review that cannot be bought (not like expert witnesses getting up on the stand...)
 
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