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socialized medicine in my opinion is a big mistake, especially for those of us who want to be doctors. what do u guys think?
socialized medicine...
- Thread starter shahalam
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I don't know if this qualifies in your definition of socialized medicine but visit this website:
www.pnhp.org
www.pnhp.org
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Socialized medicine, while a good idea, just doesn't work. I spoke with a med student from Great Britian and he said their system is completely screwed up. He said for instance if you have a heart attack and need bypass you will have to wait, sometimes up to a month for a bypass surgery, OR you can pay the medical bills out of pocket and have it the same day. In the US if you are stable and need a bypass you will likely go in within a day or two. Problem is what if you die in the time you are waiting for your bypass. He also said that Doctors are overworked and barely make any money, he said it is difficult to draw good people to medicine when they can go to law school and become a barrister and make tons of money. Another thing people fail to realize is that alot of the medical breakthroughs in this country are paid for by the high cost of health care. So, if you decrease the cost, you will likely decrease the money going into R&D.
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ElKapitan said:
Prior to entering med school, I'm at a health care non-profit that works with Medicare beneficiaries. Try talking to seniors on Medicare. Many will tell you that Original Medicare is an excellent program that is (comparatively) well adminisered and responsive. It is important to remember that CHOICE is a key ingredient of the program. As opposed to Medicare HMOs, which restrict people to networks, Original Medicare beneficiaries can choose their own doctors and hospitals. This is capitalism at its best, not socialized medicine. Medicare beneficiaries can go straight to specialists. Doctors compete with other doctors for business based on quality of services rendered. The National Health system in GB is basically one big government-run HMO with strict cost controlls and very tight gate keeping by PCs.
People on Medicare don't want to be able to choose between HMOs, but between health care providers. "Privatizing" the system actually takes the important choices out of the hands of America's seniors.
While I personally am not sure that I would advocate a single payer system, Original Medicare is a good example of how having one does not necessarily lead down the slippery road to socialized medicine.
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ElKapitan said:
Especially considering that many people cannot afford prescriptions drugs. How many Americans go to Canada for their drugs? The Medicare/Medicaid system is great if you are not terribly sick, but imagine you need an aggressive treatment program for AML...imagine the cost for an unisured person.
Should doctors discriminate based on social inequality? Maybe those who go into medicine for money should re-evaluate their priorities.
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fever5 said:
Medicaid has a pretty good prescription drug program. Prescription drug costs are a much bigger problem for those who have incomes above Medicaid levels -- i.e. the uninsured and those on Medicare who are not dual eligible. Medicare currently only pays for drugs that are administered in inpatient settings (a very small minority).
The Medicare prescription drug benefit -- scheduled to begin in 2006 -- is confusing, limited, and very expensive. It prohibits negotiation of drug prices (even the VA does this) while subsidizing private plans to offer something that is not a good business prospect in the first place. It's hard to create a risk pool with prescription drug insurance for seniors since almost everyone requires many expensive drugs at this age.
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At least for the next four years there will be NO SM!!!
GO Bush and the nice capture of the H of Rs and Senate!!!!
GO Bush and the nice capture of the H of Rs and Senate!!!!
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Socialized anything won't work in America. We're too capitalistic. We might could create a socialized safety net/ bare minimum/ preventitive care system to care for those who can't really afford it. However, socializing or nationalizing our entire healthcare system would lead to long waits and some form of rationing of healthcare funds.
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Can you honestly object to universal healthcare? I find it hard to believe that people actually object to health coverage for all, but think that what they really mean is that opponents are against the means by which universal healthcare can be achieved.
If high quality, affordable and flexible universal healthcare could be achieved, would you still object?
If high quality, affordable and flexible universal healthcare could be achieved, would you still object?
As an individual with first hand experience, it works, but there are major down sides. Everything is SLOW. For example, I am a baseball pitcher, and when I was 14, I threw a pitch and my elbow exploded. It became swollen and I could barely move it. I went to my doctor and after getting the x-rays back, an MRI was ordered to determine soft tissue damage. Everything was going well, I hadn't paid a dime for the care I had received, and I wouldn't pay for the MRI either......except my appointment was in 13months. THIRTEEN FLIPPIN months to get an MRI?
You get the idea. It is great if you have minor problems that can be taken care of qucikly and relatively cheaply. If you ever have serious complications or trouble, you are in it for the long haul.
I ended up driving down the the states and paying for a MRI at a private clinic. Social healthcare is just to damn slow.
You get the idea. It is great if you have minor problems that can be taken care of qucikly and relatively cheaply. If you ever have serious complications or trouble, you are in it for the long haul.
I ended up driving down the the states and paying for a MRI at a private clinic. Social healthcare is just to damn slow.
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