I'm not laughing about this guy's death, but I'm sure as fuck not crying over him either. Taking care of people is not a profit generating enterprise. It should never be treated like one. That doesn't mean that those of us who care for others should be ground down to nothing by our obligations. It means that caring for those who can't care for themselves is part of the collective debt of all of us. The phrase 'many hands make light work' has never been more applicable than when it is used to describe our obligation to the less fortunate in society and to each other as human beings sharing a common existence.
Healthcare is the issue ... even my Trump supporting, loving but deeply brainwashed mother finally came around a few years ago and admitted that health insurance and for profit medicine is deeply unethical, immoral and antithetical to Jesus' teachings. Now if I could get het to see the 3,000 OTHER things Trumpsters do that is antithetical to Jesus' teachings!
Yeah my daughter was just told by Aetna that they would no longer pay for her monthly injections for her bipolar illness. If anybody thought we had a mental illness problem in this country before, let's all collectively hold our beers and breath.
I don't believe in hell, but I hope he is there. I had a store near a hotel that was used for people who were let out of mental health hospitals. These poor people had no support and nowhere to go. They used to come in my store because we were nice to them. It was heartbreaking.
The oligarch’s are strangling our country. Something needs to change and quickly. We need to start taxing the top 20% at a reasonable rate. When a teacher pays more in irs taxes than a billionaire , it’s obvious that taxes are aimed at the little guy.
Why the Hell people still vote for republicans, to sell them out! And RIP them off in every way! I blame Fox LIES! OAN, News max, NOT real news, pure manipulation for for the corporate take over of America 🇺🇸
I was in England a couple of years ago on a trip, when I got ill...I usually wait for things like this to pass, but I was so sick I ended up in the ER...I got some medications and was sent back to the hotel. When I got home I kept waiting for the bill....nothing arrived, everything was free.
Now I'm a Vet and get my care through the VA, but this floored me...then it was explained to me that it's the norm over there. Why can't we learn more from our neighbors and take care of each other? It's so simple!
I'm proud you were treated well. It's what we should all have the world over.
Our NHS used to be the pride of Britain but it has been ripped apart by the Tories wanting to privatise it. It's very much a lottery now as to how you're treated - or not - because it's been brought to its knees by underfunding and selling off parts. People are now literally dying through neglect. Even so, I'll take this dying leviathan over the "Americanised" system the Cons were aiming to force upon us.
I had the exact same experience when became acutely ill while visiting family in Spain. I got two days of excellent medical care (I’m a physician) and wonderful nursing care for NO CHARGE. I was floored at the difference between their system and ours.
Actually, your treatment wasn't "free" - the British taxpayer ended up paying for it! The NHS is supposed to bill foreign patients (though I must say, the bill you get will be a fraction of the one you'd receive in America) only the system they have for billing isn't very well constructed or supported - so often people go unbilled, or not chased for payment. The NHS of course would never dream of asking for money up front, bless their old fashioned little hearts - if you're sick, you need treatment, not a bill!
There was a case a couple of years ago someone came to this country specifically to have her twins as there was a problem with them ( conjoined?) and she couldn't afford the treatment in her home country - which billed the way America does. She was delivered, the babies were in intensive care for six months, she was given accomodation at the hospital to be near them. Total cost - £200,000. Then she said she hadn't any money and would pay in installments. Flew the 3,000 miles home - and hasn't been heard from since.
Terrible - but - worse that in her home country the kids would have been left to die. Britain is a wealthy country. Sometimes we do things that seem stupid to the rest of the world - but enable us to look in the mirror every morning.
I wasn't criticising you, Barbara. You didn't use a bad choice of words - if they didn't bill you for it - it was free - to you! You can't be expected to pay for something when you are never asked for payment! I'm quite sure they would have been totally astonished if you'd banged on the cashier's door at the hospital and demanded to pay for your treatment! And you'd have had to wait a long time in the queue, because there's usually a long line of people there waiting for payment on their taxi fares. Yes, the NHS will pay for your taxi if you are hard up and unable to get to the hospital by public transport. . .
Americans often say how wonderful our "free" health care is - but it's not free. It's paid by us every week in insurance deducted from our wages. The only difference is, none of it goes to Health "Insurance" companies. What we pay, goes to the NHS. The top wallahs at the NHS do get good salaries - the CEO got around $500,000. last year. Not exactly the millions the American insurance CEO's get, is it? And those millions come straight out of your pocket.
Very few Americans don't understand that your 'free' health care is tax supported. We use the word as shorthand for 'tax payer funded'. It's easier to say, that's all.
We should all lobby strenuously against Dr Oz being appointed to head CMS.
Oz began as a legitimate cardio-thoracic surgeon but decades ago morphed into a medical charlatan pushing pricey fad diets and phony supplements on TV for personal profit.
He has been censured widely by the American medical community for both his profiteering and his embrace of patently unscientific treatments and ideas. He was removed from the faculty of Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital and Medical School by his colleagues because of ethical concerns.
His recent failed senatorial campaign was heavily backed by Trump. The campaign was marked by a series of half-truths and outright lies, beginning with the fact that he didn’t even reside in that state.
Like most of Trump’s appointees, Oz lacks the administrative experience required to run a large healthcare system. His plan is to allow private insurance companies to completely replace our current system with a purely private, entirely for-profit system. He will, of course, greatly enlarge his personal wealth as a result.
The American people don’t need more grifters in high office. Lobby your members of Congress vigorously to block his appointment.
What is it with Donnie? He lies about covid but got treatments for himself. He picked a brain(less) surgeon to be surgeon general last time. Now he wants RFK who doesn't believe in fluoride or vaccines, and TV charlatan Dr Oz to run the CDC. We are all screwed.
I can't decide if Donnie is just a brainless moron - or auditioning for the part of "The Joker" in the next Batman film. It's not just that the people he's nominating are incompetent or stupid - though most of them are - but that their main identifier seems to be that they are evil - or at least, deeply malicious. The swamp that Donnie inhabits has some very deep and stinky layers.
And what about our veterans? We ask them to sign away their lives to protect us, but we treat them like caca when they come home and say they need health care. All of a sudden, they are a nuisance. And I cannot (as much as I'd love to) say this is a classic MAGAt issue and it's their's to own. We know it is not. It is ours -- it is ALL of ours. Veterans should not have to rely on charities to receive the health care they earned and which their country owes them.
The movie "Article 99" could not have said it more clearly.
Yes, I have, Robert. They are the same people who go to church every Sunday, without fail, and proclaim their love of God and reaffirm their allegiance to Jesus Christ and His teachings....then gleefully go vote for Satan for President.
You'd have thought we would have come on a bit since Victorian times. Kipling summed it up in his poem "Tommy" ( a name for the common soldier in the UK). The last stanza reads:
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!
I don't imagine Vets today are any more impressed with their treatment than "Tommy" was. . .
Oops...What I wanted to say was, thank you, Lady Emsworth for posting that. And I think what we need is a dedicated tax...Veterans Insurance Benefits tax. Everyone ponies up because we all benefit from a volunteer military to keep us safe. And no loopholes! Big Pharma pays it, Big Oil pays it, Big Utilities pay it, Big Insurance pays it. And if they have to pay it, it won't be such a hardship for the rest of us. We need a dedicated tax for our veterans. They need more than a handshake and "Thank you for your service."
I hate to say this, but it almost seems like capitalism and humanity do not mix. Yeah, lets remove ALL restrictions that corporations want removed. These Magats think their lives are bad now, wait till the 💩 REALLY hits the fan!!! I don't condone murder, but I can definitely understand the reaction of the laughing emojis. Can't wait to see what this investigation uncovers.
What a shame to see how many people have been denied healthcare. I agree, the anger is growing, it's an unacceptable part of living in the U.S. to have to worry about coverage.
This is the #1 issue, that Bernie Sanders has been fighting for. We need to keep an eye on congress, and the senators, who vote against US! And share their names EVERY WHERE!
I lost friends from Covid> Greedy Ins CEO! When I went to Europe, where they have free healthcare, made me furious! What they do here is deny and kill, while they rip US off! REAGAN DID THIS! Tis’ the OPPOSITE of Healthcare! May they all Rot in Hell!
Reagan absolutely set this up. Prior to that administration the health insurance industry was not allowed to be “for profit”. Now they answer to shareholders and enrich the top people at the expense of their enrollees’ health and wellbeing. Clearly you can make money if you take in way more than you put out. There should be checks and balances on spending. But, if you are insured, you should not have to do back flips to get them to cover your healthcare.
BCBS was tone deaf following the murder of the UHC CEO in announcing their decision on how long an anesthetic should last and determining their payment based on that time limit. This could yield some interesting surgical treatments. “Your procedure will take two hours but your insurance will only pay for one hour of anesthesia care. You might feel something that second hour.”
I can’t believe the United States doesn’t have a system wide health care system like other countries….aren’t we the greatest country in the world? We were definitely getting there under Biden; but now?….We could have had at home health care from Medicare/Medicaid if VP Harris had been elected; and now?…we could lose it all if the new administration has its way! I didn’t work for over 40 years, paying my taxes, to have them tell me that I won’t have it anymore! F*ck that!! I will fight them every and anyway I can!
You know, there is a long tradition among the religious that those who are ill or injured somehow deserve it because they must have displeased 'god.' And considering the rabid religiosity running rampant amongst the oligarchs who are running our elections and pretty much everything else, I have to wonder how much of what is happening is their attempt to finally eliminate the 'ungodly' from the body politic...in all areas of our lives. If you believe, really believe, that your wealth is the true sign of 'god's' love for you, you can then treat the world and all living as dirt beneath your feet. After all, if the rest of everyone and everything lacks wealth, in your mind, 'god' hates them. Which is why so many of the rich rest comfy in the 'knowledge' that when they go to heaven, part of their reward and joy will be to watch the rest of us writhe in hellish torments and laugh. Gee, monotheism and theocratic monarchy sounds really swell, doesn't it, boys and girls.
I am not a Christian. I tried it and it wasn't for me. I didn't have your experience at all.
Where I can relate to you is by being raised by wealthy Republikkkans.They were not religious, but never gave "others" a thought unless it was acceptable to their group. Think volunteering to look good.
Religion is too often used as a tool to artificially divide people, particularly workers. It’s also used to hold workers to high moral standards despite the exploitative practices of employers.
In addition, religion is often a panacea that teaches the poor to accept lifelong abuse on earth in exchange for their souls enjoying heaven for all eternity once they die.
I am not religious, but I believe that spiritual beliefs are highly personal and incontestable. I believe strongly in religious freedom and tolerance. And I thank all the many religious people who selflessly provide care to others.
But I have a fairly dim view of most organized religions, particularly their political and financial interests. I believe in strict separation of church and state.
I particularly detest the entire ideology of Christian Nationalism, where faith is marked by hypocrisy, elitism, and political suppression of dissent. To me, that’s the opposite of religion. The resurgence of Christian Nationalism in America is very disturbing.
I don't think the oligarchs believe in anything but $$. They just pretend to be christian for the votes. And they don't worry about displeasing God. They just want sick people to die and stop hurting their profit reports. Uncle Donnie said it out loud when he asked his nephew, "Why don't you just let him die and move to Florida?"
I thought the motive would be clear. Once upon a time, my family was covered under Kaiser Permanente--thanks to Portland OR teachers getting a union in the 60s. Preventative healthcare--what a concept. Glad to see their percentage is low. Wish Texas had a similar system but no.
Lack of health care, particularly preventative care is the essence of stupid. Looking down the barrel of RFK Jr, I have little optimism. Science? Schmience. Whatta mink. *sigh
We have to oppose RFK’s appointment with everything we’ve got. We’re already seeing a surge in cases of measles, a disease that was officially eradicated in the US in 2000. Imagine a nation where half the population refuses vaccines. Back to the Dark Ages…
Their low percentage is self reported. They cover less and less, keeping what they classify denials as low. If you read about why they had a nationwide strike this year, you get part of the picture.
Yes, my dear God, healthcare is a basic human right. I imagine that our Neanderthal ancestors/cousins had that one right. And archeological evidence shows that, millennia after millennia, communities cared for their ill and injured...and even for those born with disabilities. It did not become the purview of the wealthy until patriarchal and monarchical societies and religions took control of so much. And it has now devolved into the rich, as is their won't, eating the rest of us by getting even richer by denying care. One possible solution, or tactic, might be for us to form alliances with our doctors in order to have real muscle in fighting back. Another is for folk to explore healing modalities that are not considered 'real' medicine, like acupuncture, homeopathic, naturopathy, herbal and vitamin/dietary, as a short list. In other words, we need to take our healthcare into our own hands. Obviously, these may have limited use for people who are dealing with life-threatening issues. But, it we actively ally ourselves with the doctors, nurses and others who are equipped to deal with the big stuff, we may find ways to end the 'health' insurance companies lock on Healthcare. And our Healthcare industry mirrors the monotheistic, monarchical model we have of spirituality. The king/ceo has the top-down power and if you disagree you go to hell/the morgue. Odd, how we try to mesh democratic ideals with theocratic monarchical ones. It never works.
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) has over 20,000 physician and medical student members. We have been working since 1987 towards a single-payor national health insurance program.
That's a really interesting Wiki page. Not because of the enormous detail - because it doesn't give that. But because it shows your revenue in 2021 was $955,000. Not quite a million. . .
How do you fight the big HC companies, and the lobbyists, with such a small income? You have 20,000 members. There are over ONE MILLION physicians in the US! - how do you get more to support you? When the NHS was introduced in the UK in 1947, the biggest opposition to it came from senior doctors - who were worried about the impact it would have on their income. It was only initiated after the Government agreed that Senior Doctors could continue to practise privately alongside their NHS practise. I can't see things being any different - in fact, a lot worse, in the US.
The campaign you are fighting is admirable - but I sincerely wish that with those 20,000 medical members, you had 200 politicians.
Doctors, not all, but too many, are part of the problem. A 15 minute appointment with my oncologist is $750. That's $3,000 an hour. They couldn't and wouldn't charge that much if health insurance wasn't there to pay. I understand that it cost them a lot to get there, and what they do is very important. But how do you justify $3,000/hr from people making $15/hr?
That's another rip off scam in the States - the cost of education. The college fees doctors have to pay are horrendous - meaning you end up with a LOT of doctors (not all, of course) coming from wealthy families that can fund them. Which is a form of DEI. And when training is finished, they have to charge huge fees to pay back the debt.
In the UK, the training for a surgeon costs him in Uni. fees around $60,000. Which means candidates right across the board , good or bad, can afford to train. Not just the ones who have money - and maybe the sort of brain you saw in "Animal House". In the States, that's $260,000 at a public Uni, $370,000 at a private one.
So, the Insurance companies rip off the patients (and employers) and partly support the doctors with the enormous profits they make, and the schools make enormous profits by charging the doctors humungous fees which means that doctors have to support the insurance companies to pay back their debts.
My doctor's, yes plural, have told me they can't help except to help guide me through the system. They agree healthcare is broken. However they have a contract that they won't violate. It's their job on the line. They have told me that their employer doesn't listen to them, but might listen to me. I haven't had any luck with that. Just my experience.
I'm not laughing about this guy's death, but I'm sure as fuck not crying over him either. Taking care of people is not a profit generating enterprise. It should never be treated like one. That doesn't mean that those of us who care for others should be ground down to nothing by our obligations. It means that caring for those who can't care for themselves is part of the collective debt of all of us. The phrase 'many hands make light work' has never been more applicable than when it is used to describe our obligation to the less fortunate in society and to each other as human beings sharing a common existence.
Beautifully stated Elaine. 👏👏
Healthcare is the issue ... even my Trump supporting, loving but deeply brainwashed mother finally came around a few years ago and admitted that health insurance and for profit medicine is deeply unethical, immoral and antithetical to Jesus' teachings. Now if I could get het to see the 3,000 OTHER things Trumpsters do that is antithetical to Jesus' teachings!
Yeah my daughter was just told by Aetna that they would no longer pay for her monthly injections for her bipolar illness. If anybody thought we had a mental illness problem in this country before, let's all collectively hold our beers and breath.
That's cruel. Mental health care is truly broken. I am so sorry for your daughter.
We can thank Saint Ronnie for the biggest initial blow to our mental health care system. If there were a hell, I hope he's rotting there.
I don't believe in hell, but I hope he is there. I had a store near a hotel that was used for people who were let out of mental health hospitals. These poor people had no support and nowhere to go. They used to come in my store because we were nice to them. It was heartbreaking.
This was in the early 1980's
So yeah.
The oligarch’s are strangling our country. Something needs to change and quickly. We need to start taxing the top 20% at a reasonable rate. When a teacher pays more in irs taxes than a billionaire , it’s obvious that taxes are aimed at the little guy.
Why the Hell people still vote for republicans, to sell them out! And RIP them off in every way! I blame Fox LIES! OAN, News max, NOT real news, pure manipulation for for the corporate take over of America 🇺🇸
A dystopia is any society where people are incentivized to act against their own interests. How did we get here?
Amen!
I was in England a couple of years ago on a trip, when I got ill...I usually wait for things like this to pass, but I was so sick I ended up in the ER...I got some medications and was sent back to the hotel. When I got home I kept waiting for the bill....nothing arrived, everything was free.
Now I'm a Vet and get my care through the VA, but this floored me...then it was explained to me that it's the norm over there. Why can't we learn more from our neighbors and take care of each other? It's so simple!
I'm proud you were treated well. It's what we should all have the world over.
Our NHS used to be the pride of Britain but it has been ripped apart by the Tories wanting to privatise it. It's very much a lottery now as to how you're treated - or not - because it's been brought to its knees by underfunding and selling off parts. People are now literally dying through neglect. Even so, I'll take this dying leviathan over the "Americanised" system the Cons were aiming to force upon us.
Sad to hear that things aren't as good as they used to be...I'm worried that it's a worldwide situation now 😔
Hoping that Kier Starmer is giving it the kiss of life.
About time we had a real Socialist government again (and I don't mean "Marxist!")
I had the exact same experience when became acutely ill while visiting family in Spain. I got two days of excellent medical care (I’m a physician) and wonderful nursing care for NO CHARGE. I was floored at the difference between their system and ours.
Never discount stupidity--or greed--as a reason
Yeah, you kind of can't discount either, can you? If it wasn't so damned expensive to move...
Actually, your treatment wasn't "free" - the British taxpayer ended up paying for it! The NHS is supposed to bill foreign patients (though I must say, the bill you get will be a fraction of the one you'd receive in America) only the system they have for billing isn't very well constructed or supported - so often people go unbilled, or not chased for payment. The NHS of course would never dream of asking for money up front, bless their old fashioned little hearts - if you're sick, you need treatment, not a bill!
There was a case a couple of years ago someone came to this country specifically to have her twins as there was a problem with them ( conjoined?) and she couldn't afford the treatment in her home country - which billed the way America does. She was delivered, the babies were in intensive care for six months, she was given accomodation at the hospital to be near them. Total cost - £200,000. Then she said she hadn't any money and would pay in installments. Flew the 3,000 miles home - and hasn't been heard from since.
Terrible - but - worse that in her home country the kids would have been left to die. Britain is a wealthy country. Sometimes we do things that seem stupid to the rest of the world - but enable us to look in the mirror every morning.
I'm sorry, I used a poor choice of words...I honestly expected a bill for the services I received and never expected to get anything for "free".
I appreciate the care I got-it was way better than I anticipated.
I wasn't criticising you, Barbara. You didn't use a bad choice of words - if they didn't bill you for it - it was free - to you! You can't be expected to pay for something when you are never asked for payment! I'm quite sure they would have been totally astonished if you'd banged on the cashier's door at the hospital and demanded to pay for your treatment! And you'd have had to wait a long time in the queue, because there's usually a long line of people there waiting for payment on their taxi fares. Yes, the NHS will pay for your taxi if you are hard up and unable to get to the hospital by public transport. . .
Americans often say how wonderful our "free" health care is - but it's not free. It's paid by us every week in insurance deducted from our wages. The only difference is, none of it goes to Health "Insurance" companies. What we pay, goes to the NHS. The top wallahs at the NHS do get good salaries - the CEO got around $500,000. last year. Not exactly the millions the American insurance CEO's get, is it? And those millions come straight out of your pocket.
Very few Americans don't understand that your 'free' health care is tax supported. We use the word as shorthand for 'tax payer funded'. It's easier to say, that's all.
How can the wealthy profit if medicine is free? </sarcasm>
And the new guy who will be in charge and who tRump will let go crazy on it - privatizing Medicare etc will make things 1000 % worse.
We should all lobby strenuously against Dr Oz being appointed to head CMS.
Oz began as a legitimate cardio-thoracic surgeon but decades ago morphed into a medical charlatan pushing pricey fad diets and phony supplements on TV for personal profit.
He has been censured widely by the American medical community for both his profiteering and his embrace of patently unscientific treatments and ideas. He was removed from the faculty of Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital and Medical School by his colleagues because of ethical concerns.
His recent failed senatorial campaign was heavily backed by Trump. The campaign was marked by a series of half-truths and outright lies, beginning with the fact that he didn’t even reside in that state.
Like most of Trump’s appointees, Oz lacks the administrative experience required to run a large healthcare system. His plan is to allow private insurance companies to completely replace our current system with a purely private, entirely for-profit system. He will, of course, greatly enlarge his personal wealth as a result.
The American people don’t need more grifters in high office. Lobby your members of Congress vigorously to block his appointment.
What is it with Donnie? He lies about covid but got treatments for himself. He picked a brain(less) surgeon to be surgeon general last time. Now he wants RFK who doesn't believe in fluoride or vaccines, and TV charlatan Dr Oz to run the CDC. We are all screwed.
I can't decide if Donnie is just a brainless moron - or auditioning for the part of "The Joker" in the next Batman film. It's not just that the people he's nominating are incompetent or stupid - though most of them are - but that their main identifier seems to be that they are evil - or at least, deeply malicious. The swamp that Donnie inhabits has some very deep and stinky layers.
And what about our veterans? We ask them to sign away their lives to protect us, but we treat them like caca when they come home and say they need health care. All of a sudden, they are a nuisance. And I cannot (as much as I'd love to) say this is a classic MAGAt issue and it's their's to own. We know it is not. It is ours -- it is ALL of ours. Veterans should not have to rely on charities to receive the health care they earned and which their country owes them.
The movie "Article 99" could not have said it more clearly.
Have you noticed that those who argue most strongly about supporting our military are usually the first to cut funding for the veterans?
Yes, I have, Robert. They are the same people who go to church every Sunday, without fail, and proclaim their love of God and reaffirm their allegiance to Jesus Christ and His teachings....then gleefully go vote for Satan for President.
You'd have thought we would have come on a bit since Victorian times. Kipling summed it up in his poem "Tommy" ( a name for the common soldier in the UK). The last stanza reads:
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!
I don't imagine Vets today are any more impressed with their treatment than "Tommy" was. . .
D
Oops...What I wanted to say was, thank you, Lady Emsworth for posting that. And I think what we need is a dedicated tax...Veterans Insurance Benefits tax. Everyone ponies up because we all benefit from a volunteer military to keep us safe. And no loopholes! Big Pharma pays it, Big Oil pays it, Big Utilities pay it, Big Insurance pays it. And if they have to pay it, it won't be such a hardship for the rest of us. We need a dedicated tax for our veterans. They need more than a handshake and "Thank you for your service."
I hate to say this, but it almost seems like capitalism and humanity do not mix. Yeah, lets remove ALL restrictions that corporations want removed. These Magats think their lives are bad now, wait till the 💩 REALLY hits the fan!!! I don't condone murder, but I can definitely understand the reaction of the laughing emojis. Can't wait to see what this investigation uncovers.
Combine those two words and you get what it is: exploitation.
What a shame to see how many people have been denied healthcare. I agree, the anger is growing, it's an unacceptable part of living in the U.S. to have to worry about coverage.
This is the #1 issue, that Bernie Sanders has been fighting for. We need to keep an eye on congress, and the senators, who vote against US! And share their names EVERY WHERE!
I lost friends from Covid> Greedy Ins CEO! When I went to Europe, where they have free healthcare, made me furious! What they do here is deny and kill, while they rip US off! REAGAN DID THIS! Tis’ the OPPOSITE of Healthcare! May they all Rot in Hell!
Reagan absolutely set this up. Prior to that administration the health insurance industry was not allowed to be “for profit”. Now they answer to shareholders and enrich the top people at the expense of their enrollees’ health and wellbeing. Clearly you can make money if you take in way more than you put out. There should be checks and balances on spending. But, if you are insured, you should not have to do back flips to get them to cover your healthcare.
BCBS was tone deaf following the murder of the UHC CEO in announcing their decision on how long an anesthetic should last and determining their payment based on that time limit. This could yield some interesting surgical treatments. “Your procedure will take two hours but your insurance will only pay for one hour of anesthesia care. You might feel something that second hour.”
I can’t believe the United States doesn’t have a system wide health care system like other countries….aren’t we the greatest country in the world? We were definitely getting there under Biden; but now?….We could have had at home health care from Medicare/Medicaid if VP Harris had been elected; and now?…we could lose it all if the new administration has its way! I didn’t work for over 40 years, paying my taxes, to have them tell me that I won’t have it anymore! F*ck that!! I will fight them every and anyway I can!
You know, there is a long tradition among the religious that those who are ill or injured somehow deserve it because they must have displeased 'god.' And considering the rabid religiosity running rampant amongst the oligarchs who are running our elections and pretty much everything else, I have to wonder how much of what is happening is their attempt to finally eliminate the 'ungodly' from the body politic...in all areas of our lives. If you believe, really believe, that your wealth is the true sign of 'god's' love for you, you can then treat the world and all living as dirt beneath your feet. After all, if the rest of everyone and everything lacks wealth, in your mind, 'god' hates them. Which is why so many of the rich rest comfy in the 'knowledge' that when they go to heaven, part of their reward and joy will be to watch the rest of us writhe in hellish torments and laugh. Gee, monotheism and theocratic monarchy sounds really swell, doesn't it, boys and girls.
I am not a Christian. I tried it and it wasn't for me. I didn't have your experience at all.
Where I can relate to you is by being raised by wealthy Republikkkans.They were not religious, but never gave "others" a thought unless it was acceptable to their group. Think volunteering to look good.
Religion is too often used as a tool to artificially divide people, particularly workers. It’s also used to hold workers to high moral standards despite the exploitative practices of employers.
In addition, religion is often a panacea that teaches the poor to accept lifelong abuse on earth in exchange for their souls enjoying heaven for all eternity once they die.
I am not religious, but I believe that spiritual beliefs are highly personal and incontestable. I believe strongly in religious freedom and tolerance. And I thank all the many religious people who selflessly provide care to others.
But I have a fairly dim view of most organized religions, particularly their political and financial interests. I believe in strict separation of church and state.
I particularly detest the entire ideology of Christian Nationalism, where faith is marked by hypocrisy, elitism, and political suppression of dissent. To me, that’s the opposite of religion. The resurgence of Christian Nationalism in America is very disturbing.
Well said!
I don't think the oligarchs believe in anything but $$. They just pretend to be christian for the votes. And they don't worry about displeasing God. They just want sick people to die and stop hurting their profit reports. Uncle Donnie said it out loud when he asked his nephew, "Why don't you just let him die and move to Florida?"
Turns out he's been separated from his wife for years. So much for the "poor widow and kids" nonsense.
I thought the motive would be clear. Once upon a time, my family was covered under Kaiser Permanente--thanks to Portland OR teachers getting a union in the 60s. Preventative healthcare--what a concept. Glad to see their percentage is low. Wish Texas had a similar system but no.
Lack of health care, particularly preventative care is the essence of stupid. Looking down the barrel of RFK Jr, I have little optimism. Science? Schmience. Whatta mink. *sigh
We have to oppose RFK’s appointment with everything we’ve got. We’re already seeing a surge in cases of measles, a disease that was officially eradicated in the US in 2000. Imagine a nation where half the population refuses vaccines. Back to the Dark Ages…
Their low percentage is self reported. They cover less and less, keeping what they classify denials as low. If you read about why they had a nationwide strike this year, you get part of the picture.
Our search for "what will bring us together?" is over.
Yes, my dear God, healthcare is a basic human right. I imagine that our Neanderthal ancestors/cousins had that one right. And archeological evidence shows that, millennia after millennia, communities cared for their ill and injured...and even for those born with disabilities. It did not become the purview of the wealthy until patriarchal and monarchical societies and religions took control of so much. And it has now devolved into the rich, as is their won't, eating the rest of us by getting even richer by denying care. One possible solution, or tactic, might be for us to form alliances with our doctors in order to have real muscle in fighting back. Another is for folk to explore healing modalities that are not considered 'real' medicine, like acupuncture, homeopathic, naturopathy, herbal and vitamin/dietary, as a short list. In other words, we need to take our healthcare into our own hands. Obviously, these may have limited use for people who are dealing with life-threatening issues. But, it we actively ally ourselves with the doctors, nurses and others who are equipped to deal with the big stuff, we may find ways to end the 'health' insurance companies lock on Healthcare. And our Healthcare industry mirrors the monotheistic, monarchical model we have of spirituality. The king/ceo has the top-down power and if you disagree you go to hell/the morgue. Odd, how we try to mesh democratic ideals with theocratic monarchical ones. It never works.
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) has over 20,000 physician and medical student members. We have been working since 1987 towards a single-payor national health insurance program.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physicians_for_a_National_Health_Program?wprov=sfti1
That's a really interesting Wiki page. Not because of the enormous detail - because it doesn't give that. But because it shows your revenue in 2021 was $955,000. Not quite a million. . .
How do you fight the big HC companies, and the lobbyists, with such a small income? You have 20,000 members. There are over ONE MILLION physicians in the US! - how do you get more to support you? When the NHS was introduced in the UK in 1947, the biggest opposition to it came from senior doctors - who were worried about the impact it would have on their income. It was only initiated after the Government agreed that Senior Doctors could continue to practise privately alongside their NHS practise. I can't see things being any different - in fact, a lot worse, in the US.
The campaign you are fighting is admirable - but I sincerely wish that with those 20,000 medical members, you had 200 politicians.
Doctors, not all, but too many, are part of the problem. A 15 minute appointment with my oncologist is $750. That's $3,000 an hour. They couldn't and wouldn't charge that much if health insurance wasn't there to pay. I understand that it cost them a lot to get there, and what they do is very important. But how do you justify $3,000/hr from people making $15/hr?
That's another rip off scam in the States - the cost of education. The college fees doctors have to pay are horrendous - meaning you end up with a LOT of doctors (not all, of course) coming from wealthy families that can fund them. Which is a form of DEI. And when training is finished, they have to charge huge fees to pay back the debt.
In the UK, the training for a surgeon costs him in Uni. fees around $60,000. Which means candidates right across the board , good or bad, can afford to train. Not just the ones who have money - and maybe the sort of brain you saw in "Animal House". In the States, that's $260,000 at a public Uni, $370,000 at a private one.
So, the Insurance companies rip off the patients (and employers) and partly support the doctors with the enormous profits they make, and the schools make enormous profits by charging the doctors humungous fees which means that doctors have to support the insurance companies to pay back their debts.
It's just a carousel of graft.
My doctor's, yes plural, have told me they can't help except to help guide me through the system. They agree healthcare is broken. However they have a contract that they won't violate. It's their job on the line. They have told me that their employer doesn't listen to them, but might listen to me. I haven't had any luck with that. Just my experience.
*doctors