If We Had A Medical Section I'd Put This In It

[Thumpalumpacus]

I live in the UK and was on holiday in Germany recently when I took ill and was hospitalised, where I had a whole heap of drugs administered and an MRI scan done. My NHS card (free to all UK residents) covered all costs. I've lived in Germany too, and health insurance is mandatory and based entirely on your wage and it covers all medical care you need. We even once got some money back one year, I think the company had made too much money and by law had to cut its premiums retrospectively.

I look at US healthcare and I wonder where the hell all the money you spend on it goes.

Lawyers and politicians.

[Thumpalumpacus]

About the only two major modern economists who work under a reality based system ate Paul Krugman and Ha-Joon Chang

I hope they put a little mustard on them, sounds like dreary eating otherwise.

[Minimalist]

How do doctors reconcile the Hippocratic oath with generating cash and getting bonuses?

They take the Hypocritic Oath.

[Losty]

I won't bother telling you all how much medical debt I have. Let's just suffice it to say, even if I live to be 150 years old...ill still be making payments.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I won't bother telling you all how much medical debt I have. Let's just suffice it to say, even if I live to be 150 years old...ill still be making payments.

On the plus side, the medical system now has a vested interest in keeping you alive.

[Losty]

I won't bother telling you all how much medical debt I have. Let's just suffice it to say, even if I live to be 150 years old...ill still be making payments.

On the plus side, the medical system now has a vested interest in keeping you alive.

Lmfao. You'd think but sometimes I wonder. "Oh your doctor said to go to ER if you get a fever over the weekend because of risk of sepsis?? Oh ok. Well fuck you have some ice packs and a dose of the same anti biotics you're already taking and suck it up til Monday". Bah. America healthcare sucks donkey balls

[Thumpalumpacus]

Sorry my sarcasm got hold of me too well, hon. Sometimes the fingers are in fourth gear and the brain's in neutral.

And yeah, we need to do something. Taking care of the ill is only fucking humane ... if you can't spend a few dollars on that, keep your money to yourself and your fucking mouth shut, right?

[GUBU]

About the only two major modern economists who work under a reality based system ate Paul Krugman and Ha-Joon Chang

I hope they put a little mustard on them, sounds like dreary eating otherwise.

Making fun of my inability to spell when using a touchscreen keyboard. I laughed very hard.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The image was just funny, to me

[Cato]

I bright this up in another thread. Most hospitals struggle to break even. Negotiated rates and the ability to cover costs for those that don't pay is a convoluted mess.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/0...imer/?_r=0

Drill into the linked paper for what the authors describe as chaos.

In short, anyone that believes the prices itemized on their hospital bill have anything to do with what's actually being charged is also likely to believe they're actually getting 50-75% off clothing at Kohls. Insurance companies and Medicare/Medicaid have negotiated rates regardless of what the itemization says; therefore, Medicare isn't telling the hospital to fuck off, just simply paying the negotiated rate.