Horror Care: How Private Health Care is Shortening Our Lives

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/horror-care-how-private-health-care-shortening-our-lives-1362411408

the evidence for incompetence in the private sector is overwhelming. Data from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shows that since 1997 private insurance costs have risen much faster than Medicare costs. According to the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, medical administrative costs as a percentage of claims are about three times higher for private insurance than for Medicare. A study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Public Citizen found that health care bureaucracy last year cost the United States $399.4 billion. The U.S. Institute of Medicine reports that the for-profit system wastes $750 billion a year on waste, fraud, and inefficiency. As a percent of GDP, we spend almost twice the OECD average.

When we look beyond industry malfeasance to the effects on human life, we find that Americans are paying the ultimate price. We now have a shorter life expectancy than almost all other developed countries. A National Research Council study placed the United States LAST among 17 high-income countries.

It wasn't always this way. Since 1960 there has been a close parallel between worsening life expectancy and increased health care costs as a percentage of GDP. Most disturbing is our growing infant mortality rate relative to other countries. A UNICEF study places the U.S. 22nd out of 24 OECD countries in "children's health and well-being."

[Dryvinwhileblind]

1. Profit over lives...what ARE the odds? Eeeewessay! Eeeewessay!

What the hell do We do about it?

[eridani]

2. Single payer. State by state n/t

[Dryvinwhileblind]

5. OK, but how...

...how do We even get there, not to mention the dismantling of programs every time a new "regime" is "elected? I'm not asking as if it cannot be done, I'm all for whats "fair & equitable" for all, but with more & more hospitals, clinics & the rest of the industry being bought out by hedge funds, and with congress bought and paid for, just how the hell do We get there? We will have to do the heavy lifting, as always, but where, exactly, is the starting point? Anyone?

[tclambert]

3. Can we provide bonuses for good outcomes?

Right now, drug companies make more if they leave you sick enough you have to keep taking pills every day. One pill that cures you completely? No so profitable.

Insurance companies profit more if you die quickly. They don't want government "death panels." They want private for-profit death panels, ones that make more money if they can just delay your treatment with red tape and claim disputes long enough for you to become someone else's problem--Social Security disability or the mortician.

I'm tempted to tell doctors, "I'll throw in a bonus of $5,000 if you cure me completely." No bonus for death or continued illness. I think most doctors would pretend to feel insulted by such an offer. But probably because it's too small. If I could offer $5 million, I bet they'd take notice.

[NNN0LHI]

4. Not for profit isn't any better

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022420991

[Sunlei]

7. scam charities are a dime a dozen. The BOD pay themself like Kings and scrimp on the actual charity"

[Sunlei]

6. my heart goes out to those who don't even have family to check on them daily.

There were many times the private contracted company who were trusted to send out a health aid,
didn't show up,
skipped feeding meals,
stole items,
gave no liquids,
used the phone the entire time they were supposed to be caring for an invalid,
gave the phone number to some prison to charge back calls on,
brought deadbeat friends along with them,
trash canned medications,
didn't even touch or move the invalid,
bruised the person on face, legs, arms, feet who was as helpless as an infant.

If not for our entire family helping with the care and the oversight of a very good Doctor, Dr. Mocowitz of Houston, Tx....that private contractor with their crappy 'health care' providers would have killed, neglected to death our Grandmother/Mom.

Americas private system just sucks. There is no oversight, there aren't even any checks by real medical autopsy when a person dies. They sign off as natural causes and the person who signs isn't even a Doctor.

My heart goes out to all the Americans who have to depend on 'for profit caregivers' who would rather see them dead if they aren't shut up/take the abuse and profitable.