Reply #30: in other words... [View All]

[northernlights]

"Japan had to have Johns Hopkins come in and build a multi-million dollar facility so that the rich people could come get specialized care while the poor continue to use universal health care because the treatment got so bad."

Rich people didn't want to soil themselves sitting in the same waiting room as the rest of us. Cry me a river.

Rich people in this country are afraid of single payer because then they won't be able to suck up *all* the health care this country has to offer, and leave the rest of us either paying for insurance and getting *no* health care (and losing their homes if they get seriously ill or injured) or just getting no health care if they drop out of the system totally.

Here's an idea.
1) cut out the insurance bureacracy altogether. They add to the costs and only cut expenses by denying delivery to those who have paid for it in advance via premiums, and funneling care specifically to the rich and powerful. That's an absolute outrage.

2) There are waiting lists for med school, nursing school, MLT training, etc. FUND the schools to enlarge the programs, and thereby increase the number of providers.

3) eliminate mortgaged-sized loans to get through health care training. It's a desperately needed community service. So instead, give worthy students *grants* so they can get graduate and start their practices or jobs debt free.

4) 2 and 3 combined can create enough actual providers to deliver universal healthcare without rationing and simultaneously reduce their fees. They can focus more on actually delivering healthcare and waste less time, paper and resources filling out insurance forms justifying tests and treatments.

I've been without health insurance most of my adult life. My dentists have always charged me significantly less per visit because I don't carry insurance paperwork.

Same is true with doctors, I'm sure. A significant chunk of their expense is just effing insurance paperwork.