We tend to spend on the wrong things, and the small percentage that gets access spends big.
Why Do Americans Live Shorter Lives Yet Spend So Much for Health Care ???
by RubaDub 31 Replies latest jw friends
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stillajwexelder
Food portions are too huge
Everything (Drive Throughs) is geared to car not to exercise
When you get your healthcare bill (even with insurance) - it gives you a f----ng heart attack
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ILTSF
"Let's face it...a good many 'Mercans don't exactly eat right or exercise. They smoke too much, drink too much, they eat shit 3 times a day, they eat junk in-between and don't ever bother to get regular check-ups."
Other countries smoke and drink as much as we do and eat nearly as bad. Yes, we eat shit here...but that's not the root of the problem. I don't "bother" to get regular check-ups because I can't even afford to go to the doctor when I'm SICK.
This is a great chart I found a while back that really puts it in simple terms. Look at where the United States is, and then look at how many times people visit the doctor here per year. It's ridiculous. Then look at our life expectancy.
frankie- the point is we ARE going to die and then it will all be over. Why wouldn't you want to extend that as long as possible? I don't know about you, but I like being alive and prefer it to the alternative for sure, and I prefer to stay alive as long as I can.
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Gerard
Why Do Americans Live Shorter Lives Yet Spend So Much for Health Care ???
Because of stress.
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frankiespeakin
ILT,
Why wouldn't you want to extend that as long as possible? I don't know about you,
but I like being alive and prefer it to the alternative for sure, and I prefer to stay alive as long as I can.
I guess I'm not that concerned about living as long as I can but more concerned about the quality. Hey if I live to be 90 and I'm as strong as an ox I won't turn it down. My thinking is quality over quantity and aceptance when it comes.
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RubaDub
Many great points ... thanks to all.
I guess I was originally thinking in terms of driving my car and paying annual maintenance. If I am paying 3, 4 or even 10 times more for annual maintenance on my car and yet the next guy who is paying less has a car that lasts 2, 3, or 4 years longer.... well .... is it a problem with the maintenance or the car ?????
So many people claim the USA has the best health care in the world (mechanics), then why don't the cars (people) last as long?
That being said, I guess if we didn't have the best health care system we would be statistically down with countries like the Congo or Nigeria.
Maybe it is, like some had said here, the food.
Rub a Dub
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VIII
If you have a Mercedes, brand new, and never change the oil the car will break down really quick and become a pile of worthless metal. Same with your body.
Two quick stories: My MIL, last year died of lung cancer. She had stage 4, so advanced, that even doing chemo and/or radiation was a waste of resources. (as we know now, being clear headed). The Doctor, seeing $$$, came in the middle of the night to her hospital room, and told her that she should have chemo and it would give her another 3-4 months to live. Complete and utter BS. The chemo killed her. Without a doubt. She was dead after one chemo round in two weeks. She would have lived for at least another 1-2 months without.
The bill for chemo? $60,000. That is correct. $60,000. All billed to Medicare. Just for the chemo. One round.
We, the American public paid for the corrupt Doctor to kill her, effectively. Yes, she was at deaths door, however, the Doctor shoved her through for cash. And, we, not having a clue that Chemo would kill her quicker, stood by and watched. Sadly.
Secondly, my mother has tried and tried to get a skin condition fixed. She has gone to three different doctors. They have said it was Shingles, then Ezecma, then a general rash. WTF!!!!! How can it be all of those?! There are tests. Tests for f-ing gods sake.
However, her, being on Medicare, with a backup plan, keeps going and going to get it cleared up. And we, the American public, keeps picking up the tab.
It's still is not cleared up. It keeps coming back BTW. The Doctors are complete f-ups. Or, they don't care. And, she is afraid to go on the Web and investigate and read what I send her because of DEMONS!!!! (WTS of course, told her that)
So, when the Medicare scam is pouring money and dollars into the pockets of Doctors, that is one problem. Why would Doctors and the healthcare costs go down when the pool of money is just there for the taking? It is too tempting.
When *I* go to the Doctor, on my standard, work issued insurance plan, *I* get grilled left, right and in-between on why I'm there, am I really sick and how to get it done in one visit. How to not get me back and how to have me fixed in that visit and not come back.
Why? Seems clear. It is a lot easier to commit Medicare fraud. And, a lot earier to push through a bill. If I go back, the Doc has to justify the billing with the insurance company. (I think)
I very rarely go to the Doctor. Once a year to get my meds for the year. Unless something I can't figure out on my own. I monitor my blood pressure, I get my blood checked, etc., however, I figure, I can check lots of stuff on my own. I have decided that they don't have time or really care. They are there to process me like a piece of sausage and I am one more piece to put on a bun and put out the door.
Eat healthy, exercise and try to get important stuff checked. Hopefully I won't die too young.
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RubaDub
VIII ...
Great (though sad) comments. Thanks.
Same here with me when I go for my annual physical. After being asked by the doctor why I am there and telling him I feel fine, it's about 60 seconds worth of "lose 15 pounds, exercise more, always eat a healthy diet, etc, etc, etc. After I make my $25 co-pay, they hand me the latest copy of the food pyramid and I am done.
About a month later, I get a confirmation that the insurance company also paid him about $300 or so for the visit. About as much as he can squeeze my company's insurance company I guess.
On the other hand, my parents, both on Medicare, are regulars at the doctors office. One of them is going every couple of weeks for some checkup or something. They should have a reserved spot in the parking lot for all the times they visit. From what they say, it's more of a social visit than anything else, always asking about the kids, vacations planned, etc.
As you (VIII) said, these doctors see the cows that keeps giving milk in the Medicare people and get addicted to the cashflow.
Rub a Dub
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WTWizard
If the FDA would get out of the way, real cures (at lower prices) would come out of the free market. We are not living in the early 1900s. Any real quack or charlatan would quickly find themselves being bashed to pieces online, as they can only pxxx people off so many times with "cures" that do not work before they are going to make a stink about it online. In the meantime, the good doctors would put out cures that actually work (and get praise from most people that use them), putting the quacks out of business.
With the quacks exposed online, the good people would be trying to outdo each other. They would be trying to put out better cures than what is out there, at lower prices. This would drive down medical costs, while improving the products. You would end up having cancer cures that cost 25 cents for the whole cure, diabetes cures that cost less than 50 cents, cures for AIDS and herpes, cures for heart "disease", cures for obesity, and so on. And before long, life expectancy would exceed 100 years in this country, while we would have the lowest medical expenses of any nation.
Now, if only the fxxxing government regulators would keep their damn hands off the free market, and Osama Obama would allow this kind of freedom...