Re: Important PBS series in March
From: James Smeltzer (James.Smeltzer@wellstar.org)
Mon Mar 10 17:33:19 2008
Art,
You have a point - if payors are out of the mix then it is an open market.
>>> art fougner, md <evsono@pipeline.com> 3/10/2008 6:10 PM >>>
Jim
that's just it ... without the 3rd party payors Cash is king and cash
could obtain a discounted service, much as it is in most businesses. I
agree that it's illogical to discount for 3rd party payors but charge
more to those who pay cash.
Art
At Mon, 10 Mar 2008, James Smeltzer wrote:
>
>Good - if you get rid of discounts. The cash paying poor are the ONLY ones who pay retail in health care. How fair is THAT?
>JSS
>
>>>> art fougner, md <evsono@pipeline.com> 3/9/2008 5:21 PM >>>
>I say each patient/consumer becomes responsible ... boost the HSA
>deduction, backed by a govt-funded catastrophic insurance plan, and let
>the patients negotiate the fee for service. I think most small
>businesses would welcome such a system.
>
>Oh ... and for those border states ... Let's send the bill for the
>uncompensated care for those who come here without coverage, or papers,
>to the country of origin.
>
>There are many permutations which could work. It's time for the
>politicians on both sides of the aisle to back off and get a commission
>of doctors, business folk, consumer advocates, and economists to look at
>this problem seriously and make their suggestions.
>
>It's a pity that medical care has become yet another issue which
>generates more heat than light.
>
>Art
>
>At Sun, 9 Mar 2008, Terry DuBose wrote:
>>
>>No one said that building an inclusive system would be easy. But I do not believe the current mismanaged care system is working, we can do better.
>>
>> Simplistically, I can imagine a system in which medical care is delivered in a system more like "fee for service" in which the federal government is billed and the "bad debts" of the patients do not exist.
>>
>> It is true that the population of Denmark is smaller and much more homogeneous than ours, but that does not convince me that the USA cannot do better.
>>
>> Terry
>>
>>Shelley Ellerd <ellerd@stx.rr.com> wrote:
>> What is their population versus ours? How long have they had that system? How cohesive is the population and what do they see as their disparities in their population? Do they have the same class warfare mindset as is prevalent in the USA?
>>
>> It's much easier to do if it is all you know. It is also much easier to do on a smaller scale. Regardless of how pretty and utopian it sounds it would be a logistical nightmare to implement in the USA because of the sheer size of our population. We may end up with a public/private system, but I don't believe we will ever end up with a full on public system ala Denmark. If by chance we do, I believe it will be long after my lifetime.
>>
>> And no, we can't take it with us, but I would like to leave something to my children other than debt and taxes.
>>
>> JMHO,
>> Shelley
>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Terry DuBose
>> To: Multiple recipients of list ULTRASOUND
>> Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 10:53 AM
>> Subject: Re: Important PBS series in March
>>
>> I agree that paying for universal health care is an issue. But we can't take it with us, and Denmark seems to have found some answers. With a 50% tax rate, they are the most content people on Earth, it appears:
>> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/14/60minutes/main3833797.shtml
>>
>> Peace, Terry
>
>--
>art fougner, md
>"May The Wings of Liberty Never Lose a Feather." - Jack Burton
>
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--
art fougner, md
"May The Wings of Liberty Never Lose a Feather." - Jack Burton
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