[Dialogue] [Oe List ...] A Matter of the Rights of the Doctor

[LAURELCG at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/2/2009 4:52:20 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
susan at gmdtech.com writes:

I appreciate  the respectful and reasoned dialogue, Randy, but there are a 
lot of things  we're awfully far apart on.  I can't agree that we have the 
worst  healthcare record among the industrialized nations.  What does that  
mean?    Percent of population with access.  Effectiveness at getting people 
well. Cost
 

Why do people from all over the world  try to come here for medical care?   
 They come here for  specialized care they can't get other places and 
because they can afford  it.
 

We have a diverse system that ranges  from emergency rooms that are 
prohibited by law from turning people away,  to Medicaid that provides coverage for 
the truly  indigent,   to HMOs (that's what my son, who is self employed,  
has, and it's amazingly reasonable),  to low end semi-HMO style coverage  
with doctors "in system" charged covered more fully than doctors outside their 
 "allowed" providers, to high end coverage where you pay higher premiums 
but  can go to any doctor you want, to plans that have high deductibles and 
cost  less monthly to plans that have low deductibles and cost more monthly, 
to  pre-tax savings accounts, to employers that self  insure,   There's a 
huge difference in the availability and  effectiveness of these programs from 
region to region.  Many don't  exist/are very poor in rural areas.  
 

to the Veterans medical system that  took very good care of my father when 
he had lung  cancer,     "a socialized  program"
 

well, you get the picture.  I see health  clinics "for the uninsured" all 
over.  I see pharmaceutical companies  providing free prescriptions for 
people who can't afford them.  I see  Medicare for those over 65 -- free coverage 
for hospitalization, and  reasonable cost for Part B that covers other 
stuff.  What kind of  coverage don't we have?  And why would we want to destroy 
that  for a one-size-fits  -all even if you get bunions from the wrong size  
shoe.

Responses in italics from Jann.  I live in a rural area. For  people with 
money and insurance, there's a lot of service and duplication of  very 
expensive equipment owned by competing groups. For the very poor, there's  service 
but it is very poor. Many doctors won't take Medicare or Medicaid  patients 
unless the Medicare patients have supplemental policies, which I  do.
 
If you think we don't need any kind of health care or insurance  reform, I 
believe you are the first person I've met who thinks so.
 
Thanks for sharing, Susan. Truly.
Jann 
**************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy 
steps! 
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222846709x1201493018/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=115&bcd
=JulystepsfooterNO115)
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/dialogue_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20090903/e4e935e5/attachment.html>