The Future of Insurance in the USA?

Great Debates
21

If the US does one day change from a privatized to a socialized healthcare system, would the salaries of doctors, nurses, and PAs be affected in any way? Does Canada’s nationalized system pay health care workers well like the US’? Is there any validity to the circulating idea that our northern buddies aren’t quite up to par when it comes to medicine, or is this false? Has our privatized industry in fact created a superior system, and if so why should we follow the lead of other countries’ “nationalize medicine” plan? If a plan emulating GWB’s State of the Union “govt pays for health insurance by tax deduction” or what not would be implemented, would this keep medicine privatized and the masses happy? In short, besides hearing all of this praise for federal control of our health care, what are the cons that would come with it? Sorry for all the questions.

Agar

22

Looks like you were wrong. It is not possible. :slight_smile:

Seems I heard some statistic having to do with the growth of the number of private hospitals and somehow warped it in my brain. This site has some numbers if anyone is interested. It suggests that while the nubmer of private hospitals has more than doubled over the last several decades. And that the number of beds in such facilities have similarly grown, they have remained a very small number (5%-10% from 1975 - 1984) compared to the public / non profit beds.

This CBO paper has some good information on how many and who are uninsured in America. It also seems to contain a brief argument that most of the cost increases have more to do with increased technological capabilities. This argument seems to be taken from here (warning PDF). An article from the early nineties. Much of its information seems good, though.

This is a shorter, but more recent article which has a similar theme.

23

Oh, the irony.

I taught for twenty years and the school system’s insurance program (Blue Cross) covered 90% of approved medical expenses.

Nashville is a huge medical center with many hospitals. Most of these hospitals are owned by Columbia which is now at war with Blue Cross over charges for medical care. For these particular hospitals, Blue Cross has cut their coverage to 70% of “the approved amount.”

Because I am retired on a disability, Medicare pays the first 50%. Blue Cross “should” pay the other 20%.

I recently had to have very minor, non-envasive same day surgery on my esophagus because I am having difficulty swallowing. The doctor’s fee was a little over $600, which seemed to me very reasonable. My “Blue Cross Preferred” refused to pay anything beyond what Medicare approved and paid.

Class act, huh?

The doctor works for a clinic that apparently has taken mercy on those of us caught in the middle of this mess. I was billed only a small amount.

What makes this ironic is that the clinic is The Frist Clinic. That Frist. No, he wasn’t my physician, but I swear I may have to vote for him next time up. A Republican genuinely concerned about health care…