UHC. You want public option? Get into prison

[jjimm]

There is a problem in the UK’s NHS with hypochondriacs and lonely (usually elderly) people going to the GP regularly on spurious motives. But… big but: it’s a very minor issue compared with the greater good. Like the microloan company I worked with said after the tsunami: “we know there’ll be some crooks claiming stuff they’re not eligible for, but better that we help a few crooks than deny help to the majority of people who aren’t crooks.” Same principle.

And, as Alessan says, if you have something minor wrong with you and don’t feel inhibited from getting it looked at, it can something prevent something major that will cost the taxpayer/insurer a hell of a lot more money.

[Merneith]

@LouisB

My wife just canceled my medical insurance (for real) and yes, she can do that. I can sign up for Medicare in Jan 2010 but it won’t go into effect until July 2010. I guess I’ll have to go to prison to get any medical care. I wonder what crime I might commit?

Look on the bright side - at least you won’t have to be a politician.

[Johnny_L.A]

@boytyperanma

Yeah it would be wrong for Qadgop the Mercotan to suggest anyone commit criminal acts.
Qadgop what are some examples of criminal acts committed by your patients, I’m just curious.

Heh. I was going to do that, but I was too lazy to go back and edit.

[Abby_Emma_Sasha]

@Bryan_Ekers

Prison Prescription: Take one pill after meals and no shivving for at least seven days.

It’s shanking. It’s a verb: to shank.

[DJ_Motorbike]

@gonzomax

I agree. The argument that people will just go to doctors a lot is absurd.

I’m the type of guy who won’t see a doctor unless bone is sticking out. I’m also young and healthy. I make the choice not to buy coverage right now because I have more important things and I’m willing to take the risk.

When the government starts forcing me to subsidize health-care I will abuse the system. I know others who say the same.

[Johnny_L.A]

@DJ_Motorbike

When the government starts forcing me to subsidize health-care I will abuse the system. I know others who say the same.

A bit childish, don’t you think?

Are you also the type who loads mounds of food as big as your head onto three plates at a buffet so you ‘get what you pay for’? When you see something that says ‘Take One’, do you grab a handful because they’re ‘free’? :dubious:

[kaylasdad99]

@Abby_Emma_Sasha

It’s shanking. It’s a verb: to shank.

Heh. Nice.

Lemonade?

[boytyperanma]

@DJ_Motorbike

When the government starts forcing me to subsidize health-care I will abuse the system. I know others who say the same.

Do you burn your house down more often because the government forces you to subsidize fire departments? Do you eat more or less corn based on the fact you are forced to subsidize its production?

[kaylasdad99]

Now, now, you don’t have to go giving him ideas…

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

@boytyperanma

Qadgop what are some examples of criminal acts committed by your patients, I’m just curious.

Multiple DUIs, possession of drugs, bodily harm while driving under the influence, dealing drugs, manslaughter, murder, sexual offenses against children, barratry, armed robbery, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, reckless endangerment, medicare fraud, rape, manufacture of controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a felon, extortion, burglary, bestiality, and my personal favorite; standing on a corner minding your own business when someone ran up, handed you a bag which turned out to be cocaine, ran off, and then the cops came up and took you away.

I’d advise steering clear of the sexual offenses and the violent offenses. You want something that’ll give you time in prison, which means at least a 1 year sentence. Otherwise you end up in county jail where medical resources tend to be scantier. You probably want something under 3 years, as longer time periods do tend to get so tedious, and make for long-term behavior changes (such as pooping on a very particular time schedule).

So two years is about right. If you have HIV or Hepatitis C this will give you enough time to be evaluated and treated as indicated. If you have unstable angina, or a rapidly progressive heart failure, you can generally expect a decent workup and tune-up here too. And if you’re an out of control diabetic or hypertensive, that’s plenty of time to get things in some semblance of proper control.

Also if you’ve undiagnosed/untreated cancers, this will generally be enough time to get it worked up, and fully treated.

However, be warned. If you’ve got chronic back pain or chronic daily headaches, you may be directed to the canteen to purchase your own tylenol, and given some handouts and training on relaxation and exercise programs. Or you may get a pain control plan that involves various modalities such as physical therapy, stretching, non-narcotic analgesics, and perhaps some rehab. But your chance of getting narcotics to treat your non-malignant chronic pain is slim.

And if you’ve got an inguinal hernia you’ve been ignoring for years, we’re going to ignore it too (beyond giving you a hernia belt), unless there is significant dysfunction going on, or significant risk of strangulation. And your acne? Unless it’s severe, cystic, scarring and oozing, there’s benzoyl peroxide to be had on canteen too, go get it there.

Bottom line: We provide necessary medical care. If you need dialysis, you get it. If you need heart surgery, or chemo, you get it. If you need cholesterol-lowering drugs due to your risk profile, you get it. We also do necessary preventive care. But if it’s not necessary, we don’t provide it. We’ve a limited budget, a lot of genuinely sick people, and the taxpayers don’t like voting more money to take care of you felons, you guys are just not cute.

Oh, and we decide what’s necessary (based on accepted medical standards), not you. We’ll listen to your input (the first few times, at least), and at times confer with colleagues and bosses when the necessity is in question, but you don’t choose what you want. You may be offered choices about possible therapies, and you can always decline any treatment (unless it’s court-ordered). But that’s how it works.

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

[curlcoat]

@DJ_Motorbike

I’m the type of guy who won’t see a doctor unless bone is sticking out. I’m also young and healthy. I make the choice not to buy coverage right now because I have more important things and I’m willing to take the risk.

You are part of the reason why the government wants to force insurance on all of us. You say “I’m willing to take the risk” but what you really mean is “if I have some expensive medical problem, I’ll be bitching that someone pay for it”. Young people do get things like cancer, or fall out of trees, or get in accidents. Have you considered how you would pay for something like that while you are spending your money on “more important things”?

@Alessan

If everyone did this for ear infections, you’d have *slightly *busier doctors, and a much healthier, more productive population.

Curing an ear infection makes for a much healthier, more productive population? :dubious:

[Alessan]

@curlcoat

Curing an ear infection makes for a much healthier, more productive population? :dubious:

On average, yeah. Untreated, an ear infection can drag on for over a week, during which - speaking for myself - I’m working at 75% capacity, tops; and that’s not even mentioning potential complications.

It’s a matter of economy of scale.

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

@Alessan

On average, yeah. Untreated, an ear infection can drag on for over a week

Actually, 95% of ear infections clear up on their own, just as quickly and completely as if they were treated.

Over half of primary care practice seems to be made up of reassuring the worried well, or the temporarily sick who will do just fine with no intervention at all.

[Bosstone]

@curlcoat

Curing an ear infection makes for a much healthier, more productive population? :dubious:

Because of course ear infections was the only health issue Alessan was talking about, and it certainly wasn’t a single example intended as illustration.

[Johnny_L.A]

@Qadgop_the_Mercotan

or the temporarily sick who will do just fine with no intervention at all.

See, this is why I don’t go to the doctor. I reckon whatever ails me will clear up on its own. (That one trip I mentioned was because I’d lost my voice and it didn’t clear up on its own.)

Besides, if you go to a doctor he might find something wrong! :eek:

[Tamerlane]

@Qadgop_the_Mercotan

Over half of primary care practice seems to be made up of reassuring the worried well, or the temporarily sick who will do just fine with no intervention at all.

@Johnny_L.A

See, this is why I don’t go to the doctor. I reckon whatever ails me will clear up on its own.

I’m telling you, you just can’t win.

I had a dry hacking cough once in my teens that lingered for weeks. Finally my step-mother, worried that I had Walking Pneumonia or something, forced me to go to her excellent physician ( who had saved her life when she had peritonitis ). It started disappearing the day before the appointment. Nothing quite as humiliating to a near-naked teen at a doctor’s office against his will, as hearing said doctor annoyedly snarl under his breath ( but not quietly enough ) to a nurse as he stalked out after examining me that “I don’t even know what he is doing here.”

Then I had some stabbing pains, alternating with dull aches in my gut around age 30. So, y’know, I wasn’t eating or drinking much for a few days before I finally decided that whatever this gastrointestinal distress was, it wasn’t really going away. The ER doc read me the riot act for being a “macho guy” and not coming in at the first sign of distress. I ended up hospitalized for a week, taking all my nutrition, such as it was, through an IV ;).

You just can’t win :p.

[gonzomax]

@boytyperanma

Isn’t that the a basic problem with our healthy care system. There is no reason for a young healthy person to give into private insurance companies. Their doing so lowers costs for everyone else. It’s a private company just because you were more profitable early in life doesn’t mean they have any loyalty to keep your costs down later in life. In Fact it makes sense for them to drop you later in life and find some new young sucker to take money from.

If the motivation of the insurance system is to make a profit, younger healthy people have every reason to stay out of it. If they offered lifetime contracts that guaranteed health care later in life for paying in while you were young that at least be a step in a stomachache direction.

Young people get in accidents, blow a knee playing baseball or even get sick. Most who are working get medical coverage and do not use it, until they get hurt.

[boytyperanma]

@gonzomax

Young people get in accidents, blow a knee playing baseball or even get sick. Most who are working get medical coverage and do not use it, until they get hurt.

Yeah but we are dealing with averages here. A young healthy person on average pays more into health insurance then they will get out of it. Advising all young Americans to pay 500 bucks a month into private insurance because they might need it is like advising they spend 500 bucks a month in a casino because they might win.

If their insurance is somehow subsidized by their college or job it starts to make a lot more sense and the odds they get their moneys worth are much better.

[boytyperanma]

@Qadgop_the_Mercotan

So two years is about right. If you have HIV or Hepatitis C this will give you enough time to be evaluated and treated as indicated. If you have unstable angina, or a rapidly progressive heart failure, you can generally expect a decent workup and tune-up here too. And if you’re an out of control diabetic or hypertensive, that’s plenty of time to get things in some semblance of proper control.

There any non-felony convictions that put people in prison for 2 years? I’d imagine anything resulting in a felony conviction on your record would be a major hassle after you got out.

Man am I lucky no stranger has run up to me on the street and handed me a bag of cocaine. Having they cops show up immediately after such an unusual event sounds like a really bum deal.

[DJ_Motorbike]

@curlcoat

You are part of the reason why the government wants to force insurance on all of us. You say “I’m willing to take the risk” but what you really mean is “if I have some expensive medical problem, I’ll be bitching that someone pay for it”.

I specifically do not expect someone else to pay for it. When I say I’m willing to take the risk it means I will take responsibility if something does happen.

@Johnny L.A.

A bit childish, don’t you think?

Are you also the type who loads mounds of food as big as your head onto three plates at a buffet so you ‘get what you pay for’? When you see something that says ‘Take One’, do you grab a handful because they’re ‘free’?

No, I specifically don’t want anything for free, and I’m not the type of person who takes advantage of something just because it is free. I don’t want government mandated health-insurance and never did legislation to pass.

As long as I will be forced to buy health insurance under the threat of fines/jail time I will make a doctor’s appointment for every headache, sniffle or boo-boo. Suck on it.