Comments on: Health Care Reform in Central Kitsap http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/2009/06/29/health-care-reform-in-central-kitsap/ Conversation and information about the Central Kitsap community, moderated by Silverdale resident Jeff Brody. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:03:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sharon O'Hara http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/2009/06/29/health-care-reform-in-central-kitsap/comment-page-1/#comment-2698 Sharon O'Hara Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:35:46 +0000 http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/?p=607#comment-2698 I wouldn't complain, Jeff, if the people were served and the physicians weren't subjected to the same unfair practice they are subjected to now...the only profession I know about that our government dictates the amount of money they can earn through the unfair caps through Medicare and Medicaid. My mother took care of her elderly and ill uncle's medical billing and payments for years. When the billing showed frequent double payments and billing through Medicare she called Medicare to straighten it out. Most of the folks she spoke with thanked her for her diligence, but one annoyed person she spoke with couldn't understand why she was so concerned,..."after all, it isn't YOUR money." When Medicare's employees are so indifferent of taxpayer dollars that paying twice or three times for the same service to the patient doesn't matter to them, we should all be concerned. Last night a 'canned' male voice called and said they were (a major senior citizen organization) having a phone conference over the upcoming health care reforms and gave instructions how to ask questions of the officials. I switched to speaker phone and listened. Within minutes I grabbed a pen and scribbled notes to myself and had questions to ask. One of the things I wanted to know was once the drug companies were capped at what they could charge for their drugs, who was going to pay out the billions of dollars drug companies pay to develop drugs. Another question I had when California was cited as the best example of a good health care system...well gee whiz, California is Bankrupt, no money... BANKRUPT. How can they use that state as a good example of a good health care system when it is not prosperous, it is broke? And then, generic drugs were mentioned...that our country wouldn't allow the cheap generic drugs into the country. Not True! I know people who get cheap drugs from India without custom problems...no problems....and they buy a years supply at a time. Another question is on their plan to eliminate the age factor. Age SHOULD be a factor in who gets what. Why give a 70 year old person a lung transplant when a 50 year old would get more benefit from it? Age should most certainly be a factor in determining medical considerations. The people I've talked with over the years of socialized medicine haven't liked it in their country. The wait for services was extraordinary and one fellow in London said the government took 70% of his income for the government supported programs. Sharon O'Hara I wouldn’t complain, Jeff, if the people were served and the physicians weren’t subjected to the same unfair practice they are subjected to now…the only profession I know about that our government dictates the amount of money they can earn through the unfair caps through Medicare and Medicaid.

My mother took care of her elderly and ill uncle’s medical billing and payments for years.
When the billing showed frequent double payments and billing through Medicare she called Medicare to straighten it out.

Most of the folks she spoke with thanked her for her diligence, but one annoyed person she spoke with couldn’t understand why she was so concerned,…”after all, it isn’t YOUR money.”

When Medicare’s employees are so indifferent of taxpayer dollars that paying twice or three times for the same service to the patient doesn’t matter to them, we should all be concerned.

Last night a ‘canned’ male voice called and said they were (a major senior citizen organization) having a phone conference over the upcoming health care reforms and gave instructions how to ask questions of the officials. I switched to speaker phone and listened. Within minutes I grabbed a pen and scribbled notes to myself and had questions to ask.

One of the things I wanted to know was once the drug companies were capped at what they could charge for their drugs, who was going to pay out the billions of dollars drug companies pay to develop drugs.

Another question I had when California was cited as the best example of a good health care system…well gee whiz, California is Bankrupt, no money… BANKRUPT.
How can they use that state as a good example of a good health care system when it is not prosperous, it is broke?

And then, generic drugs were mentioned…that our country wouldn’t allow the cheap generic drugs into the country.
Not True!
I know people who get cheap drugs from India without custom problems…no problems….and they buy a years supply at a time.

Another question is on their plan to eliminate the age factor. Age SHOULD be a factor in who gets what. Why give a 70 year old person a lung transplant when a 50 year old would get more benefit from it?
Age should most certainly be a factor in determining medical considerations.

The people I’ve talked with over the years of socialized medicine haven’t liked it in their country. The wait for services was extraordinary and one fellow in London said the government took 70% of his income for the government supported programs.
Sharon O’Hara

]]> By: jeffbrody http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/2009/06/29/health-care-reform-in-central-kitsap/comment-page-1/#comment-2694 jeffbrody Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:01:57 +0000 http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/?p=607#comment-2694 Sharon: I'm suggesting the claims of "socialize medicine" are a red herring. If the government can provide a plan that works for people and provides access to health care at a price people can afford, then why would you complain. There would still be private options. And, if as some people suggest, the government is incapable of providing a competitive plan at a competitive price, then people will still choose the private option. This is the competitive marketplace that people say they want to see ... and maybe the competition from a government plan would push the private providers into finding ways to cut costs, like reducing their administrative overhead and narrowing their profit margins, because of the competition. — Jeff Sharon:
I’m suggesting the claims of “socialize medicine” are a red herring. If the government can provide a plan that works for people and provides access to health care at a price people can afford, then why would you complain. There would still be private options. And, if as some people suggest, the government is incapable of providing a competitive plan at a competitive price, then people will still choose the private option. This is the competitive marketplace that people say they want to see … and maybe the competition from a government plan would push the private providers into finding ways to cut costs, like reducing their administrative overhead and narrowing their profit margins, because of the competition.

— Jeff

]]> By: Paul Stewart http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/2009/06/29/health-care-reform-in-central-kitsap/comment-page-1/#comment-2693 Paul Stewart Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:19:29 +0000 http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/?p=607#comment-2693 Jeff, I think you're right on with your comments. As a nation, the United States is well behind most countries of the world in providing health care to its citizens. We spend more money on health care and cover fewer people than the other nations that cover everyone. However, just because others are doing something doesn't necessarily mean that we must do it also. All United States citizens deserve to be covered under some sort of health care system, either private or public, because it's the right thing to do. We live in the greatest nation in the world - it's about time we start treating our own citizens right. Jeff, I think you’re right on with your comments. As a nation, the United States is well behind most countries of the world in providing health care to its citizens. We spend more money on health care and cover fewer people than the other nations that cover everyone. However, just because others are doing something doesn’t necessarily mean that we must do it also. All United States citizens deserve to be covered under some sort of health care system, either private or public, because it’s the right thing to do. We live in the greatest nation in the world – it’s about time we start treating our own citizens right.

]]> By: Sharon O'Hara http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/2009/06/29/health-care-reform-in-central-kitsap/comment-page-1/#comment-2645 Sharon O'Hara Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:36:22 +0000 http://pugetsoundblogs.com/ckbeat/?p=607#comment-2645 I hope you are not suggesting that folks against 'socialized medicine' are against folks getting quality health care, Jeff. Do you really trust the same government that has cleaned out Social Security to manage our nation's health care? I hope you are not suggesting that folks against ‘socialized medicine’ are against folks getting quality health care, Jeff.

Do you really trust the same government that has cleaned out Social Security to manage our nation’s health care?

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