Seeing as it's Florida and stupid rednecks enjoy blowing things up, I wouldn't be shocked to find out the man had explosive material in his car, trailer, apartment or wherever he lives.

^This

Yeah, basing your health-care system around emergency rooms for every little thing, how's that working out for you, America?

\17% of your GDP goes to health care
\\a third of that goes to insurance company paper shufflers
\\\another third goes for unnecessary tests to avoid lawsuits from ambulance chasers
///ask a doctor how much of his salary goes to malpractice insurance
//and THEN figure out what it costs to treat the uninsured in the ER
/that's some mighty fine health care you pay 17% of your income for

Yes, you DO pay 17% of your income. The cost is built into everything you buy. Dumbfncks

d) Move to Canada

Dubai Vol: Yeah, basing your health-care system around emergency rooms for every little thing, how's that working out for you, America?

\17% of your GDP goes to health care
\\a third of that goes to insurance company paper shufflers
\\\another third goes for unnecessary tests to avoid lawsuits from ambulance chasers
///ask a doctor how much of his salary goes to malpractice insurance
//and THEN figure out what it costs to treat the uninsured in the ER
/that's some mighty fine health care you pay 17% of your income for

Yes, you DO pay 17% of your income. The cost is built into everything you buy. Dumbfncks

The docs I've met with private practices don't want any sort of univeral system or provider, as it will make it much harder on them and promote what they call inadequacy. Furthermore, private coverages allow for a larger array of items that you can have insurance for, such as the fringe practices which are shunned by the APA due to Pharma companies lobbying against it.

They'd rather have you take a Xanax than provide you with Biofeedback training.

Anywho, that's another topic.

remus

That's assuming they didn't walk in demanding treatment immediately, and then get fussy when asked to sign in.

/First part was provided by Docs I've met
//Second part was about Insurance
///Third part about Remus' comment
////Don't care to discuss the first two further!

remus
Ok, just a thought for the police... When you check into a Hospital, you have to give a name (normally checked against your insurance card or something) and usually even address, phone number, etc... Possibly, that might be a place to start with your search for the guy? mmkay?


Not necessarily. Many people don't use their real names, use nicknames (i.e. "boo", blaze, D-guns) or may be so disoriented they are unable to give their real names even if they tried. Many hospitals "take a name"/complaint and then you wait, after the first wait (depending on the day of the week or amount of EMS emergencies which are triaged first) you are often called to a window (or similar) where they will then take your insurance information. After getting that, you wait some more.

Uh uhhhh Uhhhhh D.....



/Awwww Take the Reds man!

//Let's Make a Dope Deal came to mind.

Dubai Vol
Yeah, basing your health-care system around emergency rooms for every little thing, how's that working out for you, America?

Actually, unpaid ER visits are a small and managable cost for hospitals. Most people who don't pay are qualified for Medicaid, they're just too farking lazy/stupid to go to a doctor, choosing to use the ER as their primary care clinic. Making it "free" won't change that.

But a couple of other points you make are correct. Defensive medicine and malpractice lawsuits are what really drives the cost up.

tomhath: Dubai Vol
Yeah, basing your health-care system around emergency rooms for every little thing, how's that working out for you, America?

Actually, unpaid ER visits are a small and managable cost for hospitals. Most people who don't pay are qualified for Medicaid, they're just too farking lazy/stupid to go to a doctor, choosing to use the ER as their primary care clinic. Making it "free" won't change that.

But a couple of other points you make are correct. Defensive medicine and malpractice lawsuits are what really drives the cost up.

insurance and pharmacutical companies drive the price up.

Link (new window)
This guy never waits.

tomhath: Dubai Vol
Yeah, basing your health-care system around emergency rooms for every little thing, how's that working out for you, America?

Actually, unpaid ER visits are a small and managable cost for hospitals. Most people who don't pay are qualified for Medicaid, they're just too farking lazy/stupid to go to a doctor, choosing to use the ER as their primary care clinic. Making it "free" won't change that.

But a couple of other points you make are correct. Defensive medicine and malpractice lawsuits are what really drives the cost up.

Oh, it shouldn't be free. First-dollar-paid health insurance is part of the problem. A reasonable (say $10-$25) co-pay would do a lot to make stupid visits go away. Even a single-payer system should include that provision.

The real problem with the American system, aside from having more lawyers than cockroaches, is the fact that preventative medicine doesn't hapen for a large segment of the population, and the frst time they seek treatment is when the problem is so serious that it is an emergency.

But not to worry, neocons: the insurance and trial lawyer lobbies will make sure you never get rid of those two leeches, or do anything to jeopardise their profits.

17%

That's your health care tax rate. More than double what civilised countries pay. No getting around it. Health care is one of those things that just has to happen. The choice is whether it happens in a rational manner.

I'll make you American farkers a bet: If you're happy with your health care situation, you are young and healthy. Get sick, really sick, and see what happens. Your insurance will pay out, then cancel you next year, and you now have a pre-existing condition that will not be covered by your new insurer.

Half of all personal bankruptcies in the US are due to medical expenses.

Half.

Nothing Sweeter Than Redneck Tears
insurance and pharmacutical companies drive the price up.

High insurance and drug costs are the result of defensive medicine and lawsuits. How much have the drug companies already spent defending against MMR vaccine=Autism lawsuits? How much more will they be forced to spend?

And Medicare is a shining example of how efficient government funded health care would be. Already 56% of the total federal budget.

\\a third of that goes to insurance company paper shufflers

Bull.

Carrier have what's called the MCR (Medical Cost ratio) that hovers between 80 and 85%. This means that between $0.80 and $0.85 of every dollar collected in premium goes to pay medical claims.

In other words, 15% to 20% goes to the admin of the plan, overhead and profit. That's everything from the computer systems to automatically play claims... employees in call centers... buildings/physical assets... staff for disease management programs... etc.

Further.. since most major insurance company are publicly traded, it's quite easy to see what the profit margins are. You can do your own research.

And.. since between 80% and 85% of the premium goes to pay claims.. why not look at this much larger part of the picture to see why healthcare costs to freakin' much?

You can get an MRI at a hospital for about $1,000 or go to one of the outpatient clinics and get the exact same test for under $500. More and more insurance companies are offering their members the ability to do this sort of research -- and, if people use it, that will make a meaningful impact on healthcare costs.

And... yes of course, in an emergency no one is going to price shop healthcare. Going down that "argument path" is a complete waste of breath. The point is for a long, long time the people who used the good/service didn't really give a crap what it cost or where it came from. They'd just pay a copay and leave the plan to pick up the rest. Terribly inefficient system.

I'm not saying insurance companies aren't part of the problem, they are.. but they do not make up anything near 1/3 of the cost.

Massa Damnata: d) Move to Canada

e) Die.

/Quoted Massa Damnata to prove I saw that option too. It's all about choices, people!

Dubai Vol - The real problem with the American system, aside from having more lawyers than cockroaches, is the fact that preventative medicine doesn't hapen for a large segment of the population, and the frst time they seek treatment is when the problem is so serious that it is an emergency.

But you see, preventative care IS available. Those who use our emergency department as their point source of primary care are quite able to visit a local heath dept., but for whatever reason, don't. I don't fault them for it; it's just the way it is.

It's my opinion that the public's perception of the care given at a mass provider (such as the health dept) is of lesser quality than found in a hospital setting. Believe me, when faced with 100+ patients/8 hrs., bedside manner quickly goes out the window. It doesn't mean we don't care. It's a different experience, but your rash is gonna be treated the same (and heal the same) regardless. Could the public health care system be improved through expansion? Sure, but that doesn't mean our workload in the ER will change. The same frequent fliers will show up, count on it. We do.

When people want to know why a trip to the doctor costs as much as it does, look towards people like former Sen. John Edwards, D(ipshiat)

FTFA: Florida Hospital Fish Memorial

RIP, Abe.

Getting my popcorn, this is gonna be good. Happy new year Farkers!

Massa Damnata: d) Move to Canada

I hear if you keep your American citizenship it's easier to come back when you need real medical care?

Seriously what are these people doing wrong?

I've been to the ER at hospitals in 3 different states including Florida. Each time I see a doctor in always 5-10 minutes at the worst. Visit times vary from mid day to 1 am.

I have had NO issues, ever & have switch insurance carriers due to job changes at least 3 times & I've gone without insurance too (that $550 bill hurt).

Take a big bottle of ketchup spread it all over your body that should speed up the service.

Stay classy Florida.



/I should stay classy too cause I pee'd a little laughing at the headline.

thirdful
Seriously what are these people doing wrong?
I've been to the ER at hospitals in 3 different states including Florida. Each time I see a doctor in always 5-10 minutes at the worst. Visit times vary from mid day to 1 am.
I have had NO issues, ever & have switch insurance carriers due to job changes at least 3 times & I've gone without insurance too (that $550 bill hurt).


Depends on where the hospital is (is it centrally located? Is it the only one in 3 counties? Is it in a major city?), what kind of services it provides (specialize in trauma? Burns?) what day of the week you went on (was it a Monday? Friday?), if a holiday was before and/or after, how many EMS calls are being handled and whether or not the hospital has ability transfer "ER overflow" to another nearby facility via EMS transport.

I've been to the ER at hospitals in 3 different states including Florida. Each time I see a doctor in always 5-10 minutes at the worst. Visit times vary from mid day to 1 am.

That's probably because you go when you have an emergency. It's the people who go for constipation and runny nose who wait for hours.

waiting4godot:

You can get an MRI at a hospital for about $1,000 or go to one of the outpatient clinics and get the exact same test for under $500. More and more insurance companies are offering their members the ability to do this sort of research -- and, if people use it, that will make a meaningful impact on healthcare costs.


Seriously? My first Brain MRI w/o gad was over 2k...I had five MRIs total last year and quite a few doc & neuro visits....my insurance paid 17k out for me last year.

I don't feel badly for them though...I have used the company for 30 years with hardly a doc visit in there until the last year. I figure they have still come out on top. I am sure I am going to get a notice that I am dropped this year though.

strathmeyer: Massa Damnata: d) Move to Canada

I hear if you keep your American citizenship it's easier to come back when you need real medical care?

Naw, its way more fun to just become a full Canadian and laugh as pissed off Americans whine. We never heard anything about the 'superiority' of the American 'health care' system until we issued photo health care to stop them from fraudulently using our health care system. American's were very happy with our system up while they could leach off it. So nice of your country to nearly bankrupt our system and then point out that our system has some issues related to financial problems.

/don't forget to keep your head up your ass with regards to the very real problems of American Health Care.

D) All of the above...In reverse order!

KrispyKritter: Dubai Vol: "Yeah, basing your health-care system around emergency rooms for every little thing, how's that working out for you, America?

\17% of your GDP goes to health care
\\a third of that goes to insurance company paper shufflers
\\\another third goes for unnecessary tests to avoid lawsuits from ambulance chasers
///ask a doctor how much of his salary goes to malpractice insurance
//and THEN figure out what it costs to treat the uninsured in the ER
/that's some mighty fine health care you pay 17% of your income for

Yes, you DO pay 17% of your income. The cost is built into everything you buy. Dumbfncks"

Big post from a self-involved expat redneck. Keep the helmet on, it helps cut down on the ugly.

Hey, somebody visited my profile! Too bad it was a troll....

Tennesseans are hillbillies. East Tennesseans like me, at least.
bama is where you find rednecks.