Get healthier overall. I think Michelle Obama and RFK Jr. should go on a speaking tour. If only he wasn't batshit insane. Part of his message is very clearly focused on our shit food and lack of physical exercise. We do a very poor job in this country of educating youth about the horrors of processed food coupled with a lack of physical fitness. Shit, gym class is considered optional. Wasn't that way when we were young.Why is care so expensive. Do we need managed care. Bene mgrs. what can we do to bring down costs across the board
America has an enormous (pun intended) obesity problem. Period. It's the #1 through #10 problem or, at least, an overwhelming comorbidity. "healthy at any size" is bullshit. You're fat. and you're fat 98% of the time b/c of lifestyle choices. Fattest poor people in the world. Fattest rich people. Fattest middle class. It's a fat problem.
Forced military service? Tighter food regs? I dunno, but we should get creative. Incentivize physical fitness through lower health insurance costs. Something. Anything but what we do today (which is nothing).
Lots of fatties and smokers
Hey now fucker...
The reality is we need to drill down on the system. Why is care so expensive?
You are a business man, I think you know the answer. The more fingers in the pie, the more costs increase up and down the chain. Providing healthcare is no longer a simple provider to consumer transaction for the vast majority of us. There are myriad fingers in that pie...insurers (not just consumer side but provider side), big pharma, legal, regulation and Uncle Sam with his Medicaid, Medicare and ACA. If I had to guess, I reckon the typical GP office probably employs 2-3x the number of people now vs 50 years ago, and a shit ton of that is administrative.
Just as an example with my doctor. Their office has a clinical pharmacist on staff. Not a bad idea these days, but rare until recently. But more recently, insurance companies are also partnering with third party companies to also offer clinical pharmacy solutions and they push it hard, even when you tell them you already see one at your Doctor's office.
Another example. I see my GP twice a year. I do labs (including my A1C) once a year ahead of my annual physical. On the second visit during the year, they do an in house A1C test. Between that and monitoring my blood sugar with an at home old school finger stick/reader it's well monitored and under control. Well I received a package recently with an at home A1C test kit (apparently from another third party company that partners with my health insurer) along with a letter requesting I do the test and send it back. I received two robocalls and another letter reminding me to do the test, even though I let the company know I don't need the service on the first robocall, the GP has it covered.
A good friend will bail you out of jail, but your best friend will be sitting next to you in the cell saying "that was f***ing awesome"
In 2019-2022 or so, that post gets you cancelled in a lot of places.Get healthier overall. I think Michelle Obama and RFK Jr. should go on a speaking tour. If only he wasn't batshit insane. Part of his message is very clearly focused on our shit food and lack of physical exercise. We do a very poor job in this country of educating youth about the horrors of processed food coupled with a lack of physical fitness. Shit, gym class is considered optional. Wasn't that way when we were young.Why is care so expensive. Do we need managed care. Bene mgrs. what can we do to bring down costs across the board
America has an enormous (pun intended) obesity problem. Period. It's the #1 through #10 problem or, at least, an overwhelming comorbidity. "healthy at any size" is bullshit. You're fat. and you're fat 98% of the time b/c of lifestyle choices. Fattest poor people in the world. Fattest rich people. Fattest middle class. It's a fat problem.
Forced military service? Tighter food regs? I dunno, but we should get creative. Incentivize physical fitness through lower health insurance costs. Something. Anything but what we do today (which is nothing).
@bradstevens so this is insane. My partner who had the stroke didn’t have health insurance. He’s like a chunky Jew version of Burt in deliverance. Just doesn’t have it. Despises insurance companies. He’s also worse with money than I. I know what he makes. About $750k a year. So he was paying for his medical treatment and therapy out of pocket. The amount that he has gotten them to write off is absurd. And I don’t believe it’s being spread. I believe it was inflated to begin with and they have that much room. Costs costs costs. MRIs to surgeries are insanely elevated here compared to other countries. You get an er bill. A Dr bill. A surgery center bill. A hospital bill. A physicians group bill. It’s fckd
Probably but somebody needs to start telling people the truth. It's not shaming if done compassionately or sometihng.In 2019-2022 or so, that post gets you cancelled in a lot of places.
@bradstevens so this is insane. My partner who had the stroke didn’t have health insurance. He’s like a chunky Jew version of Burt in deliverance. Just doesn’t have it. Despises insurance companies. He’s also worse with money than I. I know what he makes. About $750k a year. So he was paying for his medical treatment and therapy out of pocket. The amount that he has gotten them to write off is absurd. And I don’t believe it’s being spread. I believe it was inflated to begin with and they have that much room. Costs costs costs. MRIs to surgeries are insanely elevated here compared to other countries. You get an er bill. A Dr bill. A surgery center bill. A hospital bill. A physicians group bill. It’s fckd
It is. The thing is so many blame government yet almost every other country has MORE government involvement and lower prices
@arthur-dent agreed. I don’t believe they have as high quality doctors tho.
@arthur-dent rough analogy I know but imagine going to law school knowing you could only be a pd or prosecutor. 99 percent of the best would say f law school
@mcm666 I do not know about anyone else here, I cannot get in to see my primary care nurse practitioner unless she has a cancellation. The walk-in clinics are packed, unless you make an appointment it is a long wait. Every web search I make shows us way behind on doctors and nurses.
The aging population is part of it, but not nearly enough want to be in medicine. Many that did wanted out after COVID, anyone can search that, COVID burned out many.
And I don’t believe it’s being spread. I believe it was inflated to begin with and they have that much room. Costs costs costs. MRIs to surgeries are insanely elevated here compared to other countries. You get an er bill. A Dr bill. A surgery center bill. A hospital bill. A physicians group bill. It’s fckd
I read the statements I get from Humana with all the charges and payments laid out. It's comical. Let's say I got a scan of some sort:
Billed amount -- $7500
Humana discount -- $6500
Amount disallowed -- $650
Amount Humana paid -- $350
Your share -- $0
If I had to guess, I reckon the typical GP office probably employs 2-3x the number of people now vs 50 years ago, and a shit ton of that is administrative.
There is no such thing as the Marcus Welby doctor's office anymore. It's all group practices, nearly all owned by the affiliated hospitals.
My mom was a country doc in the Marcus Welby mold. From the mid 60s until the early 90s she employed an RN, an LPN, and an office manager.
I do not know about anyone else here, I cannot get in to see my primary care nurse practitioner unless she has a cancellation. The walk-in clinics are packed, unless you make an appointment it is a long wait.
FWIW, the wife and I have used the IU Health Urgent Care walk-ins a handful of times and have gotten prompt service. Got called in to see the practitioner within 15-20 minutes.
@arthur-dent yeah I can’t argue with any of that. When sope was going through all his bullshit I told him fck it. Show up at the ER screaming about his symptoms. It’s the only way to get “into the system” with a fast referral
And I don’t believe it’s being spread. I believe it was inflated to begin with and they have that much room. Costs costs costs. MRIs to surgeries are insanely elevated here compared to other countries. You get an er bill. A Dr bill. A surgery center bill. A hospital bill. A physicians group bill. It’s fckd
I read the statements I get from Humana with all the charges and payments laid out. It's comical. Let's say I got a scan of some sort:
Billed amount -- $7500
Humana discount -- $6500
Amount disallowed -- $650
Amount Humana paid -- $350
Your share -- $0
Exactly. That’s how much the procedure would cost if people did not have insurance. Save the money on the premiums. It’s the exact same for medicine. We need insurance for major surgeries and hospital stays. You figured it out with one statement