Healthcare cost - does it matter?

I believe it depends on the need of the individual. I, personally have never been in need of any major medical need in my life...I am now 77. I take care of my self and that has allowed me to stay healthy.

SouthernDemocrat said:

I see you ignore the rest of it because reality doesn't fit with your ideology, thus reality must be cast aside.

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Ignored because it had nothing to do with my point - refuting the claim that I pay twice as much for my healthcare than I would if I lived in another country. This is false.

SouthernDemocrat said:

A GP in this country charges no more than a GP in our peer nations. The problem is that a Cardiac Surgeon charges much, much more than our peer nations. An Orthopedic Surgeon charges, much, much more.

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How much of that is really "a problem"? Surgeons in this country receive a better education, rack up 6-figure education bills, and have fewer income-producing years to pay it off. In other countries what we classify as "healthcare spending" is categorized as "education spending" because the public foots the bill for medical school directly.

SouthernDemocrat said:

BTW, we are more expensive for everything, not just childbirth: Spending, Use of Services, Prices, and Health in 13 Countries - The Commonwealth Fund

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Sorry, your article makes the same mistake you did, assuming that because the tires cost more, so must the entire car. Only in their case they use bypass surgery and MRI scans instead of childbirth:

The only pattern this suggests is of people who approach things bass-ackward by starting with a conclusion that they attempt to explain with data.

ttwtt78640 said:

OK, but that can be changed without need to mess with how HC is delivered. Note that I said on the first visit - not that if symtoms persist or get worse that more tests are not done or the patient is referred to a specialist on future visits.

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I know of a doctor that lost a multimillion dollar malpractice suit because on the one and only time a patient complained of rectal bleeding, he didn't immediately order a colonoscopy. The patient was given a recommendation for care (thinking it was likely hemorrhoids) and was instructed to return for a follow-up, but never did either. He never saw the guy again until 6-7 years later when the patient found out he had colon cancer and sued.

Moderate Right said:

Kaiser is big in California but California seems to have many problems with healthcare.

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But not with Kaiser. Kaiser is a model system.

Taylor said:

Ignored because it had nothing to do with my point - refuting the claim that I pay twice as much for my healthcare than I would if I lived in another country. This is false.

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Look at any procedure and you will indeed pay more here for it than you will in peer countries.

How much of that is really "a problem"? Surgeons in this country receive a better education, rack up 6-figure education bills, and have fewer income-producing years to pay it off. In other countries what we classify as "healthcare spending" is categorized as "education spending" because the public foots the bill for medical school directly.

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That is not the case in every peer nation. It depends on the country whether college is paid for by the taxpayers or not. Moreover, even if you account for the high cost of a medical education, lets say they rack up 200k in student loans. That is a fraction of the yearly income for a specialist in the United States. How many other professions get out of college with student loans that are lower than their first year income?

You act like a specialist in the United States lives in a trailer park.

Sorry, your article makes the same mistake you did, assuming that because the tires cost more, so must the entire car. Only in their case they use bypass surgery and MRI scans instead of childbirth:

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The only pattern this suggests is of people who approach things bass-ackward by starting with a conclusion that they attempt to explain with data.

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Find an example of any common medical procedure that is cheaper in the United States than in our peer nations then.

Taylor said:

I know of a doctor that lost a multimillion dollar malpractice suit because on the one and only time a patient complained of rectal bleeding, he didn't immediately order a colonoscopy. The patient was given a recommendation for care (thinking it was likely hemorrhoids) and was instructed to return for a follow-up, but never did either. He never saw the guy again until 6-7 years later when the patient found out he had colon cancer and sued.

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I would imagine there is far more to the story than what the doctor told you. Attorneys only take on large malpractice suits when there is very obvious malpractice. Think about it from the plaintiff attorney's perspective. They only get paid if there is a settlement or they win. In order to take on the case, they must be out several hundred thousand dollars minimum in expert witness fees, life planners, and so on. Thus it is a very high risk to take on a large malpractice case. There are not many large frivolous malpractice cases because of this. This is also why states that have passed tort reform have only seen 2 to 3% reductions in insurance premiums. Years ago I worked for a large plaintiffs firm. It would have a case load of 900 to 1200 cases a month. Of those they would maybe have 3 to 5 malpractice cases.

You have to remember that providers have a big financial incentive to order more tests / procedures that goes well beyond defensive medicine.