ANOTHER Health-Care Embarrassment, For "conservatives"

[Mr. Shaman]

"It sounds almost too good to be true: a health care plan with no limits, no deductibles, free medicines, tests, X-rays, eyeglasses, even dental work — all for a flat fee of $250 or less a year.

"It was one of the primary reasons I moved here," said Judy Harvey of Prescott Valley. "I couldn't afford health care in the United States. … To me, this is the best system that there is."

Gee.....I guess Republican-Congressmen/women haven't heard about this....so FAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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[top gun]

Gee.....I guess Republican-Congressmen/women haven't heard about this....so FAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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This is very true.

I know my father-in-law in Texas goes to Mexico for all his major dental work. Things like a root canal and a crown are at least a third cheaper and often half.

Elephant in the Room - Americans going to Mexico for healthcare

After reading all the back and forth about the US healthcare proposal and hearing over and over how health care in the US is so much better than the Canadian system because some Canadians head south for healthcare, I'm left wondering one thing....

How come nobody mentions the fact that at least one hundred thousand Americans go to Mexico or other countries for affordable care every year? Medical tourism is big, so big that several California employers send their employees to different countries for treatment.

If the US system is so great, how come people are leaving the country for health care? If it's an example of choice, that it's something our two systems have in common and a red herring in the health care argument.

 

[TheFranklinParty]

This is very true.

I know my father-in-law in Texas goes to Mexico for all his major dental work. Things like a root canal and a crown are at least a third cheaper and often half.

Elephant in the Room - Americans going to Mexico for healthcare

After reading all the back and forth about the US healthcare proposal and hearing over and over how health care in the US is so much better than the Canadian system because some Canadians head south for healthcare, I'm left wondering one thing....

How come nobody mentions the fact that at least one hundred thousand Americans go to Mexico or other countries for affordable care every year? Medical tourism is big, so big that several California employers send their employees to different countries for treatment.

If the US system is so great, how come people are leaving the country for health care? If it's an example of choice, that it's something our two systems have in common and a red herring in the health care argument.

You bring up a great issue. The key is that healthcare has gotten very expensive, so people will look to lower cost alternatives. Whether the lower cost alternatives are a smart choice and whether they have inherent risks is a much longer discussion.

The real issue is, "Can we bring down the cost of healthcare?" The ridiculous idea that you can get something for nothing and that for pennies on the dollar you can get high quality healthcare is what I take issue with. The current proposals by both sides come up short in their approaches to reducing the costs.

Tort Reform - 10% reduction
Interstate Competition - 10% reduction
Illegal Immigration - 10% reduction

This savings will be passed on to consumers. The next step and maybe even more important is to change our healthcare model to one of earlier detection and diagnosis. The majority of cost overruns come from people who have had their illness or disease go on for far too long.

Do not confuse this with preventative healthcare, which several studies (one was in the New England Journal of Medicine July 08) clearly show that preventative healthcare is more expensive than its worth. What I'm suggesting is we use more technology early on and set baselines for each person when their healthy. Then standardized retesting will show changes earlier without waiting for symptomatology. It will also reduce false positives and the defensive medicine that follows. DNA/RNA testing and cataloging will be key to identifying people who are at risk sooner and creating real solutions and cures (reference DR. Love in Boston on Breast Cancer).

 

[BigRob]

Gee.....I guess Republican-Congressmen/women haven't heard about this....so FAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The Mexican government admits that this system is "hemorrhaging money." Also, according to that often cited WHO ranking system, Mexico ranks in at 61, so by the report that everyone loves to cite as why the US has a bad system, Mexico has one that is far far worse.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

The real issue is, "Can we bring down the cost of healthcare?" The ridiculous idea that you can get something for nothing and that for pennies on the dollar you can get high quality healthcare is what I take issue with.

No doubt!!!

Much-MORE needs to be spent on "....paperwork, reviewing claims and marketing."!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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[Mr. Shaman]

The Mexican government admits that this system is "hemorrhaging money." Also, according to that often cited WHO ranking system, Mexico ranks in at 61, so by the report that everyone loves to cite as why the US has a bad system, Mexico has one that is far far worse.

.....Yet, Americans (actually) move there, to get it.​

 

[Pidgey]

Gosh... does anyone know if you can sue a doctor down there for malpractice if something goes desperately awry?

That is, and get any real award for it?

I might take a moment and add that I've got a diving friend (female) who got bit by an eel badly enough down in Mexico to need stitches after the dive. The ultimate result in going to the doctor there was that she got infected with Hep C. Fortunately for her, current Hep C treatments work rather better on women than men so she's managing it fairly well.

 

[BigRob]

.....Yet, Americans (actually) move there, to get it.​

Well, more power to them if they want to go get healthcare that is not as good, according to the very report often cited as to why the US healthcare system needs work.

 

[Pidgey]

You can always tell when a country (like ours) is a horrible place to live--they have to put up fences to keep people out. In Utopian places like Cuba, they only put up fences to keep people in.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Fortunately for her, current Hep C treatments work rather better on women than men.....

That's what your Exorcist told you, right??

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[Mr. Shaman]

You can always tell when a country (like ours) is a horrible place to live--they have to put up fences to keep people out.

Ah, yes....another example of those borrowed-buck$, well-spent by BUSHCO!!!!


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[TheFranklinParty]

The Mexican government admits that this system is "hemorrhaging money." Also, according to that often cited WHO ranking system, Mexico ranks in at 61, so by the report that everyone loves to cite as why the US has a bad system, Mexico has one that is far far worse.

BigRob - Have you looked at the WHO ranking system. It has very little to do with quality of healthcare and more to do with how closely aligned to socialized medicine your system is. When I looked at the algorithm for the ranking I was stunned at how skewed the weighting system was. There was no clarity or segregation of trauma versus illness related deaths. It also didn't take into account the accuracy of census's and they counted illegal immigrants in some countries and not in others.

One of the worst pieces of the data collection and interpretation I've ever seen.

 

[TheFranklinParty]

No doubt!!!​

Much-MORE needs to be spent on "....paperwork, reviewing claims and marketing."!!!!!!!!!!!!!​

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Again, I appreciate you making my point for me. The article you reference uses Japan as its model. Great choice.

First, they supplement all of the their health costs through taxation...nothing for nothing!

Next, then have determined a much more diagnostic approach and use technology as the first line of diagnosis versus human "preventative medicine".

Lastly, they have created a massively competitive environment by encouraging technology which our government and the AMA have resisted.

It is not that they have better or cheaper healthcare. It is that we don't use ours efficiently enough. This is not what they intend to fix with any of the legislation. It will make it worse.

 

[BigRob]

BigRob - Have you looked at the WHO ranking system. It has very little to do with quality of healthcare and more to do with how closely aligned to socialized medicine your system is. When I looked at the algorithm for the ranking I was stunned at how skewed the weighting system was. There was no clarity or segregation of trauma versus illness related deaths. It also didn't take into account the accuracy of census's and they counted illegal immigrants in some countries and not in others.

One of the worst pieces of the data collection and interpretation I've ever seen.

Oh, I know their methodology is flawed in a big way, I just find it ironic that those who often hold it up as evidence that we need reform are touting Mexico as a good example of a place when Mexico is ranked so much lower in the WHO report.

 

[Pidgey]

That's what your Exorcist told you, right??

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No, that's what her husband told us the doctors told them.

Is there a medical reason for your display of attitude over that remark?