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Edited on Sat May-07-05 01:48 PM by Jose Diablo
The health care industry is doing damage to the other corporations also. Look at GM, Fords costs and the effects of this on their ability to be profitable.
Don't misunderstand me, a lot of GM and Fords problems is the management responsibility in meeting the marketplace with the right product. And also, the health care industry has a ball and chain around it's neck called the insurance industry.
Then again, would a national health care program solve all the problems? It could if the insurance industry and the legal eagles were taken out of the picture. Don't forget the government subsidized Pharma's too. How to control price gouging from the pill companies need a good look. After all, the Pharma's receive big bucks from NIH to research new possibilities for drugs. Do they pay this money back to the NIH when the drug goes to market? Nope, they keep the profits. Remember 'intellectual property' rights for owners of patents? Why it's 'unAmerican' to deny someone the rights to claim private ownership. That is a subsidy to an industry that is gouging the market.
Just to pass a national health care program wouldn't solve the problem. All aspects of the entire delivery system need overhaul. Why pass, say a national sales tax to pay for health care and just give the green light to totally socialize the cost and privatize the profit?
I can see the doctors, nurses, technicians, the workers making a good profit, but I draw the line at bankers, investment brokers and any others that do not add one thing to the health of people.
Why should the health care industry as a whole be a profit making enterprise? It shouldn't IMO. Those that work in the industry, yes. Those that don't add one iota to actually providing health care, no.
Ever notice how when a hospital need to be built or expanded, who do they approach to get the money? The communities where the hospital is located, that where. Then the large companies that operate these facilities make money hand over fist, then complain they need more money for indigent care.
For example, take the hospital system in Gwinnett county in Georgia. Last year they grossed $435M of which $18M was their cost for indigent care. Now they want $1.2M more. The poor dears, going broke is that right Promina? Who built that f*****g hospital to begin with? Why it was with bonds issued by the county backed by the taxpayers. How in the hell did Promina get ownership of that hospital system is beyond me. Probably given to them by the republican county commissioners at some time in the past. Thats the kind of crap I am talking about.
Edit: I should also point out that of the $435M, not one penny went to pay doctors. Nope they are 'contractors' and if you go need care at the hospital system in Gwinnett county, you get one bill from the hospital, another from any of the doctors that happened to treat you. Get a CAT scan, well North Metro Radiology will be in contact, you can be sure in addition to the hospitals gouging on the actual use of the machine. I think $235 to 'interpret' a CAT scan is gouging on the part of a 'contractor' radiologist and I don't care how much damn schooling he/she has. Schooling I might add that was paid for with loans from the taxpayer. Ever notice how republican doctor are always complaining about creeping socialism, I never hear about students that are trying to become doctors complain about socialism. Why is that?
Edit2: Whew, I feel better now. <rant off>
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