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Old 12-06-2010, 10:07 PM   #21
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I am a fan of the Commonwealth Club of California. On 10/10/10 Dr. Robert Pearl (Executive Director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group) spoke about the future of American health care. It is available as a podcast, I highly recommend it.

John Nieters spoke about traditional Chinese medicine on 11/30/09 and also commented about American health care. He is probably unique in US health care but fascinating nevertheless. Podcast available.
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Old 12-06-2010, 11:01 PM   #22
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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There is so much Medicare fraud/misuse going on it's staggering, it's estimated to be in the billions. There was a story on 60 Minutes about all these fake medical supply stores set up in Florida collection millions from Medicare by submitting false claims. A good friend told me he needed to get a wheel chair for his elderly mother and a medical supply store told him it would be free and billed to Medicare. After seeing the bill he saw that the medical supply store was actually 'renting' the wheel chair for $1500 a year and billing it to Medicare. He said he thought the rental fee was excessive so looked into. Found out that he could buy the same wheel chair from the same medical supplier for $750.
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Old 12-07-2010, 04:53 AM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover View Post
That was me and I was kidding.
I am glad you clarified it
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Old 12-07-2010, 05:03 AM   #24
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Here in Canada, in addition to MDs must follow guidelines set by the Ministry of Health of each province, there are also caps on the income of MDs.

I believe it is $400,000 for MDs, beyond which the MDs can only get a portion of the claims MDs submit, i.e. for each dollar MDs claim beyond $400,000 they only get a portion of it.

Plus, when the provincial government pay out too much to a particular MD, they will review the claims of that MD, and may launch an investigation ...

That's why medical costs in Canada is cheaper than the States ...

This system will "discourage" MDs from performing thousands of stents per year

You see, there are things that medicare or the American government can learn from the Great White North
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Old 12-07-2010, 07:06 AM   #25
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If medicare in the US tries to do what Canada is doing such as putting a cap on income of MDs, non profit hospitals (government run), guidelines, government investigation of suspicious claims by MDs ... it will cause social disobedience ... by MDs and private hospitals ...

It's very difficult to convert the existing full blown capitalism health care system in the US to something similar to Canada or some European countries.

The rich become richer in the States: Capitalism !

Isn't capitalism what the USA is built upon ? The general public continue to fund the high healthcare costs in the US ... making the enterpreneurs (MDs, owners of private hospitals) richer ...

Edit Add: I can't wait to see an election in the US with a president that says "I am going to cap the income of MDs to $400,000 (instead of no cap), any income beyond $400,000 will be heavily taxed. I will also nationalize all private hospitals or turn them into non profit hospitals in such I will bring the healthcare cost down and provide a universal health care to all my fellow Americans ..."

So please don't say it's easy to fix the healthcare problem in the US ...

Good luck !
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Old 12-08-2010, 07:28 AM   #26
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Coincidentally there's a documentary aired on CBC (Candian Broadcasting Corporation) last night at 10:40pm: Public Health, Private Life

It's about daily routine of a cardiac surgeon and his family life. His life in the hospital and part of his work in OR saving lives of his patients, and how he spends time with his family.

There are facts printed on the screen showing facts collected by CBC. One of them is "On an average, surgeons in Canada make about 50% of surgeons in the US"

What impressed me most was right after that statement "On an average, surgeons in Canada make about 50% of surgeons in the US", he said "The reason he stays in Canada is not because of money, it's because he likes the healthcare system in Canada"

Shame on that American surgeon who performed thousands of unnecessary stents for money ! It's sick !
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