America’s Health Care System Killing Us

I only have time for a few posts off and on over the next few days. This is a BIG one.


http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/01/28/americas-health-care-system-killing-us/

by Mike Hall, Jan 28, 2008

More than 13,000 people around the country have participated in the AFL-CIO/Working America 2008 Health Care for America Survey, and more than 3,900 have submitted their own personal stories since the survey was launched a little more than a week ago.

The survey offers a unique opportunity for working families to make our voices heard on the cost of health insurance, quality of health care, access to prescription drugs and the gamut of health care problems we all face—and impress upon candidates for the White House, Congress and all public offices just how important health care is as a voting issue in 2008.



The survey results will be given to the presidential, congressional, state and local candidates to ensure that candidates at every level will understand what working families are experiencing. (Check out a comparison of 2008 presidential candidates’ health care proposals here.)

Along with specific questions on affordability and quality, experiences with insurance companies, hospitals and doctors and suggested remedies, the survey gives you the chance to tell your own story. (Click here to fill out the survey and tell your health care story. You can vote here on the stories you think make the most impact.)

Here are some samples.



In Jacksonville, Fla., Pamela, a former Flight Attendant (AFA-CWA) member, was the victim of two traffic accidents that have left her disabled and in need of spinal surgery. She says her experience has shown her

today’s insurers are there to make a profit off your illness. They make promises and don’t deliver on coverage…Poverty is my friend now. I have no money for the medical costs because of two horrible accidents that were no fault of my own. The insurance companies basically leave you on your own. All they care about is the money.

From Los Angeles, Teri writes how the health care system, especially insurers, failed both her mother and first husband. Her mother’s insurer greatly reduced her coverage and dropped her because “she made too many claims.” By the time an attorney forced the insurance company to pay for cancer treatment, her mother had died. Meanwhile, Teri’s husband had a family history of heart disease, so their insurance provider forced him to sign a waiver forgoing heart-related claims.

He started having fainting spells and dizziness. Being a nurse, I was worried that indeed he may have a cardio issue. They turned him away, stating he was too young to fit any cardio profiles. Six weeks later, he dropped dead of a massive coronary.


FULL story and more at link.

You called it a health CARE system, which it is not. It is a health INSURANCE system, and in the insurance business, paying out is only done as a last resort, when denial and delay don't succeed in making the claimant go away.

And since each party blames the other, I can't see how it can be fixed without a complete overhaul (which should have been done years ago).

1) Doctors and hospitals aren't changing their practices and procedures fast enough despite convincing evidence that things need to change drastically (see http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/Campaign/). This feeds #4.

2)Medical insurance companies are mostly for profit entities who are beholden to their stockholders and executives.

3)Medical malpractice insurance companies - ditto to number 2.

4)The legal system is out of control in terms of the kinds and numbers of malpractice suits filed by trial lawyers ("Has your loved one died in a nursing home? If so, call me! I'll get you the money you deserve") and the awards granted by juries. This leads to defensive medicine which feeds #1 and #5.

5)The general public believes that everyone should have everything even if it is futile, has no evidence to back it up or there are less expensive alternatives, which feeds #1 and #4.

6)The government run system is so poorly run that it pretty much feeds all of the others, is going bankrupt and makes it very difficult to embrace a single payer system that would be run like the system is run now.

And since none of these parties are willing to take the risks involved in making substantial changes in the system, it just gets worse and worse.

So, who do you think has the best plan to fix this disaster? This is not a rhetorical question. I really want to know.