Ahh so where do you think we are.

[Mountain Freak]

The US is at the top for heart attack survival, but the bottom in other areas.

That's a relief because we have more heart attacks here than anywhere else in the world! (I don't know that for a fact, but it just seems that way).

[13]

My sister doesn't have health care. I consider this a choice. She's living her life how she wants to. She could have it if she learned valuable skills and applied herself, but she chooses not to. She's lucky because she knows my parents or I would take care of her if she needed it.

It was your sister's choice to not have insurance, just as it is yours & your parents' choice to take care of her if she needs it. You and they can choose not to, and that will present her with a different set of circumstances.

Your sister reminds me of a lot of the priveliged white girls I grew up with -- who know they can go back to the credit union of mom & dad if they get in trouble.

Circumstances dictate the choices. "Where you sit is where you stand," indeed.

She was just in the hospital (a non-profit one). Chances are my parents pay 3/4 of the bill. One item was acetaminophen (that's tylenol btw): $86

I'll break that down for you:

Capital costs (buildings, equipment, etc): $18
Staff (doctors, nurses, janitors, administrators): $15
Liability for when John Edwards sues: $53

It's funny you bring up liability.

Let's look at it from another point of view: If health care was so awesome in this country, would we really need liability? There are a lot more quacks out there than you think.

I agree that plenty of good Docs are forking out mucho dinero for liability - it's obvious. The problem is, they are bearing the cost (via liability insurance) of shitty Docs who deserve to be sued. Do you know how many substandard Docs came to the U.S. from 2nd and 3rd world countries because the pay is so good? Thats on top of the numerous quacks our educational system pushes through medical schools.

Liability doesn't distinguish between the good doctors that hold themselves accountable, and the shitty doctors that use it as an excuse not be as accountable as they should be.

[optics]

One thing I find somewhat amusing is this whole "living poor, voting rich" phenomenom. The republicans couldn't win without a large body of lower-income people voting for them.

Another amazing victory for the Bush PR team.

They somehow fooled all these people into believing W's not just another incompetent rich kid, that he somehow represents them because he walks like he just got off a horse.

Use the word "ranch", exaggerate the drawl, talk like an idiot...

Shockingly effective.

[mr_gyptian]

It was your sister's choice to not have insurance, just as it is yours & your parents' choice to take care of her if she needs it. You and they can choose not to, and that will present her with a different set of circumstances.

Your sister reminds me of a lot of the priveliged white girls I grew up with -- who know they can go back to the credit union of mom & dad if they get in trouble.

Circumstances dictate the choices. "Where you sit is where you stand," indeed.



It's funny you bring up liability.

Let's look at it from another point of view: If health care was so awesome in this country, would we really need liability? There are a lot more quacks out there than you think.

I agree that plenty of good Docs are forking out mucho dinero for liability - it's obvious. The problem is, they are bearing the cost (via liability insurance) of shitty Docs who deserve to be sued. Do you know how many substandard Docs came to the U.S. from 2nd and 3rd world countries because the pay is so good? Thats on top of the numerous quacks our educational system pushes through medical schools.

Liability doesn't distinguish between the good doctors that hold themselves accountable, and the shitty doctors that use it as an excuse not be as accountable as they should be.

13, the victory drink of choice was Woodford, neat.

no straw

[Dexter Rutecki]

Except that there wouldn't be any doctors in the specialty area you needed. Why the fuck would anyone be anything but a family practitioner. You are so alligned w/ anything communist/socialist that your spewing is almost funny. Ask those in Canada how the socialized system has affected the special areas of medicine. I know for a fact that some canadians are sent to the states for testing in areas that canadian doctor's don't practice. I guess if you only plan on getting "normally" sick then its a good idea.

Your spewing is just idiotic, nothing more. If you think people who lack insurance have access to GPs or specialists(!), you need to put down the crack pipe and think for awhile. Canada's health care still beats the shit out of ours, as do all the socialized plans in Europe. Don't be so ideologically driven that you can't see what's true and what's not. Socialized medicine works, ours does not. End of story.