Ferris Bueller

The problem with that lies in the fact that a lot of the "life threatening ailments" you describe are going to require transplants, which require you to be on the transplant list because the number of donors is so small. So either way, you might wind up waiting. Which brings up another point, maybe it's just me, but I think everyone who can oughtta do two things: give blood regularly, and sign up to be an organ donor. Neither costs you anything and the organ donor thing doesnt even kick in until you're dead. But those two simple acts can save lives.

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|TG-6th|Ferris Bueller

Xen

I agree totally with the donor part totally Ferris... Although, people hear the urban ledgend that if EMT's see the Donor card they won't work as hard to try and save your arse. This mentality is totally misplaced I beleive.

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Curiosity is going to kill this Cat.

Ferris Bueller

Absolutely. 99% of the time, ESPECIALLY in acute cases, the EMTs dont even check for ID. When you get to the hospital, you're identified as "(race) (gender) suffering from (ailment/injury) to the (anatomical location), condition is (x), treatment is (x)". The hospital staff will check for ID after the situation has calmed down, and it certainly wont be your doctors doing it. Hospitals have specifically trained people to handle that process and it's guarded carefully and separated from care management specifically because of that absolutely horrible myth.

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|TG-6th|Ferris Bueller

ScratchMonkey

In the UK, NHS dentists play as patients wait

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3646522.ece

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Sig

El_Gringo_Grande

Hey, sounds like my dentist! I had to wake three weeks while my dentist was out.

Ok, I went to another dentist, but had to pay extra because he did not take my insurance. Plus he had to do all kinds of "exams" because he did not have my records on hand.

Plus this story was posted march 30 and the new year started in April. So people had to wait two days? I am lucky to get in the same week I call at my private dentist.

Also...

A couple of weeks ago we missed my new sons inoculation appointment. We called to make another appointment that same day and could not get it for 2 more months! Called four other doctors and they where all booked up for the next two months. Called the local hospitals, nope, no openings.

The county health service was able to take him at any time between 10am and 4pm Monday through Thursday. (My wife called in a favor with a doctor friend of hers and got in a week later.) Score one for the government.

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Sen. John McCain (AZ) For President '08
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I’m not racists, I have republican friends. Radio show host.
- "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt
- "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson
- "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta
- If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

Kerostasis

Yeah, as much fun as it is to rag on the UK's nationalized health service, a story posted March 30th saying people have to wait until April to get new appointments is not a particularly damning indictment of British Health Care. >.>

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Hambergler

Yes, but someone has got to kick up some sand.

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Razcsak

As an EMT, I can safely say that this is complete bull****.

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Xen

I too am an EMT and know it's BS as well, but the myth is still running rampent...

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Curiosity is going to kill this Cat.

Razcsak

Some numbers as posted by the WHO: USA is 31st for infant mortality rate in the world (the stat that is the best all-around indicator of the healthcare system and the one used by medical sociologists as a predictor of most health-related stats) and yet pays some 16% of the GDP on health care. Compare that to Canada, which soundly beats the US on the infant mortality rate and yet spends only 9.7%. The US pays far higher prices for nearly everything in return for substandard care as compared to the rest of the developed Western world.

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El_Gringo_Grande

I had a wonderful experience with my health care system today.

I called to my daughters pediatrician to make an appointment for her.

Them: We can't see her.

Me: Today or this week?

Them: Never.

Me: Why?

Them: Because we found out your son is seeing another pediatrician. So we took your family off.

Me: One does, the other sees you.

Them: Well, we don't want to see your daughter any longer. If one of your children sees one doctor then we don't want to see any of your children. Take them to somebody else.

Me: You are serious? My daughter has been going to you for about 3 years.

Them: (Hangs up the phone.)

This is a highly recommended pediatrician. My daughters cardiologist recommended her to me.

What a wonderful, caring system we have.

__________________
Sen. John McCain (AZ) For President '08
---
I’m not racists, I have republican friends. Radio show host.
- "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt
- "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson
- "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta
- If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

War.mongeR1

For me, it hasn't been the doctors that stink. It's the insurance companies. They don't want to accept charges for much of anything at all. I haven't had health or dental insurance in well over a year and life has been much easier since. I had my wisdom teeth pulled last spring after they got infected really bad. The dentist got me in the next morning after I called, he even called in my antibiotics, and with NO insurance the surgery was $350 flat and ALL my meds were $10 ($5 for a bottle of vicadin, $5 for a bottle of antibiotics) at Costco. Many places are doing these $5 prescription deals for common generics meds. That's cheaper than a copay and you have NONE of the hassles!

2 weeks ago I went skiing in Colorado and slipped in a parking lot on some black ice. I ran to the clinic with my lip busted open. It was bleeding pretty bad and my bottom lip was practically inside out. It required some local anesthetic and 5 stitches. Total cost? Right under $400.

So for a 1 year span of time and 2 emergencies, my total cost of healthcare was $760.00. A lot cheaper than health insurance would have been for me AND I didn't have any hassles what so ever. It seems that with insurance, you spend a lot of time battling it out with the insurance companies trying to get them to pay the doctors. It's such a pain in the neck. I am going to be getting some high-deductible/catastrophic coverage really soon, though. That's cheap enough. For all the minor things, including check-ups, minor emergencies, and common meds, it's best to avoid using insurance at all...even if you have it. Seems that the doctors always cut me a deal for paying cash. That's a common practice. They jack up the cost when you use insurance, because they bill it out. Them having to hassle with the insurance as well, means they have to staff people to do it, driving costs up further. It's a vicious cycle.

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"Common sense is not so common." -Voltaire

Hambergler

Unbelievable! I would call to speak to the Dr directly. It could have been an off the wall front office flunky. If he has the same attitude I would file a complaint.

http://www.iatrogenic.org/complaint.html

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El_Gringo_Grande

Heh, that was the doctor I was speaking to! The receptionist seemed very embarrassed by the whole thing.

__________________
Sen. John McCain (AZ) For President '08
---
I’m not racists, I have republican friends. Radio show host.
- "The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity". -Jacob Burkhardt
- "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson
- "People should not be afraid of it's government, government should be afraid of it's People." - Line from V for Vendetta
- If software were as unreliable as economic theory, there wouldn't be a plane made of anything other than paper that could get off the ground. Jim Fawcette

War.mongeR1

Well that doctor is a jerk then, and doesn't deserve your business. Make sure and spread the word around town. My mom's a nurse in San Antonio and she's seen bad doctors and doctors who run their practices poorly get run of town entirely! That's the good thing about capitalism. If the government were to control things, would jerks like this get solid government contracts? Would he get even MORE money under a new system?

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"Common sense is not so common." -Voltaire