Topic: Canada being invaded by Americans?

[Jack Morris]

Sorry people, this was just too funny, hence the title. I do however LOVE to see people take the initiative. If I did NOT get free medications from VA or any civilian source, I would do the same.

BTW my Canadian friends, the people along the southwest border go to Mexico and do the same, and for dental treatments and other things as well.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041020/ap_on_he_me/flu_shots&cid=541&ncid=716

[Don Karnage]

yea i heard that on TV, the us president was telling that it may not be as good as the us vaccine and not everyone who take it will die from it, just an excuse to for us citysen to buy only in USA, lower the price and the will buy the drugs on the USA.

[el-Karnak]

yea i heard that on TV, the us president was telling that it may not be as good as the us vaccine and not everyone who take it will die from it, just an excuse to for us citysen to buy only in USA, lower the price and the will buy the drugs on the USA.

Bush had to cut a deal with the Drug companies to get his Medical prescription plan through. Basically, the drug companies only signed on to allowing discounts for US seniors when Bush promised not to import Cdn. gov't. regulated drugs, thereby making them cheaper by Royal Assent, from Canada.   Of course, Bush won't admit it during the campaign and only say that there are FDA "concerns" about re-importing US-made drugs from Canada.  It politics and it aint a pretty sight. But, then c'est la vie.

[Jack Morris]

Yeah, politics and money comes before our healthcare. I think Benjamin Franklin would be seeting in his pants right now along with Georgie and Thomas and others. Hence instead of Americans being able to do business with other Americans, they are pretty much in a sling and have to cross the border to Canada.

I have not had a flu shot since leaving the military in 1995, but if I were President and we had a shortage, the senior citizens and children of America come FIRST in getting access to those flu shots that are available.

BTW K, I like that Star Wars pic. 

[GE-Raven]

Exactly what government program has ever worked so well that anyone in their right mind would want something as important as their health care in governmental hands?

I can't think of a single thing.

GE-Raven

[Jack Morris]

Dept. of Veteran Affairs buys generic meds, thus saving taxpayers MILLIONS, been working great so far, and last I looked, they are a federal health care program. My beef with them is all this "reorganization" and transferring of facilities after spending MILLIONS renovating sites they want to leave idle. There is also the Eastern Indian doctors here on Visas getting buku bucks and bennies when I'm sure many unemployed Americans would LOVE to go to college at govt. expense and serve (with salary of course) VA for a couple of years to "repay" the govt.'s generosity. I do not know about the other branches, but the Army has similar programs for nursing school, Physician Assistant school, and doctor med school. The best thing is you do not get checked on while in college (except for attendance and grades, etc...) so you can grow your hair long, grow a beard, whatever, AND dress in civvie clothing! 

Once you graduate though it's flattop city and clean shaven specs again as YOU become an army of one in the United States Army! 

[Harlax]

Exactly what government program has ever worked so well that anyone in their right mind would want something as important as their health care in governmental hands?

I can't think of a single thing.

GE-Raven

Medicare.  Look at the record of the HMO's who have tried to come and provide alternate coverage as Medicare HMO's.  Many have gone under, none are doing well financially.  Medicare has lower overhead and administrative costs than any private insurance scheme. 

At the risk of going hot and spicy, try this for a good read on the subject.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=critical+condition&userid=z0s1czj1OY&cds2Pid=946

In CRITICAL CONDITION, award-winning investigative journalists Donald Barlett and James Steele expose the horror of what health care in America has become, profiling patients and doctors trapped by the system and offering startling personal stories that illuminate what's gone wrong. Doctors tell of being second-guessed and undermined by health-care insurers; nurses recount chilling tales of hospital meltdowns; patients explain how they've been victimized by a system that is meant to care for them. Drug companies profit by forcing hospitals and doctors to use expensive, brand-name products rather than cheaper generic drugs, while Wall Street rakes in billions from health-care related industries

[el-Karnak]

This is a really good Economist article on the state of US Healthcare:

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?Story_id=3258104

"AMERICANS are constantly told that their health care is the best in the world. In terms of research, technology and advances in surgery, the boast is undoubtedly true. In other ways, it is hard to justify. At any one time, more than 43m Americans under the age of 65 have no health insurance (the elderly are covered by Medicare, a federal insurance programme). The infant mortality rate for black Americans runs at 14 per 1,000 live births, double the rate for white Americans and over four times the rate in Japan. Indeed, in a 2000 study of the effectiveness of health-care systems around the world, the World Health Organisation ranked America only 37th (France came top)."

[Fedman NCC-3758]

Exactly what government program has ever worked so well that anyone in their right mind would want something as important as their health care in governmental hands?

I can't think of a single thing.

GE-Raven

That makes two of us GE.

Like Reagan said, "If someone says, "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.", ........ run!"

[Fedman NCC-3758]

This is a really good Economist article on the state of US Healthcare:

http://www.economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?Story_id=3258104

"AMERICANS are constantly told that their health care is the best in the world. In terms of research, technology and advances in surgery, the boast is undoubtedly true. In other ways, it is hard to justify. At any one time, more than 43m Americans under the age of 65 have no health insurance (the elderly are covered by Medicare, a federal insurance programme). The infant mortality rate for black Americans runs at 14 per 1,000 live births, double the rate for white Americans and over four times the rate in Japan. Indeed, in a 2000 study of the effectiveness of health-care systems around the world, the World Health Organisation ranked America only 37th (France came top)."

FROM THE SAME ARTICLE:

By contrast, Mr Kerry aims to reduce the number of uninsured by 26.7m and so bring health insurance to 95% of America's population. That ambition carries a hefty price-tag of $653 billion over nine years, which a President Kerry would finance mainly by repealing Mr Bush's tax cuts for Americans earning over $200,000.   In the Kerry vision, all Americans would have the right to the same health plans as their congressmen and some 9m federal employees and their dependents. Tax credits would help find cover for 55-64-year-olds, who are too old to be good insurance risks for an employer but too young to qualify for Medicare. To help poor families, Mr Kerry would make the government assume all the costs of the 20m children who now benefit from state Medicaid plans. In return, the states would have to expand insurance to those poor families who do not qualify for Medicaid.

Not if they have the same tax attorney as the Kerry's who paid only 12% tax on millions of income.

[Jack Morris]

Good find Harlax. Let's not forget that a LOT of doctors and HMOs have been BUSTED for filing fake medical treatments and sending them to Medicaid/Medicare, thus draining a good program IMO of sorely needed funds.

[Harlax]

You might enjoy this Jack, its an interview with the authors of the book I mentioned.

http://freshair.npr.org/day_fa.jhtml?display=day&todayDate=10/06/2004

and you might also enjoy the bit on remembering Rodney Dangerfield further down the page...

One other thought Jack.  Yes there is some fraud and abuse in billing.  But medical billing has become so damned complicated that its getting hard to bill correctly.  Especially when insurers play the "we need this additional form before we pay you (and once you submit that form there will be another, and another...)"

[Harlax]

Exactly what government program has ever worked so well that anyone in their right mind would want something as important as their health care in governmental hands?

I can't think of a single thing.

GE-Raven

That makes two of us GE.

Like Reagan said, "If someone says, "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.", ........ run!"

It was the Reagan adminstration's policies of promoting "competition over regulation" that started us on the path to where we are now.  Health Care was once largely a not for profit, often church related, undertaking.  A more for profit, "business model" based system, it was argued would lead to increased efficiencies and cost savings.  HMO's, which started as non profit vehicles to promote preventive care and healthy life styles, were transformed into care rationing systems whose management raked in piles of cash which could have gone to care.  Once we rebelled against bureaucrats deciding on care options instead of doctors the "efficiencies" and "savings" vanished and medical inflation returned to "normal" levels.  The experiment in trying to turn health care into a commodity has failed.

I don't really want a return to the old health planning/certificate of need regulatory scheme that Reagan largely ended, but I would like us to return to health care as more of a community service provided by non profits.  Corporate bureaucrats were no improvement on government bureaucrats. 

Is it hot and spicy yet?   

[Hale]

Exactly what government program has ever worked so well that anyone in their right mind would want something as important as their health care in governmental hands?

I can't think of a single thing.

GE-Raven

Tell some seniors you're taking away their Medicare and see what happens.