Comments on: On the Lack of Socialised Healthcare

By: Iain Brassington

Iain Brassington — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:13:34 +0000

@macleod –
I think that the basic point still stands: the guy thought that he might have to pay, and couldn’t afford to. Even if he was mistaken, the fact that he had to think about it is worrying.

By: macleod

macleod — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:37:27 +0000

What other lifestyle choices did this husband make? Was he tapped out after his recent trip to vegas? Was he too busy watching his 70 inch plasma screen to consider the consequences? Was he too drunk? Was he mildly demented?
There is no way to know what circumstances lead to his decision. Nor is a payment plan justification for The Obamamessiah’s No reform healthcare reform.
In fact, it probably does indict the unfunded mandates that continue to come roaring out of congress. Cogress continues to promises things in return for votes, that it refuses to pay for.
In many states, Medicare now pays at the same non sustainable rates that medicaid pays . Ambulamnce service has long been a loss leader for the communities that provide it, because medicare refuses to pay those charges at the charged rate.
And there is the crux of your thinly veiled agenda. This patient should have been covered by medicare at 72, even for transport. While the ambulance ride would have been poorly reimbursed, it can’t be balance-billed. There would have been NO charge to the family. Something else is at work here.

By: Sarah Chaudhary

Sarah Chaudhary — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:03:11 +0000

Here in America, it seems that the elderly are unfortunately the most vulnerable victims of the many cracks in our “healthcare system.” Politics and policy aside, I think our senior citizens are hit the hardest not only because they tend to be the most indigent and ill, but because they often seem to carry an overwhelming fear and worry of being a burden or liability to anybody. As a U.S. medical student working in an inner city, I have seen many seniors tragically “rationing” their medications, skipping meals, or keeping their heating off in order to stretch their fixed income dollars. I’m not too surprised that the stress and fear of the sky high bills an emergency transport/admission would incur ultimately influenced this man’s decision. Nevertheless, it is a sad story, and reflects just how deep the troubles of our system go. In any case, I don’t mind the European smugness when it comes to socialized medicine….I see people fall through our cracks everyday and can only hope that one day things in my country will change for the better.