>--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> >Debbie asked- >[actually, it was Ronn] >> >OTOH, where *does* oneš hold the line on health >> costs? >> >> This is a doozie to work through, maybe we can start >> this one bit at a time >> and try an international flair. So far to date >> (after some schooling and >> thinking) I like the Australian System best. >> Philisophically I figure that >> "first world" countries should be advanced enough >> that basic healthcare >> should be a starting point- IIRC in Australia, every >> individual has a basic >> plan and individuals can "buy up" to other levels. > >Does this mean a National Health Care System (what we >would call a single payor plan), paid for by taxes?
Traditionally this would be an option, however several states are currently looking at state plans (Maine I recall is one state). The other reason I would hesitate to use National Health Care System per se is the assumption that generally I think most posters would automatically think of the Canadian system of health care. >> I am not a huge fan of "heroic" life prolonging >> measures, > >My real objections here are in the case of severely >limited resources, frex organs for transplant, going >to people who caused their own problems (Mickey Mantle >and David Crosby getting livers, after years of >alcohol and alc/drug abuse). No one has been deprived >of something because of Reeves' treatment. Agreed, I don't know much about the organ transplant priority list, but my vague understanding was it was pretty stringent for behavior and order of recipients. >> To some degree I see people do this every day, some >> people pick the HMO version with limited options for >> physician care in >> comparison to a PPO/fee for service plan (or higher >> coverage/lower deductible >> plans) because they do not have the money to pay the >> childcare, etc (How >> many of us would choose to put a family member in an >> experimental program >> that could be of no benefit/placebo/damaging when we >> are not under the >> emotional strain of coping with a family member that >> may die? (How many >> people think about the level of care they want for >> themselves if they get >> sick- although it might be a bit less intimidating >> than setting up your own funeral plans). > >Facing your own mortality is quite frightening - >although for me it is not *death* but _loss of control >before/while dying_ that terrifies. If I'm terminal - >turn off the ventilator. If it's been 2 weeks of coma >- same (or cease fluids/meds). Again, we tend to agree, this is one of the reasons I am an organ donor. Unless someone wants to make sure I get read Brin-l everyday :-) >> For lack of a better starting point, there is >> routine care, and respect of life... Respect of >> life is easiest to perceive when it comes to >> hospice, but there are everyday >> patient rights that also play in here (I am not >> talking about people >> demanding the "best/most extreme" care, but respect >> and rights to basic "quality of care"/treatment). >> >> My other concern is that "holding the costs" ends to >> be a reactive >> philosophy. Some posters have already noted that >> preventive measures can >> have good return on investment. > >Could you expand on this? Let me try a few angles on this one and see if they help. -the classic is flu shots and "annual exams", such a minimal price to cover in light of the costs to cover the problems that can result from lack of care (prolonged hospital stays, etc) -Insurance "hold the costs" and restrict how much they pay on meds, so people have to halve their meds or try and do without them- the long term detriment is more costly than the meds -After heart attacks (and the associated costs) people think about regular exercise, but insurance companies rarely offer true preventive fitness incentives or even coverage for post heart attack maintenance. -while prenatal care coverange has dropped infant mortality, (there is discussion of some of these benefits being dropped due to budget constraints) yet basic healthcare for "well babies/children" is often still not available Dee _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
