Get more? Spend less? Maybe, just maybe, it is possible.

When I am back in th U.S.A., I take my father-in-law to the VA. He shows up on time for his appointments and is seen on time. The quality of his care is tops, often from clinical staff of the nearby medical school. When he finishes, his Rx’s are waiting, and only a small copay is expected. His EMR is promptly available anywhere in the system. Costs are managed by a relativly efficient management structure, smooth clinical operations, and amazingly low drug costs negotiated directly with the pharmaceutical houses.
I’m a Vietnam era vet, probalby eligible. Although I don’t need anything from the U.S. right now, I might, if I ever come back. So, I made preliminary inquiries of the VA. I was treated respectfully, my questions were all answered, and an offer was made on the spot to process my eligibility whenever I was ready.
Like the rest of you, my Inbox is often stuffed with offers of employment, some from the VA system. Reasonable pay, relaxed hours, paid vacation (I’m serious!), insurance, retirement, more. A EMR focused on clinical data rather than billing jutification. Tempting for this ageing “trench warrior” with too many hours down in the “Pit” of the inner city public hospital ED.

Socialized Medicine? Doesn’t seem to frightening to me. A system like the VA? I could happily live with VA care. I could willingly work for them.

In fact, maybe that’s just the ticket. A seamless transition to national health care. Expand eligibility at the VA until the system is at capacity. All the while expand infrastructure, and add more eligibility whenever possibile. Somewhere along the line change the name to something reflecting a new mission of affordable medical care for all.

What the Hell do any of us get from all of the money we send over to the insurance companies, the for-profit hospitals, the phamaceutical industry? How can anyone justify their obscene profits and the outrageous compensation paid to their minions? We hand them our money, they hand us back a little money and some trinkets, and we send them more. What is it in all of this that is anything other than a giant Ponzi scheme?

How much less would my ER visit cost, if the hospital didn’t have to soak me to make up for the un-insured who cannot pay but must be treated anyway?

How much more productive could our economy be if our insurance weren’t tied directly to our jobs (for most people)? If nobody went bankrupt from hospital bills?

How much better would I sleep at night, if I knew that my insurance provider wasn’t looking for an excuse to dump me from my plan as soon as I actually needed it?

This is many of us, we make 250K gross a year. We have 3 kids all going to college. Since we make too much money our kids do not qualify for any freakin give aways. College cost us an average 32K for each, for a total of 96K a year. Our 250 is now down to 154K. We pay an average malpractice insurance of 47K a year. Our 154K is now down to 107K. Our office rental, utilities, salaries for a nurse, secretary and a nurse tech is approximately 6K a month or 72K a year. Our 107 is now down to 35K.

This is what we get for all the years we spent studying, training, taking certification exams, etc. Our reward, 35K per year take home. Garbage man takes home 60K to 80K with overtime. We don’t get paid overtime or vacations.

Universal Health Care where we are all employees of the State.. we get a salary of maybe 150K to 200K. No overhead. We have fix work hours. Don’t have to be forced to prescribe antibiotics we succumbed to for fear of losing business. If patients don’t want to come back, well..too bad. Paid vacations, wow…haven’t had that since training days. As soon as the deal is signed, I’m going shopping.

http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/01/pro-choicers-to-turn-over-control-of.html

Yay socialized medicine!