OT: stealth cuts in tne American stndard of living

Good facts, but not the whole story. A lot of the extra cost are CYA costs. You slip and hit your head. The doctor examines you, then orders a MRI just to be on the safe side. He does not think it is really necessary, but can't take chance on being sued if he is wrong. Or if you claim to have disabling headaches, even if untrue.

The same applies to physicals. Lots of tests run that should not be done unless there are symptoms that indicate further investigation is warrented. CYA.

The cost of CYA against lawsuits is probably two or three times what the lawsuits cost. Hey why not. The patients insurance pays for it. Not the doctor. So a doctor would be a fool not to order lots of tests. The patient thinks the doctor is very good.

Dan

Koz wrote:

What about the law practise that canceled some thousands of law suits when a judge found out that the same patients that had been in suits about asbestos were also in suits about some other lung disease?

What about the lawsuits about some compound used to preserve vacines, that was used as the basis for lawsuits about Downs Syndrome ( or some similar disease ). You are a Democrat. You know the lawsuits that made Edwards a millionaire. The fact that continued research proved there was no connection kind of stopped that. That and the fact that the companies stopped using the compound and the Downs Syndrome birth rate remained the same.

The Republicans are trying to hold down medical costs. The Democrats are protecting the Trial Lawyers that contribute so heavily to the Democratic Party. ( not to say that the Repbulicans don't accept contributions. They just don't get much from trial lawyers.)

Dan

Hawke wrote:

The same with breast implants. Now proven to not be an issue. Think all the Awardees will give Dow their money back?

"If thy pride is sorely vexed when others disparage your offering, be as lamb's wool is to cold rain and the Gore-tex of Odin's raiment is to gullshit in the gale, for thy angst shall vex them not at all. Yea, they shall scorn thee all the more. Rejoice in sharing what you have to share without expectation of adoration, knowing that sharing your treasure does not diminish your treasure but enriches it."

- Onni 1:33

======================= Why does it always have to be either/or. This is a typical bureaucratic ploy when they don't want to change something.

Close the border -- no new illegals. The first thing to do when you are in the hole is stop digging....

Then over a period of time, like 5years, phase out the current illegals, either through deportation or legalization.

The problem has take at least 30 years to get to this point, since the last amnasty, and will not be solved over night. 5 years is doable, ==>if the will is there.

I know that well. I had to have a vein in my foot replaced, they took a vein from my leg to do it. Now I'm uninsurable . Had to go to the "Risk pool" at double the rates. Blue screw aka (blue cross) was my ins co, that said I was uninsurable & I had to go with the TX risk pool. Now guess who the ins co is for the risk pool? Yep Blue Screw.. So now I'm paying $15,000 a yr just for me with $2500 deductible age

1. But wait blue screw counts my out of pocket expense as what they would pay. So when the DR charges me 0.00 & I pay him blue screw says they only allow 0.00 for that & I have met 0.00 of my deductible... So I'm getting screw & not even kissed first.

Reality check. Its the small business that hires the illegals. Fact.

I agree with the rest of your post, 100 %

Gunner

"If thy pride is sorely vexed when others disparage your offering, be as lamb's wool is to cold rain and the Gore-tex of Odin's raiment is to gullshit in the gale, for thy angst shall vex them not at all. Yea, they shall scorn thee all the more. Rejoice in sharing what you have to share without expectation of adoration, knowing that sharing your treasure does not diminish your treasure but enriches it."

- Onni 1:33

That was to let the ins companies off the hook so they could rake in more $$.

So what else is new... They are all thieves...

And...the number of doctors who get "kickbacks" from tests ordered is ever increasing...it's great business to send your patients for lab work to the lab you have a share in or the imaging center you invested in. Same with hospital employed doctors...they WANT to order extra tests up to the point where the insurance plan starts complaining....especially true of government plans that are rarely scrutinized. You maximize profits for your employeer by ordering tests as far as you can push the system.

Yes, the CYA may be a small part increasing costs but the major part is about profiteering, not CYA. Just to give an example that happened to my wife recently: simple foot x-ray at the clinic attached to (and owned by) the hospital...x rays sent to another clinic for reading (also owned by the hospital) who sent them back to the hospital where the x-rays were taken and read there....then back to the clinic who sent them back to the original hospital's clinic. Each layer added a fee. An x-ray that would normally cost about $ 100 bucks was charged off at $ 700, legitimately I might add because the hospital sent it hand to hand for other "services" involved (to it's own divisions under different names).

That's not CYA, that's profiteering ala` Enron.

Koz