Want to know why health care in the USA is so expensive and getting more so.
Greed and corruption.
I nursed in several hospitals in Florida for over 5 years and the things that went on to overcharge patients and heath insurance companies is terrible.

Example:
85yo patient brought to emergancy room via ambulance (with great heath insurance) with complaint of dizziness.
Upon examination found to have slightly lowered blood pressure.

DX: Decreased LOC. (level of conscioudness)

Doctors orders:
1. Admit patient to telemetry floor (patients on tely unit can have MORE tests ordered than if admitted to med/surg floor)
2. Put patient on telemetry monitor.
3. Insert saline lock (just in case any IV fluids need to be adminstered.
4. Blood workup.
5. Electrocardigram.
6. Cat Scan.
7. Neurological consult.
8. Neuro checks every hour.
9. Vitals every 4 hours.
etc,etc,etc.

With a little bit of investigation turns out patient forgot to take her/his blood pressure medication. Patient after all is 85 years old and a little forgetful at times.

After 2-3 days all tests come back negative (which is usually the case) patient discharged with recommendation to see family doctor in 10 days.

Meanwhile cost to insurance company is approx 15 to 20 thousand dollars for the 2-3 days stay in hospital.

However, in private hospitals, doctors are expected to order tons of tests. It is a business, after all. The hospital needs to make a profit and the doctors will get to keep their contracts.

The high cost of this hospital stay is passed on to the consumer, the ones who may never enter a hospital (or visit a doctor very often) but still needs health care insurance, just in case.



Example:
85yo patient brought to emergancy room via ambulance (with NO heath insurance) with complaint of dizziness.
Upon examination found to have slightly lowered blood pressure.

Doctors orders:
1. Admit patient to telemetry floor, for observation
2. Put patient on telemetry monitor.
3. Insert saline lock (just in case any IV fluids need to be adminstered.
4. Blood workup.

If this happens to be a private hospital once patient is stable sent to community hospital or sent home.
But of course patient will be seen by case worker before release to see how patient will be able to pay hospital bill.
Arrangments made for payments.


Very unbalanced system.

Someone on the board said earlier
"Yes, lets be like canada where you wait 7 months to get an MRI to see if you have brain cancer."

I say bullshit. Where do you live?

Last year I went to my doctor because I felt a lump in my breast.
My doctor ordered a mammogram. His secretary called the hospital for an appointment. I was given an appointment for the very next morning because it was diagnostic and not selective.

Oki. I'm done now.

I love it when Diglet's mom goes away for the weekend and no one's around to give him his meds.
:1orglaugh

Canada is great!

Nope. All hmo's are doing it and from my experience the welfare people get better treatment..

It took 15 years for a doctor to finally treat me for allergies and agree that I had asthma.

Took about 15 years for a doctor to give my husband a MRI and found his tumor.

Doctor's get a kick back when they don' t refer patients for tests and don't refer patients to specialists.Now days, it takes a rebel Doctor who cares more about their patients and will fight the system to get anything done.

back when I had an HMO, I got all the tests I needed in a week. MRI for my knee, Xrays and other scans another time (same day for those)

I think you're an exception. in Canada, its the rule.

some people just don't know how big the pharmacy business here in the us is. Many doctors get bribes to prescribe a companies medicine instead of the competing company.

My political :2 cents: is that bush and kerry are both douches, and people should vote libertarian :thumbsup