A lot has been said about health care reform but I think the biggest statement came this week when it was announced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that more than $55 billion dollars was spent on baby boomer health care in 2007.
Another interesting finding in this report is the fact that nearly one-third (29.0 percent) of hospital stays for baby boomers were elective. Procedures that were more likely to be elective, such as knee replacement, back surgery, spinal fusion and hip replacement, had the highest rates among privately insured patients aged 55-64.
What wasn't addressed in this report, and what I believe is a key factor, are the number of needless elective surgeries baby boomers undergo like: liposuction, breast implants, facelifts, etc.
There is no doubt in my mind that we need health care reform and I am personally sick of the media giving credence to these "staged" town hall meetings where people are complaining about government interference. Sadly, some people are being "spoon fed" a bill of goods and are getting all riled up without really knowing or understanding all of the facts. If you trust the word of a Glenn Beck, then I know you're clueless because he's not even a bonafide journalist. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
If you want to get riled up about something, get mad at the government for not cracking down on the cheaters in the insurance industry. Get mad because the pharmaceutical companies are causing your medication to be triple the cost. Get angry about the number of needless and ridiculous referrals some doctors make on behalf their patients--and then turn around a bill medicare some outrageous fee. If I have a back problem, why send me to a neurologist?
Get mad at your government because you can no longer wait for them to clean up the waste and fraud.
Or is this really a black man being President???
3 comments:
You've got my vote for healthcare reform! It amazes me how people can believe such claims as "death panels" etc. We are, after all, the only developed country in the world to not provide universal healthcare for its citizens. That's got to stand for something!
My dad worked every day for over 50 years. He paid his taxes, gave to charity, encouraged his children to serve their country since he couldn't. And we became elderly and in poor health, had to depend on his children or he wouldn't have been able to afford the medication he needed to keep him alive and functioning. Do we need health care reform? What do you think?
Two things, if I may.
One, the first thing you mentioned is elective surgery, and those things don't contribute to health care costs because, since they're elective, insurance doesn't cover it anyway.
The second thing is what came out last week about the health care plan that was offered up by Senator Baucus. I have major problems with that one, not the least of which is the "fine" people who decide against getting insurance for themselves will have to pay. That's just insulting.
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