Healthcare debate has me wrestling myself.
I find myself thinking and writing things I would never have thought of writing a few years ago. I love capitalism - shoot, my wife and I own a jewelry store. I love my country and believe the US is truly a land of opportunity - there is nothing I enjoy more than rags-to-riches stories.
How then can I actually think/write that we need to put a limit on what doctors, pharmacutical companies, and other healthcare companies/corporations can earn? I keep wrestling with this and I believe clarity is arriving slowly.
You can look at many different earning arenas in the US and see absolute wildness. Should someone who can play baseball/football/basketball really make 30 million a year? Should musical groups actually charge over a thousand bucks for a VIP seat at their concerts? Can a human being actually command several million dollars for pretending to be someone they aren't while acting in a movie that takes 3-6 months to complete?
So if Shaq can make 35 million a year playing roundball, what is the matter with some surgeon making 10 million a year performing operations? Derek Jeter gets 35 mill for baseball. so why can't drug company execs make millions, too?
Sports salaries are out of sight, but no one is making anyone attend a Yankees game. My family physician is not recommending that I attend a Jimmy Buffet concert with Inner Circle tickets in order to live longer or better. If we don't like the fact that ______ gets millions to make a movie, then we don't have to shell out the ticket price - but who cares, seeing or not seeing a movie is not going to prolong anyone's life.
Somehow the profit motive has got to be lessened when it comes to medicine. It just has to. We all need water to live - water is a public utility and the prices are regulated by the government. If private companies provided water (like they are starting to do in some other countries) we could get screwed every time we take a drink. Rates for electricity and heating fuel are regulated by the government - why not do the same for medical costs?
I am over 50 - my doctor strongly recommends that I get my colon scoped. Lots of fear inducing lingo is introduced into the conversation. This procedure is NOT covered by my insurance and could cost me upwards of $2,800 and the testing facility wants payment when the service is rendered. Almost three grand for a procedure that takes what - half an hour to an hour? So the provider can do 6-8 or more of these a day? 6 a day times 5 days a week times 50 weeks is 4.2 million bucks. BULLSHIT.
Sure, we can scream that trial lawyers are bringing silly lawsuits and walking away with millions. But capping what they can earn is no different than capping what some Butt doctor can earn or telling Phizer et al they have to GIVE AIDS meds to poor people.
It is time for a change. It can be done - other countries spend half what we do on healthcare and live longer, healthier lives than we do. It can be done.
How then can I actually think/write that we need to put a limit on what doctors, pharmacutical companies, and other healthcare companies/corporations can earn? I keep wrestling with this and I believe clarity is arriving slowly.
You can look at many different earning arenas in the US and see absolute wildness. Should someone who can play baseball/football/basketball really make 30 million a year? Should musical groups actually charge over a thousand bucks for a VIP seat at their concerts? Can a human being actually command several million dollars for pretending to be someone they aren't while acting in a movie that takes 3-6 months to complete?
So if Shaq can make 35 million a year playing roundball, what is the matter with some surgeon making 10 million a year performing operations? Derek Jeter gets 35 mill for baseball. so why can't drug company execs make millions, too?
Sports salaries are out of sight, but no one is making anyone attend a Yankees game. My family physician is not recommending that I attend a Jimmy Buffet concert with Inner Circle tickets in order to live longer or better. If we don't like the fact that ______ gets millions to make a movie, then we don't have to shell out the ticket price - but who cares, seeing or not seeing a movie is not going to prolong anyone's life.
Somehow the profit motive has got to be lessened when it comes to medicine. It just has to. We all need water to live - water is a public utility and the prices are regulated by the government. If private companies provided water (like they are starting to do in some other countries) we could get screwed every time we take a drink. Rates for electricity and heating fuel are regulated by the government - why not do the same for medical costs?
I am over 50 - my doctor strongly recommends that I get my colon scoped. Lots of fear inducing lingo is introduced into the conversation. This procedure is NOT covered by my insurance and could cost me upwards of $2,800 and the testing facility wants payment when the service is rendered. Almost three grand for a procedure that takes what - half an hour to an hour? So the provider can do 6-8 or more of these a day? 6 a day times 5 days a week times 50 weeks is 4.2 million bucks. BULLSHIT.
Sure, we can scream that trial lawyers are bringing silly lawsuits and walking away with millions. But capping what they can earn is no different than capping what some Butt doctor can earn or telling Phizer et al they have to GIVE AIDS meds to poor people.
It is time for a change. It can be done - other countries spend half what we do on healthcare and live longer, healthier lives than we do. It can be done.
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