Impeding changes to our Health Care system

[sugarpop]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I'm not sure if you're asking us or the government to address these issues, but I can answer the second one for you: once someone is insured, even if it's against their will initially, they can now go to a normal family doctor for their sore throat instead of the ER. This will save huge amounts of money right off the bat, because a family clinic simply does not cost as much to run as a hospital. Hospital resources are wasted on non-emergency treatments, and that's a cost that the rest of us subsidize one way or another. What's more, when someone is insured, they are more likely to go in for preventive care and early checkups of symptoms, and thus may never need the emergency surgery they would have required if the disease sat until it could no longer be ignored. We all save the cost of that surgery, too.

They have also been talking about rewarding doctors for preventative treatment on patients so they don't end up with more costly disease treatments later on. I think that is a great idea. If you can get a patient to quit smoking or lose weight, that should be an incentive for the doctor. Preventative medicine will help lower costs a LOT, IF we can shift the stinking thinking in this country.

I'm also hoping *fingers crossed* that somehow the whole issue of how food is grown in this country is brought into the debate. The movie Food, Inc. comes out this month, and that is a HUGE problem in this country that adds to health care costs. The food itself is unhealthy. Obesity is huge problem, and there are many problems that go along with that. Also, many people who aren't fat are still not FIT, and that means they are unhealthy and that also causes health problems.

Another thing that is a major problem is the cost of care in the last few months of life. We need to find a way to reduce those costs.

A couple of thoughts, I know someone said something about this earlier, but the cost of executive pay in the insurance industry is one reason why costs are so high. I imagine the reason why insurance companies turn down so many claims is because they have to in order to keep their executives living high on the hog. And so people who have been paying for insurance end up in bankruptcy or losing their life savings or their homes because their claims are denied. Add to that the cost of advertising, something the government doesn't have to do, and that is another way how costs would come down. (No inflated salaries, no advertising costs.)

Here is a list of a few executive salaries for 2006-7 (you know they are even higher now): ANNUAL COMPENSATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY EXECUTIVES (2006 and 2007 figures):

• Ronald A. Williams, Chair/ CEO, Aetna Inc., $23,045,834
• H. Edward Hanway, Chair/ CEO, Cigna Corp, $30.16 million
• David B. Snow, Jr, Chair/ CEO, Medco Health, $21.76 million
• Michael B. MCallister, CEO, Humana Inc, $20.06 million
• Stephen J. Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group, $13,164,529
• Angela F. Braly, President/ CEO, Wellpoint, $9,094,771
• Dale B. Wolf, CEO, Coventry Health Care, $20.86 million
• Jay M. Gellert, President/ CEO, Health Net, $16.65 million
• William C. Van Faasen, Chairman, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3 million plus $16.4 million in retirement benefits
• Charlie Baker, President/ CEO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, $1.5 million
• James Roosevelt, Jr., CEO, Tufts Associated Health Plans, $1.3 million
• Cleve L. Killingsworth, President/CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3.6 million
• Raymond McCaskey, CEO, Health Care Service Corp (Blue Cross Blue Shield), $10.3 million
• Daniel P. McCartney, CEO, Healthcare Services Group, Inc, $ 1,061,513
• Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
• Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
• Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751
• Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
• Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
• Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751
http://www.slate.com/discuss/forums/post/2446099.aspx

(How many freaking CEOs does Blue Cross Blue Shield have anyway I wonder?)

Insurance Company CEO Compensation 2006-2007
Insurance Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
2007 Total Compensation 2006 Total Compensation

Aetna Ronald A. Williams $23,045,834 / $19,802,476

Cigna H. Edward Hanway $25,839,777 / $21,014,486

Coventry Dale B. Wolf $14,869,823 / $13,034,126

Health Net Jay M. Gellert $3,686,230 / $6,066,913

Humana Michael B. McCallister $10,312,557 / $5,798,613

UnitedHealth Group Stephen J. Hemsley $13,164,529 / $15,549,028

WellPoint Angela Braly (2007)
Larry C. Glasscock (2006) $9,094,271 / $23,886,169
http://www.insurancecompanyrules.org...tion_2006_2007


I'm afraid this won't get done because Obama is cowtowing to the very same people who have held up health care reform for the past century. Really, if republicans and the AMA and insurance companies had such great ideas on how to fix it, how come they haven't done anything? In my opinion they shouldn't get to have any input. Now they are using scare tactics, just like they have in the past, crying socialism. It worked in the past. I PRAY it doesn't work now. If we don't get it done, then the system will spiral even worse out of control than it is now. People here love to say we have the best system in the world, and they're right, IF you have money, or if you're lucky enough to have good insurance form your job. but even if you have good insurance, it isn't a guarantee that you will get the care you need. They can always deny your claim. Which they do a lot more often that most people realize.

Personally, I think we should base our system on France's system. France has the best system in the world, while we are number 37.