You want to know part of the reason your heath care cost what it does...

[Bigerik]

Originally Posted by doucanoe

I think you may think have a tendency to wonder how accurate you belief is if you were in the biz or married to one who is intimately involved with the process. The world is full of hypochondriac's and drug seekers. We've created most of them.

I was in the biz. Know it well.

[doucanoe]

Originally Posted by Bigerik

I was in the biz. Know it well.

No kidding. In what capacity, Erik?

[Bigerik]

Ran a staff of private care nurses. We provided additional care, over and above what the staff of a hospital, nursing home, etc. Could give. If you had the bucks, you could get as much care as you wanted. 24/7 if that is what you felt you needed. This was over and above the standard care at the hospital. We didn't replace the hospital care we just added to it.

[doucanoe]

My mother in law who just turned 80 is moving into a progressive living community and pretty excited about it. Keeping up the house by herself is just getting to be a little too much for her.

It's a nice deal really. When she eventually needs help, it will be available to her. If she needs a lot of help, she will just move into a different part of the facility.

For now, it's just a nice 860 sq-ft apartment/condo. She a retired city Librarian with a pension and a little money tucked away. I hope I'm fortunate enough to be in that position when I'm that age.

[Combwork]

Originally Posted by Bigerik

As an aside, loving in the land of "free" health care, aside from a small group I am sure, people don't do weekly trips to the doc just because they can. Going to the doctor is as much fun here as anywhere else, so going is something most people still avoid doing.

That being said, the big difference is that people are more likely to go for medical care more quickly if they actually need it. People get treated quickly before things get serious and they need a more expensive trip to the hospital.

Not surprisingly those who fought hardest against the NHS were the consultants. In a very clever move, part of the deal was that in exchange for giving their services to the NHS, they got free access to the high tech stuff for treating their private patients.

A number of doctors were in favor of the NHS on the grounds that treating a condition when symptoms were first noticed was a lot more likely to it being cured than waiting until friends and relatives could stump up the money.

I'm not being factious. Families spending their life savings plus whatever they could borrow only to be told that it was too late did the reputation of the local doctor a lot of damage.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by doucanoe

My mother in law who just turned 80 is moving into a progressive living community and pretty excited about it. Keeping up the house by herself is just getting to be a little too much for her.

It's a nice deal really. When she eventually needs help, it will be available to her. If she needs a lot of help, she will just move into a different part of the facility.

For now, it's just a nice 860 sq-ft apartment/condo. She a retired city Librarian with a pension and a little money tucked away. I hope I'm fortunate enough to be in that position when I'm that age.

Hah, I just turned 80 back in December 2010, maybe that's why we keep getting all these invitations in the mail for assisted living homes. They end up in the recycle box.

[wgrr]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Few if any plans, including Medicare, pay for preventative healthcare, i.e., yearly checkups. After I moved down here I went about 16 years before seeing a doctor. Now I still do not go yearly since having someone goose me is not my cup of tea.

We got our flu shots yesterday and I commented to the pharmacist, $1158 a year for a flu shot is kind of pricy don't you think.

Wow, that is a rip off.

My wife recently was in the hospital for a few days. They would not let her bring in her medications she takes every day. The hospital pharmacy had to provide the medications at around $60 a pill. That is six times more than a full months prescription for one of them.

[doucanoe]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Hah, I just turned 80 back in December 2010, maybe that's why we keep getting all these invitations in the mail for assisted living homes. They end up in the recycle box.

Ah, your just a kid, Rob. You don't need no dang assisted anything


RC

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Charles

There's a bunch of truth to what you say.

I've seen several instances where having good insurance was a death sentence.

Then there is my Dad, who has been a drooling vegetable for several years, but every time he's at death's door, they manage to bring him back to drool some more. At taxpayer's expense.

Chas

Yes, I remember you discussing your Dads situation. My family faced the same choice, but arrived at a different decision. It's a very, very tough thing to do. Believe me, I know.

In our case, Mom went gracefully, according to her wishes.

Dad wasn't so graceful. He decided it was time.......told his nurse, "You try to put those pills in my mouth, they'll end up in your ass." I guess he went according to his wishes too.

Dave

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by wgrr

Wow, that is a rip off.

My wife recently was in the hospital for a few days. They would not let her bring in her medications she takes every day. The hospital pharmacy had to provide the medications at around $60 a pill. That is six times more than a full months prescription for one of them.

Well that is what each of us pays per year for Medicare Part B. The only time I ever actually charged summat to Medicare was for two cataract operations. We don't bother with Part D as the donut hole makes it a loser in Florence's case and I don't take any prescription drugs. I suppose I could ask the doc for summat for arthritis but when I read the ads the side effects sound worse that the disease.