Healthcare Reform Fraud?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Healthcare Reform in a nutshell seems to go like this –

The US spending anywhere from 16-18% of GDP for healthcare and we don’t cover everyone.

In other countries, they spend from 4-8% of GDP.  A few global places I’ve read, suggest a budget of 8%.

Why does the US spend so much more?  Are we greedy?  Are we inefficient?  Waste?  Fraud?  Abuse?  Illegal aliens?

Or, are we subsidizing the rest of the world?  Pre-existing global redistribution?

What about tort reform?  Why do the current reform efforts ignore tort reform?  I seem to recall that some states, and many other countries have some kind of limits.

Why doesn’t the US?  Why does US healthcare have to give out a blank check?

How much would Tort Reform save?  30%?

How much of our GDP goes to lawyer and lawsuit costs?


How can anyone compare US healthcare with any other worldwide?  It’s apples to oranges.

How can they call it Healthcare/Insurance/other reform if they don't include robust tort reform?

jmho

[WhiskeyGirl]

From another thread -

I was in the car the other day and heard a story about stolen H1N1 vaccine.  Someone stole two vials, and it was estimated they cost $3,000.  Each vial contains 10 doses, making each dose cost $300 or $150.

There were 10 doses of the vaccine in each vial, at a value of about $3,000. The vaccine was intended for health care workers and was kept in an unlocked refrigerator.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_swine_flu_vaccine_stolen.html

Another story I found puts the cost at $2,000, or maybe $100 or $200 per dose.

Who’s making money on this vaccine?  I can’t imagine the Chinese vaccinating their population for H1N1 at $300 or even $100 a dose.
I did a little research.

50 million doses at $300 each would cost $15 billion dollars.  50 million doses at $20 would cost just $1 billion dollars.  Where is the money coming from?

How many doses did Obama order?  How many did he give away? 

”H1N1 Vaccine To Cost Countries $2.50 - $20 Per Dose”

The H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine will cost countries between $2.50 and $20 per dose, based on their ability to pay, according to the director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research at the WHO, Marie-Paule Kieny, Agence France-Presse/Khaleej Times reports. During an interview published in the September issue of the WHO Bulletin, Kieny "also warned that there would not be enough vaccines for the world's population and that people should not rely entirely on the vaccine," the news service writes (9/2).
"Kieny stressed that it was neither possible nor necessary to vaccinate every person against the H1N1 flu, which has killed some pregnant women and people with other diseases such as diabetes but caused manageable flu symptoms in most patients," Reuters writes. "We should not be 'hypnotized' by vaccines," Kieny said. There are other measures, such as social distancing, school closure, avoidance of large gatherings, antibiotics and personal hygiene," she said, adding, "This is not like rabies, which is 100 percent fatal. We are talking about a disease from which most people recover very well" (MacInnis, 9/2).

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/162998.php
The US is the globes largest debtor nation.  We ran out of money and hope a long time ago.  At just $2.50 a dose, 50 million doses would cost just $125 million dollars.

Who’s profiting at the expense of Americans?  Where are the billions really going?  Why does this look like a blank check from taxpayers, and windfall profits for some drug company?  Maybe it’s not the drug company, but some middleman?

Are Americans addicted to healthcare?  Maybe this a is a new religion, a cult of healthcare spending?

jmho

http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=d8f35c992004e07b45940add79be7e14&topic=6509.0

The prices of indigenous vaccines would be in range of Rs 50-100, in contrast with imported ones which cost Rs 300-400.

Price for imported H1N1 vaccine in India?     6.61768 USD -   11.0294 USD

Price for indigenous Indian vaccine?  1.10294 USD -   2.20589 USD

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Indigenous-H1N1-vaccine-by-March-Katoch/articleshow/5421716.cms

How much does an American pay per dose?   $150?  $300?

http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html


How much are America’s healthcare costs inflated due to ‘ability to pay’?

How much less would America pay if the H1N1 cost just $1.11 per dose?

Why do American’s keep paying more? 

Global wealth redistribution?

Fraud?

[WhiskeyGirl]

From my own experience -

A prescription I use is about $72 a month with my health insurance plan.

The same prescription, using Walgreens drug plan is about $52.

Price from Canadian pharmacy?  $30.

That's a $42 difference!!!

Why?

Americans are wealthy?  Americans need to pay more so others can pay less?

An American rip-off?

Why aren't Americans paying $30?

How much does someone from India pay?

India and China have boatloads of money.  The US is bankrupt!!!

A fraud?

For some reason, Healthcare Reform doesn't seem to address drugs - except to give the seniors some kind of discount, and if they can't afford the $3 copay before the donut hole, how can they afford 50% off of a $100 drug?

How much less would the national healthcare bill be if drugs were repriced at the prices Canada or India pays?  Excluding those drugs that aren't on either list?

Why should Americans be forced to pay for all the new designer drugs?

The US is bankrupt.

How much of our GDP goes for drugs?  Why isn't the drug cost being addressed?

[WhiskeyGirl]

The Healthcare Reforms I've seen reallocate resources/ration care, increase taxes, but do not save any money.

How can you save money if you don't address the cost American's pay as compared to other countries?

Ever look at your itemized hospital bill?  I wonder how much a Canadian health insurance is billed for a bandage?  A bed pan?

How much of the Canadian or Dutch bill goes to pay malpractice insurance?

How can you cover more people for less, when you don't address the problems of tort reform, drugs, and other items?

Doctors, like insurance companies, seem to be maligned as 'greedy'...

[WhiskeyGirl]

How much of America's GDP would healthcare consume if Americans were given the same price advantages as healthcare consumers/national plans?  Canada?  India?

If you had procedure and price tables available for comparison...what would America's bottom line look like?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Nancy said our Christmas gift from the House "it's paid for"...

Why are they arguing about taxes?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Feingold ignores corrupt process

Merle Lebakken | Posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 11:20 am | No Comments Posted

In Saturday’s State Journal, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold defended his vote for the Senate health care bill. What he didn’t defend was the immoral and corrupt process that will leave it forever tainted.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid doesn’t have authority himself to buy votes.

So where did Sens. Feingold and Herb Kohl stand on the payout and the process in which it was decided behind closed doors?

Transparent windows are of no value if the shades are drawn.

— Merle Lebakken, Stoughton

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/mailbag/article_5d9656c6-0068-11df-b08a-001cc4c03286.html

[WhiskeyGirl]

Sen. Feingold turned deaf ear to 97.5% at Listening Session

By Kyle Prast
Jan. 13, 2010 

Monday, Senator Russ Feingold held a Listening Session at WCTC in Pewaukee. The lecture hall was packed by the time I got there, standing in the hall room only! I asked the security guard how many people the room held. He replied, about 350, plus the people standing at the sides and seated in extra chairs. There were maybe 30 more outside in the hallway. The guesstimate was over 400.

At first some thought the room was packed with Obama supporters, but as the questions were asked, it became clear from the response that most people were against ObamaCare. Just how many would be affirmed later.

Listening Q: Why aren't you and your colleagues listening to [us?]
BIG APPLAUSE

We don't want this & resume Q: The majority of people don't want this but it's being shoved down our throats...without transparency, you and Obama promised transparency. We are fed up and you better get your resume ready! (See video clip below)
BIG APPLAUSE

A: Feingold said something like I vote according to what I hear.
BIG Boos
He then said something about how You've got transparency.
Again, BIG negative response from crowd.

What is Feingold listening to?  What is he hearing?

Her Constitutionality Q: You took an oath to support the Constitution...the Senate bill mandates coverage...Under what part of the Constitution [does it say] to purchase [health] insurance, and don't say the Commerce Clause...

A: Feingold hedged but finally said something like, I have to think it's probably Constitutional.

I used to respect Feingold for his stance on constitutional issues – it was something to be proud of…

Imperfect bill Q: Woman, At what point will you not vote for these bills? Why did you vote for the Senate version if there are 100's of things wrong?

A: Feingold makes excuses, If you fill the doughnut hole, that's a good thing. You never get a perfect bill.

Diversion?  Why didn’t he answer the question?

One particularly interesting one was that Feingold claimed the Senate bill "would require people in Congress to have the same kind of insurance as the rest of us. He said he wouldn't vote for the bill if it didn't and he got booed hard. No one believed him," from ResistNet.com

I can't help but think if just 1 of the 60 senators who voted for the Senate version would now state they are not supporting the final version, that others would bail too. At this point, all I can do is pray that happens and call the senators again! Senator Russ Feingold: Milwaukee (414) 276-7282, Washington D.C. 202) 224-5323.

more here - http://www.brookfieldnow.com/blogs/communityblogs/81295937.html