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Dr.Sack

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    Charlottesville

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted · Edited by Dr.Sack

    I've read through this entire thread and I'm not shocked by the lack of support for these far right Confederate Nazi southern racists led by Richard Spencer.

     

    As de-industrialization and the economic policies of neoliberalism have forced many of us to leave Western NY to pursue a middle class lifestyle, many of us have ended up south of the Mason-Dixon. Anyone with a Buffalo or Western NY accent is quickly greeted with passive aggressive terms such as 'Yankees', 'War of Northern Aggression' or worse 'carpet-bagger'. In the south they see President Lincoln as a great imperialist and conqueror.

     

    As someone who lived many years in the south it never ceased to amaze me when I was asked where I was from. Literally it was a daily part of life. Never did a black person ask me, always the white people. There is an expectation in the south that when you move there you conform to that society, say things like "y'all, fixing to, bless your heart." Many neighbors didn't say the N-word by used more modern disparaging terms like 'the hoods' in referring to black people in our subdivision or 'plantation' as they are all called in the south.

     

    Now I live far from the south. In the years since moving I've never been asked where I'm from or made to feel uncomfortable because my ancestors fought for the Union in the Civil War against traitors.

    Charlottesville

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted

    Trump's senior policy adviser Stephen Miller is affiliated with white nationalist and protest planner Richard Spencer. They went to Duke University and were involved in some shenanigans while on campus.

     

    The key ideology of the Alt-right is white men are victims. The Confederate statue being taken down was a symbol of their victimhood. The irony is while they chant how they are 'true Americans' they are holding the seditious flag of the Confederacy. The irony is palpable.

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted

    So, all we have to do is regulate what doctors, hospitals and pharm charge and voila, the problem is solved?

    We negotiate fair prices and invest in the next generation of healthcare, in terms of education and R&D.

     

    The American system has costs that other single-payer nations don't have. Hospitals & doctor offices here have 4x the billing staff due to complex insurance coding. Insurance companies operate on a 20-30% overhead (profit), this money doesn't go into care. Medicare's overhead is in the single digits.

     

    So there are cost savings due to the government being able to negotiate prices with Pharma & directly with hospitals & physicians. It works in Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, South Korea & the U.K..

     

    Another reason costs come down is the risk pool expands to the entire country. If we had one insurance company and mandated everyone pay into it, and that insurer had monopoly control of the market it would work in a similar way in terms of price negotiation with doctors and Pharma. I'm not advocating for a single-payer / private for profit insurer system just saying in theory it would function similar in terms of price discovery.

     

    As far as expanding our national investment into healthcare I think we should do that. Make healthcare a much bigger priority. Make public college free including up to doctorate level. Dramatically invest in the next generation of doctors and nurses, and biologists. That leads to the next generation of doctors and innovation.

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted · Edited by Dr.Sack

    Doc Brown, I'm curious your thoughts on trade and banking. In particular the role of financial institutions in our economy being that they compromise 30% of our GDP by most estimates. Also monopolies. Where are you on them? Teddy Roosevelt 'trust buster' or 'free market' extraordinare. Last Bail Outs. Where do you stand on this issue. Suppose we incur another financial collapse. Do you believe in the B word?

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted · Edited by Dr.Sack

    What's the rate for accepting new Medicare and Medicaid patients? Why is that different than accepting private insurance patients?

    Medicare and private insurance acceptance are virtually the same. Moving to a universal system, would mean that all payments would come from the Medicare system. In most countries private for profit hospitals do not exist. The system is designed to serve the people, not enrich healthcare administrators and bureaucrats.

     

    The more important point is lowering costs. Medicare would negotiate prices directly and as the single insurer would end the grotesque price inflation in our healthcare system. Also right now Medicare is not allowed to negotiate drug prices. That would come to an end. The key is lowering costs and covering everyone.

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted

     

    For you, yes, I have only one "line of attack."

     

    Because that's all that's needed. Everything you post can be accurately and concisely refuted by pointing out that you're an idiot.

    Come on Tom. Be a man. Engage in some real debate. Throw some figures on here with links and case studies, showing us how a Libertarian free market approach would be so much better than universal healthcare. And while your at it, show me the country that has implemented this healthcare system.

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted

    I'm not disagreeing with you on spending, but why bring up populations %?

    We spend $9,000 per capita on healthcare, and rank #27 in healthcare. We far outspend any other country by any measure when it comes to healthcare.

     

    We still have 28,000,000 uncovered, and Trumpcare could have expanded that to 52,000,000.

     

    We have to spend so much on military to "protect" our citizens, but when it comes to healthcare which I'd argue is more important, we just can't find the political will? Something is messed up in our nation.

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted

    You presented no facts to debate. That's what makes you an idiot.

    You are an idiot because you have one line of attack. That means you are an idiot.

    Doctors accept some Medicare patients. Sort of like some lawyers will do some pro bono work. Drs. can't survive if all their patients are on Medicare just as lawyers couldn't survive if all their clients were pro bono.

    Physicians accept 93% of Medicare patients, 94% of private insurance. Did you click the link?

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted · Edited by Dr.Sack

    Have you given any thought about why some doctors will not accept Medicare patients? Or why some doctors limit Medicare patients? Why is that? Do you realize that they need the people that pay full retail to make up for the people on Medicare/Medicaid that don't even pay wholesale?

     

    Most doctors accept Medicare. 93% to be precise. Apparently 7% of doctors can afford to be more selective in their clientele. I would assume that would continue after implementation of a universal healthcare system.

     

    http://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/primary-care-physicians-accepting-medicare-a-snapshot/

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted

     

    [This is an automated response.]

     

    1icr79.jpg

     

    Created by DC Tom-bot, beta version 0.11.

    D.C. Tom, resorting to name calling instead of debating on the merits of facts since 1996.

     

    But I'll ask that DC Tom two questions.

     

    Question 1, do you use "socialist" programs Social Security & Medicare? If yes, why?

     

    Question 2, name one country where a free market Healthcare system exists?

    Medicare For All?

    in Politics, Polls, and Pundits

    Posted

    Every worker in the U.S. pays 1.45% into Medicare.

     

    Medicare polls at 78% positive favorability.

     

    Over 60% of Americans now support Medicare For All.

     

    The median American household income is $56,516. That's $820 a year already to Medicare.

     

    That same household is paying $450 a month in employer sponsor insurance, or $5,400 a year while their employer pays the other half. These costs are before prescription drugs, doctor visits, copays, or deductibles. That's $5,850 before additional medical expenses. Healthcare Savings Accounts, are you F'ing kidding the average Joe The Plumber?

     

    If we went to Medicare For All at 5% that family would pay $2,750 with no other expenses. And their employers would save on the the cost of administering & paying for the other half of their employee healthcare.

     

    This is a no brainer and would make American business more competitive with the rest of the industrialized world. Don't fall into the tired socialist cliches. Medicare For All is the answer.

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