re: What is Healthcare's future?

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What do services cost? Nobody can answer that. If cost were not so convoluted, there could be competitio

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It's difficult to calculate COGS when there are so many areas playing a part in your care. For just a routine PCP visit you have the scheduler, the referral coordinator, the insurance verification, check in/out, the medical assistant, and the physician. The MA/Physician are part of the care cost, the scheduler and check in part of the administrative cost, the referrals and insurance verification are part of the regulatory costs.

Then add in regulatory costs for Meaningful use, PQRS, MIPS, MACRA, credentialing and licenses, and on, and on, and on...

Costs are convoluted b/c they are weighted across too many damn variables. There is never a true answer that isn't specific to one practice/hospital/facility. It could cost alot more to see one patient at one facility VS another simply b/c of variances in management, operations, and scale.

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Does a stone protocol CT cost $350 or $2300? Which is it?

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Same issue as above. How much did the machine costs? When does the machine loan mature? What is the facilities overhead? How are the facilities payer contracts? Is the facility obtaining referrals/precerts or is the referring physician doing it? What is the facilities ideal margin?

That is very oversimplified. There is care that is routinely provided that is know to be futile. Unfortunately many family members lack the insight/education to understand....and let's face it, at times of extreme stress it is hard to be educated. For instance a stage 4 pancreatic cancer pt with mets to brain and bone in the ICU should not have a pacemaker or defibrillator implanted.

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Yeah,20/20 hindsight. you kill them in what you think is the last 10 days, but in truth they may have lived another 2 years. But its not a life, right? its an old person....kill him.

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What she is talking about are where family demands to save their obviously dying older family member no matter what. Not even taking in consideration the quality of life that family member will have in those last days. She is talking about taking very expensive, heroic measures to keep that person breathing and their heart beating...usually in the form of them being on a ventilator and being pumped full of numerous meds. But in the long run...all it does is prolong the inevitable.


It isn't "killing" the person like assisted suicide or euthanasia....for the patient would die without the medical measures taking. It is simply being able to recognize when enough is enough. It is why it is soooo important for people to make their wishes legally documented (DNR, living will, etc)...AND make sure family know these wishes and respect them.


Just because the technology exists to prolong a life...doesn't always mean it is the best ethical choice to use it. If I was clearly dying...I would hope my family would respect my wish to be able to die in peace and just let me go...and not hold my body hostage to ventilators and IV drips and violent resuscitation attempts days, weeks, months on end. At that point...I've already accepted my death and with my religious beliefs...at peace with it and just ready to go to my permanent home.

I am addressing the "future" not present. that is how the future agrument against healthcare for the elderly will be framed. It seems drastic now, but so did mass abortions for convenience sake 20 years ago. In 20 years the elderly will be, by in large, killed and the majority will agree.

Dude you need to remove your tinfoil hat

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In 20 years the elderly will be, by in large, killed and the majority will agree.

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Honestly wouldn't be against it.

I've always wondered why we even let people with somewhat contagious and life threatening diseases live.

If you kill everyone with AIDS wouldn't that ultimately eliminate it for good?

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Ok Hitler

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Lol no, Hitler was trying to eliminate a religious group of individuals who were no threat to the public.

If you think AIDS and HIV are no threat to the world population then you would be incredibly wrong.

Also, will you answer my question? If you kill everyone with HIV and AIDS, does it eliminate one of the most feared sicknesses in the modern world?

No decrease in consumer cost, ever increasing prices. Has always been and always will. And don't scream Obamacare. Covers pre-existing conditions and more people covered. More coverage = , emergency room free rides.

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Nope

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Honest question, can you explain why?

I'm not a medical professional.

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he also killed those mentally challenged and physically handicapped

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Once again, none of that threatens the human population.