By the way, I would absolutely go on FOX and say just about anything required to keep my job to earn what Brazile is most likely earning. Never put me in power!
Yep, that is just about the way it works with the Democrats that Fox pays to be on the programs. I watched Brazile yucking it up with Hannity. It's like they are hired to patriot the mantra, while being cordially tolerated like an unfortunate of the community. She spouts the stuff, like Socializm isn't bad, Medicare for all is a right. All without any meat to support it. Like, the last time I checked, there wasn't a Doctor in my town that was taking in anymore Medicare patients. Many places like this all over the country but Hannity doesn't ask her to explain how this would be fixed when the whole town is on Medicare? I loved to hear her support for the basic income right. Like the $1000 dollars a month for all currently supported by several Dem Presidential candidates. $1000 a month! Many grandmothers around the Nation on SS don't get that much today. I am sure they too would love the increase, but is that how it would work? The Grandmothers that worked for years to earn their SS would now get the same income as their 18 year old grandchildren that skipped the pay in period? Hannity didn't ask Brazile. Too hard maybe, she is just there to be a likable Democrat.
That doesn't seem like such a hard question. If everyone is on Medicare, doctors will either take Medicare, or not have any patients. I think it is only one, Andrew Yang. Maybe I missed someone though. That also doesn't seem too hard. This would be separate from SS. barfo
She's probably excited because now Fox will be reluctant to break news about her unethical political practices.
Not necessarily. Concierge physicians practices are on the rise. These doctors limit their practices to roughly 1/2 to a 1/4 of the normal doctor/patient volume and charge their patients an annual fee, generally between $1,200 – $3,000, although some fees can be as high as $10,000. No insurance is used for most normal doctor's clinic services, which reduces the red tape for both patient and physician that is typically associated with going to the doctor. Obviously, this kind of practice is not for the poor, but it's an example of how the market evolves to changing conditions.
Isn't that pretty much the same concept as insurance? Except that instead of an insurance company taking the risk, it's a group of doctors (hopefully a group, since no doc is a specialist in all things) taking the risk? I'm not objecting to it, but I don't see it as addressing Marzy's point about what happens when everyone is on Medicare. barfo
All the doctors are going to move to either Canada or England where they can still speak English but get paid less.
I think it's increasingly likely that more doctors will go that route in the future, which will reduce the supply of doctors available to those who would be covered by Medicare for All. I went to the doctor around the first of the year for a simple office visit. The bill was around $150 and Medicare cut the payment to less than half of that. Assuming that's the norm, I can see why doctors are currently reluctant to take on new Medicare patients. If everyone was covered under a national Medicare for all plan, I think you'd see an increase in concierge-type practices concentrating on better and quicker service to a reduced patient clientele for an annual fee. A lot of people who have the money are going to want the improved service, and that would reduce the pool of doctors who are willing to handle the caseloads of an expanded base of patients under a national program. I think over time, there would be an adjustment as, presumably, more doctors come out of med schools to handle the increased demand, but it could be an ugly transition period.
The best neurosurgeon West of the Mississippi takes Medicare. The heart transplant doctors at OHSU take Medicare. The Casey Eye Institute takes Medicare. All of my doctors and all of my wife's doctors take Medicare. My ambulance service, Metro West, takes Medicare, American Medical ambulance service takes Medicare. I have yet to meet a doctor who doesn't take Medicare. St. Vincent hospital takes Medicare. Now, finding a doctor who takes Champ VA is another matter.
I fully support doctors cutting out the middleman, but I'm skeptical this idea is really going to take hold. If the doc is really going to take 1/4 to 1/2 as many patients, he'll have to make twice to four times as much per patient to have the same income. While the doc will be recapturing money that goes to the insurance company, I'm not sure that insurance company costs are that high, and if not then the patient will be paying more. Plus the doc will have new overhead in managing the risk and the contracts. barfo
I'm sure that the cost will be higher, but you'll actually be able to get in and see the doctor in a reasonable time period. I think a lot of people will be willing to pay for that assurance. I don't think that the doctors are assuming that much risk. I think that the contracts will be limited to office visits, not to any hospital or specialist services. No idea how much of an impact upon the system it will have, but reports like this are kind of scary regarding the number of GPs available under the current system. In a capitalistic system, short supply generally means someone is going to find a way to charge more for a better product.
Hunh? You think a physician having to handle the needs of 4,000 patients is preferable to one where he's only tending 1,000 to 2,000?
Isn't high cost of healthcare already the biggest issue? Agreed, however, that there is some subset of people who can afford to pay more. Ah. Well, that makes it very much a luxury item, since you'd have to have buy it on top of insurance. And/or increase the supply / find substitutes. barfo
