[quote=livinincali][quote=SK in CV][quote=livinincali]
That’s exactly the point and why I don’t see the government ever fixing the health care issue in this country. We’re never going to get to single payer because it would create a massive recession in the short term. [/quote]
I don’t buy the recession thing. Wouldn’t happen. Health care jobs won’t disappear. Health care admin jobs won’t disappear. Both will increase. Dramatically.[/quote]
Well then you didn’t fix the cost side of the equation. Why is health care so expensive in this country. Most of the money spent is going into somebody’s pocket somewhere. If we’re spending 3 trillion per year on health care and change that number to 2 trillion via single payer or whatever mechanism you can come up with, that’s 1 trillion less dollars going into some person’s pocket. Yeah the economy will reallocate the jobs and spending over time but it won’t happen immediately. Health care spending is included in GDP. If I reduce health care spending dramatically via some solution or change then I’ve reduced GDP as well.
If what you say comes to pass and we increase the number of jobs in the medical sector how exactly will health care costs come down.[/quote]
Huge % of cost is in pharmaceutical and specialty cost.
Let’s say right now 5/10 patients with knee pain goes to the orthopedic surgeon directly. And orthopedic surgeon is charging $100 per visit instead of the $50 per visit at the generalist. If you force the 10 patients to all see the generalist, and only the one needing surgery is referred to the specialist, that would be a difference of $600 vs $750.
Now let’s say instead of 5/10 of these patients all getting an MRI, which is say $1000 (you got to pay the radiologist), only 2 of the 10 got the MRI, now the difference is $2600 vs $5750.
Next, let’s say 5 of the patients got a steroid injection at $30 each, vs the Synvisc injection at $300 each, the difference is now $2750 vs $7250.
FYI, Synvisc injections are not proven to help any more than steroid injections. Further more, most MRIs are done as therapeutic treatment of patient’s anxiety about their particular joint pain.
I can go on and on about the potential savings. Does changes like the above reduce income for the local orthopedic surgeon and radiologist, you bet, but they are not going to be in the poorhouse, that I can guarantee. But true impact on jobs would be minimal, except the drug company pusher that provides the free lunch and luxury box seat to the local sporting event, he or she will certainly get the axe.
