tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566036031670722613.post5698821754793704513..comments2018-11-06T00:48:53.265-08:00Comments on Graph of the Week: Health Care Costs - Part 3, "Why You Are Paying More"Patrick Rhodeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874894005290887213noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566036031670722613.post-21911494889514549802012-08-12T21:36:14.328-07:002012-08-12T21:36:14.328-07:00Bayes -
Thank you for your insightful comments. ...Bayes - <br /><br />Thank you for your insightful comments. I had not seen the comparison to the air transportation system - that would be an interesting read. Having worked in the medical field for quite a while (no longer), I concur with your assessment about the price of software. That being said, some of the open source stuff, while free to 'buy', can sometimes cost a great deal of money in support (free as in puppies, not beer) - but I get your meaning.dezert1https://www.blogger.com/profile/01201701558271990438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566036031670722613.post-83503193408888114742012-08-10T20:25:44.026-07:002012-08-10T20:25:44.026-07:00At the same time, the healthcare system is the mos...At the same time, the healthcare system is the most baroque, insular, overpriced, and overstaffed system. While malpractice insurance is high, that is not only due to rewards demanded by juries, but as much by doctors who refuse to "rat" on doctors they know are incompetent. Also, the degree of information technology penetration in medical records is minimal, also among medical insurers. They throw roadblocks in the way of its advancement. This permits big medical software companies to charge outrageous amounts for software. There has been open source software for physicians practices and hospitals available for years, but no one wants to use it. Insurers, for one, won't accept the forms these produce, even if the same insurers have agreed to "standardize" on a few forms. <br /><br />The medical system itself does not learn from mistakes. The comparison with the air transportation system, as has been made, is instructive. Every accident is investigated. In England, autopsies and inquests are required. In the United States, they are rarely done, and there is no way to feed back information to doctors. <br /><br />It is no surprise that such a system, where people expect excellent care, costs so much. There is no feedback mechanism to control it.Jan Galkowskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07636706072515906253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566036031670722613.post-4215814399060382792012-07-22T19:31:17.182-07:002012-07-22T19:31:17.182-07:00Robert -
Thanks for your comments. While I do no...Robert - <br /><br />Thanks for your comments. While I do not agree with your assessment, I would be interested in knowing what you think are the causes for rising health care costs.dezert1https://www.blogger.com/profile/01201701558271990438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566036031670722613.post-54509899953641677532012-07-22T19:24:09.685-07:002012-07-22T19:24:09.685-07:00Hasan -
Thank you for your enlightening comments...Hasan - <br /><br />Thank you for your enlightening comments. Perhaps the U.S. will take a peek across the pond for new directions in health care.dezert1https://www.blogger.com/profile/01201701558271990438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566036031670722613.post-19570518533053419922012-07-21T15:12:42.198-07:002012-07-21T15:12:42.198-07:00Per your final question, rising healthcare costs a...Per your final question, rising healthcare costs are a worldwide problem and they are being addressed in different ways. <br /><br />Certain places, such England, have instituted co-pays for healthcare and boards to decide whether a treatment is cost-effective for an individual. Yes, these are Mrs. Palin's death panels. However, the focus of the NHS is wellness and not profit, like it is in the United States. <br /><br />In the Netherlands, all insurance companies are non-profit by law. Premiums are €100/month by law for all, regardless of age, employment, gender, sexual-orientation, smoking status, and the other ways that US health insurers discriminate. There is no NICE as all insurance providers are privately-owned.The Prolific Programmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09631681950518688098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8566036031670722613.post-41813454142435814392012-07-20T06:26:44.231-07:002012-07-20T06:26:44.231-07:00The worst example of post hoc ergo propter hoc I&#...The worst example of post hoc ergo propter hoc I've seen a long time.<br /><br />First, no analysis of which vectors of doctoring saw the increase. Second, no mention that the Right Wings incubus, large awards, barely moved over the time period and are a vanishingly small part of awards. Third no analysis of how much of health care costs are accounted for by malpractice awards (these folks did: http://www.justice.org/cps/rde/justice/hs.xsl/8686.htm ). In all, the insurance lobby couldn't have asked for more.Robert Younghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09056808374481236610noreply@blogger.com