Medicare premiums jump a record 17%

The do I care? I wish they would just get rid of medicare altogether.

I think you would care when you need it. Right now no one is seeing their pay go up because any increase in salary is offset by increases in health care. Health care costs rise at a much faster rate than inflation, and there is no reason for it except for greedy medical companies.

[quote name='ZarathosNY']I think you would care when you need it. Right now no one is seeing their pay go up because any increase in salary is offset by increases in health care. Health care costs rise at a much faster rate than inflation, and there is no reason for it except for greedy medical companies.[/quote]

You couldn't be more right! Health care providers are using the same medical technology we were using in 1797!

You know how inexpensive it is to reuse needles?

^^ Good One !

Also, the doctors are losing their shirts in the courtroom.

Plus, you shouldn't be reading such a biased rag during election season.

[quote name='The-Bavis']Also, the doctors are losing their shirts in the courtroom.

Plus, you shouldn't be reading such a biased rag during election season.[/quote]

Sorry, but that is not true. Malpractice payouts have been going down, not up.

[quote name='CTLesq'][quote name='ZarathosNY']I think you would care when you need it. Right now no one is seeing their pay go up because any increase in salary is offset by increases in health care. Health care costs rise at a much faster rate than inflation, and there is no reason for it except for greedy medical companies.[/quote]

You couldn't be more right! Health care providers are using the same medical technology we were using in 1797!

You know how inexpensive it is to reuse needles?[/quote]

So somehow other countries can rate higher than us in terms of lifespan and birth weight of kids, yet spend less money on healthcare than us. We get the worst return on money spent on healthcare than in other industrialized countries.

[quote name='ZarathosNY']
So somehow other countries can rate higher than us in terms of lifespan and birth weight of kids, yet spend less money on healthcare than us. We get the worst return on money spent on healthcare than in other industrialized countries.[/quote]

Healthcare does matter somewhat for those two things (lifespan and birth weight) but there is a lot of other issues that affect them more, to blame just healthcare would be ridiculous.

[quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='ZarathosNY']
So somehow other countries can rate higher than us in terms of lifespan and birth weight of kids, yet spend less money on healthcare than us. We get the worst return on money spent on healthcare than in other industrialized countries.[/quote]

Healthcare does matter somewhat for those two things (lifespan and birth weight) but there is a lot of other issues that affect them more, to blame just healthcare would be ridiculous.[/quote]

It's not ridiculous to blame healthcare. This is what healthcare produces. These issues are directly related to healthcare in this country.

[quote name='ZarathosNY'][quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='ZarathosNY']
So somehow other countries can rate higher than us in terms of lifespan and birth weight of kids, yet spend less money on healthcare than us. We get the worst return on money spent on healthcare than in other industrialized countries.[/quote]

Healthcare does matter somewhat for those two things (lifespan and birth weight) but there is a lot of other issues that affect them more, to blame just healthcare would be ridiculous.[/quote]

It's not ridiculous to blame healthcare. This is what healthcare produces. These issues are directly related to healthcare in this country.[/quote]

And nationalizing 1/7th of the US economy will make it all better?

I guess we will be re-using needles shortly.

CTL

[quote name='ZarathosNY'][quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='ZarathosNY']
So somehow other countries can rate higher than us in terms of lifespan and birth weight of kids, yet spend less money on healthcare than us. We get the worst return on money spent on healthcare than in other industrialized countries.[/quote]

Healthcare does matter somewhat for those two things (lifespan and birth weight) but there is a lot of other issues that affect them more, to blame just healthcare would be ridiculous.[/quote]

It's not ridiculous to blame healthcare. This is what healthcare produces. These issues are directly related to healthcare in this country.[/quote]

I said to blame JUST healthcare, it'd be quite unfair. Yes healthcare matters when it comes to things such as those, but so do a number of other enviromental, social and cultural issues. I guess all I'm saying is don't make it sound as though if we had some kind of uber-healthcare plan Americans would live to an average of 110 and there would be no premature, low weight births.

I'm not going to pretend I know the numbers of others countries and what not, but if we as Americans changed out lives in a number of other areas without changing healthcare you'd probably see an increase in our lifespan and healthier babies when compared to other counrties as well.

Yes this is a great concern. Medicare needs some serious reform. 50% of the Medicare funds are used when people are in the last 6 months of their life. I think all to often people are kept alive by machines when they don't have a fighting chance.

[quote name='Darthrook']Yes this is a great concern. Medicare needs some serious reform. 50% of the Medicare funds are used when people are in the last 6 months of their life. I think all to often people are kept alive by machines when they don't have a fighting chance.[/quote]

Yeah, they should just kill them and get it over with.