Why US Healthcare is so messed up. (1 Viewer)

[nolaswede]

Went to a doctor for my back problem. He told me what it was, said I needed to strenthen it and gave me a presciption for muscle relaxer. Swung by the pharmacy and its $100 for a small bottle. I told them no way and they came back with a different one for $12. Unbelievable.

He told me I had to come back for a 2nd visit and he spent 30 seconds and said I was fine. That was the easiest few hundred $ he ever made. I'm never going back there that's for sure.

 

[St.Fury]

This is true. They are even behind new conditions (listed above), that give them even bigger markets. But people like their drugs. People want their zpack for their cold. They come to the doctor for vomiting once. They want antibiotics for their kid with fever. And it's in the doctor's interest to keep them happy (they get a customer, and the patient will go to a different doctor if they don't comply). Plus, the doctor might as well over treat and overdiagnose, since the doctor doesn't want to get sued.

Health insurance was not intended for people to go see a doctor for every little cough, sniffle, upset stomach, etc. it's intended purpose was for when these types of things persist or when there is a major accident or illness. Seeking medical attention for minor things that can be treated by a visit to your local pharmacy causes health insurance to go up. It isn't the only thing, but it is definitely part of it.

 

[2009ring]

One thing that bothers me in particular:
Drug companies can advertise/push their drugs through the media to consumers without any input from a doctor. That's messed up.

I can't green thumb this post enough. The doctor should be the one recommending the drug to the patient, not the other way around.

And why do drug companies spend money on Super Bowl ads and sponsoring Nascar races? Who do you think is paying for that?? ---- hint: insurance companies and ultimately consumers

 

[FLIPPY]

This......

7. Choice to Die - I feel that we, as a nation, spend entirely too much money on the care of irrecoverably indigent patients, and that euthanasia should be a legal option if granted in powers of attorney and a Living Will. I’ve seen too many middle-aged or older people spend their entire savings keeping elderly parents on life-support for years beyond the point when recovery was medically viable. People with strong feelings on healthcare should have to spend time in ICU wards and nursing homes, watching withered old people sit paralyzed in their own feces, fed by tubes because their vegetative minds can no longer operate their contracted and atrophied hands.

It’s a hard thing to look at, but it’s even harder, for me, to defend the right to keep someone in this cruel condition, especially at the cost of the taxpayer. I have notices in my Living Will dictating the removal of life support in that situation, as do most of the people I know. And I think that’s the biggest thing about people’s thoughts on healthcare: a volume of experience changes you, and the longer you’re in the field, the more pragmatic you become.

and this....

8. McDonalds – Well any fast food for that matter. Some of us eat it daily due to it being cheaper, faster to eat, and more easily consumed from any location. The mentality of eating this type of food is slowly destroying our country. It causes American’s to gain weight, become stagnant, which in turn increases the risk for heart disease and other debilitating diseases. The overall effect is that these diseases are preventable and if kept in check, could lower the cost of healthcare premiums for everyone.

Will we change, probably not; will we get fatter and sicker? Yes…. So unless we make it illegal to eat badly, we will be drowning soon in our own disgust.

 

[Old Paint]

Main problem I see is people are not required to have health insurance, (i.e. pay into the system) but everyone is entitled to the services (i.e. their "Free" health care cost the ones that do pay)

I really don't like the idea of forcing people to buy anything, altho we are forced to buy car insurance, home insurance etc.. but the alternative is to leet those with no insruance die in the streets, or hopefully their familty or communities can help cover the cost. (Not likely since everyone has their own problems). So the real choice is force people to pay for insurance, knowing they will need the services at some point, or continue letting millions of people suck from the system with out helping to cover the cost and making afforadablilty for the paying population all the more unsustainable.

I choose make all pay, but insurance compainies and health care providers have to hav etheir feet put to the fire to reduce cost/preimums.

It can be done we just have to fine someone who is will to stand up to the "big Buisness" of healthcare. Providers/Insurance/Pharm

 

[BIG E]

Doctors. I know of two situations with me personally that shows the games they can play. I once had a cyst on my knee, probably an ingrown hair. I go see this female doctor and she hands me a script for antibiotics and tells me to come back in a few weeks if it is not better..

There's your problem, you shouldn't have went to a OB/GYN for a cyst on your knee.

 

[RazorOye]

This is true. They are even behind new conditions (listed above), that give them even bigger markets. But people like their drugs. People want their zpack for their cold. They come to the doctor for vomiting once. They want antibiotics for their kid with fever. And it's in the doctor's interest to keep them happy (they get a customer, and the patient will go to a different doctor if they don't comply). Plus, the doctor might as well over treat and overdiagnose, since the doctor doesn't want to get sued.

This was my experience in Houston and Toronto when it came to prescriptions.

Houston:

"Doc, I had a panic attack and am dealing with some high anxiety issues."
hands me Lexapro and lorazepam

"Doc, my blood pressure is a little high. I'm getting concerned. What can I do about it?"
hands me a beta blocker

"Doc, my gut just isn't feeling right. Is there anything I can do?"
hands me dicycolmine and lomotil

"Doc, this indigestion is killing me. It's keeping me up at night. What change can I make?"
hands me Prevacid and, later, Nexium

"Doc, my cholesterol is getting up there. What can I do about it?"
hands me Crestor

So I was paying for 6-8 prescriptions per month. And I really wasn't feeling at that great, still.

Fast forward to getting to Canada - my first consult with the doctor at UT:

Toronto

Doctor: "Well, I see you're from Lake Charles. YOu couldn't have been that healthy to begin with. And you're taking a lot of prescribed medicines. Tell me what the problems are..."

"Doc, I had a panic attack and am dealing with some high anxiety issues."
"Let's see about getting you off those medications. I'm going to refer you to a therapist about the anxiety - let's see if we can get it under control without those drugs."

"Doc, my blood pressure is a little high. I'm getting concerned. What can I do about it?"
"You're going on the DASH diet. Here's a book. No reason to be taking medicine for this. You're young and probably can control this with what you put in your mouth.

Also, get of your *** and do something. Lots to do here, no reasons to be a lazy ****."

"Doc, my gut just isn't feeling right. Is there anything I can do?"
"Yea, stop eating crap. Until you get your diet under control, I have no way of knowing what the real problem is - or if there is one. Change what, when, and how you eat. Here's how.... Then we'll see if you need these meds anymore."

"Doc, this indigestion is killing me. It's keeping me up at night. What change can I make?"
"I'm certain this is caused by what you are eating and when. Ease up on the spice, Emeril. And not so late at night."

"Doc, my cholesterol is getting up there. What can I do about it?"
"Don't take statins unless it's absolutely necessary. Eat better. Exercise more. Lose some weight. Get out and enjoy the new city. The weather here right now is much better than in Lake Charles."

End result:
take zero prescriptions, regularly. Easier on the body and the pocketbook. Lost 65 lbs. Ran my first 5k. Blood pressure dropped from 155/115 to 118/67. No cholesterol issues. No gut or indigestion. The only thing I'll take is a lorazepam in order to stave off the odd panic/anxiety attack. I average about 8 1mg pills per year.

I appreciated that he was honest and frank with me - it really made me look at myself. How I looked and what I was taking. And ask myself...

Why?

I didn't like the answer and decided to do something about it.

It's a different kind of "drug free" but i've been drug free for about 6 years now.

#worthit

 

[dtc]

Main problem I see is people are not required to have health insurance, (i.e. pay into the system) but everyone is entitled to the services (i.e. their "Free" health care cost the ones that do pay)

I really don't like the idea of forcing people to buy anything, altho we are forced to buy car insurance, home insurance etc.. but the alternative is to leet those with no insruance die in the streets, or hopefully their familty or communities can help cover the cost. (Not likely since everyone has their own problems). So the real choice is force people to pay for insurance, knowing they will need the services at some point, or continue letting millions of people suck from the system with out helping to cover the cost and making afforadablilty for the paying population all the more unsustainable.

I choose make all pay, but insurance compainies and health care providers have to hav etheir feet put to the fire to reduce cost/preimums.

It can be done we just have to fine someone who is will to stand up to the "big Buisness" of healthcare. Providers/Insurance/Pharm

Did someone hijack your account or have you always supported Obamacare?

 

[RazorOye]

and just for comparison - before and after.... for however long they stay up:

 

[Zack Lee]

and your new self is leaning over lovingly toward your old self. That is another healthy sign.

question: Do you think that the US can ever even come close to that and how many years of growing pains do you think it would take.

 

[Devildog]

and just for comparison - before and after.... for however long they stay up:

Dude, you were awesome in those Pizza Hut commercials.

 

[2009ring]

Here's one that chaps my butt - pharmaceutical companies "inventing" new diagnoses as diseases or syndromes so they can get their pill marketed. Here's a great example. Can't remember the drug company or the medication, but their radio ads state that it's for people that suffer from "shift work disorder." Really???? George Carlin would have a field day with this. Now I'm either really tired or I can't sleep because I works nights, and it's suddenly a disease known as "shift work disorder" that I have to get my Dr. to give me a prescription for?? Really??

 

[Old Paint]

Did someone hijack your account or have you always supported Obamacare?

I wouldn't say I support it, but I wouldn't say I oppose it either. In actual life things are rarely one way or the other, There is a middle way, unfortunately today in politics it has to be either liberal or conservative. One side refuses to accept the other because it is the other side, even the "so called" compromise is not really compromise, it's agreeing to do nothing. There are parts of this plan that are good and should be implemented, there are parts of this plan that are not good and should be abandoned and there are parts that are not so good, but due to the currents and prospective future situations must be implemented.

Politicians say what they say but any thinking person must know that there are problems and things must change. Anyone that says they will not cut government spending, or anyone who says they will not raise taxes is not being honest about the situation we are in. All options have to be on the table or that person is not serious about the job at hand.

That’s where Bush Sr. got himself in trouble and that’s where I think Romney is getting himself in trouble. Obama is in trouble too, but as a politician, it's better to be in trouble "IN" office than to be in trouble trying to get "IN" office.

 

[BHM]

This was my experience in Houston and Toronto when it came to prescriptions.

Houston:

"Doc, I had a panic attack and am dealing with some high anxiety issues."
hands me Lexapro and lorazepam

"Doc, my blood pressure is a little high. I'm getting concerned. What can I do about it?"
hands me a beta blocker

"Doc, my gut just isn't feeling right. Is there anything I can do?"
hands me dicycolmine and lomotil

"Doc, this indigestion is killing me. It's keeping me up at night. What change can I make?"
hands me Prevacid and, later, Nexium

"Doc, my cholesterol is getting up there. What can I do about it?"
hands me Crestor

So I was paying for 6-8 prescriptions per month. And I really wasn't feeling at that great, still.

Fast forward to getting to Canada - my first consult with the doctor at UT:

Toronto

Doctor: "Well, I see you're from Lake Charles. YOu couldn't have been that healthy to begin with. And you're taking a lot of prescribed medicines. Tell me what the problems are..."

"Doc, I had a panic attack and am dealing with some high anxiety issues."
"Let's see about getting you off those medications. I'm going to refer you to a therapist about the anxiety - let's see if we can get it under control without those drugs."

"Doc, my blood pressure is a little high. I'm getting concerned. What can I do about it?"
"You're going on the DASH diet. Here's a book. No reason to be taking medicine for this. You're young and probably can control this with what you put in your mouth.

Also, get of your *** and do something. Lots to do here, no reasons to be a lazy ****."

"Doc, my gut just isn't feeling right. Is there anything I can do?"
"Yea, stop eating crap. Until you get your diet under control, I have no way of knowing what the real problem is - or if there is one. Change what, when, and how you eat. Here's how.... Then we'll see if you need these meds anymore."

"Doc, this indigestion is killing me. It's keeping me up at night. What change can I make?"
"I'm certain this is caused by what you are eating and when. Ease up on the spice, Emeril. And not so late at night."

"Doc, my cholesterol is getting up there. What can I do about it?"
"Don't take statins unless it's absolutely necessary. Eat better. Exercise more. Lose some weight. Get out and enjoy the new city. The weather here right now is much better than in Lake Charles."

End result:
take zero prescriptions, regularly. Easier on the body and the pocketbook. Lost 65 lbs. Ran my first 5k. Blood pressure dropped from 155/115 to 118/67. No cholesterol issues. No gut or indigestion. The only thing I'll take is a lorazepam in order to stave off the odd panic/anxiety attack. I average about 8 1mg pills per year.

I appreciated that he was honest and frank with me - it really made me look at myself. How I looked and what I was taking. And ask myself...

Why?

I didn't like the answer and decided to do something about it.

It's a different kind of "drug free" but i've been drug free for about 6 years now.

#worthit

So US doctors get kickbacks from drug companies and Canadian doctors get kick backs from therapists and local food vendors.

On a side note, now that you are Dr. Oye, do you ever go see yourself?

 

[jbourque]

One thing that bothers me in particular:
Drug companies can advertise/push their drugs through the media to consumers without any input from a doctor. That's messed up.

Doesn't bother me, the internet is great for researching drugs, their effectiveness and side effect profiles. Consider many pharmaceutical sales representative influence physicians to prescribe their drug by over-sampling, free lunches for the staff and by creating revenue streams for the physician by engaging them to speak to other physicians on their behalf through expensive dinner programs.

Going into a physician office as educated as possible is important. If the consumer does their due diligence and researches beyond the television commercial they will find numerous blogs of individuals who have nothing to gain other than trying to help someone from their personal experience.

Now, I have also heard that pharma companies employ professional bloggers to reinforce the efficacy of their drugs but you can normally sense the biased opinions. In short, as long as physicians can be influenced......do your homework.

Then, there is the other side of the coin where Pharma companies had their wings cut and are limited by how they can influence a physician to prescribe their product. In 2009 the Pharma guidelines were passed which strictly outline how physicians can interact with pharmaceutical companies. This was an effort by pharmaceutical companies to police themselves before they were federally regulated. So, the pharmaceutical company goes directly after the consumer. I've also heard physicians say nothing is more frustrating than when a patient feels he/she knows whats best for them.