The perfection of government run health care ...

[suedonimn]

As if privately run hospitals don't suck.

I know of one who didn't feed a stroke patient for 2 days because the patient couldn't talk because of the stroke and the hospital expected her to call and order her meals. No one informed a family member of this either or they would have called and ordered the meals for her. They thought the meals were brought automatically. The family thought she was getting fed and when they found out she wasn't.......

It was a privately run hospital who was billing at double cost for "out of network" insurance.

If you base your argument on Human error... you defeat yourself. This type of example is not a good one to use. I will explain. Human error will happen no matter what system of health care we have public or privatized, what changes is your ability to file for malpractice. You will have no recompense, because it is a public service and not private business. We all know when dealing within the realm of the state or fed, 9 times out of 10, they win the case, the same is not true when dealing with private business.

 

[misshestermoffitt]

So in 48 hours, not one human who was being paid to do a job noticed that the job wasn't being done?

way to make excuses for them.

No nurse ever noticed a lack of food trays being delivered?

Nurses are supposed to chart a patients food intake and waste output. In 48 hours not one food intake note was made on the chart and nobody else noticed?

Nobody in the kitchen noticed that the one particular room hadn't ordered a meal in 48 hours?

The nurses and doctors all knew she couldn't talk yet not one of them checked to see if she was being fed?

It makes me wonder if they've ever had a patient starve to death there.

That adds up to a whole lot of humans committing not only errors, but just plain not bothering to do their job.

 

[suedonimn]

So in 48 hours, not one human who was being paid to do a job noticed that the job wasn't being done?

way to make excuses for them.

No nurse ever noticed a lack of food trays being delivered?

Nurses are supposed to chart a patients food intake and waste output. In 48 hours not one food intake note was made on the chart and nobody else noticed?

Nobody in the kitchen noticed that the one particular room hadn't ordered a meal in 48 hours?

The nurses and doctors all knew she couldn't talk yet not one of them checked to see if she was being fed?

It makes me wonder if they've ever had a patient starve to death there.

That adds up to a whole lot of humans committing not only errors, but just plain not bothering to do their job.

I am not making excuses for anyone, I am giving you a REASON. That mistake would have been made no matter what because as you said "a job was not done, and NOBODY noticed (not nurses, doctors orderlies, or any visitors and family members). If you read what I typed, what you lose with public health is culpability and recompense, there is no none to blame(legally) and no legal recourse, plus you still need to pay for the reduced medical cost and burial of your family. In a private system you have culpability, you can blame the hospital, take legal action get the medical bill, funeral, and any compensation agreed upon by both parties. Nothing can be done about gross negligence, it affects us all, but when the state or fed are involved... well when was the last time they took responsibility for a "mistake", and that is what the government run hospital will tell you. "We made a mistake we're sorry, NEXT!"

 

[medicineman]

I am not making excuses for anyone, I am giving you a REASON. That mistake would have been made no matter what because as you said "a job was not done, and NOBODY noticed (not nurses, doctors orderlies, or any visitors and family members). If you read what I typed, what you lose with public health is culpability and recompense, there is no none to blame(legally) and no legal recourse, plus you still need to pay for the reduced medical cost and burial of your family. In a private system you have culpability, you can blame the hospital, take legal action get the medical bill, funeral, and any compensation agreed upon by both parties. Nothing can be done about gross negligence, it affects us all, but when the state or fed are involved... well when was the last time they took responsibility for a "mistake", and that is what the government run hospital will tell you. "We made a mistake we're sorry, NEXT!"

Actually there is compensation paid for medical malpractice in most 1st world countries. They just eliminate the lawyers and the exhorbitant payouts. When you take the greed out of medical, the treatment gets better. The Doctors actually can concentrate on caring for the patient instead of the bottom line. Most countries with single payer medical offer incentives for students to be doctors, above the free schooling they recieve. When they become Doctors, there is no atrocious debt to be paid back for their schooling. The average doctor in Britian makes about 250K in dollars. The specialists make more and the family doctors make less, but the pay is way above the average citizen.
Also, for those with fat wallets, there are doctors that are off the grid that one can spend his cash on.

 

[misshestermoffitt]

No in a private hospital you don't have as much recourse as you think you do.

If you want to get your tubes tied, the doctor won't do it unless you first sign a form stating that if he screws up and you get pregnant, you can't sue.

If you have a problem with a bill, you can't get an answer, if you call the billing department and question a charge or a need for a procedure that you didn't authorize the ONLY answer you get is "I can't answer that, I'm not a doctor". They will not do anything futher. They won't check it out, they won't ask the doctor. There is no way to fight it. You can refuse to pay, that's about it.

You can be a woman and stay in the hospital and get billed for the urinal being on the wall in the bathroom. Even though you aren't phsycially able to use a urinal, they have to bill you because it's in the room.

How much do you think they're making per year on urinal fees alone? It's sad when they can remember to bill you for a urinal you didn't use but they can't seem to get a food tray for you. I bet they billed for those meals that were never received as well.

A woman on Clark Howard this morning called in because she was in delivery giving birth to twins and the doctor called in an assistant to help. A month later she gets a notice from her insurance stating that they won't pay the assistant bill because he was out of network. Now tell me, should a woman in the throes of childbirth have to stop everyone who enters the room to ask them what network they are part of?

What if you are in an accident and you are knocked out and can't ask every doctor or tech. what network they are a part of?

Something needs to be done to protect the people from these giant corporations that make their own rules. They don't tell the doctors "you can't use anyone who is out of network because we won't pay" They just let the patient take the hit on it.

 

[TheBrutalTruth]

No in a private hospital you don't have as much recourse as you think you do.

If you want to get your tubes tied, the doctor won't do it unless you first sign a form stating that if he screws up and you get pregnant, you can't sue.

If you have a problem with a bill, you can't get an answer, if you call the billing department and question a charge or a need for a procedure that you didn't authorize the ONLY answer you get is "I can't answer that, I'm not a doctor". They will not do anything futher. They won't check it out, they won't ask the doctor. There is no way to fight it. You can refuse to pay, that's about it.

You can be a woman and stay in the hospital and get billed for the urinal being on the wall in the bathroom. Even though you aren't phsycially able to use a urinal, they have to bill you because it's in the room.

How much do you think they're making per year on urinal fees alone? It's sad when they can remember to bill you for a urinal you didn't use but they can't seem to get a food tray for you. I bet they billed for those meals that were never received as well.

A woman on Clark Howard this morning called in because she was in delivery giving birth to twins and the doctor called in an assistant to help. A month later she gets a notice from her insurance stating that they won't pay the assistant bill because he was out of network. Now tell me, should a woman in the throes of childbirth have to stop everyone who enters the room to ask them what network they are part of?

What if you are in an accident and you are knocked out and can't ask every doctor or tech. what network they are a part of?

Something needs to be done to protect the people from these giant corporations that make their own rules. They don't tell the doctors "you can't use anyone who is out of network because we won't pay" They just let the patient take the hit on it.

That's a problem with Insurance not with Health Care.

Health Care is NOT Health Insurance

(Which is why I don't have Health Insurance)

If I need Health Care, I'll pay out of pocket, there is no logic in me subsidizing everyone else, when if I put the money I'd waste on Insurance away it'll still be there if I need it.

Who knows, maybe another Major Insurance Company will go belly up, taking all the premiums paid and making them vanish while not providing the coverage that the premiums were paid for.

And I'm not trusting the government with more of my money. They've already shown that they have no responsibility, no brains, and a complete and total lack of understanding for economic principals.

 

[suedonimn]

No in a private hospital you don't have as much recourse as you think you do.

If you want to get your tubes tied, the doctor won't do it unless you first sign a form stating that if he screws up and you get pregnant, you can't sue.

If you have a problem with a bill, you can't get an answer, if you call the billing department and question a charge or a need for a procedure that you didn't authorize the ONLY answer you get is "I can't answer that, I'm not a doctor". They will not do anything futher. They won't check it out, they won't ask the doctor. There is no way to fight it. You can refuse to pay, that's about it.

You can be a woman and stay in the hospital and get billed for the urinal being on the wall in the bathroom. Even though you aren't phsycially able to use a urinal, they have to bill you because it's in the room.

How much do you think they're making per year on urinal fees alone? It's sad when they can remember to bill you for a urinal you didn't use but they can't seem to get a food tray for you. I bet they billed for those meals that were never received as well.

A woman on Clark Howard this morning called in because she was in delivery giving birth to twins and the doctor called in an assistant to help. A month later she gets a notice from her insurance stating that they won't pay the assistant bill because he was out of network. Now tell me, should a woman in the throes of childbirth have to stop everyone who enters the room to ask them what network they are part of?

What if you are in an accident and you are knocked out and can't ask every doctor or tech. what network they are a part of?

Something needs to be done to protect the people from these giant corporations that make their own rules. They don't tell the doctors "you can't use anyone who is out of network because we won't pay" They just let the patient take the hit on it.

That is ridiculously lazy, I have been through this with my friend and with an exgirlfriend. Always get an itemized bill, you have to make an appointment with the hospital, sit down and go over exactly what was done during your procedure. Yes per procedure there are automatic charges base on past process of that procedure, not all apply to your particular procedure. For instance my friend had a meal in hospital, he asked for a toothpick(which are provided for free at the cafeteria counter) they brought 3 and charged him $7, that charge we got dropped. Also band aids, he had been charged $30 for band aids, which not a one was ever used, but procedure called for the charge, that was dismissed... after all was said and done his bill was mostly covered by his insurance and he paid only $168 on top of his copay. He was in the hospital for three months. If the lady would have pointed out that she clearly had no penis, and therefore could not have possibly used the urinal, the hospital would have dropped the charge.