[Editing to say that this is something one of my friends sent to me as a JOKE! It is not intended to be taken at face-value. Hence the tag "humor". Comments may have drifted off-course, so we'll just pretend they are from a different post.]
I think the following story is a pretty good example of the differences you can expect in healthcare depending on who you are. What do you think; is this discrimination?
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Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.
The FIRST patient sees his family doctor after waiting three weeks for an appointment, then waits eight weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn’t reviewed for another week, and finally has his surgery scheduled for six months later.
The SECOND patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.
Why the different treatment for the two patients?
BOTH are in the United States.
The FIRST is a Senior Citizen.
The SECOND is a Golden Retriever.
It’s so sad when you see it like that.
Not for the golden retriever.
But yeah, it’s kind of crazy.
LOL! Lucky old dog eh? shocking really tho xx
Working in a vet clinic, I can see how true that part is anyway. I think I may go to them if I ever need minor surgery.
Wow, I guess I had better start seeing a vet for my next knee replacement.
Good idea! LOL
I’m just wondering why I’ve never met anyone who’s had to wait for surgery or any other doctors appt or surgery and where you get your information? Are you talking about people who have health care or people that don’t? OR, are you just joking around?
I tried to leave this post alone KNOWING I should act like an adult but I just got out of the hospital yesterday after receiving the best care I could ever imagine. Had I lived with my relatives in Canada, I’d still be waiting. Joan just said above also, she just had her knee replaced. I don’t think she had to wait for anything.
One question for you. Just why do you think or feel it’s up to anyone but you, to pay for your own health care. I feel that’s why we’re in the mess we are right now. Nobody wants to take responsibility for themselves and wants the government to pay for everything for us. Not me. I’ve worked to have health care as did all the immigrants in my family who came here back in the day LEGALLY. Nobody gave them anything for nothing and I think they were a lot better off. To many people think like this and want one hand out after another and nobody appreciates anything because it’s become the norm. Once somebody is paying for something for you, it gives them the right to tell you what you can have and more importantly, NOT have. Not thanks, I’ll keep working for my own.
Sorry. I tried leaving it but it was gnawing at me.
Holy shit; it was a joke sent to me by one of my vet tech friends. Chill.
Joy, I really am glad you had a good experience at the hospital, and I hope you are feeling better. I’m also glad that wherever you work offers you health insurance so that you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket for all of it. Even though I felt your comment was misplaced, I saw that you put so much passion behind it and felt that it deserved a thoughtful response, so here you go.
One question for you. Just why do you think or feel it’s up to anyone but you, to pay for your own health care. I feel that’s why we’re in the mess we are right now. Nobody wants to take responsibility for themselves and wants the government to pay for everything for us.
Health insurance exists to pay for your healthcare. We pay a premium to the insurance companies in order to have this. Therefore, the insurance companies, which are FOR-PROFIT corporations, get to make the decisions about what they are or are not going to pay for. I am not pro-government; I am anti “for profit” insurance companies.
Not me. I’ve worked to have health care as did all the immigrants in my family who came here back in the day LEGALLY.
Lots of people work and do not have health insurance. Healthcare should not be a luxury that only the rich can afford. It should be available to everyone. Your life or health is not more important than someone else’s just because you make more money than they do.
Nobody gave them anything for nothing and I think they were a lot better off.
Again, I’m not asking to give anyone something for nothing. I’m asking to make healthcare available and affordable for everyone. There are already options in place for the poor. We are ALREADY paying for those who cannot afford health insurance.
To [sic] many people think like this and want one hand out after another and nobody appreciates anything because it’s become the norm. Once somebody is paying for something for you, it gives them the right to tell you what you can have and more importantly, NOT have. Not thanks, I’ll keep working for my own.
What do you think health insurance companies do? They are the ones dictating who gets healthcare and who doesn’t, what they will pay for and what they won’t. They’ve built their empire by refusing to pay for treatments and medicine for those who need it most. This is how they make money! By refusing to pay for treatments, refusing to cover costs, refusing to take on clients with pre-existing conditions. Health insurance companies ALREADY control everything that you are worried about the government controlling. And they do it to make money off of people! This is not fair and it is NOT RIGHT.
That is true though – Animals get better care than humans! Unbelievable!
I work in a vet clinic, not a doctor’s office, so I can only vouch for one side of this!
I think you bring up some really good points Birdie, both in the post and the comments! After some of the debates I’ve been having with some friends on facebook, I was starting to think the whole country had gone crazy. Thank god someone else out there is on the same mindset I am, it makes me feel a little more sane. I hate the fact that insurance companies make money off sick people…it’s well, sickening.
People have been so quick to say that the government never does anything right, and that is so NOT true. If that were the case, we would not be the richest, most powerful nation in the world. I truly believe we can afford to take care of our own people, we simply cannot afford not to.
Thanks, Jen. I appreciate your comment. And you are right; we can afford it. Study after study shows how it will save us money in the long run. The average overhead cost of Medicare (a single-payer program already in place) is roughly 2 or 3 percent, far below the administrative costs of private insurers, which range between 27 and 40 percent. All the wasted money is going to administrative costs and marketing, and paying out enormous salaries for CEOs.
Here are seven health insurance CEOs who made the 2009 Forbes list.
– Ronald A. Williams, Aetna, $38.125 million
– H. Edward Hanway, Cigna, $10.27 million
– Stephen J. Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group, $5.035 million
– Angela F. Braly, WellPoint, $4.07 million
– Robert B. Pollock, Assurant, $3.14 million
– Allen F. Wise, Coventry Health Care, $2.6 million
– Michael B. McCallister, Humana, $2.39 million
The average for the six executives above, NOT INCLUDING Williams, the highest paid, was $3.93 million (That is approx. $31.29 per minute, assuming they are working every minute of every day. If they were working 40 hours per week it comes to $1,889.42 per minute.)
As a Canadian, you know exactly how I feel about this. My healthcare isn’t “handed” to me – I pay taxes, and they are well spent in return on a system that – by no means perfect – still allows me to go to the emergency room without thought if necessary.
For all those “hard working” Americans working to pay for their healthcare – what are you going to do if you lose your job through no fault of your own, when economic hardship causes downsizing? Are you going to be so supportive then of a system that then expects you to tell your children that you can’t afford to take them to the doctor for their cold? Or simply skip your yearly physical and pray there isn’t something there to worry about?
For such a developed country, it’s a poor commentary that most people can’t afford basic care. It’s an equally poor commentary that people seem to think it’s only illegal immigrants grabbing for basic care instead of honest families. Must be nice for those who can afford to get their excellent care AHEAD of people who’s circumstances are different and can’t afford a regular doctors visit nevermind a necessary operation.
Sorry, the joke was humorous, but the topic is not.
Thank you, Emerald, for your thoughts on this. I think you brought up some more good points! It seems that everyone from the countries that do have universal healthcare can’t understand why we would want to have private insurance, and I don’t either. I don’t see why so many people are fighting so hard to make sure the Insurance companies stay rich, and I don’t understand the sense of entitlement some US citizens feel because their circumstances are better than some. I agree the topic is not humorous, which is why I put the disclaimer to pretend the comments are from another post. I think this started because of my video posts.
Wow. Just. Wow.
What are you referring to?
LOL – I thought the second person was going to be a United States Senator:)