OT: Health Care Bill - long reply

[Guest guest]

All I have to say is if you think health care is bad now, just wait. It will

become just like what you describe below at every hospital in America. I know

personally how the Europeans run their " free " government run health care. I've

sat in crowded Dr's offices all day just to see a doctor and if they don't get

to you, you go back the next day

 

My BIL was having symptoms of a heart attack but first he had to make an appt to

see his Dr. , then he was given a script to go to the better ER that was 1 hour

away, the next morning no less, after they admitted him they found that he had a

3 blocked arteries and had to be transfered 3 hours away to Lisbon where he

underwent open heart surgery. Just imagine what would have happened had it been

a massive heart attack!

 

My MIL died from a stroke, they just put her on a gurney in the hall and let her

die saying they could not help her. I've seen first hand another friend sit in a

open air (with flies) supply room with another male patient on a gurney for 2

days with an open fracture on her arm. Her arm has never been the same and this

was at a hospital in Algarve which is a huge tourist area.

 

Remember this in a few short years cause this is the type of health care most of

Europe has and now so will we.

I think we needed to fix some things about our health care & insurance situation

just not like this. One of the best ways would have been to allow us to buy

insurance across state lines just like other types of insurance.

Regards

Carol

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I have working experience in both hospital on the floor, pharmacy and currently

my spouse works ER and you are accurate about the care and the class

distinction. It does not matter if you are self pay, insured etc.....it does NOT

affect the nurse's or doctor's pay checks and it is NOT for them to judge. You

take an oath to do what you do in any medical field and that is to 'harm none'

and to 'heal' not cherry pick for monetary gain only......I know........I lost a

24 year old daughter and my first born Grandaughter in 2007 because she was not

able to get insurance thru her employer and was on medicaide. My child also

worked FULL TIME.

 

At the insistance of her friend......they FINALLY saw her in ER and at that

point she 'crashed' and by the time we got there, 45 min

later she had been admitted to ICU , fully intubated and when we left to get a

motel room they induced a medical coma and when we came back we never saw her

awake again and she was completely and totally as helpless as a newborn and at

the mercy of the staff. Gross negligence WAS proven and it turns out , Norman

Regional Hospital which employs a total of 3000 staff does NOT have to carry

malpractice insurance so you can't sue them.....you have to sue individual

people like the nurses, doctors, radiologists etc independently and what is

charted is 'set in stone' vs what really happened . Sen. Tom Coburn, who is anti

healthcare reform is also an OB/GYN and when I contacted his office he said

'thats not my jurisdiction' and he referred me to one of my daughter's former

teachers who is a local senator now and has no jurisdiction whatsoever but Sen.

Coburn DOES. My atty's advice was to inquire as to how this hospital was the

ONLY one in the state that

doesn't have to have all of their papers and coverages other hospitals do and

who is looking the other way? One man died in the chair in the lobby because

they failed to triage him for what was clearly typical symptoms of an impending

heart attack. He was sent to his chair and 9 hours later found DEAD when they

got to him.

 

Oh, he didnt have insurance.

 

I've heard it in report at shift change ......mrs. so and so in room 309,

private insurance , admitted with such and such complaint......note the order of

info on the patient......first the name and room and then the insurance.

 

I'm guessing this will be asked to stop on this thread and I understand why. its

explosive and not relative to oils and herbs tho you might like to know that as

I do my continuing education in pharmacy they are now including herbal

information and thats a step forward in western medicine.

 

selkiepeople

 

" Hospitals can't turn you away in case of an emergency. They can't do a credit

check before treating you for a heart attack to see if you can pay the bills. If

you can't pay the bills, the hospital is forced to pass along your costs to

everyone else (same as with the house). "

 

That may be the expected standard of care, but at one time my brother went into

the hospital in very serious condition. We couldn't understand why his care was

so bad (no tests, no pro-active care... just maintenance), and finally called in

a patient advocate. At that point, it was discovered that his insurance was

incorrectly listed, and it appeared that he had none. Once we fixed that, it was

amazing how quickly his care improved. They told us later that the insurance

made no difference, but there was no other explanation.

 

I'm also glad to see this bill passed because I know too many people who are

stuck in crappy jobs because they need the employer's coverage due to

pre-existing conditions. How many people do YOU know who would have started a

business, taken a risk, or done something with their life that they really

wanted to do if it weren't for the stronghold insurance has had over us?

 

Tina