Bonnie and I have been friends for 60 years. She is very knowledgeable about medical and political issues. She has fought her own multiple sclerosis for more than 30 years and has helped individuals and organizations with this very severe disease.
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Thanks to both of you for this! I will send it on to the "crazies" who have believed the myths and wrapped themselves in that flag.
My adult life has been medicine centered through education, and unexpectedly, through life experience. I have been following health care legislation since Hillary Clinton tried to push it through in the '90s. I could regale you for hours on the current waste through current mismanagement, hospital greed and pharmaceutical manipulation.
MS is misdiagnosed and mismanaged to fill the pockets of insurance and specifically, the drug companies. I'm currently working on a project to bring this to light. I seldom write about my work in the world in that illness and treatment are not inviting topics to read. Our friends, and the public at large, wants to believe that their doctor and hospital have their best interest at heart, and will heal them. In a few instances, this is true. They also believe that their insurance premiums will cover the cost.
The Emperor has been naked since the '50's.
My current example is the fee Bill's urology group is paid for changing his catheter tubing by a GED holder. The process takes 10 minutes beginning to end. Blue Cross/Blue Shield plus Medicare is charged, and paid, $385 every 4 weeks for this. By shining the spotlight on existing insurance payments and making care possible for the uninsured, this type of waste will come to an end if the current drafts tune into passed bills by the legislature.
We, the citizens, are paying for every catheter change directly or indirectly. We are currently paying an extraordinary price for every ER visit by the uninsured. A treated sore throat will cost approximately $400 in the ER vs. $60 in private practice. Hospitals absorb this cost and then charge the insured $1.50 for each Tylenol for in patients. At current cost, a three day hospitalization, without complications or surgery, runs $1,000/day for the Insurance companies. They, in turn, pass the cost onto us.
With appreciation for the article,
Bonnie
