Crony Capitalism Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
by Dr. Elaina GeorgeMichael Moore recently pontificated that under Obamacare Americans would have to wait for certain non life-threatening procedures such as a knee replacement. In his mind a “patriotic American” would be happy to do so. If one takes a critical look at socialized healthcare it would be obvious that it doesn’t work. In the UK, the healthcare system is so strapped for money that it is considering outsourcing the management of it to a German company. It is criminal that we would alter our medical system to emulate one that is obviously broken. Despite the pronouncements of healthcare equality we are rapidly moving towards a two tier system that is separate and unequal – those who have the means to do so will simply opt-out.
It is the insertion of Government into the healthcare system that has put us in the position we are in. Cronyism has given corporate interests such as big Pharma, medical insurance companies and hospitals the power to systematically remove competition, control prices and lead to the too big to fail phenomenon that has left doctors and patients on the outside looking in while those who know ‘what is best for us’ continue to gut what was once the best medical system in the world. The medical insurance industry is an example of a supporter that helped lobby for the passage of Obamacare that has been a big winner.
While people like Moore make easy pronouncements about it being alright to wait for medical care because it is your patriotic duty, the reality is people are suffering because of these decisions. Physicians are put in the untenable position of watching their patients suffer needlessly and in some cases die. As physicians we take an oath to do no harm. It is time for physicians and patients to make our voices heard before choices are legislated away.
In reality, Obamacare will potentially put more people in a broken system that will systematically delay and deny care all in the name of cost savings for the false feel good meme of universal coverage.
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Got a Tip?
77 Comments
After dethroning the token black president…………the healthcare monstrosity must be repealed immediately.
If not……………………sooner.
Too bad when moabama took his oath (including his "do over", after he stammered through and screwed it up the first time)……..he didn't agree to………………………. "do no harm"………….
WORST PRESIDENT EVER!!!!!!!!!
Cronyism and your typical elected Democratic Nat'l. Chair. How pathetic!
1. http://weaselzippers.us/2011/04/14/rep-debbie-was...
2. Wasserman is a first class moonbat: http://weaselzippers.us/2011/05/24/unreal-dnc-chi...
3. Illegals are illegal is her new theme: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/dnc-chair-wasserm...
4. Bringing "new meaning" to the phrase "Hockey/Football moms": http://weaselzippers.us/2011/09/14/dnc-chief-wass...
5. Not being reported no doubt:
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2011/09/nut-does...
It is not why, where and how but it is WHEN will Barack Obama and his cronies be indicted. Barack Obama and his crooked buddies are "finally" being exposed.
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obama-and-soro...
…..and now we have new meaning to the term "shovel ready" jobs by the Obama regime while there 9.1% unemployment and California is in debt with even higher unemployment numbers: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-construction...
Michael Moore wouldn't wait 30 minutes for a pizza delivery…
"There is no greater evil than enslavement of the mind" ~ Thomas Jefferson
The person disguised as a "leader" in the White House is a run of the mill "slave master", be done with him!
"It is the insertion of Government into the healthcare system that has put us in the position we are in. "
…..and it started when government started regulating health insurance.
BTW, health "insurance" is a farce. Why would any sane person condone paying a middle-man company (insurance company) to take a wad of your money and then limit our access to a doctor? Why not just create a health care savings account for those who can pay and "insurance" only for catastrophic care only. That way, we pay the doctor directly and when you pay with your own money, you usually get better service.
I am tired of cronyism between government and business, but let's not add capitalism to that moniker. Let's call it what it really is: Crony Socialism, or even more appropriate: Progressive Cronyism.
Obama Care will be a worksble system for the elites and folks who don't get sick, injured, or old….
Otherwise, make your reservation now, for a cheap plot on Boot Hill….
Ann
Boot Hill / obamacare… the final stop on the Obama express to American oblivion..
i do think the invention of lcd flat panel tv sets has saved more people from dangerous injuries. with everything obama does, if we all had old style tube tv sets, lots of people, including myself, would be admitted to emergency rooms all over america with severe cuts from the glass tv tube. now if only we can find a cheap way to replace the plastic screen from me throwing stuff at it everytime obama is on there. wal-mart and best buy think i am one of thier best customers
Michael Moore only want more twinkies. His political views are irrelevant to the average American. He will be on the upper tier with all his capitalistic monies he's earned in a free market, from his efforts to bamboozle even more moon bat liberals into thinking this obese, brainless, mindless drone has anything of value to add to our great nation.
Is it just me (and Flig, above) that can't see Mr. Moore doing his patriotic duty and waiting in line to get a knee or hip surgery, something that could be expected considering his…ahhh…bulk?
Something tells me he would be on the first plane to Cuba.
And he wouldn't be going to a hospital that regular Cubans would attend either!
No doubt the same one that Hugo goes to!
Those Americans who don't see the Obama healthcare nightmare for what it is, are destined to, at some point, never wake up from it.
can you see mr. moore waiting in line for twinkies?
The Democrats are shutting down the Government over Green boondoggle firms that benefit Al Gore and VP Joe Biden.
The firms are Fisker Automotive received $529 Million dollars.
Top investor include Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers in which Gore is a Partner.
VP Biden's hometown Delaware is where this company will put it's factory. This company was tiny until it received taxpayer money. Bloom Energy investor is also Al Gore's Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers it stands to collect taxpayer money.
The Democrats has some sham going on from donors to friends to the Democrat Politicans,so they would rather shut down the Government then give up their scheme. Republicans speak up in Congress and the Senate expose it.
This has to stop!!!
………nor for the by-pass surgery that the slob surely has coming up in his future.
Wonder if the big anti-capitalist blow-hard millionare would write a check to the Treasury in all fairness or would put his kid/s in an urban neighborhood public school?
Well-heeled Lefties never have to live the crappy scripts they write for the rest of us.
Since liberals cannot offer intellectual arguments to support their sub standard policies they have to make an appeal on an emotional level. Same was said about raising taxes: “It’s patriotic to pay higher taxes” gibberish. To the contrary, it’s unethical to give an irresponsible govt tax dollars to squander which could go to far greater use reaming in the hands of those that created the wealth, but I digress.
Now if you don’t tolerate liberal inefficient, impractical and regressive policies then you’re unpatriotic. We’re dealing with corrupt retards.
Elsewhere I read that through obamacare the govt will now have access to everyone’s medical records. Liberals once were in favor of privacy, property rights and free speech. Now they’re just naked fascists. Liberals, this means anytime you’ve been checked into the emergency room for a drug overdose or drug abuse related issue the govt will now know. This type of info will be used by the govt against you at some point in some fashion, imao.
I see, doctor. So if the insurance industry is so bad, how do you propose paying for the big ticket items such as a heart transplant or cancer treatment? Please spare me the nonsense that governmental regulation is somehow responsible for their costs. For example, do you think a heart surgeon is going to perform a heart transplant for a few chickens and the proceeds from a bake sale? As far as your nonsense about the pharmaceutical industry, some drugs are extremely expensive because they were extremely expensive to develop. Are you suggesting we get rid of the FDA and let the buyer beware?
Not to mention a lower price. All those insurance people (at both the doctor's office and at the insurance company) and their gov't bureaucrat counterparts cost money that has nothing to do with the actual cost of whatever service you are there to get.
hiya troll. if your argument was any good, how do you explain two examples i can give you in healthcare, where prices have dropped, and quality has risen? why, well the two proceedures are rarely covered by insurance, and are mostly elective. they are laser eye proceedures, and breast enlargement proceedures. both have come down in price, and have improoved in quality, yet they are not covered by any insurance, and not directly controlled by government, how is this possible? both of these are quite expensive, yet people can shop for both price and quality, try that with heart work, or a broken leg? no shopping for price, nobody even can tell you what they cost. get the government out of healthcare, and watch prices drop, while maintaining care level.
No, the doctor is suggesting that the system is no longer "market driven", making cost containment impossible, as "other" parties are paying your charges.
You buy insurance for the big ticket items and open tax deductible MSAs for the common everyday expenses. This is a no-brainer, precisely why people like you won't ever get it…
Ann
So tired of socialist blockheads..
Whomever thinks it a good idea to put all of us at the mercy of the federal gov in health matters; while simultaneously on the hook for our retirement subsidy known as SS, and the costs under medicare: Is a moron. Anyone that thinks that economics, and the 'cost savings' at hand for weakening life sustaining treatments won't be considered in places we don't hear what's going on: is a moron. Wake the hell up! I know; choir. Just venting. It's the argument I use when dealing with morons.
Mr. Romney: your executive order to give waivers is a joke. REPEAL. The whole damn bill. All of you. It's the bill; stupid. Roots and all. Gone. Then lead. Sign legislation that gets your butt OUT of the system all together. Medicare: Stuck with. Make that competitive in some way and it'll fix itself.
NOW!
Here is your answer, moron. First, the laser procedures have come down in price as a result of significant technology improvements. As a result, the machine basically does everything. As far as breast augmentation, there are many more plastic surgeons then there were 20 years ago and this operation is a fairly simple procedure. I have an idea for you. Let's say, the next time you have a broken leg, get out the Yellow Pages and start comparison shopping.
Or in the thousands of Indian start-ups. Unlike the US, the Indian government needs a robust economy so does not regulate business into oblivion. Indian investors are still willing to take risks. On of my Indian friends referred to the US business climate as not capitalism, but a tyranny of regulation.
Well, I do not know what world you are living on, but most health plans are exactly what you have proposed. There are very few group plans available which do not have a high deductible. However, she did not say what you said she said in her post. Her post was basically a bunch of nonsense claiming the Affordable Health Act was socializing medicine by giving the insurance companies too much power. So if they are still going to be necessary to pay for the big ticket items, she really has not proposed a solution for the problem she is claiming exists.
Tell you what Mikey. Once you give over all your millions to the Government (like a good commie should) then I'll consider what you have to say!
Wonder if Mikey would feel the same way if it was clogged artery surgery that was labeled 'non-critical'.
i am not the moron, there have been similar advancements in machines for other proceedures as well. think about the laproscopic way of dealing with bypass operations, significantly cutting down the recovery time. and these machines do most of the work, yet bypass proceedures have not come down in price, why not? there are more heart doctors then 20 years ago, why have the prices skyrocketed? and why shouldn't i be able to call three hospitals for thier price to fix a broken leg? i can call three hardware stores and quickly get the price for a screen repair, or call hvac contractors and get a price for a new air conditioner. why can't i ask how much for a hip replacement? obama told you to quit complaining, and get to work, what are you waiting for, hup, hup hup, march you obamabot, march!!
I definitely prefer the term "Crony Socialism" even though it is redundant.
This is different, it's done by progressive communists and they only have our best intentions at heart.
Well, if you think you can do a heart transplant via a scope, you are a moron. Finally, you have never had a broken leg because if you had, you would not be taking the time to do any shopping.
who said transplant? bypasses are a very common proceedure today, and according to you, if the machines would do most of the work, costs should go down, but it hasn't. care to address what you brought up? and yes, i have had a broken leg, the pain killers were to die for, i was only on them for a year and a half. when you are laying on the ground waiting for an ambulance, with the modern use of the internet, why couldn't you do some shopping? there are three hospitals withing minutes of my house, why can't i ask who is willing to do it for less?
Give Michael Moore what he wants or there will be blood.
P.S.
TP is an uncivil dangerous, violent crowd.
</sarc>
Given the fact one of Canada's premieres fly immediately down to the US to get his stents put in pretty much shows how much faith Canadians have in their own system. Without the US as their safety net Canada's system would be exposed for the long waiting line it really is.
And again, if the US system sucks so bad then how come we're the #1 destination for medical tourism and why don't progressives flood over the board and go live in the Canadian utopia?
He's not a troll. He disagrees with you (and me) on political issues. He doesn't troll, he just doesn't agree.
he says things to be abrasive on every issue, yes that is a troll. if he hates everything he see's here, why shouldn't he go to huffpo, where he would be more at home? notice how he never answers a direct question? notice how when cornered, he changes the subject? that is a troll.
Why should he go to huffpo? What's wrong with having discussions?
Hey–whatever man. I don't think it's trollish to disagree, but you're more than welcome to your opinion, of course!
ok, go and read this thread. i make sound educated statements, and he replys with name calling. that is not constructive discussion, it is what being a troll is about. he never responds to what i have said with factual educated rebuttals, only more name calling. this is not discussing, once the name calling starts, the discussion ends. his name calling started on the first reply.
This administration's obsession with the 'European model' should be a red flag. The nationalization of all industry is the goal of the progressives and utterings to the contrary by Mr. Obama and his ilk are lies.
Name calling? Who started it? As far as factually educated statements, I stated a heart transplant and you started talking about by-pass surgeries. I do not know if they can use a scope on a by-pass. But it does not matter because scopes will not reduce costs for most procedures. Finally, I want my doctors driving nice cars and living in big homes. It means they are successful.
If Michael Moore thinks it so patriotic to wait for knee replacement then he can come by my house and I will be glad to so him what living with knee pain is like. It is a whole lot of fun to not sleep at night, not be able to sit for even short periods of time with your knees slightly bent, pain when you walk, forget ever running, or doing a lot of things you used to be able to do. Even more fun to go to the doctor and have injections in the knee with a 2" needle every six months. So come on by Michael, I have a baseball bat I can show you in an instant what knee pain is like to live with. By the way if you don't lose about 100 lbs you will be facing knee replacement before you know it.
Umm. Okay.
You called him troll. He called you moron back. You mentioned laser procedures and boob jobs, he told you why they're cheaper now than they were. Etc.
Go take a look at all the state and federal mandates for insurance moron. Of course it is government that has caused the cost to rise.
Michael Moore thinks it is just fine for all of the uncool folks to wait for inferior care simply because as one of the monied elite he, his wife and children (private schooled) are entitled to the top notch care that MONEY AFFORDS.
MICHAEL MOORE IS EXTREMELY UGLY INSIDE AND OUT. Just another PROGRESSIVE SOCIALIST HYPOCRITE.
They have not gone down in most cases because surgeons require years of training before they can do these procedures. This is what you are paying them for. Additionally, most major surgeries require anesthesiologists and not a nurse anesthetists. As a result, if you did not have insurance, most Americans would have a great deal of difficulty paying the gas passer, let alone the surgeon and the hospital.
well, you have called me all kinds of names on other threads, such as racist, homophobe, and much more. second i was mentioning how those proceedures i mentioned were never covered by health insurance, or government interference, and yet those prices fell. heart bypasses are more common, and the scope way of doing it is much better for most patients. why is that not a better comparison for mechanical improvements in heathcare?
this guy is a troll, he always calls people racists for going against obama, tea baggers(gay slur), and much worse. but boob jobs are not covered by health insurance, and are paid out of pocket in most cases. according to him, they should increase like the rest of healthcare. government is the problem, never the answer.
"It is the insertion of Government into the healthcare system that has put us in the position we are in. Cronyism has given corporate interests such as big Pharma, medical insurance companies and hospitals the power to systematically remove competition, control price…"
Are you being purposely obtuse? If "others" ( 3rd parties) are not paying for your bypass surgery, then the price will come "down" to the area where it can be afforded by the masses. Where is it written doctors must make 20x more the average worker?
Government MUST get out of the system for the system to have any chance of being saved and working for the majority of Americans.. ( not illegals, but that's another story)..
You started the name calling. Peteee called you a troll. The terrible truth really hurts, doesn't it?
"how do you propose paying for the big ticket items such as a heart transplant or cancer treatment? "
It is called catastrophic coverage. The way insurance started out. It was the insertion of the insurance company into routine care such as office visits and routine lab tests that started the problem. The insertion of the middle man inflated costs for the patient (in premiums, co-insurance and deductibles) while blocking access to care with pre-certifications and denials). It arbitrarily set reimbursement rates to physicians. Now doctors have either opted out by retiring early, limited their scope of practice or restricted their ER coverage. Doctors in private practice are being driven out of business and hospital based practices and large group practices are becoming the norm. In short, patient access to physicians has been decreased.
You should educate yourself about the FDA. It has become a revolving door for those who have worked for the pharmaceutical industry insuring that it has a competitive edge. From working to remove competition from the supplement industry to allowing known toxins such as BPA in plastics and round up ready seeds in genetically modified foods to allowing fast tracked vaccines such as Gardesil to stay on the market
http://sanevax.org/sane-vax-inc-discovers-potenti...
… problems with the FDA are myriad. The buyer already needs to be aware.
Why, yes… yes, he is. That's his stock in trade, you see. If it's not in the Gospel According to Obamugabe, it goes right over his head.
I don't disagree with you about government etc. And I'm done talking about stinky with you.
The funny part (or a funny part) is that insurance paid more for a couple of procedures my father had than the doctor billed. Since it was extra money on his account, the doctor sent the check to my father.
wait–you want your doctors to make lots and lots of money? LOL! That's what Archie Bunker said too.
Funny that someone who's as big a liberal as you would want successful people to make money though, huh?
Maybe I've just been on message boards too long, but troll is about as bad an insult as there is in the internet world.
Michael Moore doesn't have to worry about it…….because he's the furthest thing from a "patriotic American"
He's an ugly obese hollywood hack un-American commie pinko lefty asshat…………….
Can't do much for that………..though he could take some stress off the system, if he'd just whack himself.
Right..I figured as much…
Ann
Are you his brother from another mother?
I am a whole lot more conservative than you think. Take for example the health care issue. I am in favor of the universal mandate based upon my experiences. My family was a picture of health. Children growing like weeds, playing sports and doing well in school. I had never heard of a medulloblastoma. It hits only 300 children a year. Unfortunately, my son was one of the 300. His medical bills passed $1 million two years ago. So if you think an HSA is going to be the answer, you had better start saving and not expect society to pay.
Actually, AnnRandy is right….that was exactly what the post was about.
In addition, I wanted to highlight the hypocrisy of know nothings like Michael Moore who claim we should like being forced to pay into a system that is set up to lower our standard of care. It is priceless when Bill Maher confirms that those without means would probably be dead because they couldn't have afforded to opt out like Mr Cain.
Yeah. I was going for ironic sarcasm there and missed.
I'm not sure the government running health care will help anything though.
The system is pathetic.
We try to avoid the billing and insurance part at all costs. We have an MSA that pays for the small stuff…So far not much big stuff. Cross your fingers..
Ann
MSAs= responsibility…
The state and federal mandates have caused costs to rise? Well, moron, how much do you think my son's bill was from the surgeon for the removal of his medulloblastoma. The federal and state governments have nothing to do with this. Oh, and by the way, before you play the malpractice card, Nebraska has had one of the most restrictive med mal laws in the nation for more than 20 years. I await your response, moron.
He needs one of those gastric bands………………….around his fat neck!
Help him overcome his morbid obesity……………………….not sure if it will help as far as being a fat commie puke hollywood has-been hack.
Then you fix the problem. I do not believe in throwing out the baby with the bath water. Assuming you are correct and the FDA needs to be changed, it s problems have been present in both Republican and Democrat administrations. As far as "routine office visits", you are dealing with apples and oranges. On one hand, yearly physicals have been shown to reduce medical costs because they catch the problems early. On the other hand, I am not in favor of having insurance carriers pay for ER visits for ear aches because the parents did not take their child in to see the pediatrician.
Cronyism – a byproduct of politicizing every issue facing this Administration. Should be interesting to see what they have in store for Rosh Hashanah this week. Maybe we should take some lessons from the Easter Egg Roll …
http://www.ombudizen.com/2011/09/25/permanent-cam...
Really, I have called you a "homophobe"? If I did, you really, really deserved it.
Sorry Michael, your stomach-stapling will have to wait.
What does your sons bill have to do with anything moron? Surgery is very expensive. Will it be cheaper under Obamacare moron? One reason insurance is getting more expensive is all the mandates moron.Sent from my iPhone
The government is not "running health care". It has only mandated health insurance from private insurance companies and set up insurance exchanges to allow persons to buy insurance across state lines.
Speaking from experience, if my son had not had health insurance, like it or not, he would not have received proton radiation. If he would have received normal radiation, he would have lost his thyroid and pituitary glands, 7-15 points of IQ and he would not have further growth in his spine. He was 13 at the time. We saw numerous children and MD Anderson and they were receiving excellent medical care. However, we never saw the persons who probably lacked health insurance or were on Medicaid at the proton center.
Well, the good doctor takes a run at the insurance companies and AnnRandy says they are necessary for major expenses. Since most Americans can afford increases in the costs of doctors visits for ear aches, etc., but not the run up for major health care costs, the good doctor and AnnRandy have not proposed any solution to the problem, have they?
You said it was the "government that has caused the cost to rise". My son's surgery had nothing to do with the government, but it was extremely expensive. Since his surgery had nothing to do with the government and it was extremely expensive, your premise is incorrect.
Next time you talk to a progressive ask them why can't nationalized health care be done voluntarily. If it "works" why can't progressives merely get together, form a non-profit coop and run it exactly the same as the national version they wish to impose on the rest of us:
1. A progressive payment scheme. Rich pay more.
2. No denial for any reason. The most cancer ridden person can join at any time.
3. You don't even have to pay to use the system. Poor people can pay nothing.
4. People outside the coop can join at any time.
5. Unlimited health care even if you need $100k a year for 20 years.
6. World's best health care.
7. No rationing and no denial of any service even if you're 90 and want a hip replacement. (Obama claims there will be no denial for any reason).
Now why wouldn't that work on a voluntary basis? Why is my and others' forced participation required for this system to work? If its such a good plan why can't progressives merely voluntarily gather and create such a system themselves and not include the rest of us….
Unless they want OTHERS to pay their way for them…. but then only greedy people would do something like that.
Your first post did not mention surgery. Plus has the cost for that surgery risen? How much and what is your baseline moron?Sent from my iPhone
Obama is hell-bent on ruining this country. He says, "It's a failed program? Sign us up!!"
"Of course it's a crappy program. That's why I'm exempt, and I'll take care of my buds, too! Exemptions all around!"
Mr. Moore goes to Cuba in this political satire:
http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Mary-Jo-Political-Kool...
Doesn't work out too well.
If it's patriotic to pay taxes, then Obama already failed that test. He had the Nobel Prize committee distribute his prize money to 10 different charities directly. If the prize money had gone into Obama's hands first, he would have owed $400,000 in taxes to the IRS. Instead he avoided his tax obligation and probably took charitable donation deductions as well.
Insurance wouldn't be so pricey if it weren't for left-wing con men like you constantly scamming the system.
You must be logged in to post a comment.