http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/04/27/lott_obama_health_care/

 

 

JOHN LOTT: Uh Oh…Team Obama Claims Americans Use TOO MUCH Health Care

 

By John R. Lott, Jr.

Senior Research Scientist, University of Maryland/Author, “Freedomnomics”

“If you got health insurance, then you can keep it . . . and we won’t do anything about that,” at least that was what President Obama promised during the campaign last year. Well, add that to a very long list of broken campaign promises, including: cutting government spending, reducing the deficit, and “no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase.”

 

Just as bad, on Friday it was revealed that Obama and the Democrats have no problem pushing through Senate votes on these radical health care changes that strip away normal procedural protections for those who oppose such changes.

 

Last Sunday on “Meet the Press,” Larry Summers, Obama’s chief economic adviser, let the cat out of the bag on health care. In explaining why universal health care wasn’t going to increase the deficit, Summers said that people are just getting too much unnecessary care. Summers claimed: “whether it’s tonsillectomies or hysterectomies . . . procedures are done three times as frequently [in some parts of the country than others] and there’s no benefit in terms of the health of the population. And by doing the right kind of cost-effectiveness, by making the right kinds of investments and protection, some experts that we — estimate that we could take as much as $700 billion a year out of our health care system.”

 

This sure seems like rationing. Total health care expenditures in the United States in 2008 came to $2.4 trillion, implying that Summers believes that the proper government regulations can cut health care expenditures by almost 30 percent. That would cut back health care a lot. Summers softened the blow by saying that right now the government wouldn’t have to cut expenditures by more than a third of that $700 billion.

Given the over-prescribing of antibiotics for the sake of making people feel like they didn't just waste their money in visiting the doctor I can't say that there isn't some degree of truth in what they are saying, however the examples they use are somewhat lacking.

 

They talk about the insurance companies paying too much, well who determines what is too much? A doctor's rates have to go into their operating expenses, malpractice insurance(which is huge) and other things. Quite possibly one of the biggest problems with the cost of medicine is related to the liability coverage that an MD needs to protect himself or herself.

 

Then you go into prescription drugs, yes most name brand drugs are very expensive in the United States but there are reasons why. This covers research and development costs AND it covers the profit loss from when our drug companies sell their drugs to other countries who refuse to pay more than a certain amount for it. Drug companies would likely cease most R&D projects if they were told everywhere that they could only charge a certain amount for a drug. The reason we rarely have shortages in the U.S. now is because we are willing to pay for the luxury of healthcare. We start putting price ceilings on medicine we are going to start seeing waiting lists.

Actually, from my experience formerly in a medical clinic, we saw more people on Medicare and Medicaid then private insurance, .... 5-1.

Actually, from my experience formerly in a medical clinic, we saw more people on Medicare and Medicaid then private insurance, .... 5-1.

 

That depends entirely on the location of your clinic.

 

Working in a pharmacy we see more private insurance than anything else, however some of our stores are primarily passport, medicare or medicaid.

 

It depends on your local demographics.

Nationalized health care will increase the problem, not solve it. I can almost guarantee it because I’ve seen it for twenty years in the military. The emergency room is often a six hour wait. Why? Because we don’t have to pay for it so anybody with a bump, bruise, cough, or cold will go in and get seen. When I had to have surgery I had to drive six hours to Dayton Ohio because they did not have a specialist on post. Never mind there were five or six major hospitals within 45 minutes. My point is that although I have little reason to complain because I pay very little for my health insurance, it is mismanaged because the government is the one managing it.

Actually, from my experience formerly in a medical clinic, we saw more people on Medicare and Medicaid then private insurance, .... 5-1.

 

Of course, the government was picking up the bill.

Of course, the government was picking up the bill.

 

No. The government has no money. The taxpayers, an ever-shrinking and overburdened group, are paying the bills.

Given the over-prescribing of antibiotics for the sake of making people feel like they didn't just waste their money in visiting the doctor I can't say that there isn't some degree of truth in what they are saying, however the examples they use are somewhat lacking.

 

I agree. On the face of this, Americans do use too much healthcare in that we simply desire something to be done, even if it is superfluous. On the other hand, I'm not sure how you can gauge the effectiveness of future policy on this phenomenon.

I believe that we can all agree that when one doesn't have to pay for a certain benefit he or she most often abuses the benefit. Health care in this country is a prime example. Those who actually pay are much less likely to use it. If we make health care more available to those who have no financial stake in the process, the abuse will certainly accelerate at an even more breakneck speed.

2 points:

 

1. What it ignores is the fact that U.S. population is getting older, and are going to require more treatment;

 

2. This is the beginning of the government, and not your doctor, telling you what you do and do not need done. That is already done to some extent by insurance companies, this will merely increase it.

2 points:

 

1. What it ignores is the fact that U.S. population is getting older, and are going to require more treatment;

 

2. This is the beginning of the government, and not your doctor, telling you what you do and do not need done. That is already done to some extent by insurance companies, this will merely increase it.

 

 

The question is, will the government allow the option of getting it done without government coverage if you are willing to pay for it? If an insurance company will not cover something even with a prior authorization from the doctor, you can still pay out of pocket for it.

 

Will the government allow that?

I disagree with Summers on his health insurance ideas but he certainly is correct in what he said here.

Do people think the US is going to a Canadian/European single-pay system?

I agree. On the face of this, Americans do use too much healthcare in that we simply desire something to be done, even if it is superfluous. On the other hand, I'm not sure how you can gauge the effectiveness of future policy on this phenomenon.

 

 

The vast majority of health care that is used too much right now is what's provided by the government. If I pay an insurance premium along with my employer, shouldn't WE decide what's necessary or extravagant? I surely don't want our government making those decisions for me and my family. Do you?

 

I really don't know exactly what the Obama admin has in mind for health care, but it sure sounds like they're wanting to get their foot in the door towards telling us what our doctors will and will not do for us.

 

IMO people better stop listening to HOW BHO says things and start listening to WHAT he's saying. More government control can't be good. Can it?

Anybody got a link to any study or statistics. It was my understanding that the poor do not use the healthcare system, since they have no insurance and only go when it gets so bad that they have to go to the ER. My experience working with impoverished families is my school is that they hardly ever go to the doctor b/c the parents can't/won't take off work to take them. Often, a member of my staff is hauling the student (either meeting a parent there or after the parents have at least called the doctor.) Poor folks with no insurance are not using the system that is for sure. This is even more true with dentists.