tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post975960858444435155..comments2023-11-27T02:17:22.859-06:00Comments on The LawDog Files: Saw this one coming ...LawDoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05232684877582591461noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-67709913735355319642010-09-27T17:30:57.108-05:002010-09-27T17:30:57.108-05:00My take, really? Is that our biggest problem is a...My take, really? Is that our biggest problem is a "the only problem is...." (fill in the blank) or "if we just do" (fill in the blank), "we can fix it" mentality. "Lawyers", en masse, aren't the sole problem. A litigious society, which it contributes to the problem, isn't the sole source of the ways in which the system fails to function. Nor are liberals, Democrats and entitlement mentality or rapacious drug companies the sole source of the issues we face, though they all contribute. <br /><br />We're never going to resolve anything if we insist upon simplifying to the point of blindness.<br /><br />KestrelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-57024330384728646382010-09-24T14:49:22.083-05:002010-09-24T14:49:22.083-05:00Tort reform would have been the best option. I did...Tort reform would have been the best option. I did, also, billing for a medical provider. The insurance they needed to cover potential lawsuits was so high, it drove one of them out of business (small 'family' run medical doctor) as she couldn't get enough money in to cover her expenses and if she raised her prices, the insurance companies and individuals couldn't/wouldn't pay that much. If she didn't have to pay such high insurance costs, she could have stayed in business and provided more individuals with good health care. Doctors are percieved as being so rich, and some are, but many are not because of this problem. Insurance companies pay the doctors so very little too. ($60.00 visit would be reimbursed around $20.00). It's an endless, frightening pattern.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-27497192058280635342010-09-24T00:20:56.947-05:002010-09-24T00:20:56.947-05:00"I still want to know why the US is paying so..."I still want to know why the US is paying so much more for health care than Europe, Canada or Japan."<br /><br />I can't speak for Japan or Canada because I have no personal experience with their systems, but I have a pretty good idea why we spend more than Europe: European healthcare delivery sucks. Sure, it's cheaper, but it sucks. You get what you pay for. <br /><br />In addition, the US tort system adds to our cost. Tort reform, however, was notably absent from 0-care.Alexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-71752854363923088102010-09-23T15:41:43.307-05:002010-09-23T15:41:43.307-05:00I agree with Bruce 100% no I've never been a h...I agree with Bruce 100% no I've never been a healthcare professional but my mother was for about 25yrs before she gave it up. Lawyers ARE a huge chunk of the problem. I looked it up once and there are are several thousand lawyers being graduated and added to our current plethora of legal lamebrains every year. Ambulance chasers..all of them.<br />Do you know why your insurance premiums, the cost to visit your doctors etc etc keep going up every year? Lawyers and frivolous lawsuits. Those of us opposed to this massive clusterfuck of a healthcare bill said from the beginning "pass tort reform; go after the fraud cases with a will and blood in your eye and the rest will by and large, tend to itself." Did congress listen? Did the lawyers who run congress listen? Did ANYONE fracking listen? The answer to all 3 is of course No. Why?...because tort reform would put a lot of those leeches out of work, torts and frivolous lawsuits being their meat and potatoes.<br />LD is right..anyone with 2 or more functional brain cells to rub together could have, and DID see this coming.Da Curly Wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07631427436506831892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-60797474291097172010-09-23T08:37:49.974-05:002010-09-23T08:37:49.974-05:00As a retired health professional, I can say with a...As a retired health professional, I can say with assurance that the out of control tort system in our country adds greatly to our overall health care costs. Most other countries don't have the "benefit" of our legions of lawyers and their health care costs reflect it.Brucenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-66610992648659905512010-09-22T19:01:59.961-05:002010-09-22T19:01:59.961-05:00The provision in question certainly doesn't so...The provision in question certainly doesn't solve the problem it was designed to resolve - but the problem of insurance companies abusing consumers via statistics remains. There was an instance awhile back where parents tried to add their newborn to privately purchased family coverage and were denied, because the baby was "obese" - i.e. that his weight was higher than his length would indicate. He was less than a week old and had no unusual health conditions, not even neonatal jaundice. (If people so desire, I will track down the citation.)<br /><br />Our current health care system is pretty badly dysfunctional. I don't think the legislation is going to do anything to make it better, nor do I have any idea what will. <br /><br />KestrelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-67417286373554652302010-09-22T19:01:52.269-05:002010-09-22T19:01:52.269-05:00Amen to that... And it's ONLY GOING TO GET WOR...Amen to that... And it's ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE!Old NFOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404197287935017147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-15702561321601350542010-09-22T14:36:24.002-05:002010-09-22T14:36:24.002-05:00Ulysses,
I wouldn't bother getting their cadil...Ulysses,<br />I wouldn't bother getting their cadillac plan. I'm one of those who doesn't have it not just because I can't afford it..but also because I don't WANT it anyway.Da Curly Wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07631427436506831892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-31706755586536793432010-09-22T12:34:06.033-05:002010-09-22T12:34:06.033-05:00Perhaps all .gov (state and federal) have to live ...Perhaps all .gov (state and federal) have to live under the laws that they pass?<br />LittleRed1<br /><br />Agreed. Perhaps We THE PEOPLE should get the same health care plan which THEY, the .gov have?<br /><br />Ulises from CAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-5679494051236617312010-09-22T10:55:34.741-05:002010-09-22T10:55:34.741-05:00"I still want to know why the US is paying so..."I still want to know why the US is paying so much more for health care than Europe, Canada or Japan."<br /><br />Compliance costs for government regulations. Since businesses are guilty until proven innocent, everything has to be documented in excruciating detail. Someone has to be paid to produce those documents, and someone has to be paid to review them. Other countries are content to merely feed on their producers, rather actively try to destroy them for political gain.John Stephensnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-5268166986807490452010-09-22T08:15:59.661-05:002010-09-22T08:15:59.661-05:00George, the Federales will just do what the Brits ...George, the Federales will just do what the Brits are thinking about - your employer pays the Feds and then they give you what you need/deserve/have left after taxes and mandated .gov stuff is deducted.<br /><br />And the 1099 thing has been causing heartburn for about four months now. I suspect that 1) it will be soundly ignored 2) someone is already preparing a test case/cases and 3) the cash market is about to get really busy.<br /><br />If I find that magic lamp with the genie in it, my first wish is for San Fran Nan to be defeated by "none of the above." After that it would require a bit more thought. Perhaps all .gov (state and federal) have to live under the laws that they pass?<br />LittleRed1Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-34707251846150114902010-09-22T06:38:33.346-05:002010-09-22T06:38:33.346-05:00Statists think that they can force businesses to p...Statists think that they can force businesses to provide goods and services that don't make them money. They forget we can always take our money and go home.<br /><br />http://www.newbieshooter.com/2010/09/playing-with-house-money/Georgehttp://www.newbieshooter.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-12443650964368918892010-09-22T00:32:59.286-05:002010-09-22T00:32:59.286-05:00One thing I don't understand, is if an insuran...One thing I don't understand, is if an insurance company cannot refuse to issue a policy for existing conditions, and everyone must have insurance...how do the companies stay in business?<br />________________________________________________<br />They don't. Howard Dean mentioned this so GovCare has more traction to exist.Rush babynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-8267752524409866222010-09-21T23:45:05.404-05:002010-09-21T23:45:05.404-05:00Sadly it will go down hill from here.Sadly it will go down hill from here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-42285831649965772072010-09-21T23:39:16.896-05:002010-09-21T23:39:16.896-05:00I still want to know why the US is paying so much ...I still want to know why the US is paying so much more for health care than Europe, Canada or Japan.<br /><br />To put it in perspective, the US government alone spends more per capita on healthcare than the UK's or Canada's governments.<br /><br />Yet we cover far less people, and we die sooner.<br /><br />(Data can be downloaded here, in an excel file, for those who want to compare the numbers: http://www.oecd.org/document/16/0,3343,en_2649_34631_2085200_1_1_1_1,00.html )Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-40041227120275995922010-09-21T22:55:07.831-05:002010-09-21T22:55:07.831-05:00oh here's a little tidbit that I got from one ...oh here's a little tidbit that I got from one of the forums I belong to. I wonder how many people knew or know about the little provision described. it was buried in the obamacare bill. <br /><br />"A little known provision of the great and wonderful "Health Care Reform Bill" is fixing to make being a small business in the US impossible.<br />For those of you not familiar with what a form 1099 is ... it is kind of like a W2 for business to report payments to other businesses & individuals, to the IRS. Well for years, 1099s have been used to report pay to contractors ( non-employees) ... but starting next year (ramp up) and into full force in 2012 ... EVERY business in the US, which pays ANYONE more the $600 annually is going to have to send in a 1099, to both the business and the IRS.<br />So what? you might say.<br />Well consider that if you're a small businessman, like me; I'm going to have to get the Name, Address, Tax ID, for EVERY FUEL STOP I make, over the course of the year .... and keep track of all those little bits and pieces of paper till tax time ... and then total each fuel stop's total purchases for the year, then mail a copy to them AND THE IRS... this is INTOLERABLE. And that's just for fuel ... now consider Tires, maintenance, operating insurance.... etc. etc. etc. <br />We're talking thousands of forms a year, for just my little truck!!!<br />So, can someone tell me exactly when I'm going to have time to do all this fucking useless paperwork and STILL STAY IN BUSINESS? <br />I'm a TRUCK DRIVER, not a fucking accountant, OR a Tax Agent!!!!"<br /><br />BTW..some one else chimed in and said A. not even the IRS wants this since they won't be able to handle the flood of paperwork and B. apparently the republicans tried to get it changed/removed about 3wks ago and were blocked by the demotwats.Da Curly Wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07631427436506831892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-46600153286056541662010-09-21T22:34:20.197-05:002010-09-21T22:34:20.197-05:00oh this is just the beginning of the end for us. ...oh this is just the beginning of the end for us. I'm pessimistic enough to think that it won't make one damn bit of difference whether it's the retards or the demotwits in charge. <br />Some of the stuff I'm seeing on Foxnews or finding on my own makes me think it's already just a wee bit to late. I've got people I talk to, that depending on the election results and whether obamacare gets repealed..are leaving the country..for good. They've already sold and liquidated most of their assets and gone through all the bureaucratic rigamarole necessary to move to the country they chose to move to.Da Curly Wolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07631427436506831892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22957834.post-52470115602350411032010-09-21T21:55:08.205-05:002010-09-21T21:55:08.205-05:00What bothers me the most about it, is the potentia...What bothers me the most about it, is the potential for Obama to try either with an executive order, or pushing for legislation, to make it illegal for an insurance company to refuse to offer insurance.<br /> <br />You think we're on a slippery slope now? Wait a bit, we'll be in free fall.<br /> <br />One thing I don't understand, is if an insurance company cannot refuse to issue a policy for existing conditions, and everyone must have insurance...how do the companies stay in business?Bergmannoreply@blogger.com