Has President Biden

[robert.]

Who doesn’t have access to essential health care?

[Neil]

Thanks for your comments Bob. Perhaps it's the pervasive misinformation promulgated about the pandemic and vaccines recently. Provided by the remarkably misinformed, the deranged and the malicious. But my tendency is to try to provide a balanced and realistic assessment of the world probably comes from my do-gooder arrogance as a physician. Paternalism at its best. The world is a trial enough and life is hard enough without making up miserable conspiracies and needless fears. I agree we have lived quite privileged lives. Party on.

[Neil]

"Who doesn’t have access to essential health care?"

About 5-7% of the population of Rochester NY and 10-15% of the population of the USA.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

"Who doesn’t have access to essential health care?"

About 5-7% of the population of Rochester NY and 10-15% of the population of the USA.

That's actually better than expected; still, hardly numbers that reflect well on this country.

[robert.]

Why don’t they have access? No transportation? Bedridden? Or fear of going?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Why don’t they have access? No transportation? Bedridden? Or fear of going?

No money to spare and no insurance, probably, combined with some aspect of a lack of physical access. Something for you work on once you get elected.

[Neil]

These are the working poor. Not poor enough for Medicaid, no work related health insurance. Not old enough for Medicare. A true tragedy and shameful situation in the richest nation on earth. In every other developed civilized nation, everyone is largely guaranteed shelter, food and health care. Not in the USA. Thank you goes to political ideologues, mostly in the Republican party and its most irresponsible adherents. Organized medicine is not free of shame and responsibility as physicians have opposed any national health service, as exists in most wealthy countries like Canada and the UK.

[robert.]

Why don’t they have access? No transportation? Bedridden? Or fear of going?

No money to spare and no insurance, probably, combined with some aspect of a lack of physical access. Something for you work on once you get elected.

It's an interesting problem and something that needs a ton of help. I don't have insurance. My wife and kid do. I had it. Then lost it. Now i can't afford it. My wife's insurance sucks. Almost nobody takes it. They will if work is done in the hospital. The few times we used it she had to wait 4-6 months for surgery. She almost flew home for a surgery. She could fly to Eastern Europe, Buy insurance and have surgery within 2 weeks ( pre covid) Their hospitals are a little slow getting back online. Life saving things are just getting back on track. They're making a few changes to things over there. She may no longer be able to arrive, buy insurance and have surgery in a month. They're insurance companies know. People fly home from the USA, buy insurance and have work done. Then leave back for the USA.
Our whole system needs an overhaul. Medical prices are to high across the board. Education, supplies, labor, ambulance ride, medication, insurance The list goes on of people making huge profits in this field. With the power of lobbyist in the medical world. I'd bet 10-1 change is impossible. To many in congress with their hands out.

[robert.]

Blue cross blue shield spent 25 million on lobbying last year.

[Neil]

Insurers who are supposedly non-profit, like Blue Cross, and for profit like Aetna, have multiple executives, maybe hundreds, earning a million dollars per year or more. No one in Germany, Canada or the UK earns those sorts of salaries for doing essentially nothing to provide actual health care. These parasites earn more than the highest paid neurosurgeons, orthopedists or oncologists who actually bear the burden of taking care of emergencies 24/7 and dealing with life threatening situations. An appalling system. The US spends about 15-25% of its health care dollar on these organizations and their useless staff, compared with perhaps 5-10% in Canada. Estimates are that the overhead of the US system is 5 times that of the Canadian system.

[robert.]

Canada may spend less. It doesn’t get them a better system. I have friends in Toronto. They complain about long wait times.
Nonprofit is a funny term. A term used by many to glorify an overpaid executive. “ we dont make a profit. Our CEO earns 3 mill. “

[Neil]

"They complain about long wait times."

No one in Canada is impoverished by health care costs for cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, transplantation. Happens thousands of times, if not tens of thousands of times a month in the USA. Diabetics who cannot afford insulin. A common disease, easily treated. In the USA people are dying due to lack of affordable insulin. Not a problem in Canada. You may have to wait for non-emergent care such as orthopedic surgery. There are plenty of places in the USA where one will wait for care by certain medical specialties. Canada has a better system, full stop. Not perfect, but infinitely better for almost everyone who isn't very rich or well connected.

[gregj410]

I don't know what will save us

Well it damn sure won’t be this administration!

Neil, give it up.

Yea Neil give it up because nobody here listens to or believes your bull shit any way

[robert.]

After reading through a few health care things. CANADA does not sound much better than the USA. We're dead last and they're second to last. Some people in CANADA live far away from care. CUBA on the other hand sounds great. Insulin prices will only go higher. Every year more and more people become dependent of it. All but one of the GUATAMALAN guys that work with me have become Diabetics. 35 years of a US diet has taking its toll on them and I'm sure it has taking a toll on many AMERICANS. If the FDA cared about anybody they would start demanding lower sugar levels in food.

[bob turner]

Hey! Don’t call me (or Martin) nobody!