tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9259877.post110737022140652349..comments2024-03-21T02:27:14.737-05:00Comments on Cernig's Newshog: The Great Divide - Part TwoCernighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16186967493691481078noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9259877.post-1107703682352614742005-02-06T09:28:00.000-06:002005-02-06T09:28:00.000-06:00Thank you for the detailled comment, Kirkrrt, whic...Thank you for the detailled comment, Kirkrrt, which has given me some things to work on - I need to do some further research on pharma companies and drug research, as well as on insurance companies and HMO profitablity. I will post findings when I have them.<br /><br />Regards, CernigCernighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16186967493691481078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9259877.post-1107687306113662092005-02-06T04:55:00.000-06:002005-02-06T04:55:00.000-06:00Thanks for including the costs that are not part o...Thanks for including the costs that are not part of the official figures on government spending. I admit I was not aware of the extra money spent. <br /><br />I want to question the figure of 25% of costs that are "lost" in health care in America to paper work. (Again I haven't read your sources, but that number seems high.) <br /><br />Big pharma is a separate snake to wrestle with because they are all diverse multinational corporations. They can always claim their expenses for work done in another country raise their costs. I do want to point out that since they successfully got the law changed to allow them to advertise directly to the public, their American marketing expenses have skyrocketed. I don't see a reason for it. I think most physicians would like to see it stopped. Patients are daily asking them about some medicine they saw an ad for. Frequently they don't have a need for it. Minimally it wastes time. Frequently patients demand they get to try the new drug (A Nod to Heuey Lewis here) and then refuse to switch back. Let me ask, have you ever seen an ad for a generic medicine? Me neither.<br />For the most expensive new & nearly new medicines big pharma spends as much or more on marketing as they do on research. Please stop telling us that research drives the cost. <br />That being said, I want to point out that only very few drugs are ever advertised. You don't see cancer medications advertised. The drug needs to have a mass market appeal. So do the profits from these medicines help fund the research on other medicines? I honestly don't know. <br />The question of re-importation is really an insult to Americans. Canada buys its medicines from America. They are the same medicines sold to Americans. There is no safety issue. This administration is misleading the public. (the nicest possible way of saying this)<br /><br />"Add these savings to what the government is already paying and we have an available budget of almost $1.2 trillion or over 11% of the nation's GDP. All without raising taxes."<br />Outstanding! I really like how you worked the numbers. Your ideas are logical and not radical. The only people who wouldn't like this are big pharma and insurance companies.<br /><br />I agree that health insurers would love to provide "top up or add-on" coverage. Many already do. However if there were a public health plan, the size of the market for the extra coverage, compared to the market now, would be relatively very small. So a lot of people would be laid off. (ME!) I don't know if moving from a giant profitable corp. to a small profitable corp. is what any of them want to do and therefore they may fight any significant changes such as your propose. <br />A note on "HMOs" (a generic term for private managed care health plans). Despite the evil and black thoughts the term brings to mind, it must be pointed out that millions of Americans have health insurance because of them. By reducing costs, increasing efficiencies, and yes, limiting access to care, they provide a way for employers to be able to afford health insurance for their employees. I shudder to think how many millions would not have health insurance without managed care.<br /><br />Now the part I hope my bosses don't read. After much consideration and closely following Hillary's debacle I have a proposal. Keep the current system in place with two changes. First, require all health insurers, private hospitals, and physician management groups, essentially everyone who profits from healthcare, to be non-profit corps. Second, cap executive compensation and closely monitor the financial statements to make sure nobody is greedy. <br />This is the heart of my proposed improvement to the American health care system. It has about as much chance of happening as an ice sculpture contest in hell.<br /><br />There are significant savings to be gained in the current system, but when they are realized, they will be turned into profit for the insurance companies. <br /><br />KirkrrtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com