ASA insurance... cost rising again!

[PCL_128]

Let's add one more piece to the puzzle of American health care: Abolish the AMA. Here's the logic: The certification standards to become a physician are incredibly difficult to obtain. Allow more physicians in the market. More physicians mean more of a supply of the services that physicians provide. This means a lower cost for those of us who are consumers of health care. This is, by the way, the exact same logic behind the airline deregulation act of 1978.

This is one of the scariest things I've ever heard. I don't want my health entrusted to some reject who couldn't get make the cut in today's medical school, but suddenly is able to get in tomorrow because of the "free market." God bless the AMA.

 

[John Pennekamp]

YES! Health care should be a for profit business. However, it should be a business that is completely controlled by the free market, not one that is artifically constrained by limiting the number of physicians practicing medicine.

Well, for what its worth, the AMA is onto something. We as a pilot union could learn a lot from the AMA's practice of controlling entry into the profession to boost our value and compensation.

But I don't think the high salaries doctors get it the problem. The problem is that every medical bill, especially hospital bills, is padded to compensate for care of the uninsured. My wife recently had an emergency room visit (food poisoning). She was there about two hours. According to the bill, they charged our insurance $208.80 for 1000cc of basic IV solution, $508.50 for a hydration IV (1 hour), $19.97 for the plastic IV tubing, and $7.00 to $82.50 PER DOSE for the meds they gave her.Now you can't tell me that this is cost. It's well documented that hospitals inflate bills to pass along these costs.

This is why we have the insurance mess with rising premiums and deductibles that the middle class can't afford. If everyone had an insurance program, this wouldn't be as much of a problem. Medicaid covers the very poor. There is nothing for the lower middle class, and these are the highest percentage of the uninsured.

Fix this with a national insurance program and you've fixed a lot of the mess in our system.

 

[CFI2766]

This is one of the scariest things I've ever heard. I don't want my health entrusted to some reject who couldn't get make the cut in today's medical school, but suddenly is able to get in tomorrow because of the "free market." God bless the AMA.

DING!! DING!! DING!!

Now that you've bit on my Swiftian logic, ISN'T THIS EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE AIRLINES NOW?!?!?!? Reference the requirements posessed by the current crop of new FO's at the regional level.

"I don't want my <life> entrusted to some reject who couldn't get make the cut in today's <regional airline hiring environment>, but suddenly is able to get in tomorrow because of the "free market.""

Sound familiar?

[For reference, I'm a relatively new hire]

It's also true that the airlines are in one of the safest periods that there has ever been. However, average airfare is lower than it has ever been.

 

[JoeMerchant]

DING!! DING!! DING!!

Now that you've bit on my Swiftian logic, ISN'T THIS EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE AIRLINES NOW?!?!?!? Reference the requirements posessed by the current crop of new FO's at the regional level.

"I don't want my <life> entrusted to some reject who couldn't get make the cut in today's <regional airline hiring environment>, but suddenly is able to get in tomorrow because of the "free market.""

Sound familiar?

[For reference, I'm a relatively new hire]

It's also true that the airlines are in one of the safest periods that there has ever been. However, average airfare is lower than it has ever been.

You got him.... hook line and sinker....

As JP said, we could learn a lot from the AMA.... You can't pay $30,000 dollars and become a doctor in 11 months..... Why do we allow it for it pilots......

AMA has protected it's profession more than we have.....

 

[JoeMerchant]

Sorry Joe, but those things won't solve the problem. People simply can't afford health insurance in this country. The costs are going up at astronomical rates. High deductible HSAs don't help people that can't afford to pay the high deductible. Unhealthy pay more = lots of unhealthy people that need insurance who can't afford it. Reasonable tort reform is always a good idea, but it won't solve this problem. Everyone needs to be insured, and you can't force the poor and lower middle classes to spend what little money they have on health insurance. It needs to either be covered by the employers or by the government.

As Boortz would say.... what a load of horsesqueeze...

You are sounding more like a socialist every day....

Somehow health care became an "entitlement".... You want those of us who work hard to subsidize those who choose to not work as hard, or who choose to spend their money on other things....

Someone has to pay one way or the other..... You just want the "haves" to pay for the "have nots"..... That's called redistribution of wealth...... Hillary is your dream come true....

 

[John Pennekamp]

DING!! DING!! DING!!

Now that you've bit on my Swiftian logic, ISN'T THIS EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE AIRLINES NOW?!?!?!? Reference the requirements posessed by the current crop of new FO's at the regional level.

"I don't want my <life> entrusted to some reject who couldn't get make the cut in today's <regional airline hiring environment>, but suddenly is able to get in tomorrow because of the "free market.""

Sound familiar?

[For reference, I'm a relatively new hire]

It's also true that the airlines are in one of the safest periods that there has ever been. However, average airfare is lower than it has ever been.

Nice....!

 

[JoeMerchant]

Can't wait to watch PCL128 try and dig his way out of this trap he fell into..... Time to make some popcorn.....

 

[PCL_128]

What's there to dig out of? I think it would be great if we could set up a system similar to what the AMA has to limit entry to this profession. The AMA has the right idea.

 

[Medeco]

As Boortz would say.... what a load of horsesqueeze...

You are sounding more like a socialist every day....

Somehow health care became an "entitlement".... You want those of us who work hard to subsidize those who choose to not work as hard, or who choose to spend their money on other things....

Someone has to pay one way or the other..... You just want the "haves" to pay for the "have nots"..... That's called redistribution of wealth...... Hillary is your dream come true....

Wow, you listen to Boortz so much you sound just like him and his words.

Now, I agree with this statement, but you should really give credit to BOORTZ for your statement since those are exactly what he has said many times before.

Give credit were credit is due.

Now, PCL and JP, have you ever heard of anyone being turned down for health care in this country?

Have you ever heard of anyone not being able to get credit because they had unpaid hospital bills?

The system is expensive because of many factors, one of which is lawsuits and malpractice insurance cost to the doctors.

Universal health care is far from the answer.

Recently in the news, its been noted that high risk mothers to be are flying/driving to Washington state because the health care in British columbia cannot provide these women with the required care, how do you explain this, if socialized med is so good?
By the way those are Boortz statements too.

Medeco

 

[JoeMerchant]

What's there to dig out of? I think it would be great if we could set up a system similar to what the AMA has to limit entry to this profession. The AMA has the right idea.

So why hasn't ALPA pursued this? You are the ALPA cheerleader here.... what is the problem? Controlling entry requirements is key to the problem, but I don't see any leadership from Herndon..... Why not?