The War is Over!

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Hmmm

I recently went to an emergency room, for stitches, the night I tripped outside in the dark. There (the emergency room) I got 3 Xrays of my noggin, a tetanus shot and 3 stitches at the bridge of my nose.

Anyone want to guess the cost of the tetanus shot? let me just explain what's involved there:
1) the doctor types into a computer "this guy needs a tetanus shot."
2) a Pharmacy tech gets the order and pulls a bottle off the shelf, along with an appropriate syringe/needle combo.
3) a Pharmacist draws the prescribed dose from the bottle to the syringe.
4) A 'runner' brings the shot to the ER and gives it to a nurse, along with the appropriate paperwork.
5) The nurse swabs your arm with an alcohol wipe and administers the shot.

The bill for that little ballet was - brace for it, you all know it's coming!


$680.24


Just for the tetanus shot. $680.24. And that doesn't include the charges for the Xrays. Or the Doctor's fees. Or the Emergency room fees. Just a shot in the arm. $680.24

And y'all wonder why it's such a big deal! 'fucking socialists want to take over the U.S. of fucking A' My ass!

Perhaps we're just tired of greedy bastards fleecing us out of our hard earned ca$h. Personally I think the 'public option' and 'single payer' arguments are/were distraction tactics to keep genuine reform from succeeding.

Now, I'm not one to begrudge a person or corporation their profits. 5%, 10%, even 18% to 20% I can understand. After all, a reasonably competent stock trader can manage 15% to 20% profit. And many business people have the mindset - "If I can't do better than the stock market, I'll sell my business and put my cash in stocks." But c'mon! $680 for a fucking tetanus shot? And that's not even a 'tier 3' medication!

And, by the way - no one at the hospital ever EVER discussed costs with me before 'doing it'. I know when I take a dog to the Vet, the doc looks at the critter, then discusses costs and options. Only then does s/he do anything. Yet when we go the a people doctor, they just do it, then spring the bill on you after the fact. Fuckers!


Jacks

But dear, most of the fee went for Mexicare and executive bonuses. I just read about it. See, the hospital corporation execs sell paper for lotsa money that they use to pay themselves bonuses, then they make their hospitals increase fees to pay off the paper.

Insurance companies do the same trick. When they make awful investments and lose their asses they increase premiums. They also bribe politicians to make you buy coverage for things like space monster attack and flesh eating cooties.

 

[Katyusha]

Medical costs - well, don't get me started.

The bill for a week and a half of ICU for my husband this summer was $300,000.

That does not count surgeon, anesthetist, and ambulance fees.

Sick. It's just sick.

A friend of mine has $200,000 to pay for hip surgery; he could barely walk anymore. Insurance wouldn't cover it because *they* felt it was an unnecessary procedure.

I like what a Canadian was quoted as saying: "Canadians really don't mind waiting for elective care, so long as the rich Canadian and the poor Canadian have to wait about the same amount of time."

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Thats all that matters when you get down to it: AS LONG AS ALL SUFFER EQUALLY THINGS ARE FINE.

America pisses away enough money to pay for healthcare and college and lotsa other things, and here's how we do it.

Two articles in the paper yesterday: The local college paid 12 MILLION for a new hall that is worth 7 MILLION. The contract was full of loopholes that let the contractor grease and fuck the college for change orders, that is, every time the college changed its mind about paint or carpet or tile or whatever the contractor lubed them and had his way with their butts....5 Milllion in ass.

The President of the college is retiring this month. He demanded 700 THOUSAND for all his unused sick time and vacation time for 30 years. So the same board said Okay! and paid him 350 THOUSAND. But this didnt include all his personal time he used attending junkets in Maui and Paris and China, so he wants the other 350 THOUSAND. Being a generous guy he's not charging them for his limo commute to the office.

There are literally 1000s of these giveaways.

 

[JackLuis]

Thats all that matters when you get down to it: AS LONG AS ALL SUFFER EQUALLY THINGS ARE FINE.
-
There are literally 1000s of these giveaways.

Yeah, but JB, that is just normal "bid'ness" in Fla. Spending our hard earned tax dollars to bribe Afghan Drug Runners to not attack our convoys doesn't help our economy at all. The sums you talk about are insignificant compared to the Billions we are spending each month.

I doubt that the upper 5% of Americans are suffering that much in the current recession, so equal suffering is a myth as much as "Change we can believe in."

 

[xssve]

Two articles in the paper yesterday: The local college paid 12 MILLION for a new hall that is worth 7 MILLION. The contract was full of loopholes that let the contractor grease and fuck the college for change orders, that is, every time the college changed its mind about paint or carpet or tile or whatever the contractor lubed them and had his way with their butts....5 Milllion in ass.

I'm with the contractor - is he supposed to pay out his own pocket every time they change their minds? Fuck that, talk to the board, tell them to make their fucking minds up.