Comments on: “The Time Has Come For a Societal Shift” by James Roosevelt, Jr. http://commonhealth.wbur.org/james-roosevelt-jr/2008/06/the-time-has-come-for-a-societal-shift-by-james-roosevelt-jr/ CommonHealth Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:14:12 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Commonhealth » Blog Archive » “Evidence-Based Medicine is an Effective Tool that Should be More Broadly Adopted” by James Roosevelt, Jr. http://commonhealth.wbur.org/james-roosevelt-jr/2008/06/the-time-has-come-for-a-societal-shift-by-james-roosevelt-jr/comment-page-1/#comment-7823 Commonhealth » Blog Archive » “Evidence-Based Medicine is an Effective Tool that Should be More Broadly Adopted” by James Roosevelt, Jr. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:08:30 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/weblogs/commonhealth/?p=507#comment-7823 [...] my past blogging I have written about the necessary societal shift to prevention and wellness to improve health and [...] [...] my past blogging I have written about the necessary societal shift to prevention and wellness to improve health and [...]

]]> By: panchitosacaba http://commonhealth.wbur.org/james-roosevelt-jr/2008/06/the-time-has-come-for-a-societal-shift-by-james-roosevelt-jr/comment-page-1/#comment-7549 panchitosacaba Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:17:19 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/weblogs/commonhealth/?p=507#comment-7549 Similar to the question, "Why has the price of gas gone up so much?", the question, "Why does health care cost so much?" is confusing conundrum to answer. If one were to ask a healthcare provider such as a hospital administrator, they might blame the insurance industry. A health insurance company president might blame the public. A member of the public might blame the hospitals or the insurance company. Everyone shares a bit of the blame. Indeed, as Roosevelt states, the public needs to take better care of themselves. We're facing an epidemic of health issues with record amounts of people suffering from obesity and all around poor health. Yet, if we do get sick, are not supposed to go to the hospital? And why is so easy to fall into the trap of living an unhealthy lifestyle? Doesn't the government share the blame for their lack of in action in providing the public with a health environment with inexpensive organic food instead of bounty of cheese doodles and Big Gulps? Yet, is that once again our fault that we haven't voted inept politicians out of office or run for office ourselves. Or is that the fault of the corporations who have many huge contributions to politicians and spend millions on lobbyists to control government? Which brings us to this idea of Capitalism ruining the health care "industry" by route of health insurance providers and companies being for profit (sometimes indirectly even if they are non-profit) and health care insurers selling "products" to the public. Could they be driving up prices just a tad if doctors, hospitals, medical suppliers, pharmaceudical company, et all are using making more billions as their driving force for providing "better health care"? And what about the rampant inefficiency of health care insurance companies? Currently, we've got the 31 flavors of different health insurance comanies all vying for you to buy their plan. By having so many insurers, each with a different billing system, different forms and rules, the billers from providers need to employ someone who specializes in handling each insurance companies billing system. Meanwhile, their computer system run on Atari 2600 archaeic systems that they are unwilling to update. Sure, they might put a new web based claims system but the main system that all of your records are on is some dos based system from 1985. How efficient do you think that is in the high tech world we live in today? And they blame us? True, we can't be victims and blame everything on others yet not holding the health care industry, government and general corporate greed accountable is even worse. Yet, how can one fix this perfect storm of an inefficient health care system with sky rocketing costs fed by We the People in poor health. I say we take ownership of all of it as Roosevelt stated and hold ourselves and the healthcare industry accountable for what is going on. Let's up off of our behinds and do something about it. Yet, what is it that we need to do? Similar to the question, “Why has the price of gas gone up so much?”, the question, “Why does health care cost so much?” is confusing conundrum to answer. If one were to ask a healthcare provider such as a hospital administrator, they might blame the insurance industry. A health insurance company president might blame the public. A member of the public might blame the hospitals or the insurance company. Everyone shares a bit of the blame. Indeed, as Roosevelt states, the public needs to take better care of themselves. We’re facing an epidemic of health issues with record amounts of people suffering from obesity and all around poor health. Yet, if we do get sick, are not supposed to go to the hospital? And why is so easy to fall into the trap of living an unhealthy lifestyle? Doesn’t the government share the blame for their lack of in action in providing the public with a health environment with inexpensive organic food instead of bounty of cheese doodles and Big Gulps? Yet, is that once again our fault that we haven’t voted inept politicians out of office or run for office ourselves. Or is that the fault of the corporations who have many huge contributions to politicians and spend millions on lobbyists to control government?

Which brings us to this idea of Capitalism ruining the health care “industry” by route of health insurance providers and companies being for profit (sometimes indirectly even if they are non-profit) and health care insurers selling “products” to the public. Could they be driving up prices just a tad if doctors, hospitals, medical suppliers, pharmaceudical company, et all are using making more billions as their driving force for providing “better health care”?

And what about the rampant inefficiency of health care insurance companies? Currently, we’ve got the 31 flavors of different health insurance comanies all vying for you to buy their plan. By having so many insurers, each with a different billing system, different forms and rules, the billers from providers need to employ someone who specializes in handling each insurance companies billing system. Meanwhile, their computer system run on Atari 2600 archaeic systems that they are unwilling to update. Sure, they might put a new web based claims system but the main system that all of your records are on is some dos based system from 1985. How efficient do you think that is in the high tech world we live in today? And they blame us?

True, we can’t be victims and blame everything on others yet not holding the health care industry, government and general corporate greed accountable is even worse. Yet, how can one fix this perfect storm of an inefficient health care system with sky rocketing costs fed by We the People in poor health. I say we take ownership of all of it as Roosevelt stated and hold ourselves and the healthcare industry accountable for what is going on. Let’s up off of our behinds and do something about it. Yet, what is it that we need to do?

]]> By: DarleenMB http://commonhealth.wbur.org/james-roosevelt-jr/2008/06/the-time-has-come-for-a-societal-shift-by-james-roosevelt-jr/comment-page-1/#comment-7548 DarleenMB Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:20:37 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/weblogs/commonhealth/?p=507#comment-7548 The ONLY solution to the health care crisis is to stop paying out BILLIONS of insured premiums to do-nothing CEO's. Insurance is meant to provide assistance to the insured NOT to line the pockets of greedy corporate officers and share holders. Insurance AND health care BOTH should NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO BE PRIVATIZED. As a consumer I am sick and tired of the greed factor in this country. It's high time we got back to basics. The ONLY solution to the health care crisis is to stop paying out BILLIONS of insured premiums to do-nothing CEO’s.

Insurance is meant to provide assistance to the insured NOT to line the pockets of greedy corporate officers and share holders. Insurance AND health care BOTH should NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO BE PRIVATIZED.

As a consumer I am sick and tired of the greed factor in this country. It’s high time we got back to basics.

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