PBS Frontline: Sick Around the World

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

PBS Frontline: Sick Around the World
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/

"Sick Around the World," examines how five other capitalist democracies -- United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Switzerland -- deliver health care, and what the United States might learn from their successes and failures.

Watch the program online
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/main.html



Program Q&A with the correspondent
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/04/08/DI2008040802824.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/etc/notebook.html


NETFLIX, add to queue or watch online
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Frontline_Sick_Around_the_World/70098734

With the U.S. health care system needing urgent care, "Frontline" looks to other leading capitalist democracies to see how their health care systems operate and whether those systems might be a model for much-needed reform at home. But are Americans willing to accept taxation or socialized medicine? Will U.S. insurance providers undermine change? Correspondent T.R. Reid examines systems in the U.K., Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Taiwan.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9447-2005Feb8.html
Sick and Broke
By Elizabeth Warren, The Washington Post
Wednesday, February 9, 2005; Page A23

As part of a research study at Harvard University, our researchers interviewed 1,771 Americans in bankruptcy courts across the country. To our surprise, half said that illness or medical bills drove them to bankruptcy. So each year, 2 million Americans -- those who file and their dependents -- face the double disaster of illness and bankruptcy.

But the bigger surprise was that three-quarters of the medically bankrupt had health insurance.

Bankrupt families lost more than just assets. One out of five went without food. A third had their utilities shut off, and nearly two-thirds skipped needed doctor or dentist visits.

Every 30 seconds in the United States, someone files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem.


==============================

Half of Bankruptcy Due to Medical Bills -- U.S. Study
by Maggie Fox, Reuters, Wednesday, February 2, 2005

"Among those whose illnesses led to bankruptcy, out-of-pocket costs averaged $11,854 since the start of illness; 75.7 percent had insurance at the onset of illness."

The average bankrupt person surveyed had spent $13,460 on co-payments, deductibles and uncovered services if they had private insurance. People with no insurance spent an average of $10,893 for such out-of-pocket expenses.

"Even middle-class insured families often fall prey to financial catastrophe when sick," the researchers wrote.

==============================
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,146157,00.html

“Most were average Americans who happened to get sick,” he says. “Health insurance offered little protection. Families with coverage faced unaffordable co-payments, deductibles, and bills for uncovered items like physical therapy, psychiatric care, and prescription drugs. And even the best job-based health insurance often vanished when prolonged illness caused job loss -- precisely when families needed it most. Too often, private health insurance is an umbrella that melts in the rain.”

His report shows that during the two years prior to filing for bankruptcy:

--40 percent lost telephone service

--19 percent went without food

--54 percent went without needed doctor or dentist visits because of cost

--43 percent did not fill prescriptions because of cost

--15 percent had taken out second or third mortgages to pay for medical expenses

--1/3 continued to have problems paying their bills following bankruptcy, including paying their mortgage/rent and utility payments

Even after filing for bankruptcy, a number (3.1 percent) were turned down for jobs, 5 percent were turned away on apartment rentals, and 9 percent were rejected for car loans


"From 1982 to 1989, I reviewed every bankruptcy petition filed in South Carolina, and during that period I came to the conclusion that there were two major causes of bankruptcy: medical bills and divorce," said George Cauthen, a lawyer at Columbia-based law firm Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

http://tapes.millercenter.virginia.edu/tapes/nixon
President Nixon conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
February 17, 1971, 5:26 pm - 5:53 pm
Oval Office, Conversation 450-23
http://tapes.millercenter.virginia.edu/audio/rmn/mp3/index.php?dir=chron1/&file=rmn_e450c.mp3

John D. Ehrlichman: On the—on the health business— we have now narrowed down the vice president's problems on this thing to one issue and that is whether we should include these health maintenance organizations like Edgar Kaiser's Permanente thing. The vice president just cannot see it. We tried 15 ways from Friday to explain it to him and then help him to understand it. He finally says, “Well, I don't think they'll work, but if the president thinks it's a good idea, I'll support him a hundred percent.”

Ehrlichman: Edgar Kaiser is running his Permanente deal for profit. And the reason that he can—the reason he can do it—I had Edgar Kaiser come in—talk to me about this and I went into it in some depth. All the incentives are toward less medical care, because— the less care they give them, the more money they make.


* * THE VERY NEXT DAY * *

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/print.php?pid=3311
Special Message to the Congress Proposing a National Health Strategy
President Richard Nixon, The White House, February 18, 1971

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

Money-Driven Medicine: What's Wrong with America's Healthcare and How to Fix It

Watch it now... (free streaming of Money-Driven Medicine.)
http://www.moneydrivenmedicine.org/watch-in/watch-now

movie homepage
http://moneydrivenmedicine.org

movie summary
http://moneydrivenmedicine.org/about-mdm

...based on Maggie Mahar's acclaimed book, Money Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much, the film offers a behind-the-scenes look at how our 2.6 trillion dollar a year healthcare system went so terribly wrong and what it will take to fix it.

The U.S. spends twice as much per person on healthcare as the average developed nation, fully one-sixth of our GDP - yet our outcomes, especially for chronic diseases, are very often worse. What makes us different? The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that has chosen to turn medicine into a largely unregulated, for-profit business.

[adcantu]

Thanks for all this info HMC.

Im quite worried because I have had horrible times getting insured over the past 10 years since leaving military health care/ tricare. I have a pacemaker so most insurance companies either wont insure me, or they wont cover anything cardiac.

I had pneumonia back in January, the doc ordered an EKG as standard procedure, but my insurance at the time wouldn't cover the EKG as it related to cardiac. I even had to pay for the vital signs checks because pulse rate and blood pressure have to do with cardiac. I had $2000 that I had to pay out of pocket after copays for the items they deducted saying they could be related to something cardiac and therefor not covered.

Anyway the reason Im worried so much is because Ive talked with a few different hospitals in my area about getting a new pacemaker. Without insurance the cost for the cheapest is going to be $380,000 assuming there is no complications or extra procedures to be done. That was the cheapest. I was also quoted at $600,000 from one hospital.

Working EMS I net less than $30k a year. (last year I earned $28k and I worked 96 hours a week)

[Da-Chief]

HMC-FMF-PJ always brings up "GREAT" subjects..

Thanks!

And ADCANTU.. Hmmm.. Have you checked the local VA to see if your eligible for any care there?

Good Luck!

D/C

[adcantu]

Thanks D/C

When I first got out I worked with VA for some time. The first rep I worked with said I should get full benefits. But then he transferred and passed my claim to the new person. The new person said that I wasnt eligible for anything. I tried talking with a few other reps but never got anywhere. The basic consensus was that I was not eligible for anything.

When I was 17 I had a full cardiac workup done because my BP was a little high. Everything turned out normal. So when I joined up, I had my MEPS screening without problems. But at RTC they were doing routine health screens after battle stations. I had abnormal blood pressure. I was sent to the Naval Hospital, where I spend a few days back and forth visiting the cardiologist. Turned out that I had a second degree block type II. So I was sent to separations for entry level separation.

The first rep said that because I had a workup done prior to entry that was clear, and because MEPS cleared me, that the condition could be considered as possibly occurring while in service, therefor qualifying me for full benefits. But then the second rep said that because it was still RTC and therefor training, that I was not considered "in service" or active duty, so I wouldn't qualify for anything.

I didn't really want full benefits, because I didn't feel like I had earned them. But at the same time I was hoping to at least get some of what I had paid into during my 4 months at RTC and separations.

[ice_nine]

A doctor wrote a pretty good article about this in this month's Men's Health called "Your money or Your life." by T.E. Holt, MD


To quote;

"Health insurance is a business. The first and only loyalty of a business, we all understand, is to stockholders. That's not necessarily evil. But if you try to merge business with medicine, even with the best intent, evil gets done. The first and only allegiance of anyone involved with sickness should be the sick.

Medicine is not a business. When medicine fails, it's worse than any bankruptcy. Out patients do not consume. They need....

...This simple truth is so easily lost. There are far too many institutions and individuals to blame for that loss, including physicians. Doctors were too eager to hand over to the insurance companies the awkard business of collecting payments from patients. Jealous of our privileges, we've also allowed ourselves to be buffaloed by appeals to self-interest and fear. We made a bargain with the devil, and in the usual way of these things, we now find ourselves doing the bookkeeping. We're managed to the point where we start to think like managers more than doctors. But in the face of illness, suffering and death, we know that medicine isn't about managing. It's not about dividends or profit or loss.

Medicine is about caring - caritas - charity."

[dvldocjoe]

Adcantu,

Not to get off of topic, but you signed up and went through the training to become a sailor. You did what was expected of you so why should you not get the care if you are entitled to it?

[indy]

This might be a good place to start - http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/eligibility/DetermineEligibility.asp Typically one has to have 24 continuous months of active duty service, but there are exceptions (aren't there always?).

[adcantu]

Ice Nine, that is a great quote, thanks for sharing.

dvldocjoe, I attended boot camp and performed as well as I could. I was actually the recruit CPO for about 6 weeks. I was transferred to separations a few days before Pass and Review. I was allowed to attend only as an observer of my previous division. To this point, I feel that the Navy served me, rather than me serving the Navy. I was given more self confidence, leadership experience, and solidification of my values as a man. I don't consider it as though I actually served, because I never performed anything other than those duties and responsibilities I was given of running the recruit division.

I love the Navy, and love its rich history. Ive studied and read lots of books, biographies, visited battle sites and memorials, etc. I look at the men and women who have given their lives, and the men and women who have served and do serve. I see that as what is required to earn benefits.

Of course that said, I do realize I have a responsibility towards my family, and that means pursuing every avenue I can towards securing my health and well being. Thank you Indy for the link, I will be sure to do as much research as I can. It has been about 5 years since I gave up on the VA, things could have changed.

[dvldocjoe]

The only thing we ever get out of not trying is failure.

Thanks for explaining the information.

As far as I am concerned, you signed on the dotted line, took the oath to your country, and just didn't make it as far as some of us did.
You took it further than a lot of people ever do. Thank you for trying.

[adcantu]

Thanks dvldocjoe. It was my dream from as long as I could remember to serve in the Navy. After seeing the career that my dad had, and learning about the history of the Navy, it was where I wanted to be. It makes me sad that I couldn't stay in. But I still like to think that I carry those core values with me in my other endeavors. I got into EMS so that I could still have a way to serve others, maybe my municipality or county etc, rather than my country, but service to others none the less. I also volunteered in the ER at Naval Hospital Sigonella for year.

Anyway, Ive hijacked the thread lol. Thanks for listening everyone and for giving advice and comments.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

I thought this was an interesting factoid mentioned during a documentary I was watching tonight:

PBS American Experience, We Shall Remain: After the Mayflower, Part 1 of 5
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/the_films/episode_1_about

Jean O'Brien, Ojibwe, historian: "There were a variety of ways that English claimed possessions of Indian lands: everything from just seizing them and then attending to the legalities much later, merely occupying lands that they want to declare vacant and thus, available for the taking. One that is often overlooked is that the English would get Indians indebted. As Indians continued to experience ill health and epidemic disease, one of the things that they become indebted for is health-care that's being provided by English guardians. These English guardians used this as a way to get their hands on Indian land. So that once the debts have been accumulated they go to the Indian estate for the land for payment. And this becomes a massive mechanism of Indian dispossession."

Episode Transcript:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/files/transcripts/WeShallRemain_1_transcript.pdf


Since about half of all US bankruptcies are currently driven by illness or medical bills and "Among those whose illnesses led to bankruptcy, ...75.7 percent had insurance at the onset of illness." - I wonder how many of the rash of home foreclosures are related to healthcare issues?

Americans are still loosing their homes to healthcare indebtedness...