Should surgery cost be standardized?
Replies
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There must be something skewed in the #s you are using. I had my hip replacement done by Mayo Clinic, the insurance paid to Mayo was only about $10,000 for the Doctor and his staff and the prosthetic its self. However there was also a bill paid to the Hospital for about 42,000 for the O.R. the room, all the meds, the nurses, and all the after care I received for 5 days.
There is no way any hospital could do a hip replacement and keep you 5 days for $4.000, If they are doing it for that, I would not want to go there because they are obviously taking shortcuts somewhere.
Just an FYI, I had one of the best doctors in the country, received a top of the line prosthetic with an experimental polymer insert in the cup and it has worn like iron, I have no signs of wear at all on it. With the avg usage expectancy of a hip replacement at 15 years and I am on year 13 and looking like mine may go another 13 without issue all I can say is you get what you pay for!0 -
Thank god I live in Canada
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I have an online friend who lives in Canada. He spent a year in agony, with kidney stones, on the waiting list for surgery. Because it was a "non emergency." A year. When he did get the operation, the surgeon didn't get all the stones, so he got to wait another 6 months for a second operation. Yeah, I'm sure he's very glad to get free health care.
I had a friend in the UK. He had severe panic disorder. But they will not prescribe certain medications in the UK that are very effective in treating this disorder because the are "addictive." Which they are not, really. But try to convince the NHS of that. He used to refer to them as the Notional Health System. He is dead now, having self-medicated his disorder with alcohol, because he could not get effective treatment.
Yes, I very much want single payer socialized medicine in the US, so government pencil pushers can determine what sort and level of care we each get. Because our government has done SUCH a good job with everything else it is doing and has done.
Oh. What... Our government pretty much screws up everything it touches.0 -
My new job has a High Deductible Health Plan; for DH and me, it starts to pay only after we've run up $2,500 in expenses, so we have a pretty big stake in making medical decisions. I'm fine with that (even though I started in September and, due to DH's ongoing health issues we immediately blew through the $2,500 for 2012 and then again in early 2013). I believe everyone should have some financial stake in their medical costs and should be asking questions. What is this treatment/surgery/med supposed to do? How likely is it that it will succeed? What are possible side effects? What will happen if I choose not to do it? Is a cheaper/less invasive option available that we can try first? Are there changes I can make in diet or exercise that might help?
I am not in favor of fixing prices. I would, however, like to see more transparency. It is maddening to blindly go through with a procedure and then wait for the bills to trickle in... the facility, a doc or two, the lab, maybe an anaesthesiologist... with no idea of what the bottom line is going to be. The type of info just released will help tremendously. If Hospital A charges $8,000 and Hospital B in the same city charges $25,000 for the same procedure, maybe Hospital B should explain why.0 -
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Doctors, nurses, surgical techs, etc. all make good money in other countries, yet these countries can still have free healthcare. But when a hospital like Flowers in Dorthan Alabama profits 389 million net? Remember that's even after paying all doctors, nurses, etc.
Capitalism is fine for business. But healthcare shouldn't be a for profit venture. Part of the reason people near poverty level don't get check ups is because they can't afford the premiums to cover health care.Last time I checked this was still America and socialism hadn't been adopted.
The number one cause for bankruptcy is medical expenses.
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You're going to have to target key areas to why surgery is so expensive. Just off the top of my head here?
The cost of a medical school (and nursing) education and subsequent training program (intern, resident, attending, etc. /cna, lpn, rn/bsn, np, etc) which in turn, drives the salaries (and administrative costs) of providing health care. Here's a good place to start. I don't think you can reasonably ask for medicine to be a non-profit venture when its education CAN AND DOES drive those who undertake it into DEEP DEEP debt for years. Were talking more than 100K sometimes up to 250K coming out of college, if not more than that, depending how far they took their education, their specialties, etc. And plenty of people go into medicine BECAUSE IT MAKES MONEY. People with the ability to pursue such a pathway for a long time WANT THAT PAYOUT. How would we suddenly shut this down as a perfectly good avenue to get paid in spades? It seems, on its face, that would punish those who spend years of their life honing their craft, wouldn't it?
Insurance companies. They are able to negotiate prices with amazing prowess, but if you are of the common rabble, without it, expect to pay through the nose. Will the so-called Obamacare fix this? No one seems to know.
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Not my numbers. The link is from Medicare. And i believe that this was for hip fractures not replacements? I'll have to read it again to confirm.There must be something skewed in the #s you are using. I had my hip replacement done by Mayo Clinic, the insurance paid to Mayo was only about $10,000 for the Doctor and his staff and the prosthetic its self. However there was also a bill paid to the Hospital for about 42,000 for the O.R. the room, all the meds, the nurses, and all the after care I received for 5 days.
There is no way any hospital could do a hip replacement and keep you 5 days for $4.000, If they are doing it for that, I would not want to go there because they are obviously taking shortcuts somewhere.
Just an FYI, I had one of the best doctors in the country, received a top of the line prosthetic with an experimental polymer insert in the cup and it has worn like iron, I have no signs of wear at all on it. With the avg usage expectancy of a hip replacement at 15 years and I am on year 13 and looking like mine may go another 13 without issue all I can say is you get what you pay for!
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Doctors, nurses, surgical techs, etc. all make good money in other countries, yet these countries can still have free healthcare. But when a hospital like Flowers in Dorthan Alabama profits 389 million net? Remember that's even after paying all doctors, nurses, etc.
they don't have free health care. they have government provided, tax paid for health care. and I think we should have the same in the United States.
BUT, if a person has money to pay for services beyond what the government provides, then they get to pay for it. So if the regular surgery costs $5k, but Johns Hopkins or Cedar Sinai does it for $60k, and I want access to their facilities and services, then I get to pay for that. I'm on board with socialized health care as I believe it's better for all in this country. Having health care tied to jobs is DUMB. But I'm not for standardized pricing because if you are fortunate to have lots of money you SHOULD have advantages over other people. That's kind of the whole point of accumulating money0 -
You'll find a "glitch" in any system. Even Jelly Belly has beans that aren't perfect. Thank goodness my parents both served and retired in the military and get very good free health care by the government till they're dead. Cause you know that if a parent can't pay for it, then usually the kids will.I have an online friend who lives in Canada. He spent a year in agony, with kidney stones, on the waiting list for surgery. Because it was a "non emergency." A year. When he did get the operation, the surgeon didn't get all the stones, so he got to wait another 6 months for a second operation. Yeah, I'm sure he's very glad to get free health care.
I had a friend in the UK. He had severe panic disorder. But they will not prescribe certain medications in the UK that are very effective in treating this disorder because the are "addictive." Which they are not, really. But try to convince the NHS of that. He used to refer to them as the Notional Health System. He is dead now, having self-medicated his disorder with alcohol, because he could not get effective treatment.
Yes, I very much want single payer socialized medicine in the US, so government pencil pushers can determine what sort and level of care we each get. Because our government has done SUCH a good job with everything else it is doing and has done.
Oh. What... Our government pretty much screws up everything it touches.
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I have an online friend who lives in Canada. He spent a year in agony, with kidney stones, on the waiting list for surgery. Because it was a "non emergency." A year. When he did get the operation, the surgeon didn't get all the stones, so he got to wait another 6 months for a second operation. Yeah, I'm sure he's very glad to get free health care.
I had a friend in the UK. He had severe panic disorder. But they will not prescribe certain medications in the UK that are very effective in treating this disorder because the are "addictive." Which they are not, really. But try to convince the NHS of that. He used to refer to them as the Notional Health System. He is dead now, having self-medicated his disorder with alcohol, because he could not get effective treatment.
Yes, I very much want single payer socialized medicine in the US, so government pencil pushers can determine what sort and level of care we each get. Because our government has done SUCH a good job with everything else it is doing and has done.
Oh. What... Our government pretty much screws up everything it touches.
True. This has happened for some people. But my son desperately needed his tonsils and adnoids removed, instead of waiting 4 to 6 months to even see an ENT, he waited 1 week for the ENT appt, and then just 2 more weeks to have his tonsils, adnoids removed and tubes in both ears. It was not an emergency by any means, but they still did it for him right away.0 -
Health care shouldn't have to come down to better work though. It should be the same from patient to patient.60 000$ difference is huge...
Maybe a standardized percentage based on living costs on the area? Not completely though, people should still be able to charge more if they feel they deserve more for better work.
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In a perfect world, where the skills of every surgeon were equal , maybe. Some people are better at what they do than others. You're a personal trainer. Are all personal trainers created equal? Do you choose what you charge based on what you think your services and skills are worth? Are there personal trainers that charge more than you? Less than you? Should your rates be standardized?
Doctors are private citizens. They trained and chose where they wanted to work. They then chose (in concert with the practice or hospital they created or hired into respectively) what prices to charge. No, it should not be standardized because the skills and experience of doctors is not and cannot be standardized.
The expensive surgery you quoted, was not the only surgeon in the area, just one. If someone, or someone's insurance, didn't want to pay that, they could choose someone cheaper and they wouldn't have to travel to OH to do it.0 -
There is an entire generation who see nothing wrong with taking from the government. What they don't seem to get or perhaps don't care is that they aren't taking from the government they are taking from me.
I agree with you on this. There is an entire generation of people that think getting a free ride is cool. The bankers that gambled with our mortgages and then when they lost, had their hands out for taxpayer money so they could pay themselves million dollar bonuses. The oil companies that double their profit margins during recessions while stashing their money in off shore accounts to avoid paying taxes in the country where they earned the money. Huge companies like GE, that make 100's of millions of dollars in profit, then turn in a 60 pound tax filing document that says that WE OWE THEM MONEY at the end of each year. The millionaires that make money off the safety and security that the USA provides them but want their taxes lowered to the point where my daughters don't have PE, art, libraries or sports programs at their schools anymore.
Somebody wake me up when the first banker that participated and profited from the shenanigans that caused the economic collapse is tried for a crime and put in jail.0 -
Not saying that doctors SHOULDN'T be paid for their skills. Some specialize and should be payed accordingly, but the profit margin is for the HOSPITAL. As for trainers, it's an optional choice. Healthcare usually isn't an optional choice for many people.
Health care shouldn't have to come down to better work though. It should be the same from patient to patient.60 000$ difference is huge...
Maybe a standardized percentage based on living costs on the area? Not completely though, people should still be able to charge more if they feel they deserve more for better work.
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In a perfect world, where the skills of every surgeon were equal , maybe. Some people are better at what they do than others. You're a personal trainer. Are all personal trainers created equal? Do you choose what you charge based on what you think your services and skills are worth? Are there personal trainers that charge more than you? Less than you? Should your rates be standardized?
Again pay the doctor accordingly as I stated.Doctors are private citizens. They trained and chose where they wanted to work. They then chose (in concert with the practice or hospital they created or hired into respectively) what prices to charge. No, it should not be standardized because the skills and experience of doctors is not and cannot be standardized.
It was solely for purpose of comparison. I'm sure that there are other closer places that could do the care for less.The expensive surgery you quoted, was not the only surgeon in the area, just one. If someone, or someone's insurance, didn't want to pay that, they could choose someone cheaper and they wouldn't have to travel to OH to do it.
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+1.There is an entire generation who see nothing wrong with taking from the government. What they don't seem to get or perhaps don't care is that they aren't taking from the government they are taking from me.
I agree with you on this. There is an entire generation of people that think getting a free ride is cool. The bankers that gambled with our mortgages and then when they lost, had their hands out for taxpayer money so they could pay themselves million dollar bonuses. The oil companies that double their profit margins during recessions while stashing their money in off shore accounts to avoid paying taxes in the country where they earned the money. Huge companies like GE, that make 100's of millions of dollars in profit, then turn in a 60 pound tax filing document that says that WE OWE THEM MONEY at the end of each year. The millionaires that make money off the safety and security that the USA provides them but want their taxes lowered to the point where my daughters don't have PE, art, libraries or sports programs at their schools anymore.
Somebody wake me up when the first banker that was participated and profited from the shenanigans that caused the economic collapse is tried for a crime and put in jail.
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Not saying that doctors SHOULDN'T be paid for their skills. Some specialize and should be payed accordingly, but the profit margin is for the HOSPITAL. As for trainers, it's an optional choice. Healthcare usually isn't an optional choice for many people.
Health care shouldn't have to come down to better work though. It should be the same from patient to patient.60 000$ difference is huge...
Maybe a standardized percentage based on living costs on the area? Not completely though, people should still be able to charge more if they feel they deserve more for better work.
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In a perfect world, where the skills of every surgeon were equal , maybe. Some people are better at what they do than others. You're a personal trainer. Are all personal trainers created equal? Do you choose what you charge based on what you think your services and skills are worth? Are there personal trainers that charge more than you? Less than you? Should your rates be standardized?
Again pay the doctor accordingly as I stated.Doctors are private citizens. They trained and chose where they wanted to work. They then chose (in concert with the practice or hospital they created or hired into respectively) what prices to charge. No, it should not be standardized because the skills and experience of doctors is not and cannot be standardized.
It was solely for purpose of comparison. I'm sure that there are other closer places that could do the care for less.The expensive surgery you quoted, was not the only surgeon in the area, just one. If someone, or someone's insurance, didn't want to pay that, they could choose someone cheaper and they wouldn't have to travel to OH to do it.
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And who do you want to decide how much these private citizens get paid for their labor, how much their skills are worth?
Healthcare may not be an option, but it is an option to shop around. If one doctor or their hospital wants to charge more, let them. If it's too much, people will opt out of using their services and go to someone else. If enough people do that, they will be forced to lower their prices. Obviously, enough people decided that doctor's skills were worth the cost. Why do you want to take away the choices of both the consumer and service provider?0 -
You'll find a "glitch" in any system. Even Jelly Belly has beans that aren't perfect. Thank goodness my parents both served and retired in the military and get very good free health care by the government till they're dead. Cause you know that if a parent can't pay for it, then usually the kids will.I have an online friend who lives in Canada. He spent a year in agony, with kidney stones, on the waiting list for surgery. Because it was a "non emergency." A year. When he did get the operation, the surgeon didn't get all the stones, so he got to wait another 6 months for a second operation. Yeah, I'm sure he's very glad to get free health care.
I had a friend in the UK. He had severe panic disorder. But they will not prescribe certain medications in the UK that are very effective in treating this disorder because the are "addictive." Which they are not, really. But try to convince the NHS of that. He used to refer to them as the Notional Health System. He is dead now, having self-medicated his disorder with alcohol, because he could not get effective treatment.
Yes, I very much want single payer socialized medicine in the US, so government pencil pushers can determine what sort and level of care we each get. Because our government has done SUCH a good job with everything else it is doing and has done.
Oh. What... Our government pretty much screws up everything it touches.
Those are just two examples. If you think those problems are not endemic to the systems then you are deluding yourself. Just spend a little time on google.
The simple fact is, we can only afford so much health care. It has gotten way too expensive. Government seems to be making it more expensive with mandates, regulations, more taxes and on and on. In a NHS type system, mid to low level government employees who see dollars and not people will be making the decisions for you. Yes, our current system sucks, because government and the insurance companies have screwed it up. Because it has become so expensive, because we have too many lawyers that will sue over a pimple, and for a variety of other reasons. It is not a simple subject with simple solutions.
I am on Medicare. Essentially government run health care in the US. Government workers decide what procedures/drugs are covered and what isn't. I have no say in it. Government workers decide what doctors and hospitals will get paid for every procedure. They have no say in it. It is getting to the point now where it can be very difficult to find a doctor that will accept Medicare patients because they know that they will not get paid what it costs to treat the patients. And I get to pay for this wonderful service. Granted no where near what the privately insured are paying, but quite a lot for a guy on a fixed income. The simple truth of it is that I avoid the doctor because of the costs, and if I were to have a serious injury or illness I would be bankrupt, or have to simply decide not to be treated.
Like I said in my previous post, our government screws up everything it touches. Now this is a bit of a sound bite, but realistically, can you think of anything our government does that it does efficiently and well? Seriously? And you want them in total control over our health care?0 -
When 48.2 million (according to the CDC) aren't covered for health insurance, I would think that's a pretty good reason to make it more affordable.And who do you want to decide how much these private citizens get paid for their labor, how much their skills are worth?
Healthcare may not be an option, but it is an option to shop around. If one doctor or their hospital wants to charge more, let them. If it's too much, people will opt out of using their services and go to someone else. If enough people do that, they will be forced to lower their prices. Obviously, enough people decided that doctor's skills were worth the cost. Why do you want to take away the choices of both the consumer and service provider?
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There is an entire generation who see nothing wrong with taking from the government. What they don't seem to get or perhaps don't care is that they aren't taking from the government they are taking from me.
I agree with you on this. There is an entire generation of people that think getting a free ride is cool. The bankers that gambled with our mortgages and then when they lost, had their hands out for taxpayer money so they could pay themselves million dollar bonuses. The oil companies that double their profit margins during recessions while stashing their money in off shore accounts to avoid paying taxes in the country where they earned the money. Huge companies like GE, that make 100's of millions of dollars in profit, then turn in a 60 pound tax filing document that says that WE OWE THEM MONEY at the end of each year. The millionaires that make money off the safety and security that the USA provides them but want their taxes lowered to the point where my daughters don't have PE, art, libraries or sports programs at their schools anymore.
Somebody wake me up when the first banker that participated and profited from the shenanigans that caused the economic collapse is tried for a crime and put in jail.
And yet you want to put the same government that is not only allowing stuff like this to happen, but promoting it, in charge of our health care?
(Remember Fannie Mae, a government organization, was in collusion with the banks in handing out mortgages to people who could not afford them, even encouraging the practice, then bundling those unsound investments and selling them to people as sound investments).0 -
Like I said in my previous post, our government screws up everything it touches. Now this is a bit of a sound bite, but realistically, can you think of anything our government does that it does efficiently and well? Seriously? And you want them in total control over our health care?
^^^lives in a country that's free and safe, drives on gov't provided streets, relies on govt provided police and fire protection, gets govt provided free healthcare. eats safe food because of govt regulations. gets safe medicine because of govt regulations. breathes air that is clean because of govt intervention. drives a car that gets better than 9 mpg because of govt standards.
but hates the govt. IN for the lolz. you think medicare is bad? then decline it and pay for medical services with your own cash. then come back and tell me how much better that worked out for you.0 -
There is an entire generation who see nothing wrong with taking from the government. What they don't seem to get or perhaps don't care is that they aren't taking from the government they are taking from me.
I agree with you on this. There is an entire generation of people that think getting a free ride is cool. The bankers that gambled with our mortgages and then when they lost, had their hands out for taxpayer money so they could pay themselves million dollar bonuses. The oil companies that double their profit margins during recessions while stashing their money in off shore accounts to avoid paying taxes in the country where they earned the money. Huge companies like GE, that make 100's of millions of dollars in profit, then turn in a 60 pound tax filing document that says that WE OWE THEM MONEY at the end of each year. The millionaires that make money off the safety and security that the USA provides them but want their taxes lowered to the point where my daughters don't have PE, art, libraries or sports programs at their schools anymore.
Somebody wake me up when the first banker that participated and profited from the shenanigans that caused the economic collapse is tried for a crime and put in jail.
And yet you want to put the same government that is not only allowing stuff like this to happen, but promoting it, in charge of our health care?
(Remember Fannie Mae, a government organization, was in collusion with the banks in handing out mortgages to people who could not afford them, even encouraging the practice, then bundling those unsound investments and selling them to people as sound investments).
And yet you think LESS regulation is the answer? LOLz0 -
Take your arguments to your Congressional representatives.
The ONLY problem I have with a National Health care initiative that covers all and provides common services at set amounts is that someone has to pay for that. That payment would be a subsidy of tax dollars. And until you change the tax code so that it isn't progressive, then you are simply increasing an already unfair system. The same procedure or service ends up "costing" me more than it cost you, simply because my tax bracket is higher.0 -
And yet you think LESS regulation is the answer? LOLz
Show me where more government regulation and intervention have lowered costs and provided better and more available coverage.0 -
Not against people with more money who can afford it to pay more for higher optional services if they so choose. I just don't believe healthcare should be denied because of money statis.Of course health care should work on free market principals. If I'm rich, I want access to more and better. If I'm broke, I get a lower standard of care. Or no care. That's how capitalism works. I think we should have a universal health care system in the US, but even still people with mo money get mo options. The education system works the same way
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That's how the NHS works in the UK. Everyone is welcome to use it, and it provides a good standard of care, but if you want to choose a specific surgeon, or want a private room with gold leaf on the walls and waitress service, or you want something not required medically, such a cosmetic surgery purely for body enhancement, then you either buy an insurance package to cover it (fancier hospital, choice of surgeon, not cosmetic stuff), or you dip into your pockets.
I entirely agree with this, and honestly, the stats speak for themselves - on average, people live longer in the UK and infant mortality is much lower. And because there is no profit in it, and the government (i.e. taxpayer) foots the bill, there is a good emphasis on preventative measures (free weight loss classes, anti-smoking aids, etc), which is great. It's definitely not a perfect system - for those using it or working for it - and whilst I agree that treatment of 'minor' conditions and wait times for non-essential surgeries, etc, can be long - if you are in a car accident, etc, or have an acute condition, the treatment is world-class. My aunt went from first mammogram (free) to diagnosis (free) to full mastectomy (free) to full breast reconstruction/implants (free) within about 15 days (followed by a course of radiotherapy - also free!) when she got breast cancer a few years back. I just cannot imagine what it must be like to have to worry about money at a time like that. If you want to seek private treatment in the UK - just like sending your kids to a private school - you can. Private health insurance exists here too - you cannot opt out of paying your taxes, but if you are well-to-do, you can also pay for private insurance for the fancy-pants hospitals etc. The fact that the majority of people, including a large percentage who could more than afford it, don't, speaks volumes.
And with regards to research, the UK spends ~2% of it's GDP on research and development, compared to the US's ~3%, and ranks 3rd behind the US and Japan in terms of research output. I don't think that's bad going.
Definitely room for improvement though. I lived and worked in Germany for a while, and that had a very good system - you pay for insurance, but your costs are topped up by the government considerably and regulated, so fees are never that high. I didn't have insurance and - although my european health card would have covered emergency conditions - I paid for a few non-urgent procedures when I was there out of pocket - trip to the eye doctor for an infection including eye exam (50 euros) and a consultation+ultrasound at an OB/GYN (120 euros). Pretty reasonable costs, and very good standard of care, so perhaps that sort of joint contribution (govt-individual) model is a good one and perhaps also a more sustainable one that the current UK model.0 -
So would you say that inherently people who get free healthcare an unsatisfied? Because according to Gallup, the quality of health care is pretty equal across the board when it comes to satisfaction.Those are just two examples. If you think those problems are not endemic to the systems then you are deluding yourself. Just spend a little time on google.
Goes back to my belief that health care shouldn't be a for profit venture.The simple fact is, we can only afford so much health care. It has gotten way too expensive. Government seems to be making it more expensive with mandates, regulations, more taxes and on and on. In a NHS type system, mid to low level government employees who see dollars and not people will be making the decisions for you. Yes, our current system sucks, because government and the insurance companies have screwed it up. Because it has become so expensive, because we have too many lawyers that will sue over a pimple, and for a variety of other reasons. It is not a simple subject with simple solutions.
I am on Medicare. Essentially government run health care in the US. Government workers decide what procedures/drugs are covered and what isn't. I have no say in it. Government workers decide what doctors and hospitals will get paid for every procedure. They have no say in it. It is getting to the point now where it can be very difficult to find a doctor that will accept Medicare patients because they know that they will not get paid what it costs to treat the patients. And I get to pay for this wonderful service. Granted no where near what the privately insured are paying, but quite a lot for a guy on a fixed income. The simple truth of it is that I avoid the doctor because of the costs, and if I were to have a serious injury or illness I would be bankrupt, or have to simply decide not to be treated.
Like I said in my previous post, our government screws up everything it touches. Now this is a bit of a sound bite, but realistically, can you think of anything our government does that it does efficiently and well? Seriously? And you want them in total control over our health care?
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And yet you think LESS regulation is the answer? LOLz
Show me where more government regulation and intervention have lowered costs and provided better and more available coverage.
the public school system0 -
"For profit" healthcare means It's more profitable to treat the disease rather than cure it. It also means less common diseases will never see research and developments.0
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Unfortunately true. But the tax code entirely has to do with how our government spends it's money. I love the military, but with so much tax dollars going to it because it's been "traditional" for so long, there's got to be a better way.Take your arguments to your Congressional representatives.
The ONLY problem I have with a National Health care initiative that covers all and provides common services at set amounts is that someone has to pay for that. That payment would be a subsidy of tax dollars. And until you change the tax code so that it isn't progressive, then you are simply increasing an already unfair system. The same procedure or service ends up "costing" me more than it cost you, simply because my tax bracket is higher.
I'd rather our money go to research curing cancer than researching on making destructive tanks.
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And yet you think LESS regulation is the answer? LOLz
Show me where more government regulation and intervention have lowered costs and provided better and more available coverage.
the public school system
You have to be kidding me. The public school system that is consistently seeing declines in reading and math scores? That is teaching to the tests and not actually teaching? And even given that the kids can't pass the tests? The public school system that is essentially failing to meet the need of providing a qualified work force for our future? You mean that public school system?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2012/03/26/7-signs-that-americas-educational-decline-is-jeopardizing-its-national-security/
That is just the first google hit I got.0 -
Tru dat!"For profit" healthcare means It's more profitable to treat the disease rather than cure it. It also means less common diseases will never see research and developments.
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
"For profit" healthcare means It's more profitable to treat the disease rather than cure it. It also means less common diseases will never see research and developments.
Very true. Also means that common diseases (some of which could be relatively easily 'cured') that aren't affecting the comparatively wealthy (globally) are neglected (i.e. there is no 'profit' in it's cure).0
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