[geeks] Discuss this quote...

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: Phil Stracchino <phil.stracchino at speakeasy.net>
" 
" Jonathan C. Patschke wrote:
" > On Tue, 28 Aug 2007, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
" >> Sure, one day you will need it. Then it will be imposible to buy it
" >> and you will be faced with a choice of selling EVERYTHING you own to
" >> pay your medical bills or living (as long as you can) with whatever
" >> condition you have.
" > 
" > Insurance isn't what's needed then.  Affordable healthcare is, and
" > insurance providers survive by inhibiting that (many of the largest
" > regional hospital chains also happen to be owned[0 by HMOs).
" 
" This is starting to hit at the core of the problem:  Healthcare for
" profit.  It may just me, but I personally think there should be a law
" requiring ALL healthcare operations to be not-for-profit entities.  One
" should not profit from the injuries, sickness and death of others.

this i agree with absolutely, completely, totally, and definitely -
allowing for-profit healthcare was one of the worst decisions the govt
ever made.  [wasn't it on reagan's watch?]

otoh i've seen too many non-profits that had no idea how to manage
money.  in fact, since they're not supposed to make profits, there's
an incentive to waste $$ on tenuously work-related things.  i'll
concede these have been mostly donation and fundraiaing-supported
orgs.

at least one of the hmos offering insurance under our new state-
mandated plan is trumpeting the fact that they're not-for-profit.
[see http://www.massresources.org/pages.cfm?contentID=35&pageID=13&subpages=yes&dynamicID=808 ]
i'm not sure this is the ultimate solution, but i do believe it's
movement in the right direction.

another anecdotal data point: my town had the last city-owned hospital
in massacnusetts, and i was very impressed to learn that they were
willing to accept losing $1M/y on it - since we all know that there
are many ways public health affects the local economy which can't
easily be measured - but i learned this only when losses ballooned to
over $5M/y in the late '90s [iirc clinton's admin slashing medicare
payments in his deficit-elimination program] and the city had to sell,
eating both the debt and pension costs for the retirees who'd all been
city employees.  and the first thing the new owners - a hospital chain
based in the south - did was close one of the most highly respected
nursing homes in the area, two weeks after closing the deal.

digression: combine this with lucent's decision to move to an all-
service business model [and see what that got them] and closing the
merrimack valley works - their largest factory in the us, a $1B/y
operation - idling some 10000 workers around here, and our economy has
not been the best the last few years.  [they sold what should be a
prime building on huge real estate for $15M to an office-park co; it's
still mostly empty]
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought