You will note that I am not a fan of the US Health Care system....primarily because of the problems caused by government policies....and therefor plain old politics.
I lost my Mom not so long ago at Age 97 and spent six years taking care of her....and know very well how our system deals with such situations.
She had government Medicare Insurance and a privately funded Medicare Supplemental Insurance Policy that picked up the costs not paid by Medicare.
She spent that last bit of her life in a Nursing Home and had one major surgical. procedure in that time.
While in the Nursing Home and receiving palliative care...we paid lots of money for that.
Her Surgical Procedure and after care that lasted almost three Months cost us nothing due to the Insurance coverages she had.
Big Pharma has far too much power over the Politicians.
The Profit Center concepts used by the Medical Industry is part of the problem.
Our Drug costs are atrocious....as compared to any other Nation.
We have problems....lots of problems....and they are not going to get any better until the Politicians set aside their bitter differences and start doing the people's business.
Sadly....we see them split philosophically today to such a degree that compromise just doesn't happen.
In a free market economy....competition drives prices, competition in quality of service, competition in timeliness of services, competition in costs of services.....but with the government involvement (both State and Federal), we have a very dysfunctional system.
I am in the midst of a struggle with the Veterans Administration (VA) over a second Hip Replacement Procedure.
The first one was done in a non-VA facility (a teaching hospital) but paid for by the VA.
Unfortunately....the other Hip has decided to wear out....and I have been dealing with the bureaucracy since August and am no closer to getting the authorization for the second procedure.
Yesterday....when I informed the Patient Advocate I had contacted one of my US Senator's Office for assistance in unraveling the mess.....I was assured I would have my approval within 24 hours.
Due to the problems with my Single Payer VA provider....I have gone to a non-government provider and have had three Primary Care visits and two Consults with an Orthopedic Surgeon and could have the Surgical Procedure down with a two week notice.
My Medicare and Supplemental. Policy paid all the costs for those visits.
See the difference in timeliness and why most Americans have a dislike for government run anything?
We look to the Postal Service and State DMV Offices for examples why government should not have anything to do with our health care....other than to prevent monopolies, and see to Licensing perhaps.
All one has to do is see the mess we have now and allowing the government to get further involved very much is not the thing that should happen.