Really? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22184921 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151410.php "WASHINGTON (AP) - Fraud and billing errors in the Medicare program cost the government an estimated $11.6 billion last year, a slight improvement over previous years, the agency that runs the program said Friday."
Hey tom, have you ever been treated in the states?Have you ever been in the healthcare system here?Are you on an hmo or ppo?It sucks...You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.You might think canada s is bad but it is nothing compared to the scam here that is not about health but money up front or you die. The healthcare system here is only wonderful if you are a multi,muulti millionaire.Even if you have insurance they will deny you procedures.This doesnt happen in canada.Fifty per cent of bankruptcies here are filed by people who have med insurance coverage.Say what?Yup,the insurance coverage is a farce.Medical decisions here are not decided by doctors but by insurance companies accountants who deny expensive procedures as much as possible to keep profits up.In fact their bonuses are based on how much you can deny...Its a criminal enterprise of enormous amoral obscenity.Tom you dont know shit about the health care biz here.Get real before you open thy mouth. The usa despite proclaiming it has the best healthcare in the world ranks 37th in health.Socialized healthcare is cheaper for the people and healthier too.Business healthcare results in poor health but rich doctors.
The article is by a doctor. Doctors don't seem to be neutral parties. They make more money under the American system.
They work more under American system too... greater incentive. Once America goes Full Commie, doctors will be 9-5ers like anyone else.... lots of them will be lazy about it, too. Consequence will be longer wait times for surgery.
Well, here's a real world example of what is likely with ObamaCare..................... Wait times soar for cataract surgery in Calgary Superboard cost-cutting takes blame By Michelle Lang, Calgary HeraldMay 20, CALGARY - Calgary ophthalmologists say waiting times for cataract surgeries in the city have skyrocketed since the cash-strapped Alberta superboard slashed the number of the procedures it purchased this year. One major Calgary clinic, Gimbel Eye Centre, said the number of cataract patients on its waiting list doubled to 2,290 from 1,124 six months ago. A second facility, Mitchell Eye Centre, said delays were growing so long it had to cancel all mild and moderate cataract cases and is now concentrating only on nearly blind patients. "About a year ago, we had almost no waiting list. It was terrific,"said Dr.Robert Mitch-ell, an ophthalmologist who owns the Calgary clinic. "It's a bit scary how fast that can turn around . . . We only now book the severe cases." The growing wait times follow Alberta Health Services' decision to buy about 2,000 fewer local cataract surgeries in 2008-09 compared to the previous year in an effort to cut costs. In Calgary, the public health system does not perform cataract operations, instead contracting out the procedure to surgeons at private clinics such as Gimbel and Mitchell. In recent years, the former Calgary Health Region paid for additional cataract surgeries at the private clinics--beyond the surgeons' regular quota --in a bid to cut waiting lists. But the practice required the health authority, which has since been replaced by the superboard, to spend over its budget. This year, in the face of a $500 million deficit and a smaller than usual increase in its operating budget, Alberta Health Services said it would stick to its budget for cataract surgeries. The superboard estimates it bought about 8,500 of the procedures in 2008-09 -- a significant drop from 10,340 the year before. Dr. Howard Gimbel, medical director of Gimbel Eye Centre, said his waiting list was only a few weeks long at this time last year. He said many patients are now facing a year-long wait because of the cutbacks and it doesn't appear the situation will improve soon. "There's no promise or expectation of anything more than last year, particularly with the economic times," said Gimbel. In addition to reducing the number of cataract surgeries the superboard purchased, Alberta Health Services has also cut back on buying Calgary foot surgeries in recent months. Local podiatrist Dr. Brent Haverstock estimates the surgical waiting list at the clinic where he works has grown to about 1,600 patients from about 1,200 at the beginning of the year. The clinic performs foot operations for people with arthritis, bunion removal and other problems. "Everyone just gets pushed further and further back on the wait list," he said. Alberta Health Services representatives said it's not yet clear how many surgeries it will buy this year from private clinics. "The board will be reviewing and approving a new budget," said Mark Kastner, a spokesman for the superboard. "As part of that budget we'll be having discussions with all the contractors." But Calgarians like Linda Williams, whose husband John has been waiting for more than eight months for cataract surgery on both eyes, said the situation is unacceptable. "We're all victims of a system we have no control over," she said, noting her husband is only 57 and is still working, but has serious vision problems because of his cataracts. The decision to buy fewer cataract surgeries is not the only cost-cutting measure at the superboard. A political debate heated up last week after Alberta Health Services placed tight new restrictions on hiring health workers. Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital also said it would cancel 15 per cent of its elective surgeries in a bid to slash costs. Doctors said the result will be longer waiting times for hip and knee replacements, and other procedures. The Alberta Medical Association has called on the government to eliminate the deficit at the superboard. Dr. Noel Grisdale said the growing cataract surgery wait list in Calgary is another reason to give the organization a cash infusion. "It's creating more wait lists and not providing service," he said. "It's a no-win situation." Health Minister Ron Liepert has said government will consider how to handle the superboard's deficit when the final figure is available. © Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald http://www.calgaryherald.com/Business/Wait+times+soar+cataract+surgery+Calgary/1605816/story.html
And another.............. Calgary's elective surgeries halted as clinics use up public funds By Michelle Lang, Calgary HeraldMay 4, 2009Comments (29) StoryPhotos ( 1 ) Eye surgeon Robert Mitchell.Photograph by: Archive, Calgary HeraldCalgary patients are facing growing waiting lists for procedures like cataract removal after health officials acknowledged Thursday most private surgical clinics in the city have run out of public funding for the winter. Surgeons at the clinics, who perform 13,000 elective procedures annually under contract with Calgary's public medical system, have already met their quota and won't be performing more operations until a new bud-get comes into effect this April. In past years, the former Calgary Health Region allowed clinics to continue performing operations after meeting their quota, effectively running over the allotted budget in an attempt to address long surgical waiting lists. This year, however, the new medical superboard won't pay for any additional surgeries because it's facing a $1.3 billion operating and capital deficit. "There were past practices of allowing cost overruns to serve more patients,"said Mark Kastner, a spokesman for Alberta Health Services, the organization that took over the delivery of medical care from former health regions. "There is more fiscal accountability now." Doctors and health officials said many elective operations won't be performed over the next month and a half until the new budget comes into effect, including podiatry, oral, facial, cataract and other eye operations. Dr. Robert Mitchell, an ophthalmologist who owns Mitchell Eye Centre, said the situation will increase waiting lists for patients. At Mitchell's clinic, for example, the waiting list for cataract surgery is now about 12 months, while a year ago, there was no delay. "Our first duty is to the patient," said Mitchell. "But we're in a system where there are no (more) funds." Calgary area hospitals contract out all cataract surgeries, about 8,500 this year, and a variety of other procedures to private clinics. Groups like the Calgary and Area Physicians Association said the situation facing private clinics and their patients reflects the budget crunch at the superboard. All emergency surgeries will continue as necessary. "It's a concern,"said Dr.Linda Slocombe, president of the association. "It shows how tight the budgets are, and down the road you'd be concerned you might not be able to service all those needing elective surgeries." Friends of Medicare said Thursday that Calgary's policy of contracting out to private clinics isn't working. "It's an indication that when the chips are down, the private surgeries don't come through,"said Dave Eggen, executive director of the organization. Cataract removal is one of five priority procedures for Alberta, and the province has pledged to cut waiting times for the surgery. The government's wait time target for cataract surgery is 16 weeks, but most patients are now waiting 25 weeks for the procedure, according to Alberta Health's wait-list registry. Health Minister Ron Liepert was not available for comment Thursday. mlang@tHeHerald. Canwest.Com http://www.calgaryherald.com/Health...alted+clinics+public+funds/1309735/story.html
how many cataract surgeries would be done in the us without government paid healthcare called medicare? very few.
On the flip side, the American method means many people (almost 50 million) have no insurance. Which means many are uncovered against tragedies like heart problems, cancers, sever burns or other very expensive things. Their health plan is "hope and pray nothing hits my family members. Medical apparently is the cause of about 60+% of bankruptcies, based on something I read several weeks ago. Illegal immigrants are pretty much guaranteed coverage for emergencies, adding on to the bill of Americans. And the poor? Since they often have no coverage, they often go to the emergency room, driving up costs for the hospital and everyone else. And the coverage for those not covered by work plans can be $1000 a month for a small family. Or the self-employed.