anyone follow Medicare?
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 9,280
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From: knoxville, TN
Scot,
I think part of your error is that your are assuming simple interest in the money. The money taken out now is supposed to grow, like an investment. For example, if I put 3K in a IRA now, by the time I retire it should be worth close to 60K.
I see where you are coming from, but at the same time I disagree. These are people that have been productive citizens and we're promised a good retirement. Now, does that entail the "best" medications and "best" nursing home....no. But, at the same time, they do deserve medications and a decent place.
Another good point by JMC was the fact that "we" the children of these elderly, do not take care of them anymore.
I think part of your error is that your are assuming simple interest in the money. The money taken out now is supposed to grow, like an investment. For example, if I put 3K in a IRA now, by the time I retire it should be worth close to 60K.
I see where you are coming from, but at the same time I disagree. These are people that have been productive citizens and we're promised a good retirement. Now, does that entail the "best" medications and "best" nursing home....no. But, at the same time, they do deserve medications and a decent place.
Another good point by JMC was the fact that "we" the children of these elderly, do not take care of them anymore.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 866
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From: houston
[QUOTE]Originally posted by tenblade2001
...I have treated many "indigent" people who for some odd reason can afford cell phones, gold teeth, designer clothes... but can't afford health insurance.
...I have treated many "indigent" people who for some odd reason can afford cell phones, gold teeth, designer clothes... but can't afford health insurance.
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 7,248
Likes: 1,573
From: Somewhere in NJ
Hmmm, there's alot here....
Scot - I think you hit part of the issue on the head. There won't be anything left in 35 years (without complete overhaul of the system). What you (26), I (35), and mostly everyone else in our generation should be doing is ensuring our own retirement with the use of things that are available to us NOW. Things like IRAs, 401Ks (or equivalent for self employed), etc... The tools available to our parents and grandparents were different, and a HUGE one of them was Social Security. Is it unfortunate that we each put a % of our check into a system that we won't benefit from, sure. We also put away other money to ensure that when we don't see it, we are still covered. This is major shift in the American culture that has taken 50 + years to occur.
TenBlade- To your point. I work in Big Pharma. When I started almost 10 years ago, and average R&D cycle for a new drug was in the 100-200 million range. It is now in the 500 to 800M range. Yes, you heard that. Average R&D cost to get a drug to market is approaching ONE BILLION, and it will bypass that quickly. Americans want medication, want to live longer, etc... the cost is to pay for research, pay for the science and technology to do research, pay for scientists to do the research, and pay for the medical system so support research. And lets not forget, pay for government to regulate research.
To soul_fly and TenBlade. I think both points are valid. I agree with TenBlade, and am offended by people who rely on government aid to have a reasonable life, yet indulge in many 'luxuries' that I and other pay for. I also agree with soul_fly that this country was very different 60, 50, 40 years..... and continues to be so for people not of the majority, be it race, religion, country of origin, etc...
Do I think there are things wrong with the medical industry (which includes regulations, the legal industry, liability laws, and many other things, not just doctors, hospitals, and the pharmaceuticals). Absolutely! Do I think it does a great job at providing what WE, as Americans want and will accept, Absolutely! If you think otherwise, then tell your parent or grandparent not to have that heart surgery, or cancer treatment, or any other numerous procedures that keeps them alive. Reality is that many of us can't do that, and won't do that, until it becomes a futile effort, in which case we struggle to make the decision not to do something more.
It is unfair to compare medical coverage in the US with anywhere else. There are many countries with completely free, government sponsored health care. What are the average income taxes in those countries. The more you rely on the government, the more it costs you to do so.
Scot - I think you hit part of the issue on the head. There won't be anything left in 35 years (without complete overhaul of the system). What you (26), I (35), and mostly everyone else in our generation should be doing is ensuring our own retirement with the use of things that are available to us NOW. Things like IRAs, 401Ks (or equivalent for self employed), etc... The tools available to our parents and grandparents were different, and a HUGE one of them was Social Security. Is it unfortunate that we each put a % of our check into a system that we won't benefit from, sure. We also put away other money to ensure that when we don't see it, we are still covered. This is major shift in the American culture that has taken 50 + years to occur.
TenBlade- To your point. I work in Big Pharma. When I started almost 10 years ago, and average R&D cycle for a new drug was in the 100-200 million range. It is now in the 500 to 800M range. Yes, you heard that. Average R&D cost to get a drug to market is approaching ONE BILLION, and it will bypass that quickly. Americans want medication, want to live longer, etc... the cost is to pay for research, pay for the science and technology to do research, pay for scientists to do the research, and pay for the medical system so support research. And lets not forget, pay for government to regulate research.
To soul_fly and TenBlade. I think both points are valid. I agree with TenBlade, and am offended by people who rely on government aid to have a reasonable life, yet indulge in many 'luxuries' that I and other pay for. I also agree with soul_fly that this country was very different 60, 50, 40 years..... and continues to be so for people not of the majority, be it race, religion, country of origin, etc...
Do I think there are things wrong with the medical industry (which includes regulations, the legal industry, liability laws, and many other things, not just doctors, hospitals, and the pharmaceuticals). Absolutely! Do I think it does a great job at providing what WE, as Americans want and will accept, Absolutely! If you think otherwise, then tell your parent or grandparent not to have that heart surgery, or cancer treatment, or any other numerous procedures that keeps them alive. Reality is that many of us can't do that, and won't do that, until it becomes a futile effort, in which case we struggle to make the decision not to do something more.
It is unfair to compare medical coverage in the US with anywhere else. There are many countries with completely free, government sponsored health care. What are the average income taxes in those countries. The more you rely on the government, the more it costs you to do so.
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