Nursing shortage? Nope.

Post #118,959 by deSitter 9/26/03 3:58:57 AM Reply	Nursing shortage? Nope. [link\|http://www.massnurses.org/News/2003/06/june18press_release.htm\|http://www.massnurse...press_release.htm] Just staffing shortage. Lots of nurses have left "the job" (to use a cretinous NYPD phrase) because they can't deal with all the overwork and stress. This should be obvious - given that men are now in nursing in (distressingly) large numbers (who wants a male nurse??), and people are getting sick at about the same rate, and getting hospitalized less often because of tighter admission standards (read - greedy pirate bastard insurance execs), how could there possibly be a nursing shortage? It is a fiction of our profit-driven system of healthcare, in which people are just logs to be stoked into the gaping maw of the massive profit machine that is the insurance industry. Now, their crippling malpractice premiums are driving doctors away from "the job" - being a doctor was once the ultimate social honor the average person could pull down. -drl
Post #119,013 by orion 9/26/03 10:22:21 AM Reply	Blame "Managed Care" systems and HMOs, etc. Before we had those things, it wasn't so bad in Hospitals. Once the Greedy Pirate Bastage Insurance Execs got their grubby little hands on the Medical Industry, things changed for the worse. All of a sudden you have to fight for a hospital claim that they rejected, or else you'll be stuck with a huge bill you'll be paying off for the rest of your life. Also Medicine may not be covered or be covered at a huge price. I remember paying $89USD for AntiBiotics when I had the Flu, should have been a $15USD co-pay but the Greedy Pirate Bastage Insurance Execs decided that since the company that made the AntiBiotics didn't give them any kickbacks, that they wouldn't cover it any more. Of course they didn't tell the doctor this, or else she wouldn't have written it up for me. But I needed it badly, so I paid for it rather than wait a few days to get a new perscription. Of course the insurance rates keep going up, a family of 3 can expect to pay $700USD to $1000USD a month to be covered. Soon it will be more. So much for affordable healthcare. *"Lady I only speak two languages, English and Bad English!" - Corbin Dallas "The Fifth Element"*
Post #119,035 by gdaustin 9/26/03 11:14:34 AM Reply	Already paying $700 a month to be covered. And that's with a $300 a month employer contribution. So, there's your $1000. We just got a break. We changed companies, added deductibles (the prior plan had none). Now, I pay $600 a month, but if any family member has to go to the hospital, it's $1000 plus 10% of the bill.
Post #119,039 by gdaustin 9/26/03 11:19:00 AM Reply	BTW, orion When you find out that the anti-biotics aren't covered, called the doctor's office and let them know. Usually, the doctor's office will co-operate with you on this. If you let the doctor's office know up front what insurance they have, the admin can usually check the formulary on a website to make sure that you get "covered" anti-biotics before you ever leave the office. It's a matter of communicating with the doctors and their admins. Be especially nice to the the admins because they are the gatekeepers to the doctors and largely determine how much attention you'll get in these matters. You would really be surprised at how much they know. Glen Austin
Post #119,068 by orion 9/26/03 12:50:19 PM Reply	Yeah well it was like this I got the AntiBiotics after 5pm, the Doctor's Office was closed for the day and the next day the Doctor had an Off-Day. Talking to the Answering Service or Doctor's office usually takes a few days to get back with me. I needed the AntiBiotics right away because I was so miserable. I suppose maybe I should have called and went without it for a few days? My mistake. *"Lady I only speak two languages, English and Bad English!" - Corbin Dallas "The Fifth Element"*
Post #119,041 by gdaustin 9/26/03 11:19:26 AM Reply	BTW, Ross Welcome back! I hope you're feeling better.
Post #119,046 by deSitter 9/26/03 11:29:13 AM Reply	thx - still feel like I got hit by a truck :( -drl
Post #119,107 by mmoffitt 9/26/03 5:16:25 PM Reply	Um, it's not only the insurance companies. Actually, some of the HMO's in smaller markets are getting creamed. Look at the profitability of hospitals. And let's not leave our precious demi-god clinicians (M.D. - Memorization Doctorate) out of this. I'm not going to reargue 1) we want to live forever 2) physician greed knows no bounds 3) drug companies are enemies of the people, but any of the 3 contribute at least as much to the obscene amount we pay for healthcare as does the insurance industry. bcnu, Mikem The soul and substance of what customarily ranks as patriotism is moral cowardice and always has been...We have thrown away the most valuable asset we had-- the individual's right to oppose both flag and country when he (just he, by himself) believed them to be in the wrong. We have thrown it away; and with it all that was really respectable about that grotesque and laughable word, Patriotism. - Mark Twain, "Monarchical and Republican Patriotism"

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