[Rhodes22-list] Steve's respect, and health care costs

[Robert Skinner]

Steve wrote:
> ...
> Spelling/grammer mean nothing.  Being a conservative
> is what counts.  Your high & mighty liberalism is a
> thing of the past.  Spelled right or not!!!!!!!!

Perhaps you are right, under the current counter-
intellectual administration.  "If you ain't for me,
you're agin me" is very much in vogue.

What you are calling "conservative" was called liberal
a couple of decades ago.  I believe that what you 
call "conservative" today is what we called "robber
barony" in the past.  I would hardly call a president
or party that acts like a drunken sailor in a whorehouse
"conservative".  Remember, Steve, that nothing lasts 
forever, not even power or political position.

While it is comfortable to parrot the political polemics
of the prominent party, I will wager that your position
will change over time.

> ...
> As long as the Republican are in power; it's not a
> problem.  The Republican made the first surpluss and
> we will fix the mess the Democrats made undeer
> Clinton.

Opinions differ on those points.  Nearly 50% of voters
disagree.  That is not exactly a consensus.

> Once again, you have missed the point on Health Care.
> The problem is in Tort Reform.  That will fix Health
> Care costs.  Your are trying to talk around the issue.
>  You CAP settlements and all the costs related to
> liability claims will lessen health care costs.  And
> if people were smarter and research thier doctors;
> there wouldn't even be a need in all these lawsuits.

1. I think the problem is wider than tort reform.  Very
few things are that simple.

2. Information about doctor's failures, mistakes, etc.
is all but impossible to obtain.  Research is all but
impossible.

> No the cost of drugs is not being ignored.  If you had
> any brains at all you would know that Bush has
> implementated a Prescription Drug plan for Medicare.
> And most states / public & private plans are
> implementating Evident Based Drug Provision in there
> packages offered to employees.  The drastic rise in PD
> is being fixed.

Why do you insult me?  You destroy any validity your 
comments might have.  Why not stick to the facts, and
label opinion as such?

As to drug costs, we are a long way from a fix.  It is
not as simple as a small government plan that addresses
a small fraction of the population.  We need to figure 
out a way to keep the old drugs that work available in 
the marketplace, keep the cost of new drugs as low as 
Canada, and get flu vaccine to people reliably.

> Your other comments are simple bullshit.  The cost of
> denial of preventative health care.  The nothinbg but
> a Liberal scare comments that means NOTHING.  If it
> got deny; then it wasn't needed.  Preventative Health
> Care is being paid and not being denied.  Just Liberal
> crap!!!!!!!!!

As it turns out, there are several lawsuits in the courts 
which concern themselves with improper denial of claims.  
In addition, there are few insurance policies which 
provide complete preventative care.  The grand majority 
of policies are reactive rather than proactive, especially
those available to individuals not covered under groups.
To say that the insurance companies are above reproach 
is a bit optimistic.  They are "for profit", aren't they?

> You are totally WRONG.  Tort Reform will fix the
> problem.

An assertion, not a fact.  You are entitled to your
opinion.  I don't share it.

> Look who it trying to reinvent the wheel.  You are
> trying to bring on a whole new case of lawsuit.  When
> a service is order as medically necessary; it must be
> order by a Doc.  So that accountability can be
> estiblish in cases of fruad.

Wake up.  PAs are already in many practices, and are
already helping to control costs.  There is no greater
risk of malpractice lawsuits, it appears.  We just need 
to keep moving in that direction.

Robert Skinner