HEALTH Why Current Health Care Is Collapsing And Universal Reform Will Be Worse

[jonnybones]

Why Current Health Care Is Collapsing And Universal Reform Will Be Worse

The current U.S. health care system is not in such seemingly irreparable despair and shambles because of one particular reason nor group of people or agency, but rather, all of the parties who have been involved in and are part of the blame for this gradual decline of sufficient service and provision. It is a complex and intricate problem consisting of many interrelated aspects and facets. One of the major reasons for the skyrocking costs of our health care system is due to the removal of the patient as a major participant in the financial and medical choices that are currently being made by others in the name of the patient.

However controversial and offensive this reality may seem to many people, the fact remains that the disastrous consequences of this overburdened system are clearly documented by the increasing share of medical bills paid by third-party payers, which are the insurance companies and the state and federal branches of Government. Whenever government-"funded" Medicare and Medicaid pays merely part of the bills (only up to approximately two-thirds) to the medical industry for the patients in their programs, the doctors are left with partially unpaid services and end up raising the overall prices for taxpayers (who are not in those programs).

Also, the reason why many insurance companies are raising their rates for consumers is due to the majority of doctors and health care providers intensifying manipulative negotiations and spiking the prices of bills, and if not paid, the providers seek out other companies. The insurance companies need these providers in network, for if they lose members, then they're stuck with profit loss, and therefore, are financially and competitively forced to comply and raise negotiated rates. In turn, the consumer is left with footing higher prices for receiving that insurance coverage. It is a seemingly endless cycle of not only cost-coverage all around, but also oftentimes, out-of-control capitalist competition, insatiable greed and manipulation.

It is also true that whenever the services are free or almost free, patients tend to overuse medical resources, going to the doctors excessively for unneeded purposes out of convenience, as well as receiving unnecessary prescription drugs and having surgeries simply out of ignorance (lack of knowledge) and selfishness. Oftentimes, they are being manipulated by profiteering doctors who act as "snakeoil salesmen". The Holy Bible, as well as ancient and modern medical evidences collectively prove that the herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, vitamins, minerals, etc., (which have been created by our heavenly Abba/Father for our benefit) are extremely healthy and provide not only treatments but also literal cures for most (if not all) ailments and medical problems known to mankind.

It is oftentimes the pharmaceutical "medications" (being manufactored in laboratories with man-made chemical compounds) which are rejected in various ways by our natural bodies and have on many occasions MORE side effects than the actual ailments and diseases which they are claimed to "treat" or "cure". For example, pharmaceutical "antibiotics" can wreak havoc on the body and lead to what are called "antibiotic resistant strains" of super-bugs/viruses, diseases, etc., which adapt to these drugs and thus, mutate and evolve into stronger and almost unstoppable forms.

We do not need such man-made "antibiotics", when in fact, Nature has much more effective ones which are extremely powerful immune-system botanicals such as Garlic, Reishi Mushroom, Astragulus, as well as Goldenseal, Echinacea, etc. It is not a mere coincidence that to this very day, the Federal Drug Administration(FDA) refuses to accept any of these botanicals as medicine, all the while manufactored pharmaceuticals are causing increasing numbers of horrible side effects, illnesses and death each year. Just the same, many medical doctors mock these kind of natural remedies and those who believe in these practices, as if they were completely irrelevant and nonsense.

There are certain government officials who have been desperately trying to ban the sale and use of vitamins and herbs over the past several years in an effort to cease homeopathic and holistic health practices and create more dependance upon the FDA for the purpose of control and profiteering. Many of these same officials have invested in pharmaceutical stocks for greedy gain and will do anything they can in order to protect their self-centered interests. They do not care about our health for this is a business. If everyone became well and were no longer sick,...all of the doctors and health care providers would go out of business, right?

Here are more reasons why our current health care system is failing : There are many people who seek paid "leave of absences" from work or school to visit doctors simply because they selfishly do not want to work or go to school on a steady basis. Likewise, whether or not it is controversial, the fact remains that many parents deliberately manipulate the welfare and government medical coverage system by willingly choosing to have increasing numbers of children for the express purpose of gaining more money from the government, while also choosing to not work and pay taxes.

I am not saying or implying that there are not genuine cases where help is needed, nor that our national financial system is not weakened to the point where jobs are increasingly hard to find, for I know this all too well and likewise, do not have medical insurance myself. However, we cannot ignore reality as it truly exists nor should we merely stick our proverbial "heads in the sand". For those of us who are conscious and aware of the facts, it is clear and apparant that past and current government administrations have forsaken the needs of national sovereignty and given in to the corporate greed of globalization and in effect, are deliberately outsourcing most of our jobs to other countries (to benefit and profit from lower and oftentimes slave wage labor in the manufactoring of products). Whenever our jobs are lost to other countries, the unemployment rate here is dramatically raised, thus leaving increasing numbers of people who cannot afford health care.

Also, whether the federal and state government admits it or not, they desire to see the increase of foreigners who can be exploited for the purpose of slave wage labor here for the benefit of some (NOT all) areas of the economy, mainly the profiteering by corporate and local owners of crops, real estate (especially apartments and low-income housing), as well as employers of construction, landscaping and housekeeping, etc.

Many of the government's elected officials are deliberately and purposefully keeping the majority of our borders open to the foreign invasion by illegal immigrants, many of whom simply refuse to properly assimilate into our American, English-speaking culture and become skilled workers who pay taxes back into the system to keep it strong, but rather in majority choose to abide in poverty with extremely high crime rates far surpassing that of other people groups. They are placing such a collective, monumental strain on our health care system, more than most Americans realize. If this and other problems don't stop eating away at the system like a cancer, this downward spiral will continue until our globally superior economy crashes completely and we descend to the lowly status of a third-world country.

PLEASE keep in mind that I am not advocating nor supporting racial discrimination of any kind. There are people from every race who have been and continue to exploit our system to the detriment of nationalized citizens and taxpayers, thus overburdening the collective system and this will continue until the whole is destroyed. There are many Mexicans who have come to America and become beneficial to society just as many Anglo-Saxon, Jewish, and African, etc., immigrants have since the founding of this great and blessed nation. What I am saying is that the statistics prove that illegal immigration is now MUCH more harmful today than it was during the days of early America for the mindset, attitudes and intentions are different on a mass scale. Those who immigrate to America should apply to become citizens and assimilate into our English-speaking culture, steer clear of a lifestyle of crime and preying upon others for self-centered purposes, do their absolute best to find legal jobs and pay their fair share of taxes along with the majority.

No one is an exception, nor should anybody expect a free "hand-out" without offering righteous contribution of some degree or sort to society in the way and manner that he or she has the ability to do so. Of course, those who are truly unable to help themselves due to old age, handicaps, etc., are the exception rather than the rule and should be taken care of (not by the government, but by equally fair and charitable organizations of citizens, according to the Biblical model). The children of our heavenly Abba consist of every race, tribe and cultural background, but those who are under satanic influence seek to take greedily for only themselves, rather than to give and contribute to American society as a whole out of divine love. I will share more about the problems we're facing concerning illegal immigration shortly. But first, let me share this :

I do not believe that we as a nation will ever reverse our destructive course, for prophetic Scripture seems to confirm this reality in relation to a global financial meltdown and the establishment of a New World Order under the control of the revived Roman Empire in league with ecumenical religion, etc., through which the final anti-Messiah and false prophet will rise into temporary global power before the end of the age and their destruction during the return of Messiah who will set up His righteous Kingdom of which there shall be no end with the reign of peace enduring forever.

If any of you wonder what could potentially turn this whole thing around and set us on the proper course of restoration, it would be nationwide repentance in combination with returning to a society which has no Federal Reserve of centralized, globalist banking and print our own money while canceling our national debt. It would involve the retreat from advancing globalization and ceasing all outsourcing of our jobs and rebuilding our job base from within so that careers would be readily available to everyone. The borders would have to be closed and only the foreigners who apply for citizenship and agree to work and pay taxes could live here. The medical health providers and insurance companies must not only open up to homeopathic and holistic health practices, providing more opportunities of treatement and care, but also be competitive and fair in price-ranging with caps in place to prevent price-gouging and manipulative, greedy tactics from ever occuring. Likewise, tax breaks should be given with equality and fairness all across the board to those who pay for medical care.

The state and federal governments should become less involved in our lives, and become a Constitutional and democratically fair government that is of the people, for the people and by the people, rather than increasingly serving its own self-interests and federalizing health care, banks, corporations, the environment and every other aspect of our lives. The citizens should be allowed to save money for the purpose of self-insurance specifically for medical needs. Only those who are poor and unable to work should receive free benefits and coverage from not Federal governmental programs, but rather, citizen-controlled charity organizations which the Holy Bible speaks of in giving to the poor, helping the widows and orphans, the handicapped, etc. The Word of our Abba does not in any way, shape or form endorse government-controlled socialist programs. It specifically speaks of charitable citizens doing the giving and care-taking. There is a huge difference between the two, and this is a healthy preventative of government gaining too much control over its citizenry.

Here are some facts about illegal immigration which I have copied and pasted for your knowledge :

http://www.usillegalaliens.com/immigration_facts_figures_and_addendum.html

"Cities that receive the largest numbers of immigrants also have twice the unemployment rate, 40% more people living in poverty, and 40% more serious crime per capita than cities with few or no immigrant arrivals.

1) Immigrants who arrived in the US after 1989 and their US-born children account for 60% or 5.5 million of the increase in the size of the uninsured medical health population.

2) The low health insurance rate means that these Third World immigrants show up at the emergency rooms of America's hospitals because they cannot afford medical care.

3) Dozens of hospitals in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, have been forced to close or face bankruptcy because of federally-mandated programs requiring free emergency room services to illegal aliens.

4) In a recent year in Colorado, the state's emergency Medicaid program paid an estimated $30 million in hospital and physician delivery costs for about 6,000 illegal immigrant mothers - an average of $5,000 per baby. Those 6,000 births to illegal aliens represent 40% of the births paid for by Medicaid in Colorado. Those 6,000 babies immediately became US citizens and qualified for full Medicaid services, with a cost yet to be tabulated."
(end quote)

Now to draw this message to a close : If we can clearly see that government involvement and meddling in the affairs of the citizenry of America causes more harm than good, due to their greed and lust for power, control and wealth-hoarding, in combination of that of various insurance companies and certain aspects of the health care industry,...then how on Earth can it EVER be possible for these same individuals to pass "Universal Health Care Reform" which will have genuine and lasting success??? It is the same story all over again,...the government federalizing and gaining more control over the citizens of this nation and dramatically influencing, affecting and controlling our individual choices while also limiting our options as everything becomes monopolized. The free market of capitalist competition would slowly erode into non-existence along with our Constitutional freedoms and rights to having choices of our own.

Those nations who have "universal health care" are a disaster in the making, for the care is becoming more rationed, the waiting lists of patients and times for treatment (which may never come for many) are growing longer as many increasingly become denied and eventually grow sicker and sometimes die. The statistics prove that the quality and availability of the health care drops dramatically in these systems, and likewise, the rates of successul treatments and survival are lower in those countries than here in the United States of America. There are less doctors to choose from and decreasing numbers of muchly needed surgeries provided. This is why many of their citizens come here to get treatment whenever they cannot find it there. Here is an interesting site for those who want to know numerous reasons why our health care is superior to theirs :

http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/25/10-surprising-facts-about-american-health-care/

It is also a known fact that the state of Hawaii conducted a "universal health care" experiment back in June 30, 2007, when Governor Linda Lingle signed legislation into effect called Keiki Care. Guess what! It was a complete failure and the plans had to be scrapped. Many patients in hospitals in the U.K., etc., (under this same type of system) have literally died in their beds from staph infections and superbugs, who were supposed to have been under sufficient treatment. Do we want understaffed, underpaid doctors, nurses and aides "treating" us while also using out-dated technological equipment and rationing the care to whomever the government deems that it is fit for? Even Canada (who is also under this universal program) is admitting that their system is overburdened and must cut costs, surgeries, etc.

If our own government cannot even regulate the economy with sufficiency and dramatically overspends on itself to the point of overwhelming financial debt which has us teetering on the verge of financial collapse, then can we truly believe that they will "take care" of us, when it is estimated that it will cost at least 1.6 trillion dollars each year??? There is no such thing as "free" health care, for nothing is free and everything has a cost with "strings attached". This money has to come from somewhere, not out of thin air, and it can only come from increasing our taxes, as well as cutting costs in other areas of health care to our detriment, and also possibly our national defense (which we desperately need now more than ever to resist Communism, Islamic terrorism, etc.), the Education system, etc.

As His holy Word says, "It is better to trust in YHWH than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in YHWH than to put confidence in princes."
(Tehillim/Psalms 118:8,9).

Trust Him to supply our needs and walk accordingly to the ways of His Word, not the ways of secularistic and corrupted government, for those who place their faith in man will fall utterly disappointed and disillusioned. Let him who has wisdom hear what the Ruach(Spirit) is saying...​

 

[Conrad Nimikos]

part of the reason costs go up is the amount of regulation. Salaries paid to people whose only function is to do and file paper work for the government.

 

[jonnybones]

Yes, I completely agree. Administrative jobs are a part of the ever-growing problem of the skyrocking rates, and if this isn't "nipped in the bud" (along with all of the other aspects of this complex and intricate, dysfunctional system), the "multi-headed hydra monster" will continue to grow out of control until all it its path are consumed.

 

[jonnybones]

Shalom and boker tov(good morning) to everyone here.

I feel the need to add several thoughts to this topic discussion.

Some of the reasons for the overly-priced prescription drugs are :

1) The desperate need for increased competition in a fair market, and more choices of medicines made readily available to the consumer. In recent years, the open doors to purchasing imported drugs from other countries (such as Canada) has made great improvements in combination with the ability to shop and purchase these drugs over the Internet (rather than having only one option, of visiting a doctor in person in order to gain a prescription).

2) The need for reimportation (Bringing back into a country the goods made from its exported raw materials). Most of these drugs are developed and manufactured in America, but available far more cheaply abroad, which is completely unfair and unjust to American citizens. Thus, it would be wise for these drugs to be reimported into this country at those much lower prices.

3) The research and development of these drugs is a long, complex and arduous process. What these companies have to pay includes discovery and preclinical costs, clinical costs, clinical trial success and failure rates, the impact of long development times on investment costs and increased costs of capital, and the expenses of failed projects. Thus, it is understandable that they must be permitted to raise prices to some degree in order to recoup the billions of dollars invested in research and development.

4 )However,...on the flip side of the same coin, these pharmaceutical companies are STILL excessively greedy. This industry is the most highly profitable industry in the U.S., and likewise, their executives are the most highly paid. This is not a mere coincidence. As the evidence shows (from the way prices are reduced overseas, etc.), there can still be reduction in prices through various tried and proven methods, thus making these drugs fairly priced and affordable for Americans.

4) Another reason for the high prices of pharmaceutical drugs in the U.S. is the excessively high cost of marketing, advertising, and administration. This is self-explanatory.

5) Last, but not least, the patent system likewise accounts for the inflated prescription drug prices. Patents are granted to originator products to allow an opportunity for developers to recoup research and development expenses, as well as to reward innovation. Patents bar competition for generic imitators for the term of the patent which, after factoring in clinical trials and FDA approval, is ten to twelve years. It is only when the patent term is over, that the generic drugs enter the market, causing the drug prices to fall. Thus, the time it takes for cheaper generic drug alternatives to finally reach the market MUST be dramatically shortened, instead of being prolonged and allowing greater profit generation for the benefit of this greedy, corporate pharmaceutical industry and its executives and stockholders at the terrible and overly-costly expense of the American consumer who is in desperate need for medical treatment.