Comments about ‘Health groups offer $2 trillion in cost savings’

Except it just shows that the rate increases have been a calculated because I can thing. It's like being heroic by not robbing someone. They're scared of hc reform and as self-serving as ever. Yeah, thanks, we do appreciate it. But we have your number.

I never feel sorry for anyone in the health care profession. They are basically robbing us all. I just had two moles cut off by my dermatolgist. I was in his office for a total of 15 minutes, and my bill was $500. And we wonder what's wrong???

for a couple x-rays, 600 mg of ibprofen, and a sling.

to Robbery, If you didn't want to pay that much you should have cut the moles off yourself. Doctors have to pay back student loans. The average med student graduates $140,000 in debt. Doctors have to pay outrageous malpractice insurance premiums $70,000- $140,000/year. They also have to pay all the overhead associated with running a business. The Dermatologist that saw you went through 4 years of medical school. Studied his/her life away to be at the top of the class to get into the extremely competitive 4 year dermatology residency. You are paying for expert service and should be grateful that you have the opportunity to see a finely trained doctor, as many in this world don't. So again, if you don't want to pay, do it yourself.

You could have chosen to not have the mole removed and take the chance of getting skin cancer. Or you could have had a high school kid taking a health class read about skin cancer in a book and try to take it off for 10 bucks. You still had a choice.

Health care costs are so high because Americans are so unhealthy. Half of all Americans over 40 are obese. Are you kidding me. We eat a terrible diet of meat, dairy, and processed sugar and white flour foods. We then complain health care costs are so high. If you are overweight you are at a very high risk of heart desease, stroke, diabetes, back problems, joint problems, alzheimers, etc. If you are overwieght it is only a matter of time before you become a huge financial burden on our health care system. That drives up the costs for everyone.

Eat better and exercise and you will save yourself and everyone else an incredible amount of money.

It sounds harsh but it is the truth.

Do you work for free? If the government came up to you and said you'd better agree to a pay cut or we'll cut your pay for you, what would you do?

This is all smoke and mirrors designed to make people feel like the "problem" -- which is caused by excessive government regulation in the first place -- is being "solved" by the government.

In reality, you and I and everyone else is going to pay more for health care and get less in return.

Excepting, of course, the rich who will still be able to afford to go to exclusive private doctors and clinics.

Hope and change!!

TO VCU: Amen to your comments, and don't forget to include lawyers: extreme competition to attend law school, rigorous studies (10 hrs. a day, at least), average post-grad school debt at least $100,000, etc. Furthermore, most lawyers DON'T make the megabucks that personal injury lawyers make, especially after taxes. Professionals have to "pay the price" to give you the advice and services you desire. Don't begrudge them greater earnings than others who were not willing to sacrifice.

I have never met a MD that didn't live an upscale home and drive an expensive car. I don't feel sorry for them. Republican have done nothing about health care because they are in bed with the industry. It's about time something was done.

If you didn't want to pay $140,00.00 in student loans; study for years; pay outrageous malpractice insurance premiums; pay business overhead; then you should have looked into some other profession. Just because you've accrued costs doesn't mean you need to recoup it all back in one year of practice. When you become a doctor, or any other profession for that matter, you have overhead. That's just basic "Business 101" economics. But while you are sitting in your large home, with the new cars parked in the driveway; taking several family vacations per year; and wondering where the next medical convention/golf tourney is going to be held, remember who pays for all that. Large incurred debt to be a medical professional? Boo hoo.

any problem removing the mole myself IF: the "healthcare delivery system" (and that's a whole bunch of folks) would allow me access to the local anesthetic, scalpels, etc. to perform the surgery, or allow my RN wife to purchase them. My point is: the govt. controls EVERY portion of the healthcare delivery system EXCEPT THE COST! The med. schools (largely reliant on fed. scholarships, grants, etc.) get to say who will get into med. school, the govt. allows the pharma. co's, to have basically a monopoly on the cost, and the HMO's, not to be outdone own a monopoly on their hospital "network".

I agree with "8:26" this is all smoke and mirrors on the part of ALL the healthcare providers. See, they don't want to take any sort of a price reduction, nor will the Drs. The pharma co's. are already so rich with cash, they probably won't even notice 2 trillion gone! The ones who are going to pay are THE AMERICAN CONSUMER! Watch and see!

You're so right, all of these other arguments are so far off, it is expensive for both the Patient and the Doctor, but really it is only that expensive because we as americans are allowing ourselves to be unhealthy. If we were all in better shape and lived healthyer lifestyles then we wouldn't need to see the Doctor as much. I hate to say this but look and the "Biggest Loser" these cats come on that show and are a big burden on our healthcare, you hear what the Doctor says at the begining of the season, "your on the road to an early death;" however by the end of the season all of these over weight people are sleeping without machines, no longer taking 10 to 20 different medications and somehow they are no longer diabetic. Plane and simple get healthy and stay that way. Great Point!!1

@ unhealthy Americans
I'm sure being unhealthy is a factor but there is so much more to it. Too much government involvement is the major contributor (see I wouldn't have | 9:18 a.m. )
There isn't much consumerism in the industry anymore.
Too much pre-paid medical and governement medical programs, government incentives to push us to corporate insurance.

But to your point ...
Providing FREE Healthcare will not make people be more responsible with their health. I would suggest that if people are not living healthy it is largely a result of the mentality of socialism that has crept into our nation. NO PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Of course once the government is taking care of all our healthcare it will pass a law to make people be responsible. You will be fined for being fat. Or maybe we can send them to governnment fat camps. That will fix it!!(sarcasm)

you guy think you will be given health care? well dream on, you could have it now, you will pay with this and it will not be quick, that mole you had removed, you would wait for at least a year to get it removed under obama plan, so many people will be lined up in front of you it will take a long time to see a dr, for any thing, remember ever one will have health care, ever one will see a dr, for any thing and ever thing, where will this put you in line? that is why canada people come down here to get surgery, they would die waiting there, the good dr,s will leave, you will have firemen or collage kids doing your check ups, thank about ever thing the gov, does, you will be sorry,

You are absolutely right. Doctors should not be allowed to live in a nice house and drive new cars. We need to cut their pay so that they make the same amount of money as your average college graduate!

It is just not fair that someone who goes to Med school for 4 years and then spends another 4 years doing a residency should be paid more than someone who just starts working right out of college.

We need to stop this injustice! Of course, if we do this then we may find that few people will actually go to medical school...but that is just one of those pesky unintended consequences.

The insurance companies are the parasites of health care. Get rid of them and everything will be cheaper.

you are largely correct (no pun).
Overweight people place a burden on the rest of us relatively healthy folk.

You have a choice to be overweight, and that choice impinges on the cost of health care for all the rest of us.

Americans need to stop eating so much, or they should be forced to carry the consequences of their behaviour themselves.

I work in health care. The vast majority of doctors who begin working are driving old cars, living in apartments or modest homes similar to many others who start a career. It takes years, if not decades, to climb out from under the educational and professional debt that is required to practice medicine, dentistry, chiropractics, a legal profession, etc. After tremendous effort and investment most doctors accumulate wealth and many drive expensive cars, live in large homes, and live a costly lifestyle.

I suspect that some, or many, of those doctors live on debt and above their means. They would be wise to adjust their expectations and goals in life.

I believe, however, that the way to obtain lower health care costs and fees for health services is not through some government mandate or law. This would be communism. Instead, the free market can make these adjustments...if the market were truly free.

The reasons healthcare costs are so high is because it is a game between insurers and health care.

Although a hospital/physician charges a bunch, they don't even get 50% reimbursement for charges from private insurance. Medicare is much lower and Medicaid is the worst.

If you are self-pay and actually pay the 100% charges, you're crazy, because those charges are set for those with insurance. Healthcare bills are like buying a car, you have to shop and negotiate.

Medicare is an abomination to hospitals - most don't break even on their Medicare patients and rely on the privately insured to take up the slack. So, I hope the government plans are better than the current Medicare program.

Thank You.
Hail To The Chief!