Comments on: How health care reform can improve public health http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Wellescent Healthhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113959 Wellescent Health Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:37:22 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113959 Unfortunately, I am not convinced that reform will promote that much prevention, unless significant ongoing funding is directly ear marked for that purpose. Many other countries promote prevention and only see a little success. Prevention requires ongoing outreach efforts and constant education campaigns to convince people to take action and convincing people to do anything is often a hard sell. Like many other aspects of modern life, people remain unengaged so this first step is a challenge.For those people who do decide to take action, many will have to work with their doctors and make lifestyle choices. Given the failures in quitting smoking or losing weight, changes that cannot take place rapidly and easily will also be difficult to maintain.While I would like to see more prevention, this will take funding that is too often insufficient and too little in comparison to treating people once they have developed a condition. Unfortunately, I am not convinced that reform will promote that much prevention, unless significant ongoing funding is directly ear marked for that purpose. Many other countries promote prevention and only see a little success. Prevention requires ongoing outreach efforts and constant education campaigns to convince people to take action and convincing people to do anything is often a hard sell. Like many other aspects of modern life, people remain unengaged so this first step is a challenge.

For those people who do decide to take action, many will have to work with their doctors and make lifestyle choices. Given the failures in quitting smoking or losing weight, changes that cannot take place rapidly and easily will also be difficult to maintain.

While I would like to see more prevention, this will take funding that is too often insufficient and too little in comparison to treating people once they have developed a condition.

]]> By: Carl Strohmeyerhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113855 Carl Strohmeyer Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:39:52 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113855 As Americans, our generally excellent health care system does close the gap as compared to the UK when you factor in life expectancy after age 60, this tends to show why a government takeover is NOT the answer; HOWEVER doing nothing is also not the answer either. Losing a job should not mean inability to seek medical care or being self employed should not mean going bankrupt with a major medical condition occurs.Reference: <a>Heath Care Reform, Period/ Interim Life Expectancy</a> As Americans, our generally excellent health care system does close the gap as compared to the UK when you factor in life expectancy after age 60, this tends to show why a government takeover is NOT the answer; HOWEVER doing nothing is also not the answer either.
Losing a job should not mean inability to seek medical care or being self employed should not mean going bankrupt with a major medical condition occurs.

Reference: Heath Care Reform, Period/ Interim Life Expectancy

]]> By: ninguemhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113840 ninguem Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:33:47 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113840 Nuclear Fire - ".....The first is the country X (Spain) has the same Y (life expectancy) as the US but spends 20 percent less, overlooking the obvious facts that country X has half the obesity rate as the US......"Indeed. Africans have a shorter lifespan than whites. Japanese have longer lifespan. The lifespan numbers march through if that Japanese or that African moves to America or to England. When they see the discrepancies in other countries it's due to socioeconomic conditions or genetics. The same discrepancies in the USA are due to our evil capitalistic healthcare system. Nuclear Fire – “…..The first is the country X (Spain) has the same Y (life expectancy) as the US but spends 20 percent less, overlooking the obvious facts that country X has half the obesity rate as the US……”

Indeed. Africans have a shorter lifespan than whites. Japanese have longer lifespan. The lifespan numbers march through if that Japanese or that African moves to America or to England. When they see the discrepancies in other countries it’s due to socioeconomic conditions or genetics. The same discrepancies in the USA are due to our evil capitalistic healthcare system.

]]> By: ninguemhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113839 ninguem Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:30:32 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113839 Japan has better neonatal outcome than we have.But normal obstetrics is not a covered service in Japanese health financing. Japan has better neonatal outcome than we have.

But normal obstetrics is not a covered service in Japanese health financing.

]]> By: danahttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113834 dana Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:33:58 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113834 Government run health care – the so-called “public option” - presents serious challenges for us. The private sector and competitive market forces are the best means to meeting health care needs. Watch this video from the U.S. Chamber http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/media/ Government run health care – the so-called “public option” – presents serious challenges for us. The private sector and competitive market forces are the best means to meeting health care needs. Watch this video from the U.S. Chamber http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/media/

]]> By: Classof65http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113804 Classof65 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:47:18 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113804 I have a competent, caring primary care physician. I do not expect the level of healthcare I already receive to change. However, the knowledge that some people will receive primary care for the FIRST time is mind-blowing to me! That children will receive innoculations they would not otherwise have gotten makes the entire reform worthwhile.Yes, I expect the cost to exceed what the politicians have estimated. No one seemed to care when Bush's wars cost millions more than he projected, but now we're supposed to worry about every nickel? It's in everyone's best interest to watch the pennies and the dollars -- Bush's people lost an entire pallet of American dollars in Iraq and no one blinked an eye... I have a competent, caring primary care physician. I do not expect the level of healthcare I already receive to change. However, the knowledge that some people will receive primary care for the FIRST time is mind-blowing to me! That children will receive innoculations they would not otherwise have gotten makes the entire reform worthwhile.

Yes, I expect the cost to exceed what the politicians have estimated. No one seemed to care when Bush’s wars cost millions more than he projected, but now we’re supposed to worry about every nickel? It’s in everyone’s best interest to watch the pennies and the dollars — Bush’s people lost an entire pallet of American dollars in Iraq and no one blinked an eye…

]]> By: Nuclear Firehttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113800 Nuclear Fire Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:59:58 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113800 I laugh at comparisons of our medical system to others because of the complete lack of intellectual honesty in the comparison. The fallacies usually involve two forms. The first is the country X (Spain) has the same Y (life expectancy) as the US but spends 20 percent less, overlooking the obvious facts that country X has half the obesity rate as the US. Maybe that's a public health failure, maybe is a personal failure multiplied by a million but as far as I'm concerned that's a win for doctors/pharma. The headline should read "Heroic Doctors keep lard-buts alive in spite of their deliberate attempts to die by lifestyle choice."The second is the comparison of published expenditures vs what is actually the standard of practice. When is the last time you gave your doctor a large some of cash under the table in addition to the insurance payment? Never, right? The idea is preposterous. Unless you live in Japan or several other countries I've heard of (some even mentioned in the comments of this blog recently). My father in law gave 3 million yen (ca. 30K USD) to his thoracic surgeon for lung ca surgery. Coincidentally his surgery went from "sometime in the next six months" to the next week. I remember sitting in a public health class in medical school where the salaries of physicians in Japan was actually compared to that in the US and the point was the US docs make too much money. Official statistics are about as accurate as Homan's sign. I laugh at comparisons of our medical system to others because of the complete lack of intellectual honesty in the comparison. The fallacies usually involve two forms. The first is the country X (Spain) has the same Y (life expectancy) as the US but spends 20 percent less, overlooking the obvious facts that country X has half the obesity rate as the US. Maybe that’s a public health failure, maybe is a personal failure multiplied by a million but as far as I’m concerned that’s a win for doctors/pharma. The headline should read “Heroic Doctors keep lard-buts alive in spite of their deliberate attempts to die by lifestyle choice.”

The second is the comparison of published expenditures vs what is actually the standard of practice. When is the last time you gave your doctor a large some of cash under the table in addition to the insurance payment? Never, right? The idea is preposterous. Unless you live in Japan or several other countries I’ve heard of (some even mentioned in the comments of this blog recently). My father in law gave 3 million yen (ca. 30K USD) to his thoracic surgeon for lung ca surgery. Coincidentally his surgery went from “sometime in the next six months” to the next week. I remember sitting in a public health class in medical school where the salaries of physicians in Japan was actually compared to that in the US and the point was the US docs make too much money. Official statistics are about as accurate as Homan’s sign.

]]> By: CourtCourthttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113797 CourtCourt Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:44:33 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113797 We need to focus more on obesity and smoking. We need to make neighborhoods more walkable and invest in community centers that have gym equipment where people can afford a gym membership. We also need to try to make eating fruits and vegetables more affordable in this country. It's ridiculous you can get a burger cheaper than you can a pound of broccoli or spinach.It would also be nice if the government paid the price of medical school for primary care physicians. We need more of them to help deal with chronic diseases and obesity. We need to focus more on obesity and smoking.
We need to make neighborhoods more walkable and invest in community centers that have gym equipment where people can afford a gym membership.
We also need to try to make eating fruits and vegetables more affordable in this country. It’s ridiculous you can get a burger cheaper than you can a pound of broccoli or spinach.

It would also be nice if the government paid the price of medical school for primary care physicians. We need more of them to help deal with chronic diseases and obesity.

]]> By: Bladedeochttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113790 Bladedeoc Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:39:35 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113790 I'm sorry that was a complete HTML fail. The url is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question and it should read "begging the question after the word of.I'm a much better surgeon than a coder, really. :-) I’m sorry that was a complete HTML fail. The url is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question and it should read “begging the question after the word of.

I’m a much better surgeon than a coder, really. :-)

]]> By: Bladedeochttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/10/health-care-reform-improve-public-health.html#comment-113789 Bladedeoc Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:38:00 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40601#comment-113789 This entire post is an enormous logical fallacy, a wonderful example of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question" title="begging the question" rel="nofollow">. Basically the author is stating that "because health care reform will cover the uninsured, lower cost, make primary care more available, etc. etc." public health will be better. But at no point does the author acknowledge the argument that many people believe that (for a number of reasons) health care reform will do NONE of these things. Therefore assuming that the end result will be good for public health is silly. Every statement in the article starts with "Health reform will" is a bare-faced assertion of facts not in evidence. This entire post is an enormous logical fallacy, a wonderful example of . Basically the author is stating that “because health care reform will cover the uninsured, lower cost, make primary care more available, etc. etc.” public health will be better. But at no point does the author acknowledge the argument that many people believe that (for a number of reasons) health care reform will do NONE of these things. Therefore assuming that the end result will be good for public health is silly. Every statement in the article starts with “Health reform will” is a bare-faced assertion of facts not in evidence.

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