In response to a previous post regarding the presidential elections, Nurses Station Blog received the email listed below:
You could make a big difference in this election. The public needs to know how big pharma, health management entities and insurance companies have been diverting health care dollars to profits, which if redirected to actual care could provide enough for universal health care.
The Republicans have brought you:
• Medicare money squandered on managed care corporations and CEO pay instead of doctors and nurses. This money has driven half their profits, even though it is only 20% of their business according to Oppenheimer and Co.
• Soaring pharmaceutical company profits due to a prohibition against negotiation of drug prices, as documented in Congressional hearings
• Diversion of 50% of health care dollars to insurance companies instead of health care providers as documented by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Increased manufacture of pharmaceuticals in China with a massively under funded FDA so stretched that it would take 40 to 50 years to inspect them all.
How did this happen? Because the health care conglomerates, not doctors, nurses and patients, have the ear of Washington politicians.
McCain wants to further loosen controls on insurance companies by allowing them to sell insurance across state lines. State insurance commissioners will not have the resources to monitor insurance companies working nationally.
Obama wants a federal registry for insurance companies to monitor how much they pay out in benefits and how they treat their customers.
We can have universal health care, but we need to cut the outrageous profit that is being made on health care and funnel the money to actual health care providers.
SJ Robinson is health care advocate and author of The Price of Death, a novel about corporate greed in the health care system and the legal and medical professionals who make a difference. To learn more, go to sjrobinson.com
Tags: candidates, Doctors, election issues, health care providers, McCain, nurses, Obama, patients, presidentail election
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you need to do some esearch, how could a nurse be for socialized medicine, listen and read some no biased non liberal, media and talk with some christian doctors and you may get a real look at the issues.
As a Registered Nurse, who works in a hospital, I can say with absolute confidence that the men and women, Physicians, Nurses, Therapist, etc., whom I work with do NOT agree. How can Nobamas plan do anything other than lower the standards of health services. It is a nice thought, healthcare for all, at all “taxpayers” expense. You think your wait to see the MD is long now, or the hours you sit in the ED waiting room is bad? You better pack a snack, cause’ it won’t be getting any better.
McCain/Palin
I’m a doctor and surgeon and appreciate your train of thoughts.
I agree reform is needed to reign in the obscene profits of the middle people administrators “managing” health care. It’s driven many of my colleagues into
less frustrating more financially rewarding lines or work, with more time off
without the pager.
I’m deeply concerned it sounds like a nice, quick fix to have a single payer
“universal system” but as you may also see, whenever the government runs
a program, it’s even more limiting, cumbersome and can snuff out certain
care altogether. Non health care professionals make arbitrary decisions
about denying health care or after the fact refusing to pay for it.
If you’ve worked in a VA or County Hospital you will know that instead of
waits in private offices, the clinics are chronically overbooked often with
everyone to show up at 9 for am appointments and 1pm for afternoon
appointments. A clerk shouts out the patient name in the waiting room
and if they left to go to the bathroom, they’re put to the end of the day.
If requisitions don’t get to the MRI department, patients arrive and are
told there’s no appointment, to fill out another form and come back
another day.
I don’t know the history of Medicare enough, but believe it’s probably
a bipartisan, but necessary monster, also in need of reform.
We can all name stupid, unsafe Medicare decisions that often later
get reversed but not after outcry by senior groups and providers.
Keep up the good work!
Dr J
Same misled souls trying to speak for everyone else.
During Clinton’s first electeion you would hear “vote Democrat to vote for nursing”
It did not workout well then, won’t workout well now.
The clipboard carriers in the ANA want to make people think that “America’s Nurses” support Oboma. Maybe some do, but most that I know don’t
McCain/Palin