How to turn the tables on taxpayer ripoffs in self defense

Canadian Healthcare -a free service or ride for whom?

How do we turn the tables on America's ultimate rip-off (the HEALTHCARE SYSTEM) and get real results-better medical care and put thousands of extra dollars in your pocket each year by reducing unnecessary public health spending.

There's no question that the healthcare industry is Canada's biggest rip-off. As a professional caregiver with a dozen years inside this industry, I've seen things that would make your head spin.

The healthcare system is primarily set up to benefit the drug companies- the insurance companies- and the countless middlemen who have weaseled their way into the system. It is a big business where the customer is manipulated for special agendas that have little to do with providing good , timely, cost effective care to those that need the health service

A report by the independent consultancy firm, Milliman & Robertson, Inc., reports that as many as 60% of all surgeries performed in the U.S. are unnecessary. Did you know, for example, that in one recent year, according to the nonprofit group Public Citizen, the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the Fortune 500 had higher profits than the other 490 companies (from all the other industries) combined!

· Kickbacks and referral fees are common .The practice for illegally marketing drugs, for ailments they never even meant to treat is common.

o It is common to prescribe drugs and tests that were absolutely worthless

· I've seen older folks literally die because of incompetent medical treatment

· I've seen insurance companies cheat policyholders

· I've seen the Ministry of Health cheat policyholders and taxpayers by denying service, denying care service in a timely manner, and promoting higher cost products and services at the expense of lower cost better care alternatives

· I’ve seen regulated or “over regulated “care in its worse case nightmare scenario

o Over inflated health cost paid or 'over paid' by the taxpayer

§ 28$ /km legislated transportation costs

§ 1500 $/day shared room rates

§ Obscene drug charges- 1700$ plus for drops of medicine administered in less then 5 minutes

The list goes on and on. That's incredible, isn't it? This is not a pretty reality picture nor the public spin and information regularly promoted by the people who have a hand in your care pocket and are feeding from the public trough. It is time to realize that if you are an American or Canadian over the age of 40, you are almost certainly being ripped off by the healthcare system.

I'm here to tell you today that you don't have to take it anymore. Get involved and take your care system back and reduce the waste of this critical industry.

What are today‘s common taxpayer rip-offs and beefs?

Rip-off one -Healthcare

Last year Canadians spent $172 billion a year on health care, up from $79 billion in 1997. What accounts for these increases in spending and how can Canadians receive better value for their Healthcare dollars? Did you know that the average annual health cost for a average family of three is estimated to be $18, 000. Or that the average cost of common drugs is:

§ Cancer – 80K? Sight - 15 K? Other -?

A system that instead of just foolishly risking people’s money also risks peoples lives

Rip-off two- Cost of ownership increasing

Real estate prices are dropping but real estate taxes are sky rocketing and costs of ownership are increasing –with new ridiculous regulated fees, higher energy costs, higher finance charges.

Rip-off three- Government administration cost waste You overpay your taxes to the most wasteful multi-tiered government in the world. Thousands of dollars could be saved with a wiser use of resources Rip-off four- Government self-entitlement programs The financial markets are down by 50% over last year. Yet government entitlement programs, bonuses pay millions to administrators, and government employees at the expense of the existing competitive market reality. A market corruption factor that must be addressed. Do something about it – be heard If you are sick of the waste, the endless self serving talk, if you believe that institutions (such as government , finance, health just to name a few) should be accountable to you - the customers on main street, you must do something about it. If you are tired of getting ripped off by the institutions that are supposedly there to serve you but don’t or are tired of watching the government flush away the value of your savings and assets ……. and if you are tired of everyone trying to get their hands on your money, by proclaiming to do so “in your best interests” you should do something about it If you are tired of the hypocrisy, greed and want to re-build the respect and a return to fairness in our institutions -you should promote and stand for basic operating principles and common sense Join the Taxpayers Coalitions – we care as you do in the wise use of our resources – contact respondfeedbacknow@yahoo.ca

Making right choices - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA

Making right choices - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA: "Making right choices
FINDING A PHYSICIAN: New web page, new hotline launched by provincial ministry
Posted By MAGGIE RIOPELLE, SUN MEDIA

People can now find a health-care provider with the click of a mouse or by dialing the phone. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Wednesday launched a new webpage at www.ontario.ca/healthcareoptions, as well as its new hotline to find physicians for people without a family doctor -- Health Care Connect -- at 1-800-445-1822.
Premier Dalton McGuinty called the new service a way to connect Ontarians to more health-care options.
'This tool will help Ontarians make the right health-care choices,' McGuinty said on his website.
'The best health-care service may be closer than people think.'"


This sounds terrific and meets the key conditions of allowing clients choice to services that the public pavs for . Technology can make the difference as pointed out in the bedgridlock myth which was busted.( See Gridlock Myth Buster at the Pro-Active Rants blog.} Using technology was recommended. Hopefully there will be no glitchs in its execution- time will only tell - Q_J

Grey solutions for the aging of America

this is an insight artile on what are the solutions to the greying of America. qj

Home Centered Health: Part 1
What will it take to create the ideal healthy home?
(Note: This article is from the Health Politics archives)
By Mike Magee, MD
Some 40 years ago, I recall visiting General Electrics’ “Carousel of Progress” at the World’s Fair in New York. The attraction, now housed at Disney World in Florida, documented the changes in the technology and social structure of the American home over five or six decades, ultimately creating a vision of the future, a case for progress. I think the time has come to build something similar for health care. This “Carousel of Progress” would provide a vision of the past, present and future for something far more important than refrigerators and toasters – our nation’s health. At the core of this carousel would be a vision that’s just within our reach – something that will change health care as we now know it. I’m talking about the concept of home-centered health, in which technology, advanced information systems and a new, more team-oriented medical approach would make it possible for more health care to take place in the home than we ever imagined possible. A key role in this scenario is a home health manager to link the patient with the physician. In fact, the home health manager will certainly help make home-centered health a reality in the coming years.
What are some of the issues that designers of this “Carousel of Progress” will need to consider as they try to capture our health care movement from 1960 to 1980 to 2000 to 2020?

First is aging. Fifty percent of current 60 year olds have a parent alive, and by 2050 there will be more than 1 million Americans over age 100. This means that the four- and five-generation family, not the three-generation family, will be the norm. 1

Second is health consumerism. In the past 25 years, we have moved from paternalistic health care doctor says/patient does – to partnership models. Educational empowerment and direct consumer engagement are increasingly the rule. As patients are placed at clinical and financial risk for their decisions, physicians are restructuring to create both clinical and educational teams, with patients themselves as team members. 2

Third is the Internet, a critical technologic advance that has ended the age of information segregation. The general public is rapidly absorbing the scientific lexicon, a basic knowledge of organ function, and regularly updated theories regarding causes, diagnoses, and treatments of diseases. Patients are pursuing their own research, double-checking facts, and connecting with other patients with similar conditions. Those few physicians who have created nurse-led virtual education teams have found rapid enrollment of their patients, seeking knowledge, guidance, emotional support, and encouragement. 3

Fourth, the caregiver revolution. One quarter of American households have elder caregivers in place. Eighty-five percent of these caregivers are family members -- the vast majority being third-generation women. To manage these roles, the caregivers are rapidly growing in the understanding of the seven major chronic diseases; the mechanics of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement; basic health law; and the hiring and management of additional help if they can afford it. These caregivers are also learning how to stretch and prioritize resources; define and personalize quality of life; and avoid unnecessary doctors’ office visits and hospitalization. As third-generation home health managers gain knowledge and confidence caring for fourth- and fifth-generation family members, they are slowly realizing that the strategies and tactics mastered could apply equally well downstream to the benefit of themselves and the younger generations below. 4

Fifth is the shifting health care value proposition. Americans are attempting to move from reactive intervention to proactive prevention, and this changes the playing field for everyone – hospitals, doctors’ offices, health insurers, and pharmaceutical and medical device companies alike. It implies healthy behaviors, early diagnosis, regular screenings, knowing your numbers, effective long-term treatments with excellent adherence, and a personalized, information- and relationship-rich support system that is equitable and just. It suggests that to be valued in our future health care system, each player, in addition to his or her traditional unique contributions, will also need to be engaged in educational and behavioral modification to claim insider status. 5,6,7
With these in mind, the health care “Carousel of Progress” has been created. Now, we’re circling counter-clockwise and the last set appears. Ten realities have been skillfully integrated into this calm and well-organized vision of a healthy home:

A home health manager, previously the informal family caregiver, has been designated for each extended family.
Health insurance covers nearly all Americans, and a medical information highway has been constructed primarily around the patient, with caregivers integrated in, rather than the other way around.
The majority of prevention, behavioral modification, monitoring and treatment of chronic diseases now takes place at home.
Physician-led, nurse-directed virtual health networks of home health managers provide a community-based, 24/7, educational and emotional support team.
Health care insurance premiums for families have just gone down due to expert performance of the home health manager, as reflected in outcome measures of family members.
Basic diagnostics, including blood work, imaging, vital signs, and therapeutics are performed by the home health manager and transmitted electronically to the physician-led, nurse-directed educational network, which provides feedback, coaching, and treatment options as necessary.
Sophisticated behavioral modification tools, age adjusted for each generation, are present and utilized, funded in part by diagnostic and therapeutic companies who have benefited from expansion of insurance coverage and health markets as early diagnosis and prevention has taken hold.

Physician office capacity has grown, as most care does not require a visit. Physician reimbursement has increased in acknowledgement of their roles in managing clinical and educational teams and multigenerational complexity. Nursing school enrollment is up as the critical role as educational director of home health manager networks has become a major magnet for the profession.
Family nutrition is carefully planned and executed; activity levels of all five generations are up; weight is down; cognition is up; mental and physical wellbeing are also up.

Hospitals continue to right size – they’re more specialized and safer, with better outcomes. And scientific advances have allowed early diagnosis and more effective treatment, making the need for hospitalization increasingly rare.
Is this all a far-fetched scenario? Not really. Many of these elements are well within the reach of an integrated and progressive vision for tomorrow’s health.
References
1. Alliance for Aging Research. Medical Never-Never Land: Ten Reasons Why America is Not Ready for the Coming Age Boom. 2002.
2. Magee M. The Best Medicine