American Medical Care Is Terminal

[Ought Six]

http://whiskeyandgunpowder.com/ameri...e-is-terminal/

This blog post was brought to my attention by a friend who retired from being an ER doctor and switched careers because of how badly the government was f'ing up the ability of doctors to practice medicine. It is a sadly accurate description of our current dilemma.

[Mein Teil]

Medicare tax is 2.9% of wages, 1.45% each for employer and employee. If the typical worker makes $30,000 a year for 35 years, then lifetime earnings are about $1 million. If we take the $40,000/year average, then that rises to around $1.4 million in lifetime earnings. The 2.9% Medicare tax thus totals about $30,000 to $40,000 in lifetime contributions for the average worker. The average benefits extracted from the system run from $393,000 to $525,000 (due to the benefits extended to non-working spouses, benefits for never-married people may be somewhat lower). Average annual costs per beneficiary run as high as $18,000, though expenses typically rise significantly in the last year of life.”

See! You can squeeze blood out of a turnip!!!

[Hollis]

IMHO, the whole medical business needs re-worked. It has been that way for a long time. Unfortunately, we have too many Bozos in Bozoland (Washington D.C.)

[Ought Six]

IMHO, the whole medical business needs re-worked. It has been that way for a long time. Unfortunately, we have too many Bozos in Bozoland (Washington D.C.)

As I am sure you are already aware, that applies to a lot more than just medical care.

[justin84]

Medicaid has the potential to change since the people who use it aren't the main voting block.

But any politician knows that to chop medicare is basically political suicide. Even mentioning austerity measures with respect to medicare is a no-no. Didnt paul ryan want to do that last year, then quickly changed his tune and pushed back the time tables for 2012.

I kind of dont understand why we even have medicare in the first place. This may be my selfish POV (hopefully im not alone in this), but why should 3 percent of my paycheck go to people who had their whole lives before them to BETTER themselves and prepare them selves for senior life? Just a thought..

As for medicaid, i would like to see it more as a safety net for one of those speed bumps in life, and not a completely new habitat to live in.

[Arnie100]

But, but...Obamacare!?

[icefrog]

http://whiskeyandgunpowder.com/ameri...e-is-terminal/

This blog post was brought to my attention by a friend who retired from being an ER doctor and switched careers because of how badly the government was f'ing up the ability of doctors to practice medicine. It is a sadly accurate description of our current dilemma.

If you don't mind what career did he switched to?

[custodes]

If you don't mind what career did he switched to?

I'm guessing me makes Maple Syrup. Then he can bring joy to everyone. I loves the maple syrup.

[Ought Six]

If you don't mind what career did he switched to?

He now is a self-employed investment manager specializing in the energy sector.

[Ought Six]

I'm guessing me makes Maple Syrup. Then he can bring joy to everyone. I loves the maple syrup.

You and Hank should get together. Maple-flavored breakfast sandwiches make his life worth living.

[Kit]

The fact that America spends more of a percentage on GPD on Healthcare than European countries with full coverage, shows that whatever we're doing is pretty goofy.