From: Walter Miles <waltmiles at comcast.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 11:50:30 -0500
Subject: [WSFA] Re: A point of information about the government shutdown
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Hello Folks,

[I _hope_ I've snipped in a reasonable way.]

WM>>> Healthcare reform *could* have been the key to U.S. budget...

MB>>  ....Healthcare is one of the more likely
MB>> things leading to bankruptcy for the country....
MB>>  ....The right starting point is figuring out why health care costs
MB>> so much here...

MR> That' quite simple to understand. The UK, and EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY in
MR> Europe, has some variety of national healthcare system (oh, and Canada.
MR> And Australia), and in every one, it's far less than we pay. Let's see,
MR> off the top of my head,

Yeah, well, the average life expectancy in the UK is seventeen-point-two-
oh-six years.  And, what about the average waiting period for diaper
changes, huh?  How'd you like to be a toddler in England?

MR>     1) the entire bureaucracy that every company has, instead of one
MR>   federal one, whose employees are on on civil service salary.

Now just a dern minute.  How is that single bureaucracy gonna manage
healthcare payments during the three or four government shutdowns each
year?  Answer me that.

MR>     2) ROI for investors.

Like, who makes it possible for doctors to pass out pills and brandish
laparoscopic X-Acto knives?  Guys who think of new shit and build it, or
guys who can pay to force them to think of new shit?  I mean, what made
America grate?

MR>     3) Monstrous salaries and bonuses for the chief officers and execs,
MR>   *far* more than that of the President of the US.

Hey, how is anybody gonna get rich enough to be governor of Florida,
without a good *honest* healthcare CEO job?

MR>     4) A million ways to refuse to pay.

Okay, that one's easy:  the majority of actuaries in the health finance
industry are Hindus.  Necessarily, they believe in reincarnation.  They
feel that causing a patient's death allows that patient to start all over
again without all the baggage accumulated in the previous life.  Seen
this way, it is evidence of an almost Somtavian level of compassion,
forming a cosmic bridge from generation to generation.

MR>     5) Check out the recent series in the media about the "standard
MR>   charges"  that folks without insurance get slammed with - hell, look
MR>   at your benefits statement from your medical insurance co, and see
MR>   how much their "negotiated" rates are a fraction of the "official"

Again, evidence of compassion and the interdependentedness of the web
of life!  Hospitals and physicians are looking out for the most fragile
among us:  bill-threateners and bankruptcy attorneys!

MR>     6) Competition and advertising dollars for every company.

Competition is good, especially if you do it by foolin' people and
scarin' 'em.  Cheaper too.

Yours very sorry,

Walter

P.S.  Aren't cha glad there's no list of all the great things that yahoo
can do for you appended the end of each message.  Thanks Keith.