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I am past appalled at the government's new 'edict' that mammograms are not necessary before age 40, only needed every two years after age 50 and forget about doing self-exams, they are not useful. WTF??????
I have no words except the world is upside down.
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I have no clue. Doesn't it seem we should be concentrating on the prevention and early detection of diseases? I guess I did not need to bother getting those 10+ mammograms already THAT MY DOCTOR TOLD ME TO GET, hey?
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You guys, this is govt run healthcare. We will no longer have the best healthcare, we will have only the bare necessity. I know, we were in the military 20 years, same thing. I had to have 3 miscarriages before they would let me have a fertility specialist, and then after having one baby safely, I had to have yet another miscarriage (my 4th), before they would agree to let me have a specialist again. They said my problem was no longer "recurring" since I had a baby. Yeah...under a specialist and taking progesterone shots once a week for first trimester, that's how I had the baby. "Not deemed necessary" again. Too few doctors, too many people, and now, with a salary cap looming, why would any doctor spend 8-12 years in school without the possibility of ever making enough to pay off those school loans? That's why doctors from all over the world come here to practice, and now we will be no different. This is only the beginning. We will have the bare minimum of anything, and every single thing not deemed "necessary" will be taxed to you know what, and that includes plastic surgery procedures. No longer will we have the best healthcare in the world, and no longer will we have the best doctors either. It is scary business, and my aunt died of breast cancer at 31...so I certainly understand the travesty here with that one issue alone.
 "Annie Bean Sprout"
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I am posting mid-break because I couldn't help it with this topic lol.
I think what they mean is that regular routine screening mammagrams are not essential before the age of 40 for most healthy women. Of course, if you are high risk or have any suspicious lumps, your doctor will order the test.
Government run healthcare is FAR from the sub-standard care you seem to think, Annie, and most people I would speak to would certainly disagree that the USA's health care is the best in the world. Personally I would be TERRIFIED to live in the US with the health conditions I have because I know so many people who's insurance refuses to let them get the doctors and care they desperately need. I am Canadian and have had government run healthcare all my life. I pay about $75/month total in premiums and extended healthcare benefits, and even if I couldn't pay I would still have the same excellent care. I choose the doctors I see, I am not limited to which doctors accept my insurance, nor can I be turned down for poor health or if my insurance compant doesn't want to pay for the care I need. There is no cap on how much can be spent to save my life, and medical decisions are made by my doctor and myself, not some claims agent working for an insurance company. I do not wait a long time for healthcare like most people think, I went to the ER last summer and was in a private room and being seen by a doctor within half an hour. I could have gotten in for elective surgery 2 weeks after booking if I had chosen to do so.
I cannot be more sorry that you have had to go through so many miscarriages Annie, that is awful. But the poor medical care you were given sounds more like incompetent doctors who can't measure progesterone and a private insurance company turning you down because they do not want to pay. Trust me, government run health care (at least here) does not mean you will have bare minimum care and will be taxed to death. Quite the opposite, really. If the US creates a program similar to Canada, your health care will be improved and probably cost you less. Just my opinion though.
"My friends, love is better than anger.
Hope is better than fear.
Optimism is better than despair.
So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.
And we’ll change the world."
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Hi ya, Barbie. Glad you reneged on your break! I took your name in vain on the thread about calorie restriction on the first board--LOL. I know very little about Canada's government run health insurance. I was in Niagara Falls two years ago (on a business trip) and we were eating on the Canadian side in a TALLLLLL tower overlooking the falls (it was beautiful--I'll post a pic of it). It was a friend of mine and me. Two Canadian ladies sat down at the table beside us and started talking, heard us talking with our deep southern accents and struck up a conversation with us. It eventually came round to health care. One lady had private insurance and one lady had government (seems one's husband had it through his work?) insurance. Anyway, the one who had private insurance was very happy with her coverage and was making fun of the government coverage. The other lady on the government insurance became upset with her friend because she was just as happy with the government insurance. Go figure. I think that there's a lot of politicking going on with this new government 'study'. An 'accidental' self-exam by my mother saved her life at 44--first person in her family (at that time) to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Now they are telling us not to bother doing them? Maybe we are spoiled, as Americans, to be able to have our insurance pay for mammograms every year, but I would rather not be a statistic on the downside. They seem to be only accounting for the 'negative' numbers in this study, not all of the lives that have been saved in women under 40 who've done self-exams or had mammograms. I cannot remember the percentage right now that breast cancer has gone down in the last 20 years since awareness has been raised (Susan G. Koman Foundation, Think Pink, etc) with the advent of routine self-exams and yearly mammograms. I don't think the US has the best health care system in the world but I think we have some great, great doctors and hospitals. Insurance companies and lobbies have ruined the health care system in the US. I would have been in favor of the new reform but they've rushed it and made it a stupid, stupid answer to our problems here. They are going to tax us to death and the middle class and elderly will bear the burden. I even feel sorry for people making over $1M a year after all is said and done, their taxes will go up to over 50%. I never thought I would be saying that. I think Obama is isolating himself too much and distancing himself from reality and the average tax payer. He's championing a cause but has lost touch with those of us he's supposed to be helping. Yes, the poor need health care, but the middle class needs to be able to survive as well. Here's my pic from the CN side of the falls:
DCNGA attached the following image(s):
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DCNGA wrote:Hi ya, Barbie. Glad you reneged on your break! I took your name in vain on the thread about calorie restriction on the first board--LOL.
I know very little about Canada's government run health insurance. I was in Niagara Falls two years ago (on a business trip) and we were eating on the Canadian side in a TALLLLLL tower overlooking the falls (it was beautiful--I'll post a pic of it). It was a friend of mine and me. Two Canadian ladies sat down at the table beside us and started talking, heard us talking with our deep southern accents and struck up a conversation with us. It eventually came round to health care. One lady had private insurance and one lady had government (seems one's husband had it through his work?) insurance. Anyway, the one who had private insurance was very happy with her coverage and was making fun of the government coverage. The other lady on the government insurance became upset with her friend because she was just as happy with the government insurance. Go figure.
I think that there's a lot of politicking going on with this new government 'study'. An 'accidental' self-exam by my mother saved her life at 44--first person in her family (at that time) to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Now they are telling us not to bother doing them? Maybe we are spoiled, as Americans, to be able to have our insurance pay for mammograms every year, but I would rather not be a statistic on the downside. They seem to be only accounting for the 'negative' numbers in this study, not all of the lives that have been saved in women under 40 who've done self-exams or had mammograms. I cannot remember the percentage right now that breast cancer has gone down in the last 20 years since awareness has been raised (Susan G. Koman Foundation, Think Pink, etc) with the advent of routine self-exams and yearly mammograms.
I don't think the US has the best health care system in the world but I think we have some great, great doctors and hospitals. Insurance companies and lobbies have ruined the health care system in the US. I would have been in favor of the new reform but they've rushed it and made it a stupid, stupid answer to our problems here. They are going to tax us to death and the middle class and elderly will bear the burden. I even feel sorry for people making over $1M a year after all is said and done, their taxes will go up to over 50%. I never thought I would be saying that.
I think Obama is isolating himself too much and distancing himself from reality and the average tax payer. He's championing a cause but has lost touch with those of us he's supposed to be helping. Yes, the poor need health care, but the middle class needs to be able to survive as well.
Here's my pic from the CN side of the falls:
Lovely pic D! That is so strange, Canada does not have private medical insurance, at least not in BC, but we do have various extended health benefits (private hospital rooms, dental, vision, prescription meds etc), so maybe they were talking about that? Her husband probably would have extended benefits through work, so that must be what she was talking about? I do agree with you that Obama needs to slow down and really plan this out. He needs to meet with other countries who provide universal health-Canada, Sweden, The Netherlands etc to find out what works and what doesn't. This is not something you rush into, and one would hope he learned from GWB's rash and poor decisions to invade in the Middle East that big political moves without all the necessary information and planning blow up big time.
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."
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Yeah, I can't remember what she said, only that she had different insurance coverage than the other lady. My memory fails me (once again). They were pretty funny arguing over it, one pointing out the shortcomings to the other. We thought it was really cute since they were best friends from childhood, but the exchange got heated a couple of times.
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Well, US "government" run health care probably would involve the multi-million doller MIDDLE MEN twisting arms and gumming it up. Not to mention the words; "socialized medicine" are ALWAYS used in the PEJORATIVE in the US. What you have in Canada is socialized medicine and I bet Canadians don't have a knee jerk response as to equate that with a 'bad thing' where as Americans are hard wired, if not programmed to have knee jerk reaction to concept of "socialized medicine". barbiegirl wrote:I am posting mid-break because I couldn't help it with this topic lol.
I think what they mean is that regular routine screening mammagrams are not essential before the age of 40 for most healthy women. Of course, if you are high risk or have any suspicious lumps, your doctor will order the test.
Government run healthcare is FAR from the sub-standard care you seem to think, Annie, and most people I would speak to would certainly disagree that the USA's health care is the best in the world. Personally I would be TERRIFIED to live in the US with the health conditions I have because I know so many people who's insurance refuses to let them get the doctors and care they desperately need. I am Canadian and have had government run healthcare all my life. I pay about $75/month total in premiums and extended healthcare benefits, and even if I couldn't pay I would still have the same excellent care. I choose the doctors I see, I am not limited to which doctors accept my insurance, nor can I be turned down for poor health or if my insurance compant doesn't want to pay for the care I need. There is no cap on how much can be spent to save my life, and medical decisions are made by my doctor and myself, not some claims agent working for an insurance company. I do not wait a long time for healthcare like most people think, I went to the ER last summer and was in a private room and being seen by a doctor within half an hour. I could have gotten in for elective surgery 2 weeks after booking if I had chosen to do so.
I cannot be more sorry that you have had to go through so many miscarriages Annie, that is awful. But the poor medical care you were given sounds more like incompetent doctors who can't measure progesterone and a private insurance company turning you down because they do not want to pay. Trust me, government run health care (at least here) does not mean you will have bare minimum care and will be taxed to death. Quite the opposite, really. If the US creates a program similar to Canada, your health care will be improved and probably cost you less. Just my opinion though.
If anybody knows of any orthopedic doctors, in Boston or Concord MA area who are conversant in FEMORAL ACETEBULAR IMPINGMENT, please let me know. Cancel above request. My hip is now too far gone. Need a total hip replacement.
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Arrrghh...yes...the dreaded gumming up of everything that you know will happen. The "gummers" are already jockeying for position. Us "gummees" will be on the losing end. Grrrr. MissJ wrote:Well, US "government" run health care probably would involve the multi-million doller MIDDLE MEN twisting arms and gumming it up. Not to mention the words; "socialized medicine" are ALWAYS used in the PEJORATIVE in the US. What you have in Canada is socialized medicine and I bet Canadians don't have a knee jerk response as to equate that with a 'bad thing' where as Americans are hard wired, if not programmed to have knee jerk reaction to concept of "socialized medicine". barbiegirl wrote:I am posting mid-break because I couldn't help it with this topic lol.
I think what they mean is that regular routine screening mammagrams are not essential before the age of 40 for most healthy women. Of course, if you are high risk or have any suspicious lumps, your doctor will order the test.
Government run healthcare is FAR from the sub-standard care you seem to think, Annie, and most people I would speak to would certainly disagree that the USA's health care is the best in the world. Personally I would be TERRIFIED to live in the US with the health conditions I have because I know so many people who's insurance refuses to let them get the doctors and care they desperately need. I am Canadian and have had government run healthcare all my life. I pay about $75/month total in premiums and extended healthcare benefits, and even if I couldn't pay I would still have the same excellent care. I choose the doctors I see, I am not limited to which doctors accept my insurance, nor can I be turned down for poor health or if my insurance compant doesn't want to pay for the care I need. There is no cap on how much can be spent to save my life, and medical decisions are made by my doctor and myself, not some claims agent working for an insurance company. I do not wait a long time for healthcare like most people think, I went to the ER last summer and was in a private room and being seen by a doctor within half an hour. I could have gotten in for elective surgery 2 weeks after booking if I had chosen to do so.
I cannot be more sorry that you have had to go through so many miscarriages Annie, that is awful. But the poor medical care you were given sounds more like incompetent doctors who can't measure progesterone and a private insurance company turning you down because they do not want to pay. Trust me, government run health care (at least here) does not mean you will have bare minimum care and will be taxed to death. Quite the opposite, really. If the US creates a program similar to Canada, your health care will be improved and probably cost you less. Just my opinion though.
Pay no attention to Caesar. Caesar doesn’t have the slightest idea what’s really going on. Kurt Vonnegut
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barbiegirl wrote:I am posting mid-break because I couldn't help it with this topic lol.
I cannot be more sorry that you have had to go through so many miscarriages Annie, that is awful. But the poor medical care you were given sounds more like incompetent doctors who can't measure progesterone and a private insurance company turning you down because they do not want to pay. Trust me, government run health care (at least here) does not mean you will have bare minimum care and will be taxed to death. Quite the opposite, really. If the US creates a program similar to Canada, your health care will be improved and probably cost you less. Just my opinion though. Thank you, Barbiegirl, for your kind words regarding my miscarriages (((((you))))). I want to clarify that I didn't have poor care, but what I had was a refusal of the doctors to let me see a specialist. The miscarriages I had were due to no progersterone being administered, and the two I carried were when I was able to see a specialist (as well as having the specialist discover that it was a hormonal problem to begin with). This is only one story. I can go on with more, and stories from other folks. (not to mention the horror when my son needed tubes in his ears). When you are used to private insurance and having a private doctor who "knows" your case and your child's, it is very hard to go to the doctor and never see the same doctor twice, and to take your little babies who are sick and crying, into a place that is reminiscent of the DMV. Anybody who has dealt with the VA has seen this. I am not putting down the care, but...that is not always as good as it can be either, because of course many military doctors got their education for free through the military, which is fine. But, they only stick around in the service until they've put in their "time" because of course they can make much money outside in the private sector. Most doctors were great, but just overburdened. I don't have the confidence that our govt is goin to run healthcare any better than they run the public school system. Serious money mismanagement. This has nothing to do with who is in office, it is the govt period. I've seen both sides of the coin, with the Canadian health care. A thread on this very topic came up at MMH last spring/summer, and I told my story, and a gal sent me a link to an organization of people all over the US who left Canada, primarily due to their health care. It all comes down to our own individual histories. I mean, I know many people who never ever had any problems with military health care...but I have...so, I have a different view. Anyway, this organization had petitions going against our health care reform, because they had already lived it and did not want to go back to that. Many people with personal stories about their own family members dying from not having the doctors they needed or having to wait too long for help, etc. On the MMH thread there were also some Canadians who praised their healthcare system as you do, and they never had any problems with it. The problems come about when you have health care needs that can't be handled by just any doctor, and/or need to be taken care of in a timely manner. Well, just wanted to give my opinion on how I think it will be in this country, and how I never ever wanted to step into another VA hospital again after my grandpa died...and the thought of having to live like that scares me to death! I fear the people chosen to make these decisions do not have my personal best interests at heart, and the less decisions we are able to make in our own personal lives, the less becomes our freedom. ( I do, however, believe we need healthcare reform! Just not what is being proposed.) *edit* all this being said, I sincerely hope you are right Barbiegirl. I certainly want everything to work out to all of our advantages. I have no interest in suffering to prove a point! :) No way. I hope for the best. Just fear the worst.
"Annie Bean Sprout"
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I think universal health care in the US all boils down to personal responsibility and individualism, both considered core American values. This is the really ugly side of those American ideals.
USE WHAT IS DOMINANT IN A CULTURE TO CHANGE IT QUICKLY. - Jenny Holzer
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Well, ever since going to MIT with a bunch of cut throat pre-meds wanting to get into Harvard med, all of whom had the resounding maternal message in their heads; "Be a doctor. Be a doctor and make money", at that time, I VOWED not to ever get sick. God forbid, I have one of my class mates as my doctor .
That whole experience there with the pre-meds really soured me as I witnessed people sabatotaging other people's lab experiments, giving professors sexual favors, breaking into the offices to get copies of the test ect--all to get the 'A's to get into Harvard med.
It was in the early 80s when I started getting into 'alternative medicine' like natural remedies, herbs ect. It was because I knew those MIT pre-meds going to Harvard med would soon be the 'medical establishment'. So, at that point, I decided to do what I could do to try to stay healthy. LOL
If anybody knows of any orthopedic doctors, in Boston or Concord MA area who are conversant in FEMORAL ACETEBULAR IMPINGMENT, please let me know.
Cancel above request. My hip is now too far gone. Need a total hip replacement.
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AnnieB wrote:
Thank you, Barbiegirl, for your kind words regarding my miscarriages (((((you))))).
I want to clarify that I didn't have poor care, but what I had was a refusal of the doctors to let me see a specialist. The miscarriages I had were due to no progersterone being administered, and the two I carried were when I was able to see a specialist (as well as having the specialist discover that it was a hormonal problem to begin with).
This is only one story. I can go on with more, and stories from other folks. (not to mention the horror when my son needed tubes in his ears). When you are used to private insurance and having a private doctor who "knows" your case and your child's, it is very hard to go to the doctor and never see the same doctor twice, and to take your little babies who are sick and crying, into a place that is reminiscent of the DMV.
Anybody who has dealt with the VA has seen this. I am not putting down the care, but...that is not always as good as it can be either, because of course many military doctors got their education for free through the military, which is fine. But, they only stick around in the service until they've put in their "time" because of course they can make much money outside in the private sector. Most doctors were great, but just overburdened.
I don't have the confidence that our govt is goin to run healthcare any better than they run the public school system. Serious money mismanagement. This has nothing to do with who is in office, it is the govt period.
I've seen both sides of the coin, with the Canadian health care. A thread on this very topic came up at MMH last spring/summer, and I told my story, and a gal sent me a link to an organization of people all over the US who left Canada, primarily due to their health care. It all comes down to our own individual histories. I mean, I know many people who never ever had any problems with military health care...but I have...so, I have a different view.
Anyway, this organization had petitions going against our health care reform, because they had already lived it and did not want to go back to that. Many people with personal stories about their own family members dying from not having the doctors they needed or having to wait too long for help, etc.
On the MMH thread there were also some Canadians who praised their healthcare system as you do, and they never had any problems with it.
The problems come about when you have health care needs that can't be handled by just any doctor, and/or need to be taken care of in a timely manner.
Well, just wanted to give my opinion on how I think it will be in this country, and how I never ever wanted to step into another VA hospital again after my grandpa died...and the thought of having to live like that scares me to death!
I fear the people chosen to make these decisions do not have my personal best interests at heart, and the less decisions we are able to make in our own personal lives, the less becomes our freedom.
( I do, however, believe we need healthcare reform! Just not what is being proposed.)
*edit* all this being said, I sincerely hope you are right Barbiegirl. I certainly want everything to work out to all of our advantages. I have no interest in suffering to prove a point! :) No way. I hope for the best. Just fear the worst.
The thing is that I do have complicated health conditions and don't see a different doctor every time. I see my family doctor first and she refers me to the right specialist for me-who can be the doctor of my own choosing. I do not see a different doctor everytime, right now mainly I have 3 my family doctor, my endo specialist, and naturopathic doctor. Obviously I am excluding the fun doctors, lol.
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world."
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