What a day to read this post. Having participated in the medical industrial complex as a patient, as a caregiver, as a left-wing, progressive, most ExCeLLEnt medical social worker, I can address all of them. Not tonight though, having had a foray into the dental complex. Also, I suspect your questions are largely rhetorical. But I do have a few things to say. ALL with a LOUD voice. But I’ll hold off being like Emile Zola. Have a good night everyone.
I have pondered the same questions while dealing with my husband's cancer treatment. I have come to the following conclusion: all of the numbers are made up. No one knows how much anything in healthcare actually costs. The insurance companies and hospitals agree on a certain made up number and then they agree to screw you, the "consumer," if you don't play their game.
I can’t answer any of your excellent questions, but I recall having similar wonderings looking at the bills when we were “in house” for “room and board.” The medical-industrial complex is made up of wonderful doctors and caregivers and support staff who are held hostage by a rapacious insurance industry, and they are strange bedfellows, indeed. I realize that my tiny little mother mind (TM Elizabeth Aquino) can’t do much with that information except wonder how we got here. Sending much love to you and Sophie, with congratulations to Oliver. XOXO
Darling Elizabeth-So yes. Here in midwifery land, we are paid a fraction of what rushed, substandard OB care costs. We spend many hours with clients. MANY HOURS. In the meantime, an OB spends roughly 47 minutes in the room with a client. We do home visits. Need I say more about that. I am not here to slander all OBs, Yes there are good ones, strangled by protocols and the legal department of their illustrious institutions. Our "health care system" is fucking terrible and it's gotten worse. We've had to wait for a transfer of care for 3+ hours only to have the infant end up in the NICU when we tried to avoid the whole thing by transferring in a timely way. It's beyond disgusting. And heartbreaking. And infuriating. Why are there 45% fewer nurses now. Um, let me think. Compassion? Kindness? Nah. Not cost effective.
$22,000 a day. Jeezus christ. As for the 46 cents. It pays for a tooth pick. Or a Q-tip.
Going today to see if my little toe is broken. As to your comment about rotary phones, don't drop a cell phone in your little toe. It's heavy and really hurts. I do miss untangling the cord while talking, especially if the conversation was difficult. Good for stress.
There is no logic to any of it. This is where we've come after all these years of insurance companies and the medical system duking it out in some shambolic method. Think of the money everyone would save if the whole system was burned to the ground and health care became every citizen's right. It is all beyond ridiculous.
As to the music we must endure while on hold and the inane looped messages- I can only think that their purpose is to literally drive us to insanity at which point we will just hang up.
I am with you on 3, as for the others, I recommend that you don't walk into this maze, you'll never find your way out.
And rest? Entirely an invention of the entertainment industry.
Stick to/rely heavily on the good people you meet along the way and don't even give a cold shoulder shrug to the health industry. One day it will implode, my guess.
Not answering your questions, but relating to the craziness of medical billing. I have a friend in memory care. His rate was initially 10k a MONTH and they are taking terrible care of him. They have no idea how to use behavioural therapy to manage Alzheimer's people. They freak out when he gets angry. Most Alzheimer's people DO get angry. They raise his rates even though they are not taking care of him. His partner has to go in and take care of his personal needs that they won't do. His partner hires an aid to come in and pick up the pieces that the staff leave. They. Can't. Do. The. Job. But they won't fire them, because finding people to do the work is impossible. Meanwhile, they are nickel and dimming this guy every day. Beyond disgusting.
I actually read parts of this out loud to Dave because those numbers are so appalling. $22,000 A DAY? For room and board alone? Not that we don't all know the US medical/industrial complex is fucked up, but honestly.
I have no idea why Montana outlawed TikTok but I also have a lot of questions about how that's supposed to work. What if I live in Idaho and my cell signal comes from Montana? Inquiring minds want to know.
What a day to read this post. Having participated in the medical industrial complex as a patient, as a caregiver, as a left-wing, progressive, most ExCeLLEnt medical social worker, I can address all of them. Not tonight though, having had a foray into the dental complex. Also, I suspect your questions are largely rhetorical. But I do have a few things to say. ALL with a LOUD voice. But I’ll hold off being like Emile Zola. Have a good night everyone.
I have pondered the same questions while dealing with my husband's cancer treatment. I have come to the following conclusion: all of the numbers are made up. No one knows how much anything in healthcare actually costs. The insurance companies and hospitals agree on a certain made up number and then they agree to screw you, the "consumer," if you don't play their game.
I can’t answer any of your excellent questions, but I recall having similar wonderings looking at the bills when we were “in house” for “room and board.” The medical-industrial complex is made up of wonderful doctors and caregivers and support staff who are held hostage by a rapacious insurance industry, and they are strange bedfellows, indeed. I realize that my tiny little mother mind (TM Elizabeth Aquino) can’t do much with that information except wonder how we got here. Sending much love to you and Sophie, with congratulations to Oliver. XOXO
Darling Elizabeth-So yes. Here in midwifery land, we are paid a fraction of what rushed, substandard OB care costs. We spend many hours with clients. MANY HOURS. In the meantime, an OB spends roughly 47 minutes in the room with a client. We do home visits. Need I say more about that. I am not here to slander all OBs, Yes there are good ones, strangled by protocols and the legal department of their illustrious institutions. Our "health care system" is fucking terrible and it's gotten worse. We've had to wait for a transfer of care for 3+ hours only to have the infant end up in the NICU when we tried to avoid the whole thing by transferring in a timely way. It's beyond disgusting. And heartbreaking. And infuriating. Why are there 45% fewer nurses now. Um, let me think. Compassion? Kindness? Nah. Not cost effective.
$22,000 a day. Jeezus christ. As for the 46 cents. It pays for a tooth pick. Or a Q-tip.
Going today to see if my little toe is broken. As to your comment about rotary phones, don't drop a cell phone in your little toe. It's heavy and really hurts. I do miss untangling the cord while talking, especially if the conversation was difficult. Good for stress.
Love you so much.
Beth
There is no logic to any of it. This is where we've come after all these years of insurance companies and the medical system duking it out in some shambolic method. Think of the money everyone would save if the whole system was burned to the ground and health care became every citizen's right. It is all beyond ridiculous.
As to the music we must endure while on hold and the inane looped messages- I can only think that their purpose is to literally drive us to insanity at which point we will just hang up.
I am with you on 3, as for the others, I recommend that you don't walk into this maze, you'll never find your way out.
And rest? Entirely an invention of the entertainment industry.
Stick to/rely heavily on the good people you meet along the way and don't even give a cold shoulder shrug to the health industry. One day it will implode, my guess.
Not answering your questions, but relating to the craziness of medical billing. I have a friend in memory care. His rate was initially 10k a MONTH and they are taking terrible care of him. They have no idea how to use behavioural therapy to manage Alzheimer's people. They freak out when he gets angry. Most Alzheimer's people DO get angry. They raise his rates even though they are not taking care of him. His partner has to go in and take care of his personal needs that they won't do. His partner hires an aid to come in and pick up the pieces that the staff leave. They. Can't. Do. The. Job. But they won't fire them, because finding people to do the work is impossible. Meanwhile, they are nickel and dimming this guy every day. Beyond disgusting.
W O W!!! I know that’s lame but all I can utter after reading your post. And…ugh, ugh, ugh! 😘❤️🙏
I actually read parts of this out loud to Dave because those numbers are so appalling. $22,000 A DAY? For room and board alone? Not that we don't all know the US medical/industrial complex is fucked up, but honestly.
I have no idea why Montana outlawed TikTok but I also have a lot of questions about how that's supposed to work. What if I live in Idaho and my cell signal comes from Montana? Inquiring minds want to know.