Comments Related To: Obama asks nation for health-care reform input , Tactic aims to circumvent special interests that quashed previous efforts!

I needed Erythromycin. Had to request script from Doc. Doc. charged medicare $150 and billed me $98. !Broken greedy system! In most other nations I could purchase many Meds. direct from the Pharmacy. $$billions$$ wasted, time waisted. and clogged system. If you wish to see doctor go ahead but don't penalize those who have the knowledge to treat themselves.

RobertLewisStevens
I agree! You know, it has been a while but in the early 70s I was stationed in Germany and we were not supposed to but we could go to the local apotheke and get what we wanted legal or not. We do have a pretty screwed up medical system here though by any measure!

Try buylowdrugs.com. I buy my medicine from here. It's in Canada and alot cheaper especially with our dollar exchange rate.

There are three immediate changes that would bring America up to the level and quality of care delivered in the finest countries on earth

1. eliminate health insurance cost to provide is 52% of cost to deliver health care
2 eliminate prescriptions for non-controlled (abusable drugs) cost to provide presciption for things like diaphrams and Birth control pills about 15% of cost to deliver health care
3. Eliminate medical records except for original clinical entries provided in a plain paper bound book maintaied by patient Cost to provide computerized medical records to about everyone t oeveryone about 18% of the health care dollar.

Of the savings of 85% of the health care dollar saved above give thte doctor 15% (doublr the 7% they receive now)

Provide up to 70% of the health care dollar to all other health care providers to provide all hralth care to everyone. Give the remaining 50% to th government to be applied to tax breaks to those who earn less than $49,000.00 per year.

Ths is a plan that will work. It is available in almost all other countries than the US today.

Donald Winston, MD
winston@urbansurgeon.com
713-222-1000
713-222.1001 fax

urbansurgeon
Having first hand experience you would know better than I! I do not believe our economic system should be socialized as was started by Bush who threatened a slide to socialism if Obama was elected.

I do believe in Socializing our medical and health care system. That and a return to oversight of everything. Insisting on no oversight by Bush allowed our entire mess to happen.

I do know there i great abuse by some MD's of our current system especially Medicaid and Medicare and over charging Insurance companies!

Be careful with drugs from other countries. If you can go to Canada and confirm who you're dealing with, it might be occasionally helpful. Canad imports drugs from over 80 countries, including India, Iran and many others. I encourage folks to make an appointment with a good community pharmacist to sit with you, go though your meds, pull up your insurance plan and see if any less costly options are available. In many cases, there are options, but it takes some digging, I'm a pharmacist in Michigan and feel we should be helping patients find low cost, affordable options. Cost burden for care and drugs in the US is shameful, and we all need to bring extreme pressure to reduce the excessive number of payers and middle-men, and take steps to connect and empower docs, patients and pharmacists to work together vs putting one barrier after another up to reduce access to care. Keep screaming folks, and hold the insurance carriers and PBM's accountable. Get names when you call for help and don't receive it. Or, when serious errors occur. Communicate your frustration loudly to elected representatives who are supposed to be your advocates.

Javamanrx1
You are right! I am pleased the Obama's health care reform took a giant step forward yesterday. It is sick that we lag behind the rest of the so called civilized world in Health care, drugs included.

47 million without health care is sick! We develop most of the drugs then the co.'s charge us for the R & D and we have to go to the rest of the world to buy affordable drugs!

That too is sick! I hope part os Obama's plan will be a revamping of the way the drug companies work!

STop the used car salesman concept. I get a bill for lab work of $1,115.00 and yet the lab is happy to recieve $148 as their contract payment fromthe insurance company. So if i did not have insurance, I would be expected to pay $1,115.00. Makes used car salesmen look like gods.
WHY NOT LIMIT BILLS TO NO MORE THAN 10% GREATER THAN THE CONTRACT PAYMENTS WHEN BILLING THE UNINSURED.
Rod Scales 972 679 8359
April 2009

STop the used car salesman concept. I get a bill for lab work of $1,115.00 and yet the lab is happy to recieve $148 as their contract payment fromthe insurance company. So if i did not have insurance, I would be expected to pay $1,115.00. Makes used car salesmen look like gods.
WHY NOT LIMIT BILLS TO NO MORE THAN 10% GREATER THAN THE CONTRACT PAYMENTS WHEN BILLING THE UNINSURED.
Rod Scales 972 679 8359
April 2009