From: bowers@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov (Al Bowers)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Re: Helmet laws, abortions and why national health care is a Bad Idea.
Date: 31 Jul 92 18:52:48 GMT
Organization: NASA Dryden, Edwards, Cal.

In article <159cg8INN318@sixgun.East.Sun.COM> egreen@East.Sun.COM (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher) writes:

>And this is all private companies, trying to be efficient and make a
>profit.  The idea of the United States Government stepping in and
>trying to *run* such a system horrifies me!  They can't even *regulate*
>the current one!!!

There is a recent attempt to try to reduce waste, mismanagement and
abuse.  So there is now a new office for the prevention of such in the
federal government.  I can recall that two years ago, they finally
proved that they _saved_ more in fraud cases than it cost to run the
_office_.  Believe it, the federal government is _supposed_ to help
you, but the excessive middle management and power structure will
nearly _always_ prevent that from happening.

>You Brits and Canucks can say what you want about National Health Care,
>I'm sure it works great for you.  Our problem is that the United States
>of America's Federal Government is a rude, lazy pig, with the unfailing
>ability to fuck up every thing it touches.

I had the great opportunity to spend some time growing up in
Australia, which has a National Health Care system.  In the one
_critical_ case (a single case, so it may or may not be a valid
arguement) I was a first hand observer to, I was not in the least
impressed.  A friend had been screwing around, sitting on a basketball
backboard, and toppled off.  He landed on his head and fractured it.
It took 6 hours from the accident until a doctor saw him (the distance
from the schoolyard to the hospital was less than 2 miles, and over 4
hours were spent waiting in the emergency room).  In the following two
days Scott was not treated for the swelling of his brasin and nothing
was done to reduce the cranial pressure.  He was finally taken from
this hospital to a larger one in Adelaide.  Still no results, finally
(because his parent's were American citizens and Scott was still a
minor and covered under their insurance) he was flown back to UCLA
where he was operated on (two weeks after the fall).  His coma lasted
for another week after that.

This all happened about 15 years ago.  I understand things are better
now, but do want to be the experiment to find out?

Further, here in California, hospitals do not turn away anyone for any
reason.  But due to lack of payment, many of our trauma centers have
closed down.  Instead, Emergency rooms (former trauma centers) are
expected to take trauma cases.  It is quite common to hear of a
surgeon losing a patient now in an emergency room (lack of proper
facilities, while still trying to save the patient).  And the tab is
picked up by folks who pay their insurance.  Or through property
taxes.

I understand the State of California was only charging hospitals
$100,000 a year to liscence their trauma centers...  Are you sure you
want these same folks running our health care system?

--
...ignoring the fact that most Alfas spend their time cruising for
chicks, most Datsuns being washed and most Porsches in parking spaces
marked "Doctor"...              -Henry N. Manney III, Road and Track
Al Bowers                                 bowers@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles