Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
Being sick in the United Kingdom has advantages and disadvantages. Supporters will cite that out-of-pocket costs are generally low, coverage is universal, and the price of health care to the government is lower. One question is, what is the quality of care received? Critics cite that access to cutting edge, innovative treatments is often restricted or…
The VA scandal of long wait times is now well-known. Part of the reason why patients were left off official wait lists–ironically–was because VA senior staffers wanted to reduce wait times. Senior VA staff monitored wait times closely to check for any upticks. Some of the VA management at the Phoenix hospital believed the only…
As patients are becoming used to quicker turn-around times in other retail industries, expectations regarding health care waiting times are rising. As PwC reports: Heightened desire for “on-demand” healthcare in the form of telemedicine, mobile health, social media and retail clinics has fueled the move toward healthcare anywhere, anytime. Nearly one in four consumers surveyed…
…and three other questions about physician care. Do Medicare patients have shorter waiting times than those with commercial insurance? In the 2010 survey, among those seeking an appointment, most beneficiaries (75 percent) and most privately insured individuals (72 percent) reported “never” having to wait longer than they wanted for an appointment for routine care. Another…
Most workers have employer-provided health insurance. The old have Medicare and the poor Medicaid. Children have SCHIP and veterans have the VA. But what about the people who fall through the cracks? What about individuals who work for small businesses who don’t offer insurance, entrepreneurs, or illegal immigrants? Where can they get health care? An…
In the 1990s, the UK’s National Health Service may have imitated most American’s idea of what is wrong with a single payer system. However, when Tony Blair became Prime Minister in 1997 government spending on the NHS increased. Over the past decade spending on the health service has risen by over 6% a year in…
One of the most contentious parts of the healthcare debate in the U.S. is whether or not to move towards a more European style of health care. Those in favor cite the equality of the system, the lower cost, and lower administrative cost. Those against rail against the lack of provider choice and the long…
From the USA Today, here are the wait times to see a doctor in the following cities: Boston: 49.6 Philadelphia: 27 Los Angeles: 24.2 Houston: 23.4 Washington, D.C.: 22.6 San Diego 20.2 Minneapolis: 19.8 Dallas: 19.2 New York: 19.2 Denver: 15.4 days Miami: 15.4 days The first thing that jumps out from these numbers is that…