Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 4
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OP
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 4 |
You guys south of The Great White North really need to lobby for and get a national health care program! Ours may not be the greatest, but I've never had to fill out any forms to get benefits. And though we may be Johnny-come-latelies, 'twould appear that we'll be getting a Pharmacare program in the near future.
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15 |
The forms are to protect doctors in the event of lawsuits.
But not to be overlooked, they provide them with your (more or less) complete medical history, so they're mutually beneficial.
Some sort of update schedule really is a good idea, except for the onerous forms.
I don't now why you guys need prescription insurance; your drug prices are ridiculously low already.
Last edited by artie505; 05/05/18 11:34 PM. Reason: More
The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.
In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 4
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OP
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 4 |
The forms are to protect doctors in the event of lawsuits. ... they provide them with your (more or less) complete medical history, so they're mutually beneficial. Some sort of update schedule really is a good idea, except for the onerous forms. Our province-wide electronic recording system (eHealth) circumvents the necessity for such. Reports of all medical visits to family physicians, hospitals, referrals to specialists, prescriptions, lab work, diagnostic imaging (such as X-ray, MRI, ultrasound), vaccinations are filed centrally. These then can called up by medical professionals as and when required — without the necessity of having the patient repeatedly filling out forms. So, for example, if I have a recurrent issue with my GIT and require diagnostic and intervention away from home (but within the province), all past history is available to the attending physicians which then might preclude some additional diagnostic testing and acquire effective attention more quickly. I don't now why you guys need prescription insurance; your drug prices are ridiculously low already. Not as much as you might think. And just like below the 49th it's the least able who pay the penalty. We're also a bit behind the rest of the civilized world in trying to arrange drug-purchasing clout. Recently, several provinces have banded together to arrange bulk purchases of many drugs. The national approach would provide even better deals.
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16
Moderator
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Moderator
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 16 |
Our province-wide electronic recording system (eHealth) circumvents the necessity for such. Reports of all medical visits to family physicians, hospitals, referrals to specialists, prescriptions, lab work, diagnostic imaging (such as X-ray, MRI, ultrasound), vaccinations are filed centrally. These then can called up by medical professionals as and when required — without the necessity of having the patient repeatedly filling out forms. On our side of the border, a nation wide mandate for computerizing health records was supposed to accomplish the same thing. Unfortunately each practice got to choose the system they want to use which of course created instant database compatibility issues. But even before those could be addressed privacy issues got in the way. Add to that the real fear that employers might tap into that database and use it for hiring, firing, promotion, etc. (driven by the employer's health insurance costs) and HIPA was born. The fact is a national network such as yours is not going to happen until we have single payer health care. We're also a bit behind the rest of the civilized world in trying to arrange drug-purchasing clout. Recently, several provinces have banded together to arrange bulk purchases of many drugs. The national approach would provide even better deals. At least your provinces can negotiate for drug prices. In this country the largest and most influential health care payer, Medicare/Medicaid, is forbidden to negotiate drug prices.
If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?
— Albert Einstein
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15 |
At least your provinces can negotiate for drug prices. In this country the largest and most influential health care payer, Medicare/Medicaid, is forbidden to negotiate drug prices. Y'know, there's something just plain CRIMINAL about that!
The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.
In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 15 |
I forgot to mention that you can check the status of your new card at New Medicare Card | Medicare.gov.
The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.
In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
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Re: " . . . all past history is available to the attending physicians which then might preclude some additional diagnostic testing and acquire effective attention more quickly."
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True for the most part. However, one does have the option to PASSWORD protect their medical info in some cases so that not everyone and his dog has access to one's history. (P.S. I am speaking from BC. Other provinces may have differing policies.)
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 4
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OP
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 4 |
Your note brings up the tangential point which I forgot to mention: Our single-payer system is federal, funded through income taxes; the federal government then disburses health funds to the provinces which are responsible for health care delivery.
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 14
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 14 |
Technology, thy name is Big Brother. Technology, thy partner's name is Sloth. None of this stuff can exist unless enough people are too lazy to do things for themselves.
ryck
"What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits" The Doobie Brothers
iMac (Retina 5K, 27", 2020), 3.8 GHz 8 Core Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 2667 MHz DDR4 OS Sonoma 14.4.1 Canon Pixma TR 8520 Printer Epson Perfection V500 Photo Scanner c/w VueScan software TM on 1TB LaCie USB-C
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
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I am not sure why some folks still haven't got it. All this "wonderful" technology comes at a cost and that is privacy. This is the tradeoff . . . if one wants the "conveniences."
I am not suggesting that there shouldn't be mechanisms in place to help protect our privacy. I am just saying that we should not be surprised these days when we find our privacy has been breached in one way or another.
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Re: Big Brother(s), "1984" style
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Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 4
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OP
Joined: Aug 2009
Likes: 4 |
Technology, thy partner's name is Sloth. None of this stuff can exist unless enough people are too lazy to do things for themselves. Don't malign the lovely sloth — three-toed ( Bradypus spp) and two-toed ( Choloepus spp). They've got enough worries trying not to go extinct. The terms "lazy" and "crap for brains" pretty much cover the behaviorally descriptive aspect of those who jump on and then get rolled over by the tech bandwagon. Sooner or later they'll pay the piper qua scammer and get exactly what they deserve. Amen.
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