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30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

ruralhospitals.chqpr.org

31–40 of 163 posts

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#31
This is "too big to fail" logic applied to hospitals. How do our basic life services always become captured by huge organizations that are poorly run and require bailouts by the government?

Or is "too big to fail" just a ploy by those organizations to entrench themselves even further in our lives?

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#32

I don't know how you can realistically look at this without thinking of the "I never thought leopards would eat MY face!!" meme. Politics matters. Voters in rural areas (generally, of course) have consistently voted against policies that would help support health care in these rural locations, such voting in politicians who are staunchly against Obamacare, who refuse any expansion or even adequate support for Medicai…

[flagged]

Government payer reimbursements must go up, but cost controls are necessary as well to drive out a profit motive. Yes, I'm aware that the limited quota on residency slots is also a problem that needs solving for.

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2...

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2019...

https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/10/25/doctors-sal...

https://www.vox.com/22989930/residency-match-day-physician-d...

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#33

I don't know how you can realistically look at this without thinking of the "I never thought leopards would eat MY face!!" meme. Politics matters. Voters in rural areas (generally, of course) have consistently voted against policies that would help support health care in these rural locations, such voting in politicians who are staunchly against Obamacare, who refuse any expansion or even adequate support for Medicai…

[flagged]

Yeah, Medicaid payments aren't great but wouldn't it be better to be reimbursed for at least those pennies instead of no reimbursement at all?

It's not like it's Medicaid that caused those people to appear. Not expanding the coverage isn't reducing the rate of people needing care it's just reducing what will be paid for.

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Government payer reimbursements must go up, but cost controls are necessary as well to drive out a profit motive. Yes, I'm aware that the limited quota on residency slots is also a problem that needs solving for. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2... https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/explainer/2019... https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/10/25/doctors-sal... https://www.vox…

What about menu prices and the ability to comparison shop?

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any country with a medical system that people don't complain about? For instance is there anyone in the world that would agree: "Gee, my healthcare is so cheap, it's surprising that it covers everything I want it to without me needing to go out of my way to justify my treatment options and I have so many medical professionals available to me at a moments notice!"

The NHS is one of the most beloved institutions on the planet AFAICT. Of course everyone would prefer if everything were better all the time, but complaints about the US system and clearly not on the same plane as those about UK’s.

It used to be. https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/press/press-releases/british-so...

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#36
post #2

It’s really interesting how the US has managed to get a health system that’s extremely expensive, doesn’t cover everybody, is highly bureaucratic and complex, delivers below average outcomes and has overworked hospital staff. And somehow people defend this system because it works fine for the top few percent (especially the people in Congress) and people who have Medicare or VA.

> And somehow people defend this system

The defenders of the system are entirely medical workers and owners.

The various medical lobbies/cartels are incredibly strong.

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#37

I don't know how you can realistically look at this without thinking of the "I never thought leopards would eat MY face!!" meme. Politics matters. Voters in rural areas (generally, of course) have consistently voted against policies that would help support health care in these rural locations, such voting in politicians who are staunchly against Obamacare, who refuse any expansion or even adequate support for Medicai…

[flagged]

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#38

I don't know how you can realistically look at this without thinking of the "I never thought leopards would eat MY face!!" meme. Politics matters. Voters in rural areas (generally, of course) have consistently voted against policies that would help support health care in these rural locations, such voting in politicians who are staunchly against Obamacare, who refuse any expansion or even adequate support for Medicai…

[flagged]

Are you one of those people that love the ACA but hate obamacare?

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#39
post #15

I don't know how you can realistically look at this without thinking of the "I never thought leopards would eat MY face!!" meme. Politics matters. Voters in rural areas (generally, of course) have consistently voted against policies that would help support health care in these rural locations, such voting in politicians who are staunchly against Obamacare, who refuse any expansion or even adequate support for Medicai…

I do not understand how Obamacare would resolve this issue. This seems to be related to the lack of income; how would Obamacare or Medicaid fix this?

A huge reason hospitals lose money is due to the amount of charity care they provide. There is a saying that "Reagan instituted universal healthcare in the US, he just didn't institute a way to pay for it." That is, during Reagan's time, laws were passed that required hospitals to provide emergency care regardless of an individual's ability to pay. But no laws were passed then that actually funded that mandate.

So in rural areas where you have more people in poverty, if they had health insurance hospitals would be better able to actually collect payment for the legally required services they provide.

Re: 30% of All Rural Hospitals in the US Are at Risk of Closing [pdf]

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any country with a medical system that people don't complain about? For instance is there anyone in the world that would agree: "Gee, my healthcare is so cheap, it's surprising that it covers everything I want it to without me needing to go out of my way to justify my treatment options and I have so many medical professionals available to me at a moments notice!"

The NHS is one of the most beloved institutions on the planet AFAICT. Of course everyone would prefer if everything were better all the time, but complaints about the US system and clearly not on the same plane as those about UK’s.

I see sentiments like this echoed quite a lot regarding the NHS, similar for Canada's: https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/upoamh/th...
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