The Nation's 10 Costliest Medicare Markets

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"America was built on freedoms of the individual"
Yeah and exploiting the freedoms of the natives who lived there earlier? Kicking them out of their own land and claiming it as your own?
Thats what you call freedom? Take a look around and see the countries who have actually fought for their freedom.

Adam P of DC 11:43AM July 24, 2009

Eliminate the HMOs. they are siphoning off most of the profits and now are in charge of the kind of health care we receive.
I'm old enough to remember when we didn't have HMOs, and everyone could go to a doctor and the doctor's accountant worked out a payment schedule.
No one seems to want to talk about the middlemen who are making most of the health care profits. Could it be because they are "BIG" (biggest) Business? with the greatest amt. of lobbyists? No, of course not.
Law makers are strangely silent about these thieves.

P Bartram of NC 7:09PM July 15, 2009

Attn: Jacksmith
You're a fool. U.S. healthcare is not a world issue, it's ours to deal with, nobody else's. As far as the profits of the private market, they have the right to it, it's called free enterprise. If you don't like the way they do business, open your own, its your right. People are not in business to lose money.
Public healthcare is a joke and fantasy. I would not stand behind it if you had a gun to my head. Public healthcare fails every single time. You can see it in all the other socialist and communist countries around the globe. It undermines free thinking and freedom itself. Our President is no more than a communist in democratic clothing. He undermines the foolish public and they praise him as a messiah. As for anybody who has an opposing opinion, we're called "right-wing extremists". I would not call myself an extremist. I am a patriot. Our motto, live free or die. Its simple. America was built on freedoms of the individual, socialist ideals have no place here. We don't want them, take them elsewhere.

Swood of KY 2:56PM July 15, 2009

I was a nurse in the NJ hospital on this list (Columbus Hospital is now closed and absorbed by St Micheal's) and witnessed daily abuse and waste by the private physcians who admitted patients there. Typically I would ask a patient why they were in the hospital and the answer would be "my doctor told me to". They didn't even know why they were there! Nursing home patients were routinely recycled through hospital, never looking any different on admission from when they were discharged. How does a doctor abuse the system?: how about repeatedly admitting a nursing home patient with advanced dementia for "change in mental status" and then do a million dollar work up to rule out a stroke. I saw it a thousand times. Even if they did have a stroke (unlikely but possible) it would not change one medication or treatment plan. Why do they do that?: Doc's get paid every time they see a patient in the hospital so there is a strong financial incentive to over treat and keep patients in the hospital. Hospital's like St Mike's are dependent on admissions by these physicians so are afraid to reign them in.

d'cm of NJ 11:34AM July 09, 2009

If you think our health care system is bad, ask someone in another country who is on a waiting list for surgery.
We have the best and the brightest and I've known the most compassionate to be right there among them. Being a physician (at least the doctors I know) is more about a vocation than a job with a salary.
I don't know a plumber who would come over in an emergency to fix something in my house if i don'y have the cash on hand, or a mechanic who would repair my car without monty, yet I am confident that here in NYC I would get the best treatment for any medical emergency at most of the hospitals especially St. Vincents & Langone NYU.
I don't want the government to decide where i live, where i worship or where i work or where i send my children to school so why would i want them to make decisions regarding my health care?

mary of NY 1:14PM July 08, 2009

AMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
It’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats the Tri-Caucus and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and request that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
If President Obama has to declare a NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY to rescue the American people from our healthcare crisis, he will need all the sustained support you can give him. STICK WITH HIM! He’s doing a brilliant job.
THIS IS THE BIG ONE!
THE BATTLE OF GOOD Vs EVIL!
Join the fight.
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS

jacksmith of TX 10:36PM July 07, 2009

This is a key issue for American workers right now. Additionally, encouraging a workplace health program is a great way to lower overall health care costs and to improve employee health. Companies of all sizes can incorporate wellness and prevention into the workplace. Find out how and sign a petition at http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/issues/index.cfm?ID=52

Maura of AZ 6:42PM July 07, 2009

I'm told that the Chinese had a most unusual and effective health care system -- pre-cmmunist that is.
In the "old days" physicians were paid a regular monthly fee of reasonable amount to keep their patients HEALTHY. When a patient became ill, there was no charge.
With inducements like that, I would think the cost of all kinds of health care REAL HEALTH CARE would plunge. After all, we really deal with disease care not health care. Prevention is vastly less expensive than what we do in this country.
The pay for health plan could also work for hospitals, and directly paying the hospital of your choice would eliminate expensive insurance companies! Funds could be invested to earn an additional return for the hospitals and doctors and provisions made to "share" when illness or accidents occurred outside the home area, or another hospital was needed for best care.

Gerry of NY 2:59PM July 07, 2009

Each intervention is an opportunity to kill a patient. Did they die of the disease thereby wasting resources or did trying to prevent their demise with those resources cause their death?
In my family I would say over half have died prematurely due to the care and my mom just had a close call. (The exception is for cancer care which seems to have only extended life.)
The moral here is to provide good and appropriate care rather than no care.

Eriemaster of OH 1:30PM July 07, 2009

1) Almost all the hospitals listed above are on the coasts. We're seeing here a "regional mindset" thing with both the doctors and the patients.
2) No mention of the average weight of patients by doctor or by hospital. Holding patient weight down is the number one thing we should be paying health care to do---long before the last two years of life.
3) The world eventually will wonder why Dr. Jack Kevorkian was sent to prison, while veterinarians who help animals go to sleep and avoid end-of-life suffering every day are seen as "kindly". No, I'm not some Hitler-like dude wanting to kill all the old people for convenience. But you do see a problem with over-treating in the last year of life as becoming a questionable vehicle for transfering money away from patient families (or taxpayers) to "providers"----don't you? The question coming next is "providers of what"?

Muser of NM 12:04PM July 07, 2009