Should any human being's health enable profit to ANY other human being?

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

Let us start a debate about health care, right here, right now!

[virgogal]

1. Doctors,nurses,and pharmacists have alway charged for their services.

That's one human being profiting from the misery of another human being.

It will always be that way.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

5. Okay. Let us take it as fact: every health care giver charges for services.

They have to make a living, too!!!!

[BlooInBloo]

2. Of course it should....

I suspect what you really mean are the middlemen.

[Generic Brad]

3. Only things that support a reasonable profit. People have to eat.

However, I know an individual who works for a medical supply company who once bragged to me that the device he sold was marked up 3000% over cost. You read that correctly. His company makes a 3000% profit on a device that is required to sustain lives. That is not reasonable under any circumstances.

I still get literally incensed that the health care debate has not addressed this profiteering. Drug and insurance companies have justifiably been discussed, but medical device suppliers have gotten away without nary a mention. Either they have the best lobbyists money can buy or the drug and insurance companies are more egregious offenders.

[imdjh]

13. That sounds outrageous, but it would all depend upon what you're talking about.

I have a CPAP machine. I have two actually. Some parts and accessories are standardized, and others aren't. Either way, even with the rising awareness of the health issue, it's hard to imagine that CPAP machines are a broad market item. They aren't cheap, but they won't break the bank either. However, it's not hard to imagine that the air filters for the machine are hugely marked up. Being basically paper, I think we could assume that they cost less than 15¢ a piece to manufacture. So at $1.50 to the distributor, they would be marked up 1000% and at $4.50 to the customer they would be at 3000%.

[Cleita]

4. I was wondering if another way to do single payer is to guarantee doctors

and nurses salaries and operating expenses. This way they could see all patients that needed to see them and no one would have to worry about either paying or getting paid. It's a step more socialistic than the Medicare model but not as socialistic as the British model. There would be absolutely no need for insurance of any sort under this system.

[Journeyman]

6. A big portion of my income is earned marketing medical testing. . .

so yeah, the misery of others -- and the effort to help alleviate it -- earns me a healthy profit. That's just the way it is. If there were no profit in it for talents such as mine (and the doctors, nurses, laboratories and hospitals that benefit from my support), what purpose would I have to continue doing this working.

I suspect you mean, is there a place for middleman profits. Or worse, unreasonable profiteering. There you've got a little more solid ground to debate.

[madrchsod]

7. they should be paid for the level of expertise.

if we are to have private insurance companies they should be regulated to provide a service without making excess profit.

[virgogal]

9. Tricky business. Who,exactly,decides what are "excess profits"?

[madeline_con]

8. Yes. n/t

[Deja Q]

10. Oh, very informative and in-depth response you've got there...

:sarcasm:

[madeline_con]

11. "Mommy, I want to be an unpaid doctor when I grow up." n/t

[melnjones]

14. :-)

lol

[Deja Q]

16. Two peas in a pod. At least we now know what passes as wit here on DU.

:-)

[Deja Q]

15. And to you I say, "Daddy, I want to be a person cable of intelligent discourse when I grow up."

Let me know when you finally grow up. I'll check back in a few decades...

:hi:

[melnjones]

18. Why engage in discourse with a ridiculous statement?

Would rather laugh and move on- have better things to do.

[BlooInBloo]

23. Ex nihilo, nihil fit.

[undergroundpanther]

12. NO

Anything required to sustain life should NEVER be subjected to profit or the whims of the market.Desperate people are not free.
For too long predatory parasite corporations have made money off our needs and misery.

[kestrel91316]

17. Only those who directly provide medical or ancillary services.

Profit skimming by middlemen is IMMORAL. Frankly, I think it should be considered a crime against humanity.

[melnjones]

19. So...

those in the medical profession should go into debt for their work? Do you even understand the definition of profit?

[handmade34]

20. ??

a person in the medical profession can make a good living and still be non-profit.

[melnjones]

21. Can be difficult

when you have $200,000 in student loan debt, especially if you have kids and your spouse has similar debt. You'd be amazed how many doctors actually struggle to make ends meet- some, if business is bad, trade their own income to be able to pay their staff and end up in worse shape. "Profit" is hard to define. I'm not saying there aren't excessive profits in the medical industry- just saying that arguing against profit is pretty silly and does nothing to help further the real issues in the healthcare industry.

[handmade34]

24. it's an open ended question

and paying off student loans does not have to come from profit. In a healthy society, school should not create an excessive burden on a person working in the system. No, I am not amazed that people struggle to pay student loans. Profit is that money made over and above legitimate expenditures and cost of living. I don't believe the post was taking about or questioning a living wage...

[TygrBright]

22. Health: Yes. Sickness, injury, pain: No.

The doctors in Britain's National Health system get incentives and bonuses for how HEALTHY they assist/convince people to be.

I'm cool with that.

It's the other thing that doesn't work for me.

semantically,
Bright

[Odin2005]

25. NO! Healthcare is a FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT, not a commodity!