Health Care Reform

I love bitching about this topic. If you ever want to see me turn eights shades of red and blow like a volcano, just mention this in my presence.

A "for profit" system is doomed to fail. Don't you all think there is something fundamentally wrong with making obscene profits over somebody's illness? I do realize that money is needed for research and development. I do realize that people involved in medicine need to make a living. I just have a problem with people raking in a living. It's just gross.

It reminds me of when my mother-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The doctor *knew* she was terminal and tried to talk the family into more treatments for her. The poor woman had already been through the wringer, and in her mid 80's, she was just too tired to go on. We wanted hospice to come in. The doctor tried her best to talk us out of it. Now we know why. Once the patient is released to hospice, it cuts off the money train to the doctor.

On an unrelated note -- is there one person out there who provides prescription drugs for a company health plan tell me straight up how pharmaceutical companies determine pricing for drugs? All the formulas I've seen are convoluted as hell, go whichever way the wind blows, and Einstein himself would not be able to figure them out. What makes me even more suspicious is that the pharmaceutical companies won't tell you. Talk about getting the run-around from department to department and fingers pointing in every direction. On second thought, there is some consistent finger pointing going on. It's always the middle one straight up in the air. Makes me wonder what they don't want us to figure out.