[HSF] Death on waiting list

[rwmfglycar at aol.com]

In the Bronx the unfunded depended on the good will and dedication of the health care workers. I think that is very much the case elsewhere. Many years ago the NY City Government was running our hospital into the ground and during a mayoral campaign we, the doctors, announced a strike. We had all the mayoral candidates streaming to the Bronx saying how they would put things right. However our strike was not a real one. We didn't have the heart to make it real and admitted patients through the back door and went on treating them, dfoing the best that could be done under disgracefully inadequate conditions.
On another note, it was common for a pediatric patient, not accompanied by  parents, to pitch up at our ER from the Carribean with congenital heart disease. The accompanying adult might be a distant relative. It was quickly apparent that the patient was officially an alien and had no money. The parents back in the Islands knew that the child needed surgery and sent the child to the US on a visit for the express purpose of getting fixed. The drill for us was to call the patient an emergency and get cath and surgery done on the same visit.
Bob
 
-----Original Message-----
From: tacuff at swbell.net
To: OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com
Sent: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 5:10 AM
Subject: Re: [HSF] Death on waiting list


The unfunded wait until they are symptomatic and come thru the ER and then get 
routine and expediant care. So called biggest bang for the leastest buck medical 
care....or cost shifting.
tea


----- Original Message ----
From: "hgrmd at aol.com" <hgrmd at aol.com>
To: OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 1:50:58 PM
Subject: Re: [HSF] Death on waiting list


Don,
  The Oz solution of setting aside a percentage of the income make a lot of 
sense.  Unfortunately, that often cuts into the cigarette and beer money of 
certain patients.  The unfunded in the U.S. may or may not do well.  A lot of it 
depends on their ingenuity and willingness to wait in line.

Hal 

-----Original Message-----
From: donross at bigpond.com
To: OpenHeart-L at lists.hsforum.com
Sent: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 2:07 AM
Subject: Re: [HSF] Death on waiting list


Hal, 
It aint bad everywhere but I agree there is no perfect solution. In Oz the 
stents have fixed our public cardiac surgery waiting lists but if you need a hip 
there is a bit of a wait. 
I guess we have a better funded public system than many because a fixed 
percentage of income is earmarked for health. 
How do poor uninsured folk fare in USA where more of GDP is spent on health than 
any other country? 
Don 
On 17/04/2007, at 10:58 AM, Hgrmd at aol.com wrote: 

> Dear Dave, 
> Your public system seems similar to nearly all the state systems > that I've 
> seen or read about. Canada has a disgraceful waiting period for > it's public 
> cardiac surgical patients. In addition, I've seen Canadian > patients with 
> unstable symptoms who get cathed in Florida. Unless they are > about to die, 
> Canada will insist that they be flown back to Canada, presumably > to end up 
at 
> the back of the line. I have truly felt sorry for some of those > poor 
patients. 
> The U.S. private system has its problems, but I sure would hate > to see 
> socialized medicine become the predominant player. 
> 
> Hal 
> 
> 
> 
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