I for one believe that any doctors that would work for them would be on the bottom of the toteum pole as doctors and that is one thing I don’t want caring for my health.

Another thing is I will not support a company, other than an emergency health service, that makes their workers come in on Thanksgiving and New Years day.

I call ahead, or have my doctor do so. Accordingly, any wait is just to pick up and NOT to “get prescriptions filled”.

On Friday evenings, Saturdays and end of month days, there is (surprise, surprise) usually a wait to pick up. Since complaining without suggestions for improvement is a waste of everyone’s time, I have suggested the pharmacy manager bring in more clerical check-out staff to improve the situation in these predictable periods; and also suggested they get those “take a ticket” machines for the pick-up line so people can shop and wait at the same time. That’s a “win-win” solution for all involved.

@DrJJJJ,

A separate entrance for health clinics? Good idea. I’d also like to see a separate waiting area in every doctor’s office for those without obviously contagious symptoms, and to see office personnel out there every half hour or so wiping down chairs with antiseptic wipes. Don;t expepct to see that in my lifetime.

“Young/healthy folks can pay a minimum catastrophic fee until they want better coverage. Everyone should pay…”.
I’m sure WANTS “better coverage” no matter what they have. I’m sure those people in the 19th and 20th centuries WANTED better coverage than they had.

One inconvenient truth. Those who are or would be financially responsible understand the difference between a “want” and a “need”. If an economy can’t AFFORD to cover every risk plus the kitchen sink then it has to reduce costs, not cover some things, adopt coverage limitations and/or separate wants from needs.

We are looking at huge numbers of Americans who will spend their final years living with diabetes and its considerable expenses. A huge majority of these are obese beforehand. It’s no mystery that as many as half could avoid the disease entirely or reverse it with reasonable
eating and exercise habits.

I see no reason there should not be a local, state and federal effort to establish community walking, Tai Chi, Yoga and jogging groups. These could be co-located with baseball and soccer fields so while junior is doing his or her thing, mom and dad can do theirs.

If people won’t get off their couch or out of their car and take reasonable care of their bodies, I see absolutely no reason taxpayers should get the bill for treating the conditions that predictably follow a life of physical sloth.

If I agree it is everyone’s right to vegetate and overeat
please agree it is taxpayer’s right to deny them coverage for predictable and avoidable chronic disease, even if these be “the least of us”.

I call ahead, or have my doctor do so. Accordingly, any wait is just to pick up and NOT to “get prescriptions filled”.

On Friday evenings, Saturdays and end of month days, there is (surprise, surprise) usually a wait to pick up. Since complaining without suggestions for improvement is a waste of everyone’s time, I have suggested the pharmacy manager bring in more clerical check-out staff to improve the situation in these predictable periods; and also suggested they get those “take a ticket” machines for the pick-up line so people can shop and wait at the same time. That’s a “win-win” solution for all involved.

@DrJJJJ,

A separate entrance for health clinics? Good idea. I’d also like to see a separate waiting area in every doctor’s office for those without obviously contagious symptoms, and to see office personnel out there every half hour or so wiping down chairs with antiseptic wipes. Don;t expepct to see that in my lifetime.

“Young/healthy folks can pay a minimum catastrophic fee until they want better coverage. Everyone should pay…”.
I’m sure WANTS “better coverage” no matter what they have. I’m sure those people in the 19th and 20th centuries WANTED better coverage than they had.

One inconvenient truth. Those who are or would be financially responsible understand the difference between a “want” and a “need”. If an economy can’t AFFORD to cover every risk plus the kitchen sink then it has to reduce costs, not cover some things, adopt coverage limitations and/or separate wants from needs.

We are looking at huge numbers of Americans who will spend their final years living with diabetes and its considerable expenses. A huge majority of these are obese beforehand. It’s no mystery that as many as half could avoid the disease entirely or reverse it with reasonable
eating and exercise habits.

I see no reason there should not be a local, state and federal effort to establish community walking, Tai Chi, Yoga and jogging groups. These could be co-located with baseball and soccer fields so while junior is doing his or her thing, mom and dad can do theirs.

If people won’t get off their couch or out of their car and take reasonable care of their bodies, I see absolutely no reason taxpayers should get the bill for treating the conditions that predictably follow a life of physical sloth.

If I agree it is everyone’s right to vegetate and overeat
please agree it is taxpayer’s right to deny them coverage for predictable and avoidable chronic disease, even if these be “the least of us”.

I feel your pain (as does anyone closer than 20′ to their monitor), but you present few, if any, facts to back up your position.

Is it not clear that Medicare does NOT negotiate drug prices, but the VA does? I can tell you that the VA charges ME more as a co-pay than I can buy my statins, etc. for directly from Costco Mail Order in Everett, WA, with free, timely shipping to my door.

Is it not true that virtually NO hospital will give a consumer a written price for a procedure up front? That’s why I go to an independent mechanic for anything and everything not covered by warranty. The system is consumer-unfriendly and taxpayer unfriendly.

You seem to suggest we just keep doing what we’re doing. What part of unsustainable do you not understand?