We should stop being sensitive like this. It's turning out to be nonsense. Along with good care, our health system is cheap and that's why people come. They think they are getting money's worth. What is wrong in what Obama said? We should be more confident about ourselves.
Re: Re: Stop being sensitive...
by Robert Rajan on Apr 24, 2011 05:11 AM
Cheap means you pay less than usual. In other words, when you pay peanuts, you get a monkey. As a political leader, you are expected to use politically correct language. For example, he could have said, "low-cost, good quality healthcare".
Lot has happened since the day he was crowned and to be honest he is not what Americans dreamed about and expected him to be. As a matter of fact, that "landslide" victory during last election, is not going to be landslide next time, in case if he actually managed to win it again. That says alot. His medical plan is questioned by half of his own fellow americans, so what he says (at least about the health care plan) is not really something thats note worthy.
Americans can match cost effectiveness of Indian medical system by doing folliwng...
1. Do not spend any money of research. Just look around and if you find somebody has made a drug copy and mass produce it. American health industry spend too much on medical research and they can learn something from India.
2. Do not provide free medical care. In India no good hospital will treat you until they get the money or are absolutely sure they will get the payment. US can learn something from India here.
3. Do not care about hygiene. Do not stock anything in inventory as it cost to maintain and manage inventory. You can always find patient's family member to run and buy the required medicine.
4. Do not keep highest quality medical imaging machines in hospital. Patients can go on their own and get the test/imaging done.
Re: few suggestions
by asad hgjkf on Apr 24, 2011 07:58 AM
1. Research on medicines is a different issue. The charges of a doctor in USA are very high, and that is a very pertinent question. (tht's why Indian docs are desperate to go to US and practise there).
2. Free medical care in the USA is very limited. It DOES NOT cover hospitalisation or surgeries. Canada is a lot better than USA in providing free health care.
4. You think that medical imaging in US hospitals is free? Hospitals charge big money for it. (e.g. $200 for ultrasound). Also, there ARE labs in the USA which do only medical testing/ imaging, and the patients HAVE TO GO THEIR ON THEIR OWN.
If you do not have any medical insurance, u run the risk of running into financial hardships if anyone in ur family gets a chronic disease.
Re: Re: few suggestions
by Sonia Gandhi on Apr 24, 2011 08:48 AM
Also, medicines are part of the healthcare and since billions of dollars are spent on medicines. Some medicine are for rare diseases means pharmaceutical companies need to recover whole money from very few peoples. Sometimes it alone can be extremely expensive for patients. If US can just copy the formula from somewhere else and mass-produce the generic of all medicines, they can sell all types of medicines at dirt cheap price. They just need to disregard intellectual property (IP) rights.
Also, I have never heard a case where emergency patients need to run on their own for test or imaging services. Hospitals if do not have that facility arrange for all transportation and logistics. Billing in such cases are done by hospitals not by the labs. So if you do not pay hospitals, they still need to pay the lab and will take bigger loss.
Re: Re: few suggestions
by Sonia Gandhi on Apr 24, 2011 08:43 AM
I am not sure if you understand my points.
What I meant for free healthcare is, many people just check-in in hospitals with serious condition and because of 'Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986' hospitals are required to provide emergency care to everybody in need without any regard to their ability to pay.
What it translate into many illegal immigrants with no insurance and without any proper ID get the free care and just walk away. Hospital billing departments NEVER ask for money while you are in hospital. Bills are mailed to home and in people can just disregard if they have no credit history and proper legal status.
Hospitals every year take loss of billions and not all of it is compensated by federal government (very few states provide fund for uninsured basically it is all federal).
From business point of view, although most hospitals are non-profit, these non paid services increase hospital's 'cost of doing business' and they must increase the rate for all paying customers.
In border area of Arizona and specially in Las Angles, California, dozens of hospitals have ceased to operate of closed their emergency department due to above mentioned federal law.
Many people exaggerate symptoms which make them eligible for emergency care.
This all is true in case of hospitals, independent practice are different. They usually do not need to provide free care with very few exceptions such as pediatric preventive care.
Re: few suggestions
by HisMajesty on Apr 24, 2011 03:01 AM
Or they can be one of those cheap Indian/Americans like you who actually fly to India to use those low cost medical facilities and then talk ill about it. Its surprising to see how closely you know how the medical business works in India.
Re: few suggestions
by sunil m on Apr 24, 2011 02:53 AM
what cheap medical? Did Obama ask a Indian to figure out if healthcare in India is affordable. No, Healthcare is not affordable to Indians in India.
Mr Obama, it is not CHEAP... its COST EFFECTIVE... Indian labour force is a COST EFFECTIVE one and thats the exact reason why jobs are being outsourced to India. For the same job that Indians perform for $20/hr, an american will charge $65.
so don't demean it and show your ignorance by using the word CHEAP..!
Re: Mr Obama
by Nostradamus Great on Apr 24, 2011 02:45 AM
And the ones who took this opportunity to call Indians as cheap and the ones who started licking Obama's black a.s.s should be kids of cheap w.h.o.r.e.s or Pakistani! :-D
Please do not feel unnecessarily offended by Obama's comment. He is criticizing his own system which is giving expensive services and losing competitive edge. He is asking American hospitals to change with time as world has moved on. He is positive here.
Its true that Indian hospitals are providing cheaper services to Foreigners, but actually they are becoming unaffordable for Indian common man. Indian common man is being totally robbed by two mandatory services - Hospitals and Schools.
Re: India is cheap
by HisMajesty on Apr 24, 2011 03:14 AM
Well, no matter how badly I hate it I think I will have to agree with you. I used to hate it at one point of time, but then over the time I accepted this fact, that "Indians in the US are cheap.". I am Indian myself, and I think we need to have a broad mind to at least accept the fact.
Search for the stand up comedian "Russel Peters" on youtube. It makes you hate him for what he says, but then it also makes you laugh if you have balls to accept what you are.
Re: Re: India is cheap
by HisMajesty on Apr 24, 2011 03:21 AM
On that same note I would like to mention that Indians IN INDIA are much classy, much elegant and way much dignified than the Indians in the US or Indians abroad in general. Indians abroad might have more wealth, but in ANY other aspect of life they just can NOT beat the Indians in India.
Re: Re: Re: India is cheap
by Another Critic on Apr 24, 2011 05:54 AM
No, you and Raghav, both Idiots are definitely cheap. Oh btw, you don't represent the entire U.S. Indian population. Hence, you guys keep your ideas and statements to yourself and don't rub them to other Indians.
Re: India is cheap
by Nostradamus Great on Apr 24, 2011 02:40 AM
Thats the spirit Raghav Kumar. U will know the exact meaning of the word "Cheap" and how to use it.. cos your mother is a cheap w.h.o.r.e! :-D
Trust me, Americans in the U.S. think healthcare in India is very affordable and get the best value for their money.
Healthcare in the U.S. is a rip off, not to mention the doctors have huge ego problems just because they make few buck more than most other professions. And most Doctors are in it just for money and not for saving the lives of patients.
Re: Americans in U.S. are thinking of going to India for healthca
by S Shrikanth on Apr 24, 2011 01:14 AM
Things are exactly opposite. Maybe for Americans it could be cheap, but for Indians the costs are a nightmare.
Just go to any Indian hospital and they will loot you to the maximum. One typical example is Sagar Apollo in Bangalore. The doctor will send you for half a dozen tests and prescribe medicines worth thousand rupees for minor cold infection.
Re: Re: Americans in U.S. are thinking of going to India for heal
by Another Critic on Apr 24, 2011 06:00 AM
You did not know about or see the amount of medical bills in the U.S., did you? It's much higher than what you see in the hospitals in India.
If you have lived in both places then you will know what I am talking about.
Re: Re: Re: Americans in U.S. are thinking of going to India for
by asad hgjkf on Apr 24, 2011 08:15 AM
I agree with Another Critic. I came to USA 5 months ago, and the doctors' fee and prices of medicines still give me shocks.
