DocRay

Actually, its worse than you think, 50M americans don't get any health care, and in some parts of urban USA, african-american kids are in worse shape than african kids.

I think that business practice is good for a lot of things: cars, running shoes, etc. But the profit has to be taken out of sick people. This whole "health care is only for the employed" idea is just nuts.

At one time, Fires were only put out by fire companies to paying customers, sounds insane now, but profit-driven medicine sounds insane to a lot of the world.

slowandsteady

You mean the parts of the world where they have to wait 6 months for surgery or a specialist so they end up coming to the US?

Mentor58

I recommend anybody but this guy...

v1k1ng1001

That sounds right because it's not that the unemployed/uninsured aren't treated. They're treated and then that cost is spread around to those of us who can pay and/or our insurnace agencies.

I think the real argument for nationalized healthcare is that it would allow Americans to democratically make decisions about controlling costs.

Honestly, in spite of all of our technological advances and great doctors/med schools, our healthcare system is a joke in Europe.

recneps345

I knew from the several days ago you would get around to a post such as this. I am surprised it took this long. I can give you one good reason. Doctors will make less money if this ends up happening. I know this is terrible and just crazy talk, but people that go thru 4 hard years of college trying to get a 3.8 to then be able to go through four hellacious years of med school and to then go to 3-8 years of residency expect to make a great living. As well they should. If they cant, many will not go through the hell it takes to become a doctor to make less than $100,000/year. These top people will go into other fields. Leaving less qualified people to become doctors. Nationalizing health care will also cause taxes to increase significantly. Especially for people that make over $100,000 a year.

DrPete 

You think we're making great money now? Reimbursements from medicare/medicaid are so horrible and the coding/billing requirements are so stringent that it hurts doctors financially to take care of medicare/medicaid patients. That's not to mention reimbursements from private insurance companies. And which ones are the ones that are the best and attract the most doctors? You guessed it--Blue Cross/Blue Shield and other expensive plans that the poor can't afford anyway. So the system is already set up with almost no financial incentive to care for underserved patients.

Snuffleupagus

By parts of the world you also mean people in the care of the US Government too eh?

e.g. Medicare, the VA system, the Military...

DrPete 

Snuff, I'm guessing by the Fayettenam location that you have some military affiliation? Is your wait really that long?

Even with the war going on we can usually get elective surgeries booked and done within a few weeks up here...

recneps345

My wife is a family doc, and I am a dentist. I definitely know that they aren't making great money. I feel your pain. With the hell she has had to go through to become a doctor, she is most definitely underpaid and over-paperworked. It is absolutely ridiculous. I almost went to medical school, but after going to shadow many doctors who repeatedly told me to do something else, I finally listened. I ended up choosing dentistry and have loved every minute of it. As of right now, government is not nearly involved as they are in medicine. Who knows if that will be the case in a couple of years. Anyways, just wanted to let you know I feel your pain.

jpatkinson

So, whom did you decide to see for your medical care? Did you try some time off? Ice? Motrin? How is that leg, anyway?

rpc180

Well, I saw an orthopedist that my co-workers went to when they had injuries from football and soccer games. He did an evaluation consisting of some questions and then bent my knees while putting pressure at different spots and checked for pain. He feels that I probably just overstressed the ligaments around the outside of my knees and recommended that x-rays be held off for about a month. In the meantime he prescribed a month's worth of nabumetone as an anti-inflametory and said I should lay off the cycling for a few weeks. If in 3 weeks the pain's still around he said to come back in for a followup. I'm on business travel right now so its not a problem but I'm going to be aching to get on a bike next weekend!

cooker

OK, so you strained your knee. Why? Step 2 is to get a bike fitting.

Richard Cranium

Before, "normal" doctors are ruled out - perhaps someone should state the obvious -- if it hurts when you do that --QUIT DOING THAT!

However, you may deserve to throw money at the situation. Typically you should ask more experienced runners or cyclists in your area which doctors they like - or don't like.......

rpc180

My bike was fitted in March, I've ridden 2200 miles on it since and there wasn't any sign of pain until the end of last month. I guess its my fault not to have mentioned it in the original post. Still, no reason to assume that because I don't post much I must be a newbie - maybe its because this forum really has gone downhill. And while I'm replying back to things, what kind of advice is "quit doing that!" regarding cycling? Maybe if I strained it by running around carring full kegs instead of riding a bike that would be helpful but if I'm riding a bike and that causes pain, your advice is to quit? Finally - you guys are all experienced cyclists, that's why I asked ... yes you're not in my area, but I didn't ask for a specialists name, just if I should go to one or a GP.

I knew I should've just let this thread go without replying anymore - thanks to everyone else who contributed something constructive

cooker

No offence was intended by my suggestion that you get a bike fitting. As you point out, you hadn't mentioned it.

v1k1ng1001

Yeah, well I never understood why anyone would want to become a doctor anyway, especially nowadays. No offense.

But won't failing to nationalize healthcare just mean that as costs continue to rise, more and more ppl will not have healthcare coverage and therefore not be able to pay? Sadly, it seems as if things will eventually reach a point at which it will become in doctors' best interests to back a nationalized system that can control costs by rationing.