October 13, 2013
This column was originally published on June 29, 2009. It seems apropos given the current arguments over Obamacare. The law was signed by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.
The words “socialized medicine” drives many Americans crazy. There is an overwhelming fear as if the mere thought of socializing medical care will destroy our nation. The AMA has done an outstanding job of instilling this fear. They started their campaign in the 1930s against Medicare (socialized medicine for social security recipients). AMA publicists included a phony quote from Lenin proclaiming “socialized medicine is the keystone to the arch of the Socialist State.” Is there any reason to anticipate a change in AMA philosophy? No.
Between the AMA, medical insurance companies, and the pharmaceutical companies there is one objective and that is to keep Americans hooked on the support of a system that makes doctors, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers very rich. In a June 29,2009 BusinessWeek commentary it was reported that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates their annual payments to doctors at $744 billion. Do you know a poor doctor? I am sure there are some somewhere in America but they are rare.
How much is spent on cancer treatments every year? Breast cancer was an identified illness at the beginning of the 19th century (President John Adams daughter died from the disease). There is still no preventative drug for this disease. PSA screening tests for prostate cancer have recently been called into question but most doctors continue to recommend them. Doctors treat men for the disease even though the treated men are more likely to die sooner than those who have not been screened. It’s all part of a scam to treat people for cancer but not cure them. A wonderful money machine.
A doctor at the University of Vancouver in Vancouver, B.C. questions prescribing medication for high cholesterol. He backs his contentions with data that shows there is no longer life resulting for people who take statins to reduce the bad cholesterol. My doctor says taking the pills is the right thing to do. Of course it is a money maker for the pharmaceutical companies. Cholesterol lowering medications are Levacor, Zocor, Pravachol, Lipitor, Crestor, Simvastatin (a generic for Zocor) and more.
Are the medical insurance companies really earning extraordinary income? I did the research and found these astonishing net income amounts
– Aetna $1.831 billion USD (2007)
– Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield $3.095 billion USD (2006)
– Cigna Corporation $1.1 billion USD (2007)
– Kaiser Permanente $1.3 billion USD (2006)
– Regence Group $6.7 billion USD (2006)
As far as pharmaceutical companies are concerned look at CVS Caremark as just the tip of the iceberg. Their quarterly net income for the period ending March 31, 2009 was $738,400.
Do we need a complete overhaul of our medical care system in the United States? The answer is obvious. The question is how do we provide the needed care at a cost that everyone can afford?
Coast Contact 