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0 pointsdnautics12y ago0 comments

who gets to decide what is lifesaving and what is elective?

0 comments

Currently the insurance company does, and since they were most likely selected by your employer whose objective was to hold down costs, what do you think that insurer's priorities are going to be? Plus, who's the customer in this situation? For whose business is the insurance company really working for?

dnauticsOP12y ago

no doubt having your employment being tied to your insurance is a really, really bad idea, but may I remind that state of affairs is because of a government incentive put into place by FDR.

markost12y ago

I believe it was originally because of postwar wage/price controls, which led to employers giving health insurance to attract employees, which led to the IRS taxing health insurance, which led to Congress exempting health insurance from tax, which led to the current regime we have today, compounded by the McCarran-Ferguson Act as well as the HMO Act.

taylodl12y ago

You failed to mention the context of that government incentive - World War II. And the incentive you're referring to was put in place by the War Labor Board in 1942, during FDR's presidency. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Labor_Board

dnauticsOP12y ago

you'd think that with the end of the war, the incentive would have been removed.

1 more reply

robbiep12y ago

In australia if you're in a hospital and you need surgery, you get it. Today if necessary.

Nothing needs 'approval'. Because everyone has the same insurer (The government), if you present to a hospital you are triaged according to your risk and treated appropriately. No 'approval' and no 'rejection'. It just happens.

And if you have osteoarthritis of your knees and want surgery in the private system (which can generally happen on demand instead of - because it is an emergent/elective condition - some time between now and 12 months from now) then you can go ahead and organise that.

If you would like to read a media release by the College of Surgeons have a look at [1] which not only describes emergency and elective but talks about about how surgery is managed in the hospital.

whoops, missed the link. [1] http://www.surgeons.org/media/307115/sbm_2011-05-24_separati...

sliverstorm12y ago

It's like the line between "cosmetic" and "reconstructive". You would think it was a pretty clear line, and then discover it isn't.

pvarangot12y ago

In most systems, doctors.

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0 comments

taylodl12y ago

dnauticsOP12y ago

no doubt having your employment being tied to your insurance is a really, really bad idea, but may I remind that state of affairs is because of a government incentive put into place by FDR.

markost12y ago

taylodl12y ago

dnauticsOP12y ago

you'd think that with the end of the war, the incentive would have been removed.

1 more reply

robbiep12y ago

In australia if you're in a hospital and you need surgery, you get it. Today if necessary.

If you would like to read a media release by the College of Surgeons have a look at [1] which not only describes emergency and elective but talks about about how surgery is managed in the hospital.

whoops, missed the link. [1] http://www.surgeons.org/media/307115/sbm_2011-05-24_separati...

sliverstorm12y ago

It's like the line between "cosmetic" and "reconstructive". You would think it was a pretty clear line, and then discover it isn't.

pvarangot12y ago

In most systems, doctors.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse