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The situation with HMO's is horrible. The thought that medical care is now being treated like any other business, where money is the ONLY consideration, is indefensible. The pity is that more money is being spent to push this on the public than it would take to give adequate care. Look at the billboards, the TV ads, the radio and newspaper and magazine spreads,and what about the lobbyists they send to Washington? I have no problem with any business being profitable, but when human suffering and death is considered acceptable, in order to make money, I draw the line. I know we all have to die, and we probably all have to have some pain and discomfort in our lives, but to know that someone will profit in direct proportion to that pain, and discomfort, is not right. I wonder if we told some of the highly paid executives of the HMO;s that the servicing of their over priced luxury cars was now going to be handled by a committee of executives who would not want a mechanic to spend more than 10 minutes working on the car, and would forbid any parts that cost more than a few dollars to be replaced, regardless of the potential for the car to breakdown or even be destroyed as a result? Maybe a set of recapped used tires could be substituted for the expensive blowout-proof originals? Just a thought! [OO] LOOKING FOR RADIOS! Ken Becker [log in to unmask] On Mon, 21 Oct 1996, Zippo Bilbrok 3.0e8 wrote: > > Tamerius (D) is challenging California *Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R) > > (Note: is also cosponsoring Smith's version). In the October 1996 issue of > > the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NURSING, Tamerius said, "Our practice will be > > determined by what happens in healthcare financing in the next 10 years. If > > we're not part of the solution, we'll be out > > of there," AMERICAN HEALTH LINE reports. > ----- > > After seeing this post, I couldn't resist writing. I worked my 3-11 > shift last night on a medical unit. We take care of people with chronic > illness, primarily cardiac and pulmonary disease with a smattering of > neurological and oncological disease. I left my shift a 2 a.m. frustated > and disappointed in the changes HMO philosophy has visited upon our once > compassionate institution. In short, the reason I left work so late was > because we were *severely* understaffed - by design. > > Please, please, please remember that if you, or your loved one, is > hospitalized for any reason and you are dissatisfied with the service you > received to complain to your doctor and the hospital > administration *in writing*. HMOs are not only encouraging doctors to > eliminate testing that might better define the patient's pathology, > refusing to allow what *they* consider unnecessary treatment and > procedures, but they also are encouraging hospitals to become 'lean and > mean.' That means decreasing staff so that you may not receive the > nursing care you have a right to expect and receive. > > The beauty of capitalism is that the consumer drives the system. But, > the consumer must also voice dissatisfaction to make the system improve. > All of our lives are on the line here. In a country where the finest > medical technology is available, patients are not being given ready > access to medical treatment and care because of the avarice of a single > industry. > ----- > Regards > Mary Ann >