Electricity vs. healthcare: Is access to electrical power a right? Many people struggle to pay their light bills, yet most manage to somehow. Electricity is everywhere, there are 100's...

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

Is access to electrical power a right? Many people struggle to pay their light bills, yet most manage to somehow. Electricity is everywhere, there are 100's of companies manufacturing a bewildering array of electrical power generation, transmission and end use products. Some power plants are owned privately, some by cities, and some by cooperatives, and there are a bazilliuon entities that own the bazillion miles of wires, poles, transformers and the other stuff that ultimately brings electricity to your TV. There are 100's of 1000's of companies that hire electricians to build and repair all the shit.

I said all that to say this: electricity is imminently more ubiquitous than healthcare is, perhaps even more essential than healthcare, yet - the cost of electrical power generation, and transmission hasn't rocketed out of control. The cost of electricity doesn't rise 35% every year, the costs haven't risen 300% since 2010. So the question is; why not? I believe there are a number of reasons, the first being; access to electricity is considered a basic right. 2nd. as electricity is considered an essential service, most States have commissions that regulate the industry, specifying safety procedures, rules for the construction/maintenance of electrical grids and...................costs. In my State, each electrical generation/transmission company that wishes to raise prices, must come to the commission and JUSTIFY the price hike, explaining why the raise is necessary, and if their argument is insufficient, they are denied AND CANNOT RAISE THIER PRICES.

The elephant in the room on healthcare is; we aren't looking at the industry correctly. We are being cozened into looking at it as though it is a strictly for profit venture, much as any other industry, say window manufacturers, and allow them to do pretty much as they please. Ever see a hospital/clinic LOWER prices to get more business? Ever see a clinic run a SALE? The window industry does, because they're competing with other window manufacturers, and their customers can shop around, usually don't have to have new windows right this minute and can wait for a better deal. When you're sick or injured - you cannot shop around, even if there was a price list available.........which there isn't.

Once we begin to see basic healthcare as a right, as an essential service, we can begin to treat it the same way we do electricity, water/waste water, and other utilities. Make the industry JUSTIFY their price hikes. Hell, make them justify their current prices, and if their argument is insufficient............no price hike. Power plants ( exception - nuclear power ) make a profit, electrical companies ( such as ENTERGY ) make a profit, manufacturers of electrical products make a profit, electricians make a living, everybody associated with electricity makes a profit/living.......so there's no excuse to allow the healthcare industry such a free rein.........unless you're invested in such a company.

I'd like to see the investment portfolios of our elected officials, to see why they don't want to treat healthcare as an essential service, as a utility. My guess is; they're heavily invested in the most lucrative industry the world has ever seen - the American healthcare industry.

I suppose that if you get sick or injured, you can grab your fully charged phone/laptop............and look up how to treat yourself. Good luck writing your own prescription, or ordering your own treatment though.

vernon

lpnmajor wrote:

Is access to electrical power a right? Many people struggle to pay their light bills, yet most manage to somehow. Electricity is everywhere, there are 100's of companies manufacturing a bewildering array of electrical power generation, transmission and end use products. Some power plants are owned privately, some by cities, and some by cooperatives, and there are a bazilliuon entities that own the bazillion miles of wires, poles, transformers and the other stuff that ultimately brings electricity to your TV. There are 100's of 1000's of companies that hire electricians to build and repair all the shit.

I said all that to say this: electricity is imminently more ubiquitous than healthcare is, perhaps even more essential than healthcare, yet - the cost of electrical power generation, and transmission hasn't rocketed out of control. The cost of electricity doesn't rise 35% every year, the costs haven't risen 300% since 2010. So the question is; why not? I believe there are a number of reasons, the first being; access to electricity is considered a basic right. 2nd. as electricity is considered an essential service, most States have commissions that regulate the industry, specifying safety procedures, rules for the construction/maintenance of electrical grids and...................costs. In my State, each electrical generation/transmission company that wishes to raise prices, must come to the commission and JUSTIFY the price hike, explaining why the raise is necessary, and if their argument is insufficient, they are denied AND CANNOT RAISE THIER PRICES.

The elephant in the room on healthcare is; we aren't looking at the industry correctly. We are being cozened into looking at it as though it is a strictly for profit venture, much as any other industry, say window manufacturers, and allow them to do pretty much as they please. Ever see a hospital/clinic LOWER prices to get more business? Ever see a clinic run a SALE? The window industry does, because they're competing with other window manufacturers, and their customers can shop around, usually don't have to have new windows right this minute and can wait for a better deal. When you're sick or injured - you cannot shop around, even if there was a price list available.........which there isn't.

Once we begin to see basic healthcare as a right, as an essential service, we can begin to treat it the same way we do electricity, water/waste water, and other utilities. Make the industry JUSTIFY their price hikes. Hell, make them justify their current prices, and if their argument is insufficient............no price hike. Power plants ( exception - nuclear power ) make a profit, electrical companies ( such as ENTERGY ) make a profit, manufacturers of electrical products make a profit, electricians make a living, everybody associated with electricity makes a profit/living.......so there's no excuse to allow the healthcare industry such a free rein.........unless you're invested in such a company.

I'd like to see the investment portfolios of our elected officials, to see why they don't want to treat healthcare as an essential service, as a utility. My guess is; they're heavily invested in the most lucrative industry the world has ever seen - the American healthcare industry.

I suppose that if you get sick or injured, you can grab your fully charged phone/laptop............and look up how to treat yourself. Good luck writing your own prescription, or ordering your own treatment though.

Is access to electrical power a right? Many people... (show quote)

Our medical system was much like what you describe,but much has changed since the 60s.This came to a stop when LBJ got the fed involved in medical care.That created the rush for the fed treasury and it only gets worse as time goes on.if you want medical care to come under control get government money out of the medical care.Every time the fed gets involved with anything it just throws money at it and it just causes a complete mess.Then the other problem is law suits which are completely out of control.My oldest son was a doctor and when he retired his insurance was 250,000 a year and that needs to be stopped.get the lawyers out of it and watch cost go down.
Bit i think i know where your coming from ,and that is free medical care and it just isn't possible.

Quakerwidow Loc: Chestertown, MD

lpnmajor wrote:

Is access to electrical power a right? Many people struggle to pay their light bills, yet most manage to somehow. Electricity is everywhere, there are 100's of companies manufacturing a bewildering array of electrical power generation, transmission and end use products. Some power plants are owned privately, some by cities, and some by cooperatives, and there are a bazilliuon entities that own the bazillion miles of wires, poles, transformers and the other stuff that ultimately brings electricity to your TV. There are 100's of 1000's of companies that hire electricians to build and repair all the shit.

I said all that to say this: electricity is imminently more ubiquitous than healthcare is, perhaps even more essential than healthcare, yet - the cost of electrical power generation, and transmission hasn't rocketed out of control. The cost of electricity doesn't rise 35% every year, the costs haven't risen 300% since 2010. So the question is; why not? I believe there are a number of reasons, the first being; access to electricity is considered a basic right. 2nd. as electricity is considered an essential service, most States have commissions that regulate the industry, specifying safety procedures, rules for the construction/maintenance of electrical grids and...................costs. In my State, each electrical generation/transmission company that wishes to raise prices, must come to the commission and JUSTIFY the price hike, explaining why the raise is necessary, and if their argument is insufficient, they are denied AND CANNOT RAISE THIER PRICES.

The elephant in the room on healthcare is; we aren't looking at the industry correctly. We are being cozened into looking at it as though it is a strictly for profit venture, much as any other industry, say window manufacturers, and allow them to do pretty much as they please. Ever see a hospital/clinic LOWER prices to get more business? Ever see a clinic run a SALE? The window industry does, because they're competing with other window manufacturers, and their customers can shop around, usually don't have to have new windows right this minute and can wait for a better deal. When you're sick or injured - you cannot shop around, even if there was a price list available.........which there isn't.

Once we begin to see basic healthcare as a right, as an essential service, we can begin to treat it the same way we do electricity, water/waste water, and other utilities. Make the industry JUSTIFY their price hikes. Hell, make them justify their current prices, and if their argument is insufficient............no price hike. Power plants ( exception - nuclear power ) make a profit, electrical companies ( such as ENTERGY ) make a profit, manufacturers of electrical products make a profit, electricians make a living, everybody associated with electricity makes a profit/living.......so there's no excuse to allow the healthcare industry such a free rein.........unless you're invested in such a company.

I'd like to see the investment portfolios of our elected officials, to see why they don't want to treat healthcare as an essential service, as a utility. My guess is; they're heavily invested in the most lucrative industry the world has ever seen - the American healthcare industry.

I suppose that if you get sick or injured, you can grab your fully charged phone/laptop............and look up how to treat yourself. Good luck writing your own prescription, or ordering your own treatment though.

Is access to electrical power a right? Many people... (show quote)

shared

saltwind 78 Loc: Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Ipnmajor, Well said, I do think that in a country this wealthy, health care should be affordable and available to everybody with the clauses covering allowing young people to stay on their parents plan and pre existing conditions. Every civilized industrial country in the world provides better health care at a cheaper cost than the US.I would like to at least look at how Europeans manage to do this.

lpnmajor wrote:

Is access to electrical power a right? Many people struggle to pay their light bills, yet most manage to somehow. Electricity is everywhere, there are 100's of companies manufacturing a bewildering array of electrical power generation, transmission and end use products. Some power plants are owned privately, some by cities, and some by cooperatives, and there are a bazilliuon entities that own the bazillion miles of wires, poles, transformers and the other stuff that ultimately brings electricity to your TV. There are 100's of 1000's of companies that hire electricians to build and repair all the shit.

I said all that to say this: electricity is imminently more ubiquitous than healthcare is, perhaps even more essential than healthcare, yet - the cost of electrical power generation, and transmission hasn't rocketed out of control. The cost of electricity doesn't rise 35% every year, the costs haven't risen 300% since 2010. So the question is; why not? I believe there are a number of reasons, the first being; access to electricity is considered a basic right. 2nd. as electricity is considered an essential service, most States have commissions that regulate the industry, specifying safety procedures, rules for the construction/maintenance of electrical grids and...................costs. In my State, each electrical generation/transmission company that wishes to raise prices, must come to the commission and JUSTIFY the price hike, explaining why the raise is necessary, and if their argument is insufficient, they are denied AND CANNOT RAISE THIER PRICES.

The elephant in the room on healthcare is; we aren't looking at the industry correctly. We are being cozened into looking at it as though it is a strictly for profit venture, much as any other industry, say window manufacturers, and allow them to do pretty much as they please. Ever see a hospital/clinic LOWER prices to get more business? Ever see a clinic run a SALE? The window industry does, because they're competing with other window manufacturers, and their customers can shop around, usually don't have to have new windows right this minute and can wait for a better deal. When you're sick or injured - you cannot shop around, even if there was a price list available.........which there isn't.

Once we begin to see basic healthcare as a right, as an essential service, we can begin to treat it the same way we do electricity, water/waste water, and other utilities. Make the industry JUSTIFY their price hikes. Hell, make them justify their current prices, and if their argument is insufficient............no price hike. Power plants ( exception - nuclear power ) make a profit, electrical companies ( such as ENTERGY ) make a profit, manufacturers of electrical products make a profit, electricians make a living, everybody associated with electricity makes a profit/living.......so there's no excuse to allow the healthcare industry such a free rein.........unless you're invested in such a company.

I'd like to see the investment portfolios of our elected officials, to see why they don't want to treat healthcare as an essential service, as a utility. My guess is; they're heavily invested in the most lucrative industry the world has ever seen - the American healthcare industry.

I suppose that if you get sick or injured, you can grab your fully charged phone/laptop............and look up how to treat yourself. Good luck writing your own prescription, or ordering your own treatment though.

Is access to electrical power a right? Many people... (show quote)

steve66613

saltwind 78 wrote:

Ipnmajor, Well said, I do think that in a country this wealthy, health care should be affordable and available to everybody with the clauses covering allowing young people to stay on their parents plan and pre existing conditions. Every civilized industrial country in the world provides better health care at a cheaper cost than the US.I would like to at least look at how Europeans manage to do this.

You don't have to look a Europe to determine how having the government handle health care. The U.S. Veterans Administration should give you plenty of clues. Sure, Trump has brought attention to the problems, but, repairing a totally flawed system is not likely...anytime soon or ever.

You want socialist-style health care? Try Russia, Venezuela and Cuba.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

steve66613 wrote:

You don't have to look a Europe to determine how having the government handle health care. The U.S. Veterans Administration should give you plenty of clues. Sure, Trump has brought attention to the problems, but, repairing a totally flawed system is not likely...anytime soon or ever.

You want socialist-style health care? Try Russia, Venezuela and Cuba.

The VA is nothing like European medicine, nor is it remotely socialized medicine ( BTW, that term is a misnomer anyway ). Do you think active duty hospitals and clinics are an example of single payer healthcare? The problem with the VA is, it is being run as a civilian institution instead of a military one.

The pay source should have ZERO effect on the quality or type of healthcare and if you don't believe that...tell me which insurance carrier provides the best medicine. Does Dr. Bob do a better job for patients with BCBS than he does for those with United Health?

Here's the thing; everyone should pay something for healthcare - period. Everyone should be required to pay for insurance - on a sliding scale based on their income. Everyone should pay deductibles, again on a sliding scale. Everyone should pay copays, $10 per visit - limited to 2 wellness checks a year, or legitimate illness, no more running to the Dr. with the sniffles or other BS, or you pay out of pocket. There should be an END to coinsurance, which is pure extra cash for hospitals.

What about that sounds like socialized medicine? Now, does it really matter whether you buy your insurance through your State Government, the Federal government or a private company?