Smacked In The Face (A dialogue on healthcare)

Welcome back to Portland State. As Alum, I feel a particular joy saying that. It was only in 2004 that I transferred to Portland State from a small, rural Community College up in Washington State. Within months, I experienced “hippies” chaining themselves to gas pumps downtown, pouring fake blood on themselves screaming “There is blood on our hands for this oil!” As well, I saw my future wife’s booth get attacked by some peace loving person’s during the Yes on 36 campaign. This was all in my first four months at PSU. This year will be no different. Whether left, right, center or any place on the political spectrum, you will not be able to get away from the political machine till after November. So when you are yelling at your pot-smoking anarchist roommate or your polo-wearing conservative roommate, you might as well read this bit of non-biased info on healthcare, so your yells are more educated.
Ah healthcare, you deny its existence until you need it. We as “younger” people do not realize the importance of a doctor till we are so sick we think we are going to die, or one of our legs is missing. Many of us have romantic views that a doctor is only a call away, and they totally still do house calls. They even taking payment in the form of chicken eggs, or at least some nasty old pizza. The truth is, many do not understand our healthcare system. So they listen to “their” people and regurgitate what they say. You hear the lefty yell, “Our healthcare is broken!” and the righty say, “let the free market fix it!” That’s like saying a blind man could find Al Gores pulse, its not going to happen.
Here are some really naked facts. I’m talking like an awkward man found hiding in rose bushes (www.redding.com, search “naked man”). The fact is this; the monkey wrench in this fun fiasco is lovingly called “cost shifting.” Here’s the story with facts provided by the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.
There are four types of customers: those on Medicare, those on Medicaid, the insured, and the uninsured. The Medicare (for the elderly) and Medicaid (for the income challenged) are government programs that are full of bureaucracy and awesome red tape. Commercial insurance (the insured) is regulated by the insurance commissioner and is regulated both federally and in each state. The uninsured are easy, its those college students, non-employed, and other people not on commercial insurance, or unable to get the government help.
The great news is that these lefty’s who yell about government ran healthcare do not realize but their babies Medicaid and Medicare only pay 65 cents on every “care dollar.” So, if you are on Medicaid and you have $100 worth of procedures done, Medicaid will only pay for $65 dollars worth. That puts the hospital or clinic in the red. So where can they get it? From you of course – those that have commercial insurance. The “free market” seems to favor commercial enterprises that actually pay, and commercial insurance is no exception. So, when you go to the doctor they charge you more, to make up the $35 they lost on the Medicaid patient. The same is true for the uninsured. That is the skinny on “cost shifting” and it is one of the main problems within our healthcare industry. On a side note, it is state law that you must be seen if you visit the ER. So many people go to the ER for heartburn, regular check-ups and de-toxing.