45% Wasted Money? An Account of Private Health Care Costs

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2010/03/03/Sick_and_Tired_How_Americas_Health_System_Fails_Pat...

Helene Jorgensen, author of Sick and Tired, asks why Americans pay such high costs relative to the amount of care received. She faults unnecessary paperwork, billing practices, and pharmaceutical advertising as wasted health care expenditures.

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As an active person, Helene Jorgensen decided to enjoy a hike in the mountains one afternoon while attending a conference in Montana. Warned by friends to beware of bears, Jorgensen was attacked by a creature much more menacing -- the Rocky Mountain wood tick. Sick and Tired is the story of Jorgensen's subsequent illness and her descent into the quagmire that is the American health care system.

Returning home from her trip, Jorgensen is quickly debilitated by a mysterious illness and sets out to find a diagnosis and cure. Along the way, she is seen by countless doctors, none of whom seems to be able to diagnose her accurately. She undergoes two surgeries, is forced to quit her job as a labor economist, and is saddled with countless bills and denied payment for claims. Jorgensen quickly learns that the health care system does not work; finally diagnosed with Lyme disease, she struggles for years to receive proper medical treatment.

Based on the author's notes and observations, statistics, and survey data, Sick and Tired details the health care system's failings and lays out arguments to fix it. As an economist, Jorgensen takes a critical look at conflicts of interest between doctors, pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic laboratories, and insurance companies that restrict treatment options and increase patient charges.

While millions of Americans negotiate the health care system, and try to make sense of health care reform, Helene Jorgensen's saga may prove an important consideration in the national debate. She provides advice about how to seek better and more affordable medical care from physicians, health plans, and elected officials. - Booksmith

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[noformstyle]

AMA and ANA (DOCTORS & NURSES) support the Bill.

4Profit Insurance companies are against the Bill.

Why would Doctors support a Bill that taxes them, > $200,000? They have seen enough abuse by the Insurance Companies against their patients: deny treatments, changing drug formulary, drop coverage, preexisting condition exclusion, & Medicare drug GAP for Senior. Dont ever get sick or in an accident, you will be bankrupted & screwed by Insurance.

I will go with AMA on Health Care Reform.

[crowdeg]

@pizzaboyserious

You bring up some interesting points (though a little dogmatic) about our healthcare and how money everywhere in government is wasted.

Since you see this as a problem, you have taken to making suggestions and complaints in these comments.

So I ask you now, and charge you too, with finding a more concrete way of solving these problems. What can you do to make a real difference, beyond making just noise?

[Lupitamihita]

We need a medicare type medical insurance for everyone in this country. Governments should insure that we have easy access to healthcare and education and work to keep us safe. We are not a free for all Anarchy.

[alvincay100]

45% wasted money? Just wait till the government gets a hold of health care, then it will be more like 75% wasted money.

[BizWiz2000]

This woman's voice is very annoying.

[SouthernWhiteTrash]

The public believes what they are told in advertisments. I also have a scratch I cant reach. Damnit.

[abyssquick]

I concur. Everything I have said is completely unbased in reality, and is a peal to emotions and not logic. I cower and cringe obsequiously before you, a clear and perceptive intellectual colossus.

[abyssquick]

There are illogical extremes on both side of the political coin.

[UncommonThinker]

@abyssquick You haven't said anything intelligent this entire time. Just stupid sentiment without any basis in reality.

[UncommonThinker]

@abyssquick Totalitarian dictators (and their liberal brethren) rarely protect anyone.

[abyssquick]

geeks have less sex.

[abyssquick]

I feel like such an idiot. You're just some twat arguing for fun. Not actually interested in what you're saying. You're a troll and a sportsman.