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Looks like it will be better to be an employer than an employee this year, as far as health care costs go
Survey: Employers to See Reduced Health-care Costs in ‘08
Health-care cost inflation will moderate for the average employer next year as companies shift more costs to workers and promote wellness, according to a survey.
In its annual National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, the Mercer consulting firm says employers will see health costs go up 5.7% in 2008, compared with 6.1% this year and the previous two years.
“There’s no question there will be more cost shifting (to employees),” says Jerry Nebbia, a principal in Mercer’s Kansas City office.
Since it’s not on the chart, I bet a lot of you are wondering about health care in Abu Dbabi which has subsidized health care.
Well that’s what happens when you fear death so much you postpone it until what used to happen rarely in geriatric medicine becomes the commonplace!
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1,
Too simplistic. What I find interesting about American medicine / treatment is it seeks to promote and prolong the lifestyle you want. Like to have 25 burgers for breakfast? No problem! Take these for cholesterol, these for hypertension, these for impotence, these for diabetes, and this for pain. There doesn’t seem to be a will to take a patient and say “you want 25 bugers for breakfast? Ok. Then you’ll die.” Of course, the patient would probably sue.
Hey whaddayaknow… It’s an election year.
So now the rise in health care costs will only be a tiny-bit lest is become a bigger campaign issue for someone that might want to do something that is not on the insurance industry’s approved actions list.
but, its the Cost of living in the Graph..
1 person pointed out that a 3% rise in the econmy per year was a good thing.
He didnt count on the COST of living going up 2.3-5% per year.
IF the goods in the USA were at a reasonable cost, compared to the markups from international suppliers, the POOR could afford an increase in medical. OTHERWISE all I see is another WAY to force the Gov, to foot the bill for the Lower incomes COST of living.
Im seeing to much of this.
Its as if, the corps are doing it on purpose. Foring the wages down, by shorting hours, requiring 2+ income families, cost of rent and leasing is OUT of this world, goods and FOODS, have markups that FEW can afford, and the POOR all have to depend on Gov subsidies…
#2, exactly!
Life expectancy is an overrated statistic, especially when that life is prolonged through artificial means.
We humans already can’t even feed ourselves without chemically enhanced mass production of food, or reside somewhere without killing or displacing every other living thing. If we are going to continue to produce more of us at ever growing rates, we need to not do everything in our power to keep the old folks lingering around.
“Per capita spending”…on what? Televisions? Trips to Tahiti? Medicine? Jim Baker and Tammy Faye? We really need another metric showing per capita wealth.
#6 – How about real retirement at 65? You know, the big dirt nap when you hit the magic number, make it fair for everyone. It doesn’t sound so good now, does it?
#8, since nothing in nature could be considered “fair,” your premise is flawed from the beginning.
In any case, thinking it’s counterproductive to find new ways to unnaturally prolong human life is not even comparable to deciding to pick an arbitrary age for mandatory “retirement.”
Dont forget all the cost involved at the beginning of life to.
Love those heart warming stories about the emergency c-section to save a premie==but it lives and goes home after 3 operations and a year in ICU at only $750,000.
No one ever mentions the kid is brain damaged for life and nothing but a burden. I’m not one of those that thinks an idiot’s drooling smile is worth that cost to the taxpayer.
10,
Well, you’re obviously a drooling idiot for that reasoning… are you guilty about your own drain on taxpayers?
My neighbour had a premie. Kids rock solid now. Maybe he’ll grow up, become a doctor and pass on saving your life.
You obviously don’t know how a society works…
You damn kids get off my lawn!
#11–of course, healthy near term premies are born all the time.
Now, deal with the real world issue presented to you.
How much tax payer support should go to the rescue of premies who are known to more likely than not be saved with life long mental handicaps?
And more importantly, this is in the context of why American Healthcare is so expensive with poor outcomes. Try to stay focused.
Did anyone notice that the US and Cuba have the same life expectancy yet the US tops the chart (by far) and Cuba is the least expensive by even more ???
Kinda funny how that happened. Damn commies !!!
methinks Bobbo would make a good Nazi.
Let’s start with the preemies, then move onto the blind, then those with IQs below average, then those who are lazy, then … hey what a great society we would have with only young blue eyed blonde MBAs around.
But who would clean the toilets?
The first explanation I came up with when I saw that spike for the U.S. is that perhaps its due to all the drug research/development you guys are doing and that the rest of the world are leaching off of you.
And then #2 mentioned your food habits. Considering the food that I had last time I visited (not bad, just a lot), I think #2’s explanation nails it.
#15, Mister Canucklehead,
Although bobbo is more than good enough to defend himself, let me add my voice. Bobbo is NOT a nazi or anything remotely resembling your comment. He raised an important issue that should be dealt with.
“How much should society pay in scarce resources to benefit an extremely small portion of the population that has no chance of a normal life.”
These issues and problems hit the medical community and society every day. Should an alcoholic receive a liver transplant? How about an 85 yr old getting a kidney? Should a blind mentally retarded teenager with severe cerebral palsy be integrated into a mainstream school classroom? How about we build a state of the art airport reserved just for private jets?
I assume you are Canadian. You should know that Canadians are not dropping like flies from lack of medical care. Sometimes you might need to wait, but you will not be denied. In the US, people routinely are denied basic health care. Then those who dutifully pay their premiums are told the treatment isn’t covered. And remember, the primary cause of bankruptcies in the US is user fees (aka co-pays) the insured person is responsible for paying.
Yet we do have alcoholics getting liver transplants because they are rich and can afford it. We have 85 yr olds getting kidneys because they can afford it. We have blind mental retarded people being integrated into classrooms because the parents have pull. While this is happening, someone who needs a liver is dying because their insurance company won’t pay. A kidney is wasted as someone slowly dies from needing one. And scarce resources are wasted with someone who can not participate or even understand the classroom lesson.
Bobbo raises a very valid point.
yes doctors make tough choices all the time, but it leaves a very bad taste in the mouth when someone says preemies are drain on the public purse, yet billions are spent to chase phantom WMDs
yes I’m in Canada. We have free universal health care, and a tiny military.
I hope you all read the graph..
Its showing that USA is payinf, PER PERSON, over 2 times the cost to LIVE/BUY then any other nation. For goods PURCHASED in those other nations.
This is great…. I’m not going to pay for anymore old people to go to the doctor any more….
#17–Catshit, I welcome your comments, both for and against.
The main reason I am not a Nazi is because I don’t think the STATE should force procedures on people. That does NOT however mean they should encourage a pointless waste of public resources either–nor make the rational choices of those who choose to be rational, more difficult to make.
I had one neighbor have a 3rd kid who was hydrocephalic. Kid took all their time and money to the detriment of the two other kids. Family got divorced over the stresses and kids wound up in welfare.
Years earlier, had a family friend with same situation. They had a late term abortion and then had another healthy kid. Happy family. Still together.
Why not let the families choose what is best for them?
And where do taxes fit in on the pretty little graph?