Spending for health care

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I know exactly where he plans on getting it. And that was the point.

Much of the cost savings that will be passed on to consumers will result from computerizing the health care system.

I dont know how it is in Australia, but in the US, a relatively small percentage of doctors and hospitals are using or maximizing their use of health information technology systems

A Rand report (pdf)found that implementing health IT would result in a mean annual savings of $40 billion over a 15-year period by improving health outcomes through care management, increasing efficiency, and reducing medical errors.

In terms of the $20 billion for health care IT in the stimulus package, a Harvard researcher suggests that the $20 bill investment in health care IT is in fact a both stimulus (creating thousands of jobs) and a means to make health care more efficient and less costly over a period of a few years.

I dont take these studies at face value, but I am inclined to take them as more credible than the unsubstantiated opinion of the editorial writer in the initial article that suggested the health IT investment in the stimulus bill would be "dangerous to your health" and was to "enable the government to dictate to doctors how to treat patients."

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Redux

Much of the cost savings that will be passed on to consumers will result from computerizing the health care system.

Cost savings passed on to consumers? I'll believe that when I see it.

Originally Posted by Redux

Harvard researcher suggests that the $20 bill investment in health care IT is in fact a both stimulus (creating thousands of jobs) and a means to make health care more efficient and less costly.

Well for 20 BILLION, it better create tens of thousands of jobs!

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

Cost savings passed on to consumers? I'll believe that when I see it.

It's pie in the sky feel good stuff. I work at a number of places that use computerized record making it hasn't saved patients a dime and it costs thousands to maintain and update. It does give you an occassional longer coffee break. How does the data get into the computer you ask? Oh, yea, that's right SOMEONE HAS TO TYPE IT IN. It is not always faster, in some cases it does. There are so many problems with it I could go on and on. The only people who will profit are IT guys who can interface with companies who already specialize in medical record keeping and there are hundreds of companies out there.

[TGRR]

Originally Posted by classicman

Cost savings passed on to consumers? I'll believe that when I see it.



Well for 20 BILLION, it better create tens of thousands of jobs!

It only costs me $65,000 a year, everything included, to create a job for a journeyman mechanic.

Why does it cost so fucking much for this bill to create each job?

[xoxoxoBruce]

If you've got something for that mechanic to do.

[TGRR]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

If you've got something for that mechanic to do.

When I do, I hire one. But there's no need for me to spend a few million per employee.

Especially when that few million is actually just going to vanish.