It would be interesting to compare the cost of hospitals and nursing care from the 60's-70's to today cost and care.
The cost for a 2 bed room was between $40 and $60/day in the 60's and around $75/day in the 70's. People stayed longer per stay - usually long enough that they could walk twice around the halls by themselves without help. They actually had meals in the hospital and picked our menu for the day.
Today, the cost for a two bed room is between $1,000-2,000 for the room and nursing care…People only stay for 2-3 hours after they are conscious from an operation, and set out to go home to be attended by their medically unlicensed families. Generally, for all but acute illnesses, patients don't eat in hospitals. They are either too sick, so have IV Drips, or are out before the matter comes up.
How many hospitals have closed entire wings? How is that space paid for if no one is in in?
Nurses are paid much more (finally) but there is a severe shortage of them.
Throughout this entire fiasco of "health care discussion and cram through", We the People, have NOT had a single honest public discussion as to why the costs are SO much higher than perhaps a 6 times inflation factor since the 60's-70's time period.
We do not know how many people come into the hospitals who don't pay any bills, therefore those costs are passed onto everyone else who does have to use the hospital services.
The matter is extremely complicated, but We the People deserve open, televised, non-scripted public forums on the basic causes of the problem before uneducated politicians in Washington (who seem to have the best health care at no cost to them) decide not only the fate of our entire Health Care System, but our Fate as well. |
