How The Profit-Hungry "Medical-Industrial Complex" Hurts Health Care (VIDEO)

"Bill Moyers Journal" aired a new documentary on its show Friday about how the "medical-industrial complex" affects America's health care. Based on the book "Money-Driven Medicine" by Maggie Mahar, the film looks at why our health care costs are so high and yet the care is so often lacking.

Mahar, who has reported on health care for years, explains the situation as follows:

What I learned, during those years, is that in our health care system, profits often trump patients. A great many people are selling and selling hard. By law, for-profit corporations are supposed to put their shareholders' interests first: this means that they must strive to maximize profits. And this goes a long way toward explaining why U.S. healthcare is so expensive.

Watch a clip from the film below. See the whole thing at Bill Moyers Journal.

Comments

[OmarSpence]

This and many other issues further highlight the republican party as a force for evil in the United States.

Advocating the preying on the sick & downtrodden, hatred towards non white people, and the spreading of vicious, baseless and often ridiculous lies to conjure fear has become the sole purpose and mission of the GOP. They oppose caring for the sick and rush headlong into war, they spend billions on weapons, corporate perks etc, yet they neglect the infrastructure America needs to function, they ignore environmental issues and repeal the laws needed to protect it and most of all they fight fervently to oppose anyone who tries to fix anything, accusing them of being a threat to America's freedom. They are the greatest threat to freedom, they confuse the impressionable by having them believe that a free for all for those that prey upon the people is what freedom is.

[AnnoyedCanuck]

As a Canadian, I've come to the conclusion that when it comes to health care, Americans are crazy. Instead of thinking for themselves, the people are being misled with myths and lies, spread by the insurance industry and the right-wing ideologues and think tanks it funds.

The biggest myths:

- Single-payer health insurance puts government bureaucrats between you and your doctor. The opposite is true. I've had single-payer insurance for more than 40 years. I've never dealt with an insurance adjuster, file manager or any bureaucrat of any kind, ever. When I need care, I just go to my doctor and get the advice, prescriptions and referrals I need. That's all there is to it - no bureaucrat is involved. No discussion of money or coverage ever takes place.

- Single-payer is rife with waste and costly overhead. This is wrong. Every other industrialized country in the world has universal single-payer care. Every one of them spends less than 60% of what Americans spend, and all citizens are covered. Single-payer is characterized by simple, low-cost adminstration. In Canada, health insurance overhead is less than 2%. In the US, it's more than 25%. This cost adds no value, cures no diseases and doesn't make anyone healthier. Insurance industry overhead should be seen for what it is - a private tax, levied without representation or consent.

- Americans have better health outcomes than people who live in single-payer countries. Again, this is wrong. Empirically, provably so.

[Tiggy]

As long as the healthcare industry is considered a "business" we will have this problem. The sole purpose of a business is to provide a service for a profit. Profit being the operative word! Company's base pay on profits and that creates a self motivating factor. All around, it is about "MONEY" not service but money. And being the adult humans that we are, we know that this is a formula for GREED! We can either regulate it and cap the profit or we can create competition. Republicans frown on both!

[Bronxdude]

Real reform means real choice—Private versus Public. There is nothing more American than real, competition-based choice, something republicans despise because the continued monopolization of the health industry ensures their uninhibited access to wealth, which translates into unrestrained political power. Universal healthcare works well in Great Britain, but is opposed by republicans because the Brits have succeeded in removing the constant quest for greed-driven profit from the equation. By using alarmist rhetoric, republicans are attempting to intimidate Americans into remaining loyal to an unsustainable and broken system that is exploitive, abusive, predatory, corrupt and immoral. Contrary to what republican would want you to believe, socialize medicine works exceptionally well in America, as evidenced by Medicare, military medicine and the Veterans Administration. Over 44 million Americans receive their healthcare through Medicare, and the number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving prescription drug coverage is expected to top 28 million this year. Combined, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs provide health care services to more than 17 million beneficiaries. Unlike predatory private insurers, beneficiaries in these systems receive benchmark pricing and patient protection rights because the incentives have been changed from profit to ensuring affordable, quality-based, cost-effective healthcare. Republicans demonize these systems because the incentive for profit has been removed, which means they can’t exploit these systems for political or monetary gain. Even though as an actor Reagan was paid to villainize socialized medicine, 40 years later, Medicare in a glowing success.

[Bronxdude]

Change invariably generates anxiety and fear, which was the case in 1964 when President Johnson pushed the Civil Rights Act through Congress. Dixiecrats and Southerners were comfortable with the status quo and wrongly believed that granting Black Americans equal protection under the Constitution would somehow destabilize America, both economically and politically. With regard to health insurance reform, the same type of baseless fear is rearing its ugly head in 2009. For republicans, fear mongering proliferated through vicious lies is the preferred weapon of choice, and the disgusting success of their misinformation campaign is quite apparent in North Carolina, where 12 percent of registered republicans believe that Hawaii is a foreign country, 46 percent believe President Obama is an undocumented alien and 76 percent believe that Medicare is not socialized healthcare. It’s no surprise that the epicenter of opposition against health insurance reform originates in the hinterlands of sparsely populated, undeveloped, uneducated and unsophisticated Southern states. Georgia and Alabama rank at the bottom on every public health indicator category monitored by CDC and DHHS, yet Southern republicans will not support healthcare reform. Life expectancy and infant mortality in Alabama is equal to third-world countries. Not surprisingly, however, republicans from Alabama and Georgia rank at the top when it comes to soliciting and accepting payoffs from health insurance parasites like UnitedHealthcare. Seniors: If you don’t like socialized medicine, turn in your Medicare cards.

[Bronxdude]

Forget bipartisanship; true reform will provide affordable options that include a public offering. Chuck Grassley is an idiot, charlatan and health insurance industry prostitute. For his efforts to embarrass the President and sabotage health reform, Grassley has received millions in blood money from insurance corporations like UnitedHealthcare, and should be censured by Congress for his treasonous lies. Real reform will end the monopolistic strangle-hold enjoyed by ruthless insurers like UnitedHealthcare. In Georgia, UnitedHealthcare executives colluded with sleazy republican politicians like Johnny Isakson to eliminate competition, with the end result being higher premiums, reduced benefits, and greater profits for UnitedHealthcare. With no real competition, UnitedHealthCare is free to rape consumers. When compared to the second quarter of 2008, profits for UnitedHealthcare increased by a whopping 155 percent, yet premiums continue to climb 4 times faster than wages. UnitedHealthcare is leading the charge to defeat healthcare reform by paying out millions in hush money to their republican whores. The health insurance industry (and the corrupt republican scumbags they bankroll) will not retreat quietly from billions in annual profits. Republicans want watered-down healthcare reform so when it fails to achieve meaningful change, they can point to democrats as the culprits and say, “see, government is the problem”; thus, to ensure success, I want access to the same options enjoyed by Congress and 8.5 million federal employees. The public option will control costs, expand coverage and end the single profiteer health insurance system bilking Americans.

[Bronxdude]

Republicans aren't interested in offering real solutions and engaging in a civil debate over healthcare reform. The Party of No is spreading vicious lies and resorting to shameful scare tactics to gin up fear to defeat reform. Grassley, Palin and Blunt claim healthcare reform will create government “death panels.” The claim of government sponsored euthanasia is a lie, manufactured by self-serving republicans loyal to the insurance industry. The amendment Palin is referring to was introduced by Johnny Isakson and it allows individuals to control their own health care decisions via the implementation of an optional living will. Every time you walk into the examine room, there are 4 people in the room: you, your doctor, the predatory insurance executive overseeing your healthcare and the sell-out republican protecting the immoral health insurance industry. No American should go broke or have to file bankruptcy because they get sick. The republican debacle surrounding Terri Schiavo was allowed to unfold because there was no living will in force specifying her wishes for life-extending measures under various scenarios. While republicans say they despise government intrusion, they were quick to exploit Ms. Schiavo and meddle in her affairs for political gain. A living will would have prevented the republican led public spectacle that forced Terri Schiavo to endure suffering and disgrace. Everyday, 14,000 Americans lose healthcare coverage, and another 100,000 are denied life altering care due to a preexisting condition, while parasitic insurers maximize their profit.

[Bronxdude]

Tort reform is the republican answer to the health insurance crisis undermining America. Incompetent and substandard doctors kill or injury thousands of people everyday, and the republican response to this spiraling epidemic is to place a cap on liability claims, which in their advanced state of delusion will reduce healthcare cost by reducing malpractice settlements. Making shoddy doctors less accountable will not lower healthcare cost, just their malpractice exposure. Like any profession, if greed-driven entrepreneurs masquerading as doctors want lower liability premiums, then they need to police and purge their ranks of those responsible for driving up the cost of malpractice insurance. While doctors will talk amongst themselves about lousy, incompetent and thieving doctors, they never report them to the Medical Board or police. Instead, they allow them to quietly relocate, so they can continue practicing. It’s no surprise why degenerate republicans silenced by medical industry payoffs would push reform that punishes the victim and rewards the criminal. The military is notorious for commissioning doctors who have had their license revoked. Unlike civilian doctors, military doctors don’t have to have a license from the state where they practice; instead, they can shop around, conceal their malpractice history, and get licensed in a state with less stringent requirements, since the military does not require their doctors to carry liability insurance, and they can’t be sued for negligence. Being accountable to your patients and your profession will lower your malpractice insurance. Public option now!

[Bronxdude]

Predatory insurance corporations are spending more than $1.6 million per day to buy republican votes, gin up fear and defeat reform. When it comes to receiving payoffs from the insurance industry, of 535 Congressmen, Grassley and Conrad rank 29th and 35th, respectively; therefore, how can I trust them to represent my best interest when it comes to negotiating healthcare reform? Making money off human pain is a republican principle. Real competition is the de facto monopoly buster. 20,000 people die each year because they don’t have health insurance. This is criminal and immoral. Georgia state employees have no due process patient protection rights, a negotiated constraint that gives UnitedHealthcare carte blanche to chose who lives and who dies. If competition is the lynchpin of free-market capitalism, why is UnitedHealthcare afraid to compete on a level playing field? Limiting choice drives up cost, benefiting the insurer, which is why slime-dog republicans defend the middleclass being systematically bilked by corporations like UnitedHealthcare. Through mendacious scare tactics, lying republicans curry favor and fear monger by preaching that reform will lead to rationed healthcare and place restrictions on doctor choice. Contrary to specious talking points propagated by solution-less republicans, as it stands right now, without true marketplace competition, insurers not only dictate the cost of medical care, but they also get to pick and choose who receives coverage and care. Despicable republicans will not retreat quietly from millions in payoffs. Public option now!

[Bronxdude]

Grassley, Blount, Conrad, Huckabee and Coburn are two-faced charlatans and insurance industry prostitutes. President Obama is not advocating a government takeover of healthcare. He just wants to level the playing field by ending the monopolistic stranglehold enjoyed by immoral private insurers. With no competition or regulatory oversight, UnitedHealthcare is free to deny medical care, restrict physician choice and demand exorbitant copays. Consumers pay premiums in exchange for a service, yet insurance companies get to pick and chose who lives or dies. In Georgia, UnitedHealthcare executives colluded with sleazy republican politicians to control competition, with the end result being higher premiums, reduced benefits, and greater profit. When compared to the second quarter of 2008, UnitedHealthcare profits increased by a whopping 155 percent, yet premiums continue to climb 4 times faster than wages. By paying millions in hush money to their republican whores, UnitedHealthcare is leading the civil disobedience to defeat reform. The insurance industry will not retreat quietly from billions in annual profits. Repelling the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent and ending the Iraq War would generate $100 billion in immediate revenue. I want access to the same health exchange enjoyed by Congress and 8.5 million federal employees. The current healthcare system is wholly unsustainable and will surely bankrupt America, which is what republicans want. Conversely, a public option will force real marketplace competition, expand coverage and end the single profiteer insurance system exploiting Americans.

[Bronxdude]

No matter what concessions democrats make, duplicitous, two-faced republicans never intended to offer bipartisan support for healthcare reform, as evidenced by Chuck Grassley telling President Obama he’s for reform, while telling Iowans he’s against it and that government sponsored euthanasia is real. For their efforts to sabotage reform, republicans have received millions in bribes from insurance corporations. It was UnitedHealthcare (not the government) that recently told me I couldn’t have the medication and treatment my doctor prescribed. With the public option, subscribers will pay premiums, patient care (not profit) will be the central focus and government will not use federal subsidies to create an artificial marketplace by which the public option will enjoy an unfair competitive advantage over private insurers. Real competition will end the monopolistic stranglehold enjoyed by private insurers. President Obama inherited a $2.2 trillion deficit from Bush—$700 billion (Wall Street bailout), $900 billion (Prescription Drug Bill) and $600 billion (Iraq War). President Clinton left office with a $759 billion surplus. What happen? According to the CBO, the public option will cost $100 billion per year. Per year, ending Medicare subsidies to insurance companies will save $30 billion, cutting subsidies to pharmaceutical companies will save $20 billion, repelling the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent will save $30 billion, and scaling back the Iraq War will save $20 billion. According to ten year CBO projections, the Bush/Cheney War will cost $3.8 trillion.

[Bronxdude]

The Reagan deregulated, for-profit medical culture has methodically raped America, while complicit, lying and self-serving republican­s—silenced by payoffs and special interest—acquiesce. Only true competition will lower the cost of care. Since obstructionistic republicans support the systematic plundering of the middleclass by ruthless insurance corporations, this is why we need the government between the public and parasitic health insurers. Everything doesn’t have to make a profit. Republicans want you to remain sick and uninsured because there is profit in illness. When compared to the second quarter of 2008, profit for UnitedHealthcare increased by a whopping 155 percent, yet premiums continue to climb 4 times faster than wages. Real competition will end the monopolistic and greed-driven stranglehold enjoyed by morally corrupt insurers. Restricting choice and access drives up cost, increasing profit for health insurers, while working-class Americans continue to die. As it stands right now, without real marketplace competition, unregulated insurers like UnitedHealthcare not only dictate the cost of healthcare, but they also get to chose where, when and how coverage and care is doled out. Sleazy republicans in bed with insurance executives are relying on biased, distorted and flawed research concocted by the Lewin Group—a wholly owned subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare—to create lies to sabotage healthcare reform. Contrary to republican fear mongering, according to the World Health Organization, when it comes to providing affordable healthcare among industrialized nations, France ranks first, Canada thirtieth and America thirty-seventh. Public option now!

[Bronxdude]

When it comes to guaranteeing health insurance for its citizens, among industrialized powers, WHO ranks Spain 7th and America 37th; in Spain, access to affordable healthcare is a Constitutional right; conversely, more people die waiting for care in America than in Spain, Canada, Great Britain and France combined—so much for the republican lie about reform spawning rationed healthcare. In the current debate, republicans have not raised fact-based questions about what’s in proposed reform legislation; instead, they’ve relied on scare tactics and lobbyist funding to propagate and spread salacious lies about reform. Working-class republicans: Trust your instinct to think! Don’t confuse liking your doctor with liking the morally corrupt insurance company robbing you blind. Despite the absurdity of the lies being spread by Coburn, Kyle, Grassley and other self-serving republicans, 55 percent of registered republicans willingly reject the truth and embrace the lie that health insurance reform will cover illegal aliens, while another 56 percent accept the ludicrous notion of death panels. Despite the Hyde Amendment, which bars taxpayer money for abortions, in their fact-impaired universe, a whopping 58 percent of registered republicans believe that heath insurance reform will pay for abortions. Incredibly, 79 percent of Fox viewers believe that Medicare is not socialized medicine, while 73 percent believe that government sponsored death panels are a reality. The new republican paradigm: professed Christians lying like degenerate sociopaths. Public option now!

[Bronxdude]

UnitedHealthCare is relying on collusive and exclusionary practices to eliminate competition, consolidate their monopolistic stranglehold on consumers and corner the health insurance market. In an effort to defeat reform, UnitedHealthcare is ordering its employees to attend and disrupt town hall meetings. Under the current greed-driven arrangement negotiated by the parasitic insurance industry, 1 of every 4 healthcare dollars spent goes to insurance companies, which generates approximately $ 800 billion annually in profit that is divided amongst the top 7 seven insurers, to include UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint. The public option would cut reimbursement revenue to insurers and drug companies, not doctors. Morally corrupt insurers like UnitedHealthcare are aggressively pushing legislation (so far, the insurance industry has paid out $17 million in bribes to republicans) to shift more of the cost of healthcare (from 25 to 35 percent) to consumers, so the insurers can spend less of every premium dollar on actual healthcare, which translates increased profit for insurers. In comparison, even predatory casinos limit their profit on gamblers to no more than 20 cents on the dollar. Twofaced, shallow, hypocritical Christians: When Jesus healed people, he didn’t require precertification or verification of their coverage with BC/BS of Nazareth before curing their ills! Ruthlessly inspired capitalism that exploits the sick, downtrodden and poor represents a wicked collaboration between republicans and Satan. 50 million uninsured Americans is an evil blight upon our civilized nation. Public option now!

[Bronxdude]

As a direct result of collusive, exclusionary and illegal practices that make a mockery of the Sherman Antitrust Act, predatory insurers like UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint funnel millions to crooked republicans in exchange for preferential treatment and favorable legislation, which allows them to eliminate competition, circumvent the system and fortify their monopolistic advantage by artificially controlling—for profit—the “free” market at the state level. There is no real choice when subscribers are forced to select doctors from a list complied and approved by degenerate insurance industry bean-counters. Doctors selected by UnitedHealthcare as “approved providers” are not done so because of their demonstrated level of peer reviewed expertise, exceptional competence and professional commitment; instead, they are chosen because of their willingness to accept extremely low reimbursement fees. In essence, with UnitedHealthCare, the notion of true choice and quality care is a farce because the subscriber is deliberately steered toward low-bid doctors willing to accept low reimbursement. Pick a non-approved doctor, and, similar to Pavlov’s dog, the subscriber is punished financially to deter such behavior from reoccurring. Those who agree to accept such ridiculously low reimbursement fees are not “the honor grads” of their class, or notably accomplished among their peers, and are singularly motivated by greed, not a desire to practice their craft competently and adeptly. The public option will allow Americans to select and receive the best care from the most competent practitioners, not just those answering ads for low-bid services.