Change we can believe in?

[FL_Medic]

Haven't seen a discussion about this yet. Just wanted to see how other people felt our EMS systems would be affected by the new president.

[mrmeaner]

I think He'll decrease the number of drownings if he teaches everyone else how to walk on water.

[itku2er]

Personally I think that EMS will be like every other profession it will be effected. To what degree and magnitude is yet to be seen. All areas of health care will be effected in some way. It will end up with medicaid and medicare cuts so if they cut millions in those areas it will greatly effect EMS. Insurance companies raising rates and people not being able to afford it and dropping insurance coverage. Either by people not being able to pay the bills or the government totally taking over and only allowing this much for this trip and so much for that trip. That is how its done now but with cuts in what insurances pay for there will be an impact on EMS. The bigger cities and companies will survive better than the rural areas and smaller companies. The quality of care will still depend on the individal rendering care. Just my personal thoughts.

[Chief1C]

We can be hopeful, but I still fear what will change. Any major increase in call volume could collapse an already heavily taxed system. Lately, call volume has gone up, and it's just the same people, they can't afford to see a doctor. So, they wait till they cannot go any more. Still can't pay, and the reimbursement from Medicare, etc.. isn't cutting it.

[WelshMedic]

I was reading an article in the newspaper last week. It was about Mr. Obama's planned heathcare reforms. There was a lot of detail that I can't recall now, but one fact stuck out: The US spends more on healthcare per head of the population than any european country and yet something like 48% of the population is underinsured or not insured at all.

That fact alone tells me that the system is broken and needs fixing.

WM

[Retread]

I gotta kinda think that the govt' bailout money' will trickle down to a point where we troops in the field will get our nickles worth.

[crotchitymedic1986]

Yes, the government does such a fantastic job at healthcare; just look what they do to i mean for veterans.

[CBEMT]

Nationalized healthcare: the efficiency of FEMA, the compassion of the IRS. (Paid for with 50% of your paycheck to boot!)

[Asysin2leads]

Suprisingly, Medicare supposedly does a much better job managing people's insurance than most insurance companies do. Trust me, the gummint can't do a much worse job than these guys.

[CBEMT]

The private I used to work for regularly transported a family member of an employee. Regularly as in, to life-sustaining treatment (you figure it out).

Medicare paid every other trip. Same mode of transport, same absolute medical necessity, and basically the same documentation every time (you could almost photocopy the transport in and transport out reports and just leave the dates and times blank).

Yet they saw fit to only pay 50%.

Yeah. I want THEM running my healthcare.