health care: why so expensive?

**badkuk** · March 24th, 2006 12:57 PM

i was reading an article about GM offering to "buy out" older workers. as we all know, part of GM's troubles has to do with the generous medicare and pension plans for its workers. which led me to ask:

why is health care so expensive?

can anything be done to make it cheaper?

**uls** · March 24th, 2006 01:10 PM

GM had a contract with its employees back in the 50's or 60's (correct me if im wrong) that when they retire, GM would shoulder pension and health care cost.

Health care cost in the US has been rising ever since... thats why GM is in deep **** now coz its still paying the pension and health care cost of thousands of its retirees.

Health care cost in the US has skyrocketed... (kaya mataas sweldo ng nurse, kaya dami nag nunursing) everything has gone up (hospitalization, prescription medicine)

Taga kasi mga big pharma. hospitals have to cover costs for treating uninsured patients by charging insured patients higher.

no simple solution to that... the Bush admin protects the interests of big pharma and the medical establishment.

**theveed** · March 24th, 2006 01:51 PM

well, mahal prof fees ng doctors sa US, mahal din gamot, domino effect din yan pre.

**niky** · March 24th, 2006 02:17 PM

It's not really a problem with healthcare per se, but due to a lot of blunders on the part of GM, particularly in regards to its dealings with the United Auto Worker's union. Simply put, when GM was on a high, they agreed to huge benefits packages that they're now having a hard time meeting.

Same thing happened to Nissan before, when things started going sour for them.

Of course, Renault bought out Nissan, and under Carlos Ghosn, they went from a couple of billion dollars under to a billion or two over the line in jst a few years.

Poor GM, though... no one's rich enough to buy them out, yet.

**nicolodeon** · March 24th, 2006 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by niky

no one's rich enough to buy them out, yet.

eh di si fafa bill gates.

**uls** · March 24th, 2006 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by nicolodeon

eh di si fafa bill gates.

katakot naman mag invest sa isang company on the brink of bankruptcy

**badkuk** · March 24th, 2006 03:16 PM

and...gasp...a microsoft windows-powered car?!?

any ideas on how to bring health care costs down?

ano kaya ung magandang alternative to state-funded pension/health care?

**uls** · March 24th, 2006 03:27 PM

here a Foxnews item re healthcare in the US http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188822,00.html

**oldblue** · March 24th, 2006 03:59 PM

the only way to make it cheaper is to promote healthy living. kaya yata pataas ng pataas yan kasi sobra dami nag-claim, dahil na din sa consuming way of life ng mga Americans.