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Killshot:

My wife was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma several years ago. She took the standard Chemo treatment (CHOPS) and after four years of none recurrence Her Oncologist released her. About a year later she had a difficult time speaking and I rushed her to the Emergency Room of our local Hospital. She was hospitalized for almost a week and went from doctor to doctor and given numerous tests including two MRIs of her brain. She also had a difficult time walking. Not one of the doctors could come up with a diagnosis. This cost my insurance company well over $50,000 with no results and no diagnosis.

I finally became fed up and demanded a referral to the Mayo Clinic. When we arrived we were assigned to a doctor who was to lead a team of Doctors to deal with my wife's problem. On the second day we were called into a Neurologist's office and he said he was sorry to say but my wife had a brain tumor that was most likely central nervous system lymphoma and that our local radiologist misread the MRI's. We left with a firm diagnosis at a cost of less than $5,000.00.

I think this is what President Obama is talking about when he refers to the Mayo Clinic as an example of how we need to revamp the health care system. There is a huge difference between $50,000.000 with no diagnoses and less than $5,000.00 with a firm diagnosis even though a substantial portion of the $5,000.00 came out of my pocket. There is no comparison to the approach taken at the May Clinic and that taken by a bunch of doctors in my home town. The primary difference was the team approach at Mayo compared to a group of doctors with no one in charge.

Tom

...all BS aside good sir. And my experience with them here has been stellar for the most part. The point in my post was that even Mayo doubts they could deliver their good care "at a discount". Also, in your case, they did have the benefit of reviewing a lot of tests and data already obtained -- which would probably reduce the cost. In most cases like this, the 2nd consultant needs to do less, though your point is well taken.

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healthcare that you would be able to just go to the Mayo clinic? I really think that you should take your own personal example and be thankful that this did not happen 10 years from now if this legislation ever passes.

TNIRISH:

The point I was trying to make is that we can revamp health care to deal with patients in the same way they deal with them at the Mayo Clinic. Rather than have a bunch of unrelated doctors dealing with a patient we would have a lead doctor who can coordinate the tests that are being conducted. In my experience that is a huge difference.

Tom

Also - I have a huge concern about privacy. I don't want to be in some database that the government has that I have X.

with socialized medicine, you will not have the option to go to the mayo clinic. if you're still young enough to be considered viable and can get treatment at all, you will have to go where the government standard template sends you. if you even remotely think the federal government will bring all medical facilities up to a par with the mayo clinic, you need to change hookahs. otoh, if you think a government run system will bring the mayo clinic down to substandard, then you're probably on the right track.

is that what you want?

und67:

If you assume that it is impossible for the Federal Government to manage any type of health care program then we will never agree.

Tom

i assume that it is possible for the federal government to manage a type of health care program.

what type, exactly? hugely expensive, embarrassingly ineffective, and relentlessly disastrous.

and a teaspoon of sugar will not help.