Mammograms are the gold standard for breast cancer detection and diagnosis yet they’re accuracy leaves a bit to be desired in normal breasted women. 40 percent of women have “Dense” breasts. Mammography effectiveness in dense-breasted women falls off sharply. Supplemental forms of detection like “Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound” significantly improve early detection. Yet for a variety of reasons, it is ignored or actively discouraged. We explain the problem and offer ways you can protect yourself.
Episode 6: A New Approach HR-20-006
onIt’s time to fix this healthcare quagmire. We have seen government’s idea, ObamaCare, and its not working. We have been told single payer or universal healthcare is a better way, but it’s demonstrably and prove-ably not. While we are in almost violent disagreement on the solution, most of us don’t even understand the problems. This includes a lot of government, and people in the industry. Yet, there is a better idea. In this episode, we outline this improved approach and set the stage to show you how we can all fix what our government simply can’t.
You can also check out our Video series on our HealthReform 2.0 YouTube Channel
We also recommend our video shows as there is a lot of bonus content that provides additional visual information to the story.
Episode 5-Compliance Online Speech-Why the Government Cant Fix Healthcare HR-20-005
onThe healthcare diatribe has continued to get more vitriolic. Most just spout contrived talking points from either side driven into our heads for the past 9 years by a lazy media. Tom and Tim speak to the Annual ComplianceOnline Medical Device Summit & explain why THE GOVERNMENT CAN’T FIX OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
The Government can’t fix our healthcare system. In fact, in this speech we provide evidence that the government has never been able to do anything other than increase costs. We not only show the historical data we explain why even if they try the costs keep going up.
Dan Brown’s Inferno HR-20-004
onIn this episode Tom discusses Dan Brown’s Book Inferno and how it may not be as much of a work of fiction as we think! Tom discusses the history of how we came to this position to help enlighten healthcare’s various myths.
Episode 1.12 Where We Are Now
onMedicare and Medicaid costs are still out of control, no cost containment efforts have had any effect, and yet, we continue to expand the failing system. The ACA is passed. Government duplicity is fully exposed, Significant portions of the new ACA, can’t be implemented, and those which are cost much more than anticipated. It’s not just that we are extending coverage to those previously uncovered, a good idea with a bad implementation, we also continue to expand the scope of care beyond the what we need to stay alive and productive. The false healthcare economic structure becomes a systemic problem! The system is in collapse.
Episode 1-11: Helplessly Hoping HR-20-1.11
on1980-2010 saw a time when the government changed our national economic system and fundamentally crippled our healthcare system along the way, and, no one seems to know this. Find out why!
Today we see the effects of runaway costs on our healthcare system. 1980-2010 was the time in America when systemic problems in our economy were coming home to roost. Our government came up with several fixes to try to avoid the pain of our past mistakes. Unfortunately, these economic changes included many policies and programs in healthcare that further integrated the healthcare issues into the problems of the economy.
Once again short-term thinking, and fixes, set up the US for a painful future. One we are now living each, and every, day.
(WE HAVE UPLOADED A PDF OF THE SCRIPT WITH CHARTS AND GRAPHS AS BONUS CONTENT)
Episode 1.10: 1970s – 1980 A system in Crisis HR-20-001.10
onIn the 1970s it became clear no matter how much we spent on healthcare it was never enough. Although Medicare was less than 5 years old, Congress was forced to hike Medicare Taxes 25% and still the optimistic estimates of the cost of the program were running out of control. More doctors and more lawyers entered the fray and expenses rose more. New procedures, new technologies and again costs rose still more. Lives got extended, diseases of the elderly became more prevalent, and prices rose even more.
The people’s expectation of what healthcare should cover changed drastically and the new, now, entitlement coverage was expanded. Even though the costs were ten times what were predicted less than 10 years earlier Congress expanded the program to provide more coverage at more expense. The system was failing, and a flailing government began to make changes. HMOs, PPOs, Managed Care; more new terms and ideas entered our lexicon, but as you will see, none brought the rising cost curve down.
Aunt Minnie makes a great point!
onThere is a publication called Aunt Minnie.com that is published by radiologists for radiologists. There is a very interesting article in today’s edition you may like to see.
https://www.auntminnie.com/index.aspx?sec=sup&sub=cto&pag=dis&ItemID=120805. Check it out!
People ask Tim and I all the time why healthcare costs so much. It is situations like the ones highlighted in this article that are some of the causes for the high costs of healthcare.
On the one hand, we have developed great technologies, procedures and medications that can effectively treat lung cancer if caught early. On the other, early diagnosis, can save a life and perhaps save money – but it is also true that it can also cause the person that survives to have a lifetime of chronic conditions that are quite expensive. In many occasions, that cost is extremely significant across the person’s life. This can add a huge amount to our collective societal healthcare bill.
What is astounding is the incidence rate of the people who simply are not responsible enough to get any form of care until they develop the conditions, even if terminal, that will be very, very, expensive to them and, all of us as well.
This problem extends way beyond Lung Cancer to many other chronic conditions and diseases. One the one hand, we can save a life – always the best thing. Yet, on the other, we, or society under our current system, are now assuming the financial responsibility of the cost of many, many, years of care for most of these people.
For example, at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS crisis, the cost of medications and treatment was high typically $10-15,000 per month. With the effective care of that period, we could extend an afflicted patient’s lifespan about 8 years. Near the end of their lifespan, their quality of life was not very good. Total cost of life treatment would be about $1.4 million per patient.
Today, with modern care, medications and technologies, the patient can live almost a normal life span, and cost of treatment is still about $15-18,000 per month on average. They are now living another 40 – 60 years. Clearly this is a good thing. What is not so good a thing is the cost of the new lifetime of care is about $9 million.
This is not to say that we think we should let people die. Nor are we saying that we should restrict access to effective care. That is not our point. We are bringing this to the table to point out that early diagnosis and treatment often only lowers the cost of care for the short-term. For the longer term, the chronic care that lingers, adds up.
These are just a few of the reasons healthcare costs are huge today. And, this is why we need to have open and honest discussions of why care is costing so much and, why we need to stop trying to blame the problems on Drug Manufacturers, Doctors, Insurance Companies, Hospitals, Government and every and anything else. In the end, it is all of these issues and, frankly, us that are causing the cost problems. Our expectations are way beyond what modern medicine can deliver. When something doesn’t meet our unrealistic expectations, we want more care. And in the end we want to sue somebody. Even if care does meet our expectations, particularly in later years, after 55, care costs begin to climb as our bodily systems age and begin to suffer the diseases of old age. and we need more and more care. Since Care is dangerous the care itself can trigger problems that will add-on more needed care costs.
The good news is there are answers. There is a way to have an effective healthcare system that will provide for us what we need effectively, efficiently and affordably, including a safety net for the helpless. If we want to get there, WE, not the government, need to begin a dialog, a discussion; reset our expectations and understand why what we have is not working. Join with us to make the changes WE (the people) need to make, dis-spell the myths and demand the changes that will bring us the care we need and make available the extra care we want.
Please comment below and let us know what you think! If you have a question ask it we will try to help get the answers.
Episode 3: Kaiser on Kaiser – HR2-0-003
onHenry J. Kaiser did more for America than build WWII Liberty Ships. Find out about our Greatest Entrepreneur and his legacy of healthcare.
Henry J. Kaiser is arguably America’s first and greatest entrepreneur. His accomplishments ranged from construction to healthcare, from steel and aluminum to aerospace and electronics, shipbuilding to sand and cement. He singularly changed the landscape of a large portion of America with the Hoover Dam, Grand Coulee and Bonneville Dam as well as roads in Washington State, Cuba and Hawaii. Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have a long way to go to be close to the diversity of interests, success or enduring legacy that Henry J. Kaiser left on America.
Henry J’s legacy as the founder of Kaiser Permanente should be seen as his most significant achievement. With Dr. Sydney Garfield, he created an enduring legacy with a method and practice of care that has stood the test of time and offers a series of significant lessons that can help America define part of its healthcare future.
Come listen as Henry J’s grandson, Henry M. Kaiser, spends some time with Tom and Tim sharing his memories of his grandfather, his experience in Kaiser Industries and Kaiser Permanente and his impression of his grandfather’s legacy.