Healthcare Costs A Lot In America: Why Your Stitches Cost $1,500

Posted on 2011.05.13 by rob friedman

Found this great info-graphic today here. Click the image below to see the full size version.

Key Points:

Providers charge more because they can.
They can charge more because it is a hugely complex mess of privatized insurance systems, which exponentially increases the amount of administrative costs, accounting for around 21% of the excess spending.
Our Doctors are overpaid. They make 5x on average the person whom they are paid to care for.

My thoughts:

I would also bet that the insurance systems could save massive amounts of money by switching to a paperless system, that provides them, the patient, and their doctors immediate access to full-text searchable and imaged medical records of the patient on demand. They should also be forced to adopt encrypted digital methods for transportation and communication with those they insure. Every 1oz envelope costs at least $0.40 currently when bulk mailed. How many people are there who have insurance? How much does it actually cost to have digital communication abilities in this day and age for a single person? Maybe $20/month for DSL at home in some markets. Possibly up to $60-80 if your only option is wireless broadband, like 3G data or the new fake 4G data, and LTE. I’d also like to see the info-graphic about how much the lawyers are screwing the health insurance system with their salaries, wasted time demonstrating abusive litigation tactics, and delay methods. Perhaps even one including the Judges installed by those from within the system to protect the system of ensnarement?

Daily Digest as of 12:39am for 2010.11.24

Posted on 2010.11.24 by lifestream

55 posts during the last day 2010.11.24

	Tell #California State legislators that we need to implement & improve #health reform! http://c.2ff.us/4YP ; #government [px]
	@stoweboyd Yep, all new streaming account, and raised prices for regular DVD/bluray service. it’s kinda tacky, and the streaming is novelty. [px]
	New spinal #implant will help #people with paraplegia to #exercise paralyzed limbs; http://c.2ff.us/4YT /v @slashdot ; #disabled; #spine [px]
	Hey @openkinect, I say a name change too… "tcenik open" the text-to-speech pronounces it like "scenic open"; #legal; #microsoft; #kinect [px]
	Published Netflix Just Raised the Rates, and They Have a Plan….
	Netflix Just Raised the Rates, and They Have a Plan… — #movies #bluray #money #cylons — http://c.2ff.us/4YV [px]
	Wow, #today $NFLX (#netflix) stock actually went up about $15.28 (8.83%) [px]
	Shared @px Makes sense (cents) with their just announced more-expensive subscription plans.. @px Makes sense (cents) with their just announced more-expensive subscription plans.
	Boredom enhanced #cim256 (@ Saddleback College) http://4sq.com/aUEtNu [px]
	Checked in at Saddleback College
	@tomgreenlive tom start stopping the show over [px]
	Shared Netflix Just Raised the Rates, and They Have a Plan… -blog.px.
	Netflix Just Raised the Rates, and They Have a Plan… http://blog.playerx.net/2010/11/22/netflix-just-raised-the-rates-and-they-have-a-plan/# [px]
	I am the only person who turned in the project for #cim256; at least I wasn’t called out on it. the rest of the #class has yet to do it. :\ [px]
	RT @pennjillette: Don’t think of 11/24 as flying home to your loved ones, think of it as a replication of Stanford Prison Experiment ht … [px]
	RT @routerguy: Why I don’t use the Facebook, reason 42: Women who feel it necessary to track their menstrual cycle via wall post. #TMI [px]
	@yblud I like your use of #hashtags; #fox #trying #to #kill #fringe [px]
	I’m not to keen about the #Macbook magsafe connector on the laptop having a magnet that attracts and is roughly the size of a USB connector. [px]
	I liked a YouTube video — Microsoft Kinect in Blender – Realtime Point Cloud Demonstra… http://youtu.be/yZSXXFwsyhc?a [px]
	in the #USPS #mail #today; #SCIF sent me documents "Requesting that" I go through yet another QME process; FUCK YOU! You’ve messed with two. [px]
	this shit really gets me steamed; #angry; #SCIF; #medical; #injury; #adjusters [px]
	AZ Prop 203 #medical #marijuana law will challenge #Arizona #employers; http://c.2ff.us/4Zi ; "Right to Work"; #impaired; #job; #performance [px]
	#City of Tucson, #Arizona is set to #approve #medical #marijuana #rules; http://c.2ff.us/4Zj ;#dispensaries; #commercial; #industrial; #jobs [px]
	uhm, #today just got weirder. :\ [px]
	I liked a YouTube video — TSA’s enhanced security spurs US ‘airport rage’ http://youtu.be/TBL3ux1o0tM?a [px]
	.@GBusey That’s just the @teamcoco blimp for the @conanobrien #televison show Conan on TBS; [px]
	Eye-Fi’d 2 items to Facebook. http://is.gd/hD0h8 [px]
	It’s just my kind of irony. Wikipedia vs. The Simpsons ; http://yfrog.com/20icwpj ;#television; #internet [px]
	I walked 4,638 steps and 2.1 miles and burned 2,593 calories via my fitbit http://www.fitbit.com/user/229FJL #fitstats [px]
	So, @Tivo is launching an iPad App, but it only works with the new shiny, Premiere model and iPad it seems. Not TiVoHD. http://c.2ff.us/4ZC [px]
	Puppy Tweets #Dog Tag (Blue) for $29.99 by Matel; I’m tempted to try it. http://c.2ff.us/4ZF ; #hardware; #tracking; #wireless; #novelty [px]
	it’s actually cheaper at amazon too. and has the prime shipping [px]
	Ever notice that the #TSA officers don’t change their gloves between groping sessions? /via @natfriedman; #doctors at least give you that. [px]
	Watched Lie To Me – s3 \| e7 – Veronica.
	last #phil12 before thanksgiving (@ Saddleback College w/ 3 others) http://4sq.com/aUEtNu [px]
	Checked in at Saddleback College
	RT @TimKarr: Sad paradox: 1. US corporations earn record $trillion profits; 2. US unemployment rate hovers near 10% http://nyti.ms/gMagxt [px]
	and so it would seem that I am now actually ahead with my #phil12 #homework; How did that happen? [px]
	Just showed my Logic Professor how to type a ~ in #class ; #phil12 [px]
	RT @SafeAccess: LA City Council wants to tax medicine, but give no protection in return! say no on Measure M. http://www.notaxonmedicine.org [px]
	RT @change: Know your drugs: States are hiding where they’re getting their lethal injection doses, and what they are using. http://chn.g … [px]
	I liked a YouTube video — Water drop http://youtu.be/EPGIHqd8BUQ?a [px]
	Fitbit Tracker: much more than a #pedometer http://c.2ff.us/4ZX /v @fitbit ; #fitbit; #tracking; #information; #sleep; #health [px]
	Reasons Why I Love @foursquare; Getting your "baggage" handled by the #TSA? Yeah, there’s a badge for that http://c.2ff.us/4ZZ ; #travel [px]
	Checked in at John Wayne Airport (SNA) ✈
	Doing it for the #badge; The #TSA touched my junk; (@ John Wayne Airport (SNA) ✈ w/ 16 others) http://4sq.com/2Ie7CA [px]
	I just unlocked the "Baggage Handler" badge on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/dVBYCe [px]
	I liked a YouTube video — "It Gets Better" — Love, Pixar http://youtu.be/4a4MR8oI_B8?a [px]
	Are you a #Domestic #Extremist? DHS & #TSA: Making a list, checking it twice http://c.2ff.us/507 /v@viss;#travel;#security;#control;#federal [px]
	@sullrich Thanks for reminding me that I have #AJAX #homework which I have due very soon. [px]
	RT @wired RT @lewiswallace Infographic: How To Stone A Person To Death – http://bit.ly/arB35g (via @NationalPost) <- #warning: disturbing [px]
	.@cyantist and @nist Was it as good for you, as it was for the #TSA TSO? Did you tip? [px]
	#sad and #cold [px]
	RT @xenijardin: RT @jasonmustian Body scans + genital fondlings would save more lives if our gov paid to do them in hospitals, not airpo … [px]
	RT @djJohnnyX: @ioerror @moxie__ @ultramegaman We effect change by making our voices heard in every medium possible. #becomethemedia [px]

Daily Digest as of 8:00am for 2010.02.06

Posted on 2010.02.06 by lifestream

17 posts during the last day 2010.02.06

	got basically no #sleep; maybe less than 4 hours max. #exhausted #tired #pain 7/10 and an elephant standing on my groin/abdomen [px]
	Got to my #doctors #appointment like 40 minutes early. #traffic #rain [px]
	started doing #laundry; probably like 4 loads worth. I hate small washer/dryer combos [px]
	RT @sullrich Faster #PHP fo shizzle – HipHop for PHP http://bit.ly/dvOsTo #software #programming #webdev [px]
	@TiVo How about a "Delete and Play Next" Menu option after shows end or when you press "Left" near the middle to end of a show #TiVo #remote [px]
	RT @cesarmillan For many "problem" #dogs, it is a lack of adequate exercise that is the root of the problem. #tips [px]
	RT @KarlBode: I really give these ISP reps whose job is to field crap all day via Twitter all the respect in the world. That’s a mean, r … [px]
	16.9 MPG on January 28, 2010 http://ff.im/-ftmGd [px]
	#Weekly expensive #errand; #money [px]
	Trying out a new #food place I haven’t been to yet. Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ; it smells tasty in here. [px]
	RT @toddlevin NBC/Universal – a class act: http://twitpic.com/11ktu2 #television #merchandise Conan O’Brien’s Last Stand [px]
	RT @HomerJSimpson: Only two months until baseball Opening Day. And only 2 years, 10 months, and 16 days until the world is destroyed by … [px]
	RT @TechmemeFH: Patent office to review VoIP patent (Stephen Lawson/Computerworld) http://techmeme.com/s?=913 [px]
	#bored [px]
	Patent office to review #VoIP patent http://b.2ff.us/9WIvUI #patents #EFF [px]
	"My name is Dick Sweat, and I live in Bone, New Hampshire" – Poor Soul Roasted on The Daily Show http://b.2ff.us/c9FMP4 #television [px]
	wow the #NYTimes has a cool short link #domain, and I didn’t even notice it. http://nyti.ms/9S9OZc [px]