Comment

Comment by Lee Murray on January 26, 2010 at 1:55pm

Well stated Faisal.

I believe in your theories and hope for them to come true. Unfortunately those forces working against them are very strong. As we also know from history, the forces of corrupt power typically have more strength (for a time) than those good. The reason for this is because those who crave power are easily corrupted.

It is my opinion that the U.S. is striving to become a mainstream socialist nation. We already are very socialistic but do not yet carry the actual title.

There would have to be many small and/or few big nations that care about the future of the U.S. (and mainly how it relates to their own nation) for it not to see its demise.

To your Warren Buffett point - He is an accomplished investor, yes, but have you read "The Black Swan" by Nassim Taleb? It will give you poise to think differently of his track record and what it means going forward. He too is only human and will one day see a black swan in his portfolio.

Comment by Faisal A. Sami, M.D. on January 25, 2010 at 7:06pm

Lee
I have been watching the pundits on TV talk about the mixed signals the economy is sending. I think there are still a lot of bulls out there that believe in the fundamentals of the US economy. For example Warren Buffet has made a huge investment in a very large railroad in the US. He believes the US will become a strong exporter over the next several decades and will need internal infrastructure to support the increased movement of goods.

In regards to your comments about the US, I still believe in the US' ability to be a dominating force in the global economy, albeit changing rapidly over the next several years. We still have great resources in education,technology, and medicine that the world still looks to us as the leader in healthcare. Having said that, I have great respect for the emerging nations of the world that are doing their part to contribute to the overall health and medical care of peoples of the world.

More to your comments about Physicians. I agree with you that the current insurance and 3rd party payor system in the US is not working. This is why health insurance reform and healthcare reform are so crucial. I think the doctor needs to re-emerge as leader of the healthcare process. You can see the MBAs and JDs in medicine making millions at the expense of physicians who actually care for patients. Medical care is an interaction between a patient and a doctor, with many other very important people playing supporting roles. I think we lost our way when it comes to understanding this. If you dissect the average patient visit in the US, a lot of the time is spent with paperwork,on the phone, with clerical staff, just to get 5 minutes with the physician. How did we get here?

I will be watching the videos you have put up on your website. Perhaps it is not about being #1 but rather how can we as a global group of nations work together in mutual interest. A hundred years ago, the Brittish empire had to be number one to maintain global dominance and supremacy in order to provide riches and a lifestyle for their citizens. I would argue in today's global economy we are much more tied to working together as a group of nations rather than disadvantaging one group of peoples to the benefit of one over the other. Was it not Sun Tzu, the great Chinese general who said: " The best way to win, is to win without fighting".

regards
Faisal A. Sami,M.D.

Comment by Lee Murray on January 25, 2010 at 4:59pm

Thank you for the comments.
My humble opinion is that the U.S. will not be able to sustain its power financially as the #1 country over the next 10 to 15 years. Our government will make very bad decisions in an effort to keep our country out of complete and utter bankruptcy but will fail miserably. Therefore, we will no longer be the center for medical care and will ultimately open up the health care industry to the entire world. There is a chance we could see another immigration of citizens but this time coming from the U.S. and going to other countries around the world where the doctor patient relationship is much less encumbered. Medical Tourism will gradually shift into something different. Something that is the new global health policy. I am still unsure what this will look like but the fundamentals are starting to mount.

Comment by Mubbashir on January 25, 2010 at 7:10am

Dear All,
Greetings from Kuala Lumpur. I think, if you people go into detail of how this has gone so complicated and messed up, it will give you idea, how in the name of good governance, and monopolizing the organizations followed their patrons and plunged the common health consumer into abyss. Its an intricate and complicated story in US Healthcare and its a lot to do with political and geopolitical rigging if you go back half a century to look at it.
For Dr Ayyappan,
How many plastic surgeries shall be birth right under insurance? and at what age do you think, this right shall be practiced. If insurance company can withstand the wish of consumers, they must have given it a go. No insurance company runs in loss and insurance company means making some money. I do not know, how will you ensure that plastic surgeries by insurance companies will beautify the face and bankrupt many.
Best regards
Mubbashir

Comment by Roshan Shah on January 22, 2010 at 9:47pm

Add layers and layers in process and make the system more murkier and expensive

Comment by Dr.Ayyappan on January 22, 2010 at 6:03pm

Dear Lee Murray,The time has come to demystify and simplify medical care and insurance process.Iam of the view that cosmetic surgery should also be covered in medical insurance.It is natural that a young man or woman would like to look graceful and defy aging process at a later date