Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for January 28, 2011

Looked like the doctor bill to me!

And with real health care, this joke wouldn’t exist. (Sorry for interjecting political beliefs into this comic.)

NOW you want a second opinion.

Doctors tend to probe into as many of your openings they can, be they physical or financial.

jeffc42 said, And with real health care, this joke wouldn’t exist. (Sorry for interjecting political beliefs into this comic.)

hahahaha…you’re right, because with “real health care” and the taxes that will be collected, no one will have anything left to be able to buy on credit…

must we always have some cheapshot political comments? Even in the comics???? GIVE IT A REST!!!

Gee, they let my father pay 32 years for my late brother. Had to mortgage the house twice and live like a pauper, but back then real men paid their own bills.

Actually, “back then” is one of the fantasies we all like to live in. Back then people were nobler. Blah blah blah.

Back then, people walked away from their debts as often as today. And before back then, well, what would you call the depression? Actually, this country is filled with the descendants of people who ran out on their debts or other obligations. It’s our heritage.

This is modern medicine’s most important diagnostic tool. How sick can this guy afford to be?

Lawyers do the same thing, you know, except when they take you on as a client on a contingency basis — they get paid only if they win.

Hey, there’s an idea! Have doctors get paid on a contingency basis: they get paid only if, and after, you get better. Give ‘em some incentive. :)

The Non Sequitur comic strip has enough occasional political content to justify the same from its message board crew … just sayin ….. that’s just one reason I like it …. and I love that the government finally has increased its share of the country’s health care load … it’s sad to see people resorting to fundraisers for kids with cancer … something that is totally unnecessary in other countries …

@FishStix,

Right now insurance company bureaucrats are making your medical decisions. They have a vested interest in spending as little money as possible on your care. At least a gov’t bureaucrat’s bonus doesn’t depend on how well he screws you. And you have some influence via the vote.

SCAATY……I like your idea.

When only 30 to 40 cents of every dollar we pay goes to actual health care, how can we consider that as excellent? With single payer, that amount goes to more than 90 cents and the doctors actually get paid.

I really don’t believe anyone could come onto these comments and COMPLAIN about political content. Wiley makes his living poking every thing from religion to politics. Seems like maybe someone really doesn’t want informed discussion which makes me think they’ve been smoking the tea. VERY deadly to mental health.

Point of clarification: Since they have free reign for financial domination with an antitrust exemption. The insurance companies own the banks that issue the credit cards and reports as well.

So your visa to good health can be voided as well.

Ah, the joys of Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Those who think that health care will be rationed by the government apparently haven’t fought with health insurance companies for payment for items their plan is supposed to cover.

Spoiler Alert – we all ready have rationing now: it’s done by the insurance company bureaucrats, and there is no due process or medical privacy.

“informed discussion” More like opinionated bovine scatology.

Well, as it is now the insurance companies make the decisions. I’ve been told you can’t have that medication it costs too much, oh and this was my favorite, you really seem to have improved, you can leave the hospital today. The social worker had to plead with them to give me a little more time.

The goal of health care reform has always been. Go to the doctor of your choice, get the health care that you need at a cost that you can afford.

Lies like “Death Panels” and FishStix misinformed idea that “Government” makes his medical decisions is what prevents this country from achieving this goal.

Justice22 nails it as far as cost and waste is concerned. When insurance companies, spend vast amounts of money on maximizing profits over covering clients real claims we all loose. Providers (meaning hospitals clinics nurses researchers staff facility administrators EMT’s ambulance drivers etc.) are the ones that deserve profit, not insurance companies.

Insurance companies and not government stands between us and health care. Unfortunately they remain so powerful that real change in health care is almost impossible. If a the “public option” had not been defeated, we would have had a vastly better bill. As it stands I’m not sure the what we got is going to be enough.

Aaahhhhhh, “the good old days”, been hearing that since back in the 1930s, and folks musta been sayin it before that even. Let people suffer and die because we worship at the alter of the one true god, the almighty DOLLAR! My pharmacist told me that a script that I pay $40 for costs the insurance co. $18. Why do folks w/o insurance have to SUBSIDIZE the ins co’s?? BTW: if you aren’t discussing religion/politics, you aren’t discussing LIFE. Please be good to everyone, you ain’t gonna be here long. Peace

I was office manager in Dr office 25 years ago. After second day a patient was in the hospital, we got a call from insurance company asking for reason for “prolonged” stay. So the insurance co has been meddling with health care for a long time. Patients were put on intravenous antibiotics as a reason to allow the doctor to make the decision as to when he thought the patient was ready to be discharged. Usually after test results were in. And the doctors I know aren’t money hungry, they are doing just fine.

You are right Mythreesons. The ins companies HAVE been meddling for quite a long time. 30 years ago my mum contracted an illness that would leave her bedridden and under constant medical attention for the rest of her life (14 years) and the ins co cancelled their policy. When they did the “for profit” hospital transferred her from their ICU to the county hospital ICU, without notifying my dad. He went to see her after work, found an empty room and thought she had died. Thats how our great health care system has been working for quite a while.

Okay, everybody - regardless of your politics - be honest now -

We’ve all held off on going to the doctor (especially dentists) when we need to because we couldn’t afford it, right?

And if you have a serious health problem, you’ve had to fight with your insurance company after they refused to cover you for a test or treament your doctor insists you need, haven’t you?

(I had to threaten to go to Connecticut’s State Attorney General before my wife’s insurance finally stopped stonewalling her for cancer treatment.)

The health care system - like it or not - was never too efficient, with bean counters deciding what doctors, treatments, tests and prescriptions you should have - regardless of what your doctors say.

The medical system was simply the Survival of the Richest.

So will this be better? Can’t be much worse.

The goovernment runs things so well just look at amtrack, fanny may, freddy mac, and $500.00 hammers & toilet seats

Hey! The guy has boat payments…

And just how much is a SECOND opinion?

back in the good old days when Blue Cross was a non-profit…

Hedge fund manager ONLY made FIVE BILLION DOLLARS last year- wonder how his credit report goes, and what kind of medical coverage HE has? (income from capital gains, max rate of taxation- 15%)

My credit report fits on a 3by 5 card. This confuses banks.

FishStix and ladyfingers86:

It must be nice to speak from ignorance 24/7.

And there is no such thing as Obamacare.

The economy was wrecked by speculators.

Also the tax-base has been decimated by Republicans (and Democrats)

The best economies are mixed. Free enterprise along with social enterprise. Neither extreme works.

Why don’t you stick with something you really know about FishStix? —Fishing! It’s an honorable and very worthwhile pastime worthy of your care and energy. (and I’m not being sarcastic on this. I wish I could go fishing.)

Wow, Desul, I quess the initials BS are hard for you to type? There certainly is enough over-educated under-informed knowledge in your post today.

Mike Hartman: Amtrak was established by the US Congress in 1970 (41 years) because of heavy LOSSES by PRIVATE COMPANIES. It cut services, streamlined routes and, like the private cos. before it, still needs government support. this is actually because of it’s large union costs, separate social security system and the keeping of featherbed procedures. Not from bad management (this will likely be the only time you’ll ever hear me talk that way.) One of my brothers-in-law works for them, so I have a bit of an insider view.

If we were serious about wanting a “free market” approach to health care, the first thing we would do is prohibit companies from picking their employees’ insurance carriers. The “invisible hand” of the market only works when the people who actually use the product or service have the power to leave one vendor in favor of another. In the perverse American system, most people’s insurance is chosen by their employer, who cares ONLY about minimizing cost. Cut the quality in half to cut the cost by five percent? Sure, why not? (Yes, this happened to me.) Cut costs by denying care to people? Sure, why not? The free market feedback system can’t work when the loop is corrupted the way it is in our society.

I’m just wondering what leaves the person more exposed–a hospital gown, or a credit report…

FishStix so “Whining blind socialists is a compliment!” Thanks for the loving support!

As I said before, there is NO SUCH THING AS OBAMACARE and everyone that uses the term is ignorant of what it is and believes the lies invented to destroy it.

The piecemeal compromises needed to pass the legislation will probably render it much less effective that it should have been.

Please go fishing. You’ll be much happier and very likely contribute greatly to the well-being of the universe.

This reminds me of how Obama and all the idiots in congress screwed the space program by canceling the space shuttle and its replacement that the same buerocrats allready spent $ 20,000,000 renovating a launchpad and $ 4,000,000,000 devloping it. Now we have to rely on the russians, and these politicians are complaining about how we have to stop our reliance on forgin $hit.

Actually, republican idiots spent the money, too, tucker. I used to love NASA when it returned 8 to 1 on the money spent on it in jobs in inventions. Then they made it a part of the military and they haven’t produced profits since.

i never said what kind of idiots i just said idiots because im in the “im gonna leave this country and move to new zealand as soon as i get the money” party

oh and if you wana support NASA you can buy a shuttle for the low cost of… $ 28,800,000 !!!!

Yeah, Tucker_Storrs –but those shuttles are used! Millions of miles on each and every one!