Wrong medicine

[Amianthus]

"Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly . . ."

This is really not a surprise, except for the "elderly," which does reveal a callousness that the medical BUSINESS tries to hide.

I didn't realize that Britain's socialized medicine was a BUSINESS.

[The_Professor]

Now JS will tell us that Denmark's system doesn't do this....

[fatman]

Smoking, drinking and most obesity are addictions.

Yes, and I pay a hefty tax on my cigarettes and booze.  I should get something from that.

[Plane]

Plane,
What this means is that people in the nursing home who have physical therapy treatments to stretch muscles and keep them from becoming all contracted
will have much fewer of them.   Or they will have fewer  walks in the hall that require several people to assist.
This happens every time there's a Medicaid cut (freeze, same diff.).
The physical therapy department isn't free.  If it won't get paid, it will just spread out services to one treatment per quarter (that has already happened this past year). 
Call if a cut, a freeze,  it really doesn't matter.  It means someone won't get treatment.

"...
cut (freeze, same diff.). "

It is not the same diffrence , if an increase is needed , an increase should be talked about , calling everything less than the party goal a "cut" is in fact manipulative dissembleing , or in other words lieing.

If there must be an increase to maintain service at an acceptable level it is not hard to say so , without the misleading language.

[Lanya]

Plane,
It's not lying.  "We can't give you your treatments anymore, the President froze the money." That is cutting services to the patient. It's a cut.   Or, "We'll give you 4 treatments for your withered arm. Four in a year."   Instead of a month or every 2 months. That is a  cut in services, because the money is not flowing, otherwise known as "cut off." 

[BT]

t's not lying.  "We can't give you your treatments anymore, the President froze the money." That is cutting services to the patient. It's a cut.   Or, "We'll give you 4 treatments for your withered arm. Four in a year."   Instead of a month or every 2 months. That is a  cut in services, because the money is not flowing, otherwise known as "cut off."

Your statement assumes enrollment is static.

So instead of six treatments a year, two patients are allowed 4 year and 1 new patient is enrolled.

Nowhere in this discussion do a see a loss of quality of services, just frequency.

Rationing of services is what UHC is all about.

[sirs]

t's not lying.  "We can't give you your treatments anymore, the President froze the money." That is cutting services to the patient. It's a cut.   Or, "We'll give you 4 treatments for your withered arm. Four in a year."   Instead of a month or every 2 months. That is a  cut in services, because the money is not flowing, otherwise known as "cut off."

Your statement assumes enrollment is static.  So instead of six treatments a year, two patients are allowed 4 year and 1 new patient is enrolled.  Nowhere in this discussion do a see a loss of quality of services, just frequency.  Rationing of services is what UHC is all about.

BINGO !!

[Rich]

>>Yes, and I pay a hefty tax on my cigarettes and booze.  I should get something from that.<<

You do! Heart disease.

[Plane]

Plane,
It's not lying.  "We can't give you your treatments anymore, the President froze the money." That is cutting services to the patient. It's a cut.   Or, "We'll give you 4 treatments for your withered arm. Four in a year."   Instead of a month or every 2 months. That is a  cut in services, because the money is not flowing, otherwise known as "cut off." 

I reject your premise.

Describeing an increase as a cut is not honest, even if you have good reason to want a bigger increase.