Quote (SwamiVivekananda @ Mar 21 2024 10:10am)

I haven't been to a dentist in 10-15 years and my teeth are in great shape. Why would I pay for that?

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My parents are the same so they've paid tends of thousands or a 100k(over decades) to basically never benefit from "health insurance". Just like any other insurance(car/home/etc.) total scam to people over time.

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Once your over 65-70 now the next likely health event is cancer/death or long term disability/deuteriation of overall health etc. and at that point your paying to "survive" not even to "live" sadly.

Quote (JessiWan @ 21 Mar 2024 13:03)

I can see someone not having to go to a dentist, but what about a dental hygienist? You need your teeth regularly cleaned and checked for cavities and other illnesses. Even if they are in great shape.

I never had a single cavity growing up and I didn't floss at all. Once I got older and started flossing I never saw the need to get a "check up". I never experience tooth pain so maybe I'm lucky. I also don't smoke cigarettes and avoid things with a lot of sugar.


My personal opinion is that any socialized healthcare should allow people to opt out.

My thing is you should be health conscious enough to avoid being in a hospital or needing any treatment. A major portion of healthcare is dedicated to just people having bad eating habits/lack of exercise. You see a lot of obese people with heart problems and a lot of men with lung cancer from chain smoking cigs for decades. Why would I want to be in a pool of people who are unhealthy. So just don't pay into at all. Health insurance cost more because 90% of people just cant diet and exercise properly.

But regardless of whether they are surviving or living, the fact is that they are getting something out of it. So you can't say that they have been scammed.

Quote (SwamiVivekananda @ Mar 21 2024 11:24am)

I never had a single cavity growing up and I didn't floss at all. Once I got older and started flossing I never saw the need to get a "check up". I never experience tooth pain so maybe I'm lucky. I also don't smoke cigarettes and avoid things with a lot of sugar.

Quote (JessiWan @ 21 Mar 2024 13:31)

This is amazing to someone like me, who has had so many cavities and in fact my dentist had to grind down three of my molars because they were riddled with cavities.

And it's very smart that you avoid sugar. Sugar is my one big weakness, I just can't say no to sugary foods, which is why I think my teeth are in such poor shape.

Quote (SwamiVivekananda @ Mar 21 2024 11:38am)

My mom has really good teeth and my dad doesn't so I think part of it is obviously genetic. If you floss a few times a week and brush once/twice a day I don't see how any cavity/gum issues would arise. They haven't for me.

Sugar is so bad for your teeth and yet big drink/food corporations sort of paid everyone off decades ago like, "Can you stop saying sugar is bad for teeth". Here's a couple million dollars. :bonk:

Halloween has to be dentists favorite holiday $$$ :rofl:

Quote (JessiWan @ 21 Mar 2024 13:40)

Can I send you a PM, Swami.

Quote (SwamiVivekananda @ Mar 21 2024 01:10pm)

How many people in this thread have been overall healthy and paid thousands of dollars into health insurance they never really use.

I haven't been to a dentist in 10-15 years and my teeth are in great shape. Why would I pay for that?

I wear glasses/contacts but guess what? My prescription hasn't changed my entire adult life(eyes haven't degenerated at all). Why pay for that?

I exercise and eat as healthy as I can so I'm rarely ever sick if ever.

My parents are the same so they've paid tends of thousands or a 100k(over decades) to basically never benefit from "health insurance". Just like any other insurance(car/home/etc.) total scam to people over time.

Once your over 65-70 now the next likely health event is cancer/death or long term disability/deuteriation of overall health etc. and at that point your paying to "survive" not even to "live" sadly.

“The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered "Man! Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

Quote (EndlessSky @ Mar 21 2024 11:35am)

Metformin is dirt cheap for Type-2 D.
Blood pressure can be solved almost universally by an even partially-ketogenic diet, also a salve for T-2 diabetes usually.

Warfarin is really cheap, too. Not sure if that is enough for all cases.
Seizure meds, not sure at all about those. You're probably right there. Although ketogenic has been shown to make a big difference there, too.

The one benefit of a patent system is that generics become incredibly cheap and they are usually just as good as the new name-brands. While also maintaining the constant innovation of capitalism.

Personally, I always felt really bad whenever I saw the price of Jardiance. That cost in completely unexplainable.

I also feel bad at the situation of doctors. You tell patients to eat less than X grams of sugar and carbs per day and they show up 10 pounds heavier each time.

Quote (Bazi @ Mar 21 2024 01:14pm)

Metformin is cheap sure, how about the other 30 diabetic oral or injectable meds?

Warfarin has not been standard of care for 2 decades now, all DOACs which have same indications have far less side effects /dosing errors associated with them

Blood pressure cannot be solved by diet in over 80% of patients with essential hypertension so get this dumb shit out of here and keep this an adult conversation

Anyway

The point is that across any disease process , and their associated medications, insurance companies actively dictate what medications they will allow their insured to receive based on pharma contracts they have. This needs to be illegal

Quote (JessiWan @ Mar 21 2024 04:40pm)

Really? So what alternative system do you propose?