doctors within borders

They call themselves Remote Area Medical . They are a lot like Doctors Without Borders except instead of going to far flung areas of the planet, the Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps stays right here in the United States providing health care to Americans in the poorest, most remote regions.

So what backwoods distressed region of disease and pestilence are they flying to next?

To Los Angeles on August 11-18, 2009.

That's right. Los Angeles (County) ranks as the 16th largest economy on planet earth with a GDP larger than all but 15 nations. Just to be clear: L.A. County's GDP is bigger than Russia, Taiwan, Argentina, Switzerland and France.

The Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps is going to L.A. to "provide free MEDICAL, VISION, and DENTAL care for uninsured, underinsured, unemployed, under-employed persons".

Not sure if they're bringing The Four Horsemen with them.

AUGUST 11 - AUGUST 18, 2009
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
at
THE FORUM in INGLEWOOD
3900 W Manchester Blvd

beginning at 5:30AM daily

Info HERE

and the horse you rode in on

Nancy Pelosi tears the insurance industry a new one .

“They are the villains in this. They have been part of the problem in a major way. They have been doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening. The public has to know that. They can describe their arguments any way they want, but the fact is they don’t want the competition. They don’t even want anti-trust laws. They have had a good thing going for a long time at the expense of the American people and the health of our country. Our members have to go out there ready to take on a big special interest that has not made our country healthier and have made our cost spiral upward and for whom that is coming to an end.”

minute clinic at CVS pharmacy... the 99 cent model begins

It's just basic screening and prevention at affordable rates. Seems simple enough.

They accept most insurance. If the procedure you desire isn't covered by your plan you just pay with cash/credit card. But if your insurance doesn't cover these simple things, you gotta ask yourself: "Why exactly am I footing a monthly bill for health care that doesn't cover my health care?"

A fully transparent rate card reveals their list of services. The easy things at the low-risk and low-end.

I clicked around the site and under the basic Health Screening (for heart disease, diabetes and stroke) I found this:

"Service available in all states except: Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York and Pennsylvania."

Why, because 66 bucks is too low to charge? What? I don't understand.

The $30 Hypertension screening not available in Massachusetts. Again... why? There are a lot of sausage-chomping angry dudes there; they could use some help.

Not a new idea. It's a growth market: Med-Basics is in the game. Wal-Mart contracts various regional health care companies. Rite-Aid in California has Lindora for Weight Loss and Wellness services. Walgreens has Take Care Clinic .

Everyone and their Mom is doing it.

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  UPDATE - July 30, 2009 :
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Took my girlfriend to a Minute Clinic today to see about her chronic allergies.

health care deal imminent

The Senate version of health care overhaul according to this Reuters article is nearing it's August deadline and it looks like business as usual.

By "Health Care Reform" what they actually mean is "same shit, different smell".

No public option to the Medical-Insurance Cabal, maintaining their 30% private "tax" on all medical transactions. I wonder whose palms are being greased on Capitol Hill to keep the bullshit parade afloat.

Obama is in the South today selling his 8 leftover Action Items:

"no discrimination for preexisting conditions, only reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, no dropping of coverage for serious illness, no gender discrimination, no annual or lifetime caps and extended coverage for young adults"

...which all sounds very inspiring and affirmative.

Seeing as it is likely these reforms will be enforced on the existing Vampiric Money Bleed System of private profit-based underwriters, it begs the question: How will this be paid for?

"The Senate panel also is likely to back a tax on high-cost insurance policies to raise revenue and keep costs down."

Not unlike the Wall Street multi-trillion dollar bailout, the shape of health care "reform" looks to be another victory for Socialism for the Rich.

And I thought Dubbya was a money funneling greed-head with his private contractors in the War on Terror. Dubbya was an amateur. We're dealing with professional grifters here.

Rein in insane health costs

Former U.S. controller general David M. Walker says, "Rein in insane health costs" before dumping more money into a broken system.

"If there's one thing that can bankrupt our nation, it's health care costs. Health care reform must do more than add a wing on a house that is structurally flawed"

"Rein in insane health costs" - NY Daily News

HR676, the red-headed step child health plan

"Support a Real Public Option" by Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich advocates HR676 which calls for a "universal single-payer health care system in the United States, Medicare for All". He argues that HR 3200, "America's Affordable Health Choices Act", still feeds billions into the wasteful and expensive for-profit insurance infrastructure.

"four percent of Americans trust insurance companies"

Ok, what percentage of Americans trust Congress not to fuck it all up? Will the layers of government bureaucracy required to administer any of these plans mash it into an incomprehensible mess like everything else the Fed touches?

Weigh in with your opinion: feedback[at]kucinich.us

-------
UPDATE: follow the action on HR676 at DAILYKOS.COM

why Obama's 10 trillion dollar boondoggle isn't the only game in town

Why look to the top of Supreme singular hierarchies for answers?

In its initial stages, the Healthcare X PRIZE.

Private initiatives can accomplish with scraps what a bloated and corrupt central government cannot achieve with brute force stupidity.

flat rate health care illegal in New York

Not-overcharging for primary health care is apparently illegal in the state of New York. At least that is what State Insurance Regulators say.

Reuters article here

I guess they didn't get their  bribe  cut of the profits.

When things like this happen, the words "conspiracy" and "monopoly" and "asshole health insurance cabal" come to mind.

I don't see the problem. It clearly states on AMG's website: "this is not insurance".

Stick that in yer pipe and smoke it, ya overreaching bureaucratic dinosaurs.

$79 unlimited preventative care in NYC: AMG Medical Group

medical marijuana on demand

one day in the not-too-distant future, these machines will be on street corners everywhere.

not.

noninsurance clinics... the Subsrciption Health Care alternative

This Reuters Article details a Seattle clinic that costs $99 to join and a flat rate of $39 to $119 per month. quit anytime, no one is rejected for pre-existing conditions.

For that you get "unrestricted round-the-clock primary care access and 30-minute appointments".

While Congress bickers over how to pay for the trillion dollar national health care plan, Seattle doctors are actually doing something.


Qliance Medical Group in Seattle.