Hi OP. I work at a Magnat Hospital, have been independent for ever but this year is joining a larger hospital and a smaller one to form a group. We get called off when the census is low. We are not hiring any new people now and some are asked to change shifts so coverage is adequate. Matrix is used to determine number of staff needed and we have been in the 90th percentile, but now plans are to change patient to nurse ration to 75th percentile and eventually the 50th percentile. I forsee a potential cut in pay as medicare and medicaide reimbursement are decreased. If we do not become more fiscally responsible, the health care industry is in for a big shock. We represent close to 20% of GDP and that is not a number that is sustainable. With 10,000 seniors a day retiring the number of people needing care will keep increasing, but where are the dollars going to come from to provide this care at the same level we provide today? A very large and scary can of worms indeed. I think you are correct in being very careful and not counting on continuing lucrative reimbursement. Hope this helps with your discussion with your spouse.
Quoting: eddy Thanks for the feedback, Eddy. As you stated, things look to get worse in the healthcare(not just affordability but also quality). I heard from another nurse that certain agencies are saying the freeze is because of the gov't and Medicare/gov't freeze on pay.
It is all so frustrating because it doesn't have to be this way. Yes, I know that healthcare isn't cheap but when they continue to build hospitals when occupancy is low and when the gov't won't push to have a bulk discount buying program from Pharmaceuticals for Medicare as they do for the VA & Tricare -- it just gripes me! Drugs don't have to be so expensive.
I dated the head of a hospital pharmacy once and they said that almost all new drugs are minor tweaks to older formulas but they (Big Pharma) do it so they can claim $$ spent on research when it isn't even a value add. Their patents run out, so they want to be top dog with a new one. And then couple that with the gov't afraid to stand up to the Pharmaceuticals for discount buying and it is bad, very bad.
I have a parent under home Hospice care and if I had 1/2 or even 1/4 of the money they get per patient, I could manage their care better. As it stands, the gov't pays out nearly $5,000 per patient while the family caregivers (if a person is fortunate enough to have them does the 24x7). The aides would get paid better and even the visiting nurse.
Considered long-term healthcare for spouse and me, but a neighbor who has it pays a tremendous amount and they recently got a letter saying (I think it was Prudential) will no longer be offering long-term policies but that they were still OK and would continue to be covered. But, of course, it makes one very uneasy to get such a letter. And, the cost of long-term health insurance is prohibitive for most people. Heck, even regular healthcare is outrageous.
I don't like to think any person is evil but I am starting to wonder about the administrators at hospitals and gov't, etc. aren't perhaps filled by evil or at a minimum uncaring people.
