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From:	Claire (97.89.28.201)
Subject:	A totally, completely un-political post about health care
Date:	October 22, 2009 at 4:20 am PST

I've been thinking: What happened to doctors who didn't make a fortune, who lived like everyone else, who were often paid in crops or other goods if people who had fallen on hard times didn't have cash -- who even made house calls?

While that was before my time, I have often heard older relatives comment on this, that they grew up this way.

When and why did that come to an end? When did doctors become so wealthy? When did they (and hospitals) begin charging so much money that people were glad to have major medical insurance, then HMO's and PPO's, to help defray those costs?

Even when my little brother was born, costs weren't anything like they are now. IIRC, the hospital bill was only a couple hundred dollars, and my mom stayed in the hospital for three days! I was a teen then, and I remember her saying she paid the doctor $40 a month. His bill was paid in full before she went to the hospital to give birth.

Seems to me, maybe this is the place to start -- go back to where the health care system wasn't in such a mess and see what we were doing then that was so different from what we've been doing over the last few decades.

Anyone else? Please, no sarcasm or political stuff. Just honest discussion.

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