Feel the burn

Every single ambulance service in the UK has begun investing in everything from wider stretchers to specialized ambulances to better serve the morbidly obese sect.

I'm talking double wide ambulances with reinforced lift gates, heavy duty wheel chairs, lifting cushions and a hoist.

So put down that twinkie tons of fun, 'cause you're running up health care costs in more ways than your diabetes treatments...

THIS is whybritspaytaxes.

read more:Fat patients 'prompts ambulance fleet revamp'(bbc)

And you thought WE knew a thing or 2 about Medicare fraud

In a case of finding cures for diseases that don't exist that would make Big Pharma envious, 83 unnecessary operations were carried out in a private clinic in Milan, Italy. And I'm not talking a nip here, a tuck there... Oh no.

I'm talking unnecessary mastectomy on an 18 year old girl, 3 lung surgeries on an 88 year old woman when one would have done the trick, at least one unnecessary lung removal, and so many surgeries that 5 elderly patients died.

In the end, about $3.4 MILLION was charged to the Italian version of Medicare for surgeries that had no medical purpose.

In all, 14 people were arrested. The apparent ringleader, Brega 'Chop Shop' Massone said of his 15.5 year sentence: Its unfair, I was the scapegoat!
Imagine. 15.5 years in exchange for playing a part in forever scarring a young woman, scamming the citizens of Italy for millions of dollars, and killing off several elderly patients. And he thinks the sentence is unfair.

THIS is whyITALIANSpaytaxes.

read more: Italy doctors jailed for 'clinic of horrors' operations(bbc)

More surgery for Dick!

Ex-Vice President Cheney in hospital with chest pains(bbc)

I'm only going to say one thing:
We've spent more taxpayer dollars on heart surgeries for this guy than some of us will pay in for our entire lives.

THIS is whyipaytaxes.

Make ready the lobbyists

The Health Care industry is snapping up Lobbyists like they are going out of style.
From the Washington Post:
The nation's largest insurers, hospitals and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues

OK.
Health Insurance: Interests covered.
Hospitals, et al: Interests covered.
Other Professional Medical Groups: Interests covered.
Federal Government: Interests covered.

Lets see... ... Are there any interested stakeholders in the health care system who are not represented here? Hmmm... Seems I'm forgetting something...

OH YEAH! There doesn't seem to be anyone invited to their meetings that represent US, The Patients.
Oh well, I'm sure they'll fight for whats best for us. I'm sure they'll spare no expense to ensure our comfort with our quality of medical care in this country.

I might add, that maybe if they'd hire 350 efficiency experts they might be able to better attack the problems at hand as opposed to hiring 350 bureaucrats good only for sucking up to their former bosses.

THIS is whyipaytaxes.