Reach out to Gift of Life for a detailed overview.

Someone I am associated with will be donating in the very near future. They have provided the donor with a detailed overview and I was privy to the information.

Never do any procedure without consulting those that you trust, such as your physician and others that you would normally consult with.

Everything in life has risks, including a short car drive. But in the scheme of things this is considered a very low-risk procedure.

Ubiq,

“I guess both. I’m saying if a Doctor thinks patient would benefit from a drug/scan etc the doctor should be able to prescribe it and the patietn get it.”

I understand your viewpoint that doctors should have the ability to prescribe medication and diagnostic tests that they deem necessary for their patients. However, it’s important to realize that insurance companies may not be obligated to cover the cost of these treatments. Since their primary objective is to remain profitable and sustainable, they may reject claims and requests that may be seen as not necessary in order to reduce costs.

In an ideal free market scenario, insurers would be forced to compete with each other and provide better value to consumers, such as better coverage and an easier time at approvals. However, the current healthcare system is complex and involves many grey areas. For instance, there are certain medical conditions that have vague symptoms, and the potential risk of serious consequences is minimal. In such cases, patients may request multiple diagnostic tests, which some providers may consider to be excessive. If patients are willing to pay for these tests out of pocket, they may still be able to receive them.

“what I imagine is a world where if a doctor orders a test it is done and paid for.”

In that world, there are often significant wait times for tests, and appointments can be months away.

“I say denying healthcare is a non starter if thats the only way it can function, then we need a different way. Period If that means Insurance will no longer be the lucrative field it is (one that MADE money during a pandemic!!!) and instead we a need a non-for profit system or Government run Ok so be it. But denying healthcare a patient and or doctor* deems neccesary is a non-starter for me”

– The financial incentives in the healthcare industry have spurred innovation and enabled the provision of advanced care. Without these incentives, progress in the industry would have been hindered. Providing healthcare for free is not sustainable as it does not cover the costs of research, development, and high-quality care.

“* who should “win” when the patient and doctor disagree is a good question and one that potentially needs to be worked out. I’m not certain myself. but I am sure it shouldnt be a bureaucrat or nurse who glanced a t the chart”

– In terms of payment or patient autonomy?
If it’s with regard to payment, maybe they should get a premium policy that does not require pre-authorization.

Personally, I believe that the healthcare system is too complicated. Insurance should be reserved for expensive unexpected medical or trauma care with high deductibles, and routine care should be paid out of pocket. Just as people purchase fire or loss insurance to protect themselves from unexpected events.

However, people would neglect their care if they had to pay for it themselves, leading to missed check-ups and medication non-compliance. To address this issue, insurance rates should reflect an individual’s health status, based on factors like regular check-ups, BMI, healthy habits, and medication compliance. insurance rates can be affected by an individual’s risk factors or prior claims. By incentivizing people to take care of their health and making insurance rates reflect this, the healthcare industry can better ensure the sustainability of the system and improve overall health outcomes.

I know, its all wishful thinking.

Ubiq,

“The bottom line is I don;t think free market could or should be in charge of healthcare

We have touched on many reasons here are a few:
1) Healthcare is largely not driven by supply and demand
2) The information asymmetry is close to insurmountable
3) When its an emergency you cant exactly price shop
4) Having a business decide who lives and who dies Is as you said “wrong, I agree”

So If not the private sector who should run it?
t o that I say it should be the government.”

These are significant issues, but I fail to see how putting the government in charge would fix those issues. In fact, the government may make decisions without consequence to its decisions. Where in a free market, a truly free and open market the service providers or insurers would have to compete with each other for the consumers to sign up with them.

“ is being able to say and do anything the true Torah value of success?”

Why not?

Is placing severe restrictions that are not from Hashem or have anything to do with religion, a true Torah value?

You know where else there is little crime? In prisons. Does that mean society should be placed in prison?

mentch1

History is a bunch if lies agreed upon… but that also goes for the version of “truth” you put forth.

interjection,

What compromise do you think Russia would be willing to accept in order to stop the war?

Reb E,

“ If declassified, it should be indicated on the document.”

Is that your assumption and practice or is that the set guidelines?

CTL,

ERs tend to become busy later afternoon, when people are more available to check in.

GH,

“So now there is a story running in WaPo”

I would assume that most people by now know that any stories are just that, stories. At this point, we don’t have many facts one or another.

er,

“2cents: just because there were a couple of biased people who hated Trump working on the case, it doesn’t mean the investigation was politically motivated.”

Correct, but that was not the basis of the claim. We now have objective evidence that the origin of the investigation was politically motivated and not based on actual interference concerns.

This is why I stated, that the fact that warrants were obtained does not yet convince me that this was a legitimate investigation.

It seems that more information will be revealed, which will make us smarter.

While we are free to speculate, we should realize that we dont have any of the facts. This may likely be something minor that Trump is using to augment and promote himself by getting people upset about the system.

On the other hand, for those that are saying that this must be a very legitimate and serious concern if the FBI went through the hoops and was able to get a warrant. In the past, I would have thought the same.

However, the Mueller investigation, has completely changed my mind. No longer are serious investigations necessarily legitimate, even if they are conducted by the highest levels of authority.

We now know that the there was no legitimate basis for this investigation, the people that authorized it knew it as well. Yet, it held us all captive and at the time made us all think that Trump might be guilty of treason. The fact that other unrelated carious white collar crimes were uncovered, does not justify any of this.

Therefore, no longer is a warrant or the fact that there is an investigation any indication that there is a legitimate issue here.

mdd1,

“ Using your brains.”

If one chooses to he skeptical, brains can be fooled.

mdd1,

“ I agree that many corpses were found in Bucha, but how do you know those people were not just caught in crossfire?”

Why is it that you believe that corpses were actually found? Maybe this is a hoax. Why do you choose to believe this?

mdd1,

“My recommendation: think and don’t just swallow what you are being told.’

What not to do is simple, the question is what to yes believe. Is there a war now between Russia and Ukraine? Why believe that?

Or, will you just bring examples of statements that are inaccurate as a distraction to this discussion?

Mdd1, by1212,

Are you even sure there is a war between Russia and Ukraine? Maybe the media simply manufactured the entire war thing.

Maybe its not even Russia Thats fighting Ukraine, its the media that us feeding us this made up news.

Politics is about twisting logic and facts to fit a pre-set narrative.

The simple reality is, that people are being hurt and killed. These are civilians that just want to live, take care of their families and their selves, and contribute to society. These people have not instigated this war nor are they playing an active role in this war.

To justify an invasion, kill civilians, and flatten residential buildings, schools, and hospitals is an extreme level of evil and has no justification in a civilized society.

Russia started this, they need to eat the consequences that come along with their actions.

Putin may believe that killing so many people, including young Russian soldiers is justified as long as his objectives are met. The world does not have to subscribe to that belief.

From the OU website:

“Rav Belsky, zt”l said that it is unclear whether pizza is a snack or meal food, but noted that the general custom is to say Mezonos when eating a small amount.
It should be noted that if the pizza dough is fully baked prior to adding the cheese (as is the case with some frozen Pizzas) the bracha would be Hamotzi. When the dough is baked alone, its status at that time is Hamotzi, and that does not change when a filling is added.”

It seems, that one is allowed to make a Hamotzi if they wanted to, especially if they were to eat the pizza as a meal.

Personally, I try to wash and make an Hamotzi, its not a big deal and gives us an opportunity to Bentch and thank Hashem for all the good that he bestowed upon us.

CTL,

As you noted, the solution to grow one’s own food is for those living in suburban areas. It also only applies to those with the skills, capability, and availability of time.

Also, it is not just the potential shortages in food that are causing a price hike. Inflation and increased operational costs, such as increases in fuel prices, increases in shipping costs, and higher pay for operators is also a factor.

Syag,

I think you should have written with no KNOWN exposure to Covid.

Avram,

“What I intended to point out was how coordinated, rapid, and policed this boycott was from the outset and at a point in time when information was more scarce.”

Rapid indeed. So was the Russian invasion and its killing of civilians. The Russians may have been counting on the fact that reaction, at least the reactions that would matter will take some time, and by that time all will be over.

For the reaction (sanction and boycotts) to be effective, they needed to be deployed rapidly.

Russia initially lied to the world when it announced that it has no intention of invading Ukraine and is moving its military away from the border. This was a lie, and likely to avoid any rapid reaction to their offensive.

Some companies are pulling away from the Russian market to avoid being hit with government-induced sanctions. Others to avoid negativity.

Russia is indeed being canceled and the way it APPEARS at this moment, for good reason. As you pointed out, I sure hope that this never gets utilized for other ideologies. But right now, this is not some ideology that people subscribe to, it’s a mass-murdering scenario and needs to be stopped. If these are the means to stop it, it may be worth it.

Lastly, I am sure that it took little convincing for most companies to divest and pull out of Russia, with the tanking and unstable economy, not much business is to be made in Russia at this point. They just run the risk of Russia finding alternative companies to work with, such as Chinese companies.

Hill of beans,

“Should we also stop the Choson from breaking the glass under the Chupa since there are well documented instances, multiple times, where he cut himself and need to be taken from the chasuna?”

What the Choson chooses to do, especially if there is a minhag associated with his actions is not to compare to placing the Choson on a table throwing him off balance while elevated from the ground putting him at significant unnecessary risk.

AAQ

“ But, seriously, let’s share information and think critically together. To your comparisons with smkoers, etc – they are already paying more: medical for smoking and life insurance for obesity, and all pay co-pays. People at fault of accidents – their insurance pays damages and their premiums go up.”

With regards to insurance, I do not think that premiums are linked to peoples behaviors or prior medical conditions. Especially when they are enrolled in company insurance policies.

Better would be, if people are given incentives to lead healthier lives and make better health decisions. Such as reductions in insurance policies for maintaining a good BMI or for being enrolled and actually showing up to gym a couple of times a week. Being fully vaccinated can also be considered, like this the insurance companies will have a healthier customer base, with less expenses.

Its not going to happen, its not how things are set up. But that would be a bit more solution oriented and beneficial to all parties.

Syag,

“ wow, sounds like something i said rubbed you wrong”.

Not at all, I was just trying to explain myself, I didnt feel “rubbed” by your polite inquiry.

Syag,

” I don’t remember if you mentioned what area of medicine you practice”

-Correct, I don’t believe that an anonymous online post should be based on assumed credentials, for all one knows I spent hours on a post to make it seem as if it was written by someone that deals with medical matters.
I would prefer that my posts should be accepted on the merits of their content, not as if they were written by an authority.
I do the same when I read posts written by other people, I accept the content as is, unless I know the author and respect them as an authority.