Savoury and lean
Haha, couldn't be much worse than roo meat could it?
Should we fund barbiatric surgery
- Thread starter MTR
- Start date
Haha, couldn't be much worse than roo meat could it?
'Medicare covers some bariatric surgical procedures, like gastric bypass surgery and laparoscopic banding surgery, when you meet certain conditions related to morbid obesity. Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend you get services more often than Medicare covers.'
Straight from Medicare's website, they already do.
I worked with a girl who was morbidly obese. Lovely girl but unhealthy and unhappy. Had the surgery and we watched in amazement as she turned into a fit healthy and happy young woman.
I went OS. Saw her a year or so later. She was fat again. She said she discovered she could suck down a family block of Cadbury every night and it would pass by the band if she did it slow enough.
Was a sad story.
If I helped a majority of people and saved us health money I'd be all for it.
I went OS. Saw her a year or so later. She was fat again. She said she discovered she could suck down a family block of Cadbury every night and it would pass by the band if she did it slow enough.
Was a sad story.
If I helped a majority of people and saved us health money I'd be all for it.
Given that the public health system is already struggling to provide existing surgical services, hips, eyes, gallbladders, cancers, - what will happen if bariatric surgery is routinely offered in the public system? 10 year waiting lists? Separate hospitals just to do bariatric surgery? Increase the medicare levy so that I get to pay 55% tax instead of my current 49%?
Currently, bariatric surgery is funded by the taxpayer in two ways. There is a medicare rebate for the surgery which means that if people utilise their health fund or choose to pay for their surgery out of their own pocket, then medicare will give a tiny subsidy. Also the government allows people to access their super to fund bariatric surgery - this is acknowledgement that there is a role for bariatric surgery. Now if someone does not have health insurance and has insufficient funds in their super, - essentially, obese social welfare recipients - then this is the group, that perhaps the taxpayer should not fund further.
Generally, if we criticise the motivation of the obese, then asking them to fork out a significant sum should only assist their motivation.
Currently, bariatric surgery is funded by the taxpayer in two ways. There is a medicare rebate for the surgery which means that if people utilise their health fund or choose to pay for their surgery out of their own pocket, then medicare will give a tiny subsidy. Also the government allows people to access their super to fund bariatric surgery - this is acknowledgement that there is a role for bariatric surgery. Now if someone does not have health insurance and has insufficient funds in their super, - essentially, obese social welfare recipients - then this is the group, that perhaps the taxpayer should not fund further.
Generally, if we criticise the motivation of the obese, then asking them to fork out a significant sum should only assist their motivation.
Medicare does not cover the cost of the gastric band itself.
Yes, its all about calorie intake.
You don't think it had more to do with the amount of activity people were partaking in back then Datto?
But the surgery may decrease the number of people in hospital or on diabetes meds = savings for tax-paying landlords like us.
However, even with banding, you can still eat. It won't help if you fill up what's left of your stomach with sugar and fat every half hour.
First world problems!
However, even with banding, you can still eat. It won't help if you fill up what's left of your stomach with sugar and fat every half hour.
First world problems!
But our tax dollars do fund self inflicted tobacco and alcohol damage. Our hospitals and doctors are kept busy dealing with all the sequelae of smoking and alcohol addiction - lung cancers, liver cancers, emphysema, alcoholic brain damage, alcoholic liver damage, stomach ulcers.
And they shouldn't.
So maybe we should turn away all smokers and drinkers from hospitals, medical clinics, close the drug/alcohol wards and psychiatric wards - let them all go to drug/alcohol nirvana?
It'd show that there's actual consequences for peoples actions. Perhaps then a lesson would be learnt.
Do you know if you have 5kg of sugar / alchohol / weed / smokes a day you can catch X, Y, Z diseases?
"Who cares hospitals free."
No way, it is a mind set. I know four people who have had lap bands and two who have had gastric sleeves.
One in particular lost 50 kilos, was looking great. Seems they hit the two year mark and the are well and truly go back to their old terrible eating patterns. They can stretch their band. They are all back to eating regular size meals loads of is food and high sugar content snacks.
Waste of time and money it is the rare one who maintain a healthy lifestyle and eating habits. Believe me apart from those I know I also see heaps of them in my employment.
One in particular lost 50 kilos, was looking great. Seems they hit the two year mark and the are well and truly go back to their old terrible eating patterns. They can stretch their band. They are all back to eating regular size meals loads of is food and high sugar content snacks.
Waste of time and money it is the rare one who maintain a healthy lifestyle and eating habits. Believe me apart from those I know I also see heaps of them in my employment.
Similar threads
