Stan

So let me ask you this. You know, I'll give you, I'll use myself as an illustration. I needed to set up an appointment to see my doc for just a physical. Okay. I called to get an appointment. And the soonest that they could get me in was, are you ready? October of this year. All right. October. October. October. Okay.

Yeah. And I'm not going to last October. I'm going to. This is for a yearly physical. It would be this October of 2025. Now, I'm going to circle back to you, Barry. Excuse me, is that not a waiting time? And that's just for a simple question. And that's in a system that we presently have. It's not single payer. This is what we're dealing with in the United States.

Yeah. And I'm not going to last October. I'm going to. This is for a yearly physical. It would be this October of 2025. Now, I'm going to circle back to you, Barry. Excuse me, is that not a waiting time? And that's just for a simple question. And that's in a system that we presently have. It's not single payer. This is what we're dealing with in the United States.

So getting appointments, and I'm just talking appointments. I'm not necessarily talking about hospitalizations for procedures, et cetera. We're still dealing with that.

So getting appointments, and I'm just talking appointments. I'm not necessarily talking about hospitalizations for procedures, et cetera. We're still dealing with that.

Right. So that's that's part of the problem.

Right. So that's that's part of the problem.

So, I mean, so, you know, this whole idea of, of, you know, um, you know, in Canada, you have to wait for, you know, whatever, or in countries, um, You know, I think I mentioned on a previous show when I was in England doing some work over there and I got sick. I landed up, you know, I go into the National Health Service there. You know, I walked in, I basically said, hey, I need some. And done.

So, I mean, so, you know, this whole idea of, of, you know, um, you know, in Canada, you have to wait for, you know, whatever, or in countries, um, You know, I think I mentioned on a previous show when I was in England doing some work over there and I got sick. I landed up, you know, I go into the National Health Service there. You know, I walked in, I basically said, hey, I need some. And done.

I mean, they took care of me. I didn't have to pay a nickel, even though I was from out of the country. So, I mean, I think to a certain extent, and maybe I'm,

I mean, they took care of me. I didn't have to pay a nickel, even though I was from out of the country. So, I mean, I think to a certain extent, and maybe I'm,

jumping to a conclusion here, but I think to a certain extent, we are so embedded in the system that we have, the health insurance system that we have in the United States, that we're putting blinders on, looking at viable alternatives that would make it a lot easier to understand, a lot cheaper, and on the other hand, everybody would have it. Anyway, Clarence, go ahead.

jumping to a conclusion here, but I think to a certain extent, we are so embedded in the system that we have, the health insurance system that we have in the United States, that we're putting blinders on, looking at viable alternatives that would make it a lot easier to understand, a lot cheaper, and on the other hand, everybody would have it. Anyway, Clarence, go ahead.

So Barry, maybe you can help me with this one. All right, so... And I just don't know the answer to this one. When did Medicare start? Does anybody have a handle on that? When did it first start?

So Barry, maybe you can help me with this one. All right, so... And I just don't know the answer to this one. When did Medicare start? Does anybody have a handle on that? When did it first start?

So many people in the United States get their health insurance through their employer. If you do not have an employer, obviously a group of people, typically age 65 and older, right, who are retired, don't have an employer anymore. They're retired. All right. So certainly in that case, Medicare kicks in. All right. Medicaid we'll get to a little bit in a moment.

So many people in the United States get their health insurance through their employer. If you do not have an employer, obviously a group of people, typically age 65 and older, right, who are retired, don't have an employer anymore. They're retired. All right. So certainly in that case, Medicare kicks in. All right. Medicaid we'll get to a little bit in a moment.

So it became kind of a safety valve. For those that were older, it's like, okay, what the hell do we do now? I don't have employer coverage, but at least now I have this. So is it even reasonable? Is it even reasonable that employers should have to worry about this health coverage as a benefit for their employees? Why is it linked to employment?

So it became kind of a safety valve. For those that were older, it's like, okay, what the hell do we do now? I don't have employer coverage, but at least now I have this. So is it even reasonable? Is it even reasonable that employers should have to worry about this health coverage as a benefit for their employees? Why is it linked to employment?

I agree. Yet, on the flip of that is the frustration on how it is that we could make it simpler, but that's beside the point. So one thing that I'm sure a lot of us are involved with is this whole idea of open enrollment.