I was thinking about this today. The next 10-30 are going to put an extreme burden on the healthcare system in the US as we know it.

-Insurance and healthcare costs will continue to skyrocket.  
-Illegals and the poor will continue to burden the system.
-There will be more elderly people living longer with more severe health problems than at any  other time in history.
-Doctors are being driven out of practice in certain states from Malpractice insurance costs.
-There will be a registered nursing shortage estimated at close to a million by 2020.
- ETA: the cost of pharmaceuticals  

Is the healthcare system (the amount of nurses, doctors, misc healthcare workers, hospital space, nursing home space, insurance companies) poised for failure ?

I think it will get a point where the sheep will demand the government step in and save us all. I don't have an answer for it. The money has to come from somewhere, the question is where ?Healthcare damn sure isn't going to get cheaper.

I predict a default of the 'New Deal' style programs. I have no evidence or background to support this claim.

Well, the pyramid scheme of robbing Peter to pay Paul maybe coming to an end.  In the end, the govt will just raise the retirement age to 75, and that will fixed that.  Us baby-boomers will just have to keep working till we drop.

The government won't be able to do anything about the shortage of docs and RNs.
Your prediction of the people's reaction is spot on, unfortunately.

I'm going to stock up on my asthma and allergy meds in Mexico while I can.

When I read this the first time a couple of years ago my tin-foil detector pegged.

Now it doesn't seem so far-fetched as it did then.

jpfo.org/ssandguns.htm

It's a bit long but stick with it.

Quoted: Well, the pyramid scheme of robbing Peter to pay Paul maybe coming to an end.  In the end, the govt will just raise the retirement age to 75, and that will fixed that.  Us baby-boomers will just have to keep working till we drop.

Well ... isn't that what people did for thousands of years?  As long as they were in reasonable heath, they worked, till they moved in with their children or something.

Maybe it is just an anamoly that people would retire and spends 20 or so years doing...  what do they do?

The government won't be able to do anything about the shortage of docs and RNs.

I have about a dozen nurses in my family and I work with quite a few doctors for work, and none of them work full-time.  Like in any industry, a raise in wages will easily be enough to convince them to work more hours.  Besides, the only people you ever hear talking about a shortage are the people that are hiring.  The hospitals want cheaper labor.  You obviously won't hear all of the out of work nurses complain about the shortage when they're out of work due to the fact that there's too many of them.

nursing home space

The two I work with (one through work and help the other with bookkeeping to help pay for my wife's bill) make very good money.  I don't understand why there isn't more nursing home space around here.  I've worked with three in the past that the state, like they do with most nursing homes, actively worked to put out of business, but with the money these two places are making now, it seems like it would be worth the risk.  Most of the nursing homes around here last for several years before the state succeeds in closing them down.  That's also why there's so much profit in it since the state artificially limits the supply.

Also, there are more than enough workers.  Both places fire employees at the slightest provocation since they have a stack of resumes from qualified people looking for a job.z

I would think since most of the baby boomers have done at least relatively well for themselves, paying for it shouldnt be a huge problem.

But I dont know much about the workings of the healthcare system.

Quoted: I predict a default of the 'New Deal' style programs. I have no evidence or background to support this claim.

+1

Quoted: <snip>

It really depends on what area you are in and what your specialty is when it comes to employment demand in Healthcare. Florida has non-stop openings at almost every facility you look at, but we also have a huge elderly population as well.

One thing to consider is that the babyboomer crowd, between age 50-60 right now, make up a significant portion of those heathcare professional workforces. They will be retiring and leaving a larger than normal hole to fill, due to the fact that the generations behind them are somewhat smaller in population.

Quoted: The government won't be able to do anything about the shortage of docs and RNs. Your prediction of the people's reaction is spot on, unfortunately. I'm going to stock up on my asthma and allergy meds in Mexico while I can.

Except VISAs for doctors and nurses in other countries that "qualify."

The baby-boomers are hitting 60. Does it signal the collapse of the healthcare system as we know it?

Not if we all loose some weight and start exercising!  I know I need too!

I think the baby boomers are going to bring the whole house of cards crashing down. They vote more than anyone else , therefor politicians are going to pander to them because the elderly keep them in office , I see the politicians spending the gooberment into oblivion to keep the elderly putting them back in office.

“A democracy . . . can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.”   -Alexander Fraser Tytler
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The eldely have figured this out and will use it to death. One day someone will realise the .gov has spent more than it can ever repay and at that point all bets are off.

Survival fourm is that way ------------------>

Quoted: I think the baby boomers are going to bring the whole house of cards crashing down. They vote more than anyone else , therefor politicians are going to pander to them because the elderly keep them in office , I see the politicians spending the gooberment into oblivion to keep the elderly putting them back in office. “A democracy . . . can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.”   -Alexander Fraser Tytler - The eldely have figured this out and will use it to death. One day someone will realise the .gov has spent more than it can ever repay and at that point all bets are off. Survival fourm is that way ------------------>

Im glad we arent a Democracy!

People like me will have to pay for all the old fucks who were too stupid, lazy, or selfish to save for themselves.  I suspect I will paying at least 60% of my income to federal income tax, social security and Medicare programs over my working life.  I’m 19 now; I will be graduating with a degree in finance specific to investment banking when I am barely 21.  I save as much money as I can now (which usually amounts to not much more than $100 a month.  However, the point is I make an effort.  Do you realize how much money you would have at retirement if your saved $100 a month at 6% over your life time?  (I do work now btw, just at a crappy hourly job)

Quoted: Well, the pyramid scheme of robbing Peter to pay Paul maybe coming to an end.  In the end, the govt will just raise the retirement age to 75, and that will fixed that.  Us baby-boomers will just have to keep working till we drop.

this is how I see it too.

I am starting to believe that the best course of action for a guy in his 30s is to become a politician and get elected to office.

Quoted: Quoted: I think the baby boomers are going to bring the whole house of cards crashing down. They vote more than anyone else , therefor politicians are going to pander to them because the elderly keep them in office , I see the politicians spending the gooberment into oblivion to keep the elderly putting them back in office. “A democracy . . . can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.”   -Alexander Fraser Tytler - The eldely have figured this out and will use it to death. One day someone will realise the .gov has spent more than it can ever repay and at that point all bets are off. Survival fourm is that way ------------------> Im glad we arent a Democracy!

You don't think that this country is ruled by majority votes??? The republic died when senators became elected the same way represenatives are and both houses of congress became directly beholden to the will and whim of the people. All the Statesman are dead for 100 years and we are left with a room full of politicians.

I am one of the "old fucks " that's been complained about...It's not my fault that I had to pay in to S.S. all these years.. And I'm sorry I'm getting old and useless. Frankly I'd rather all the money I paid into S.S. was invested somewhere else, I'd probably be much better off. The thing is, this is old news, the Govt has known for the last 60 years that S.S. would be strained to the limit, by the rising birth rate after WWII, they knew people like me, would someday retire, so did the insurance companys...they all knew the "baby boom" generation was the single largest ever, and yet did nothing to prepare for the day when we would retire. They did what all good polticians do..just dump it on the next generation. I do feel that if we CLOSED the border between Mexico and the U.S. would be a good place to start. with at least 2mil illegals coming in every year we don't need any more coming in to leech off the system.. As far as paying into S.S. is concerned I did'nt like it and I still don't, but, I, like you, did'nt have a choice, you wanna do something about it? then get out and VOTE! Change the system.  S.S. I feel is doomed, you young guys are going to pay in like I did, but probably won't get anything in return, what you do have is..TIME.. prepare now, invest, set up a retirement fund now,and PAY INTO IT!! A few bucks taken out of your check every week and saved is better than nothing, which is exactly what you'll get from S.S. who'd rather give it to illegals.  But don't blame me. I did'nt create this system, it's not my fault the insurance companys decided they'd rather have ALL their profits NOW, and fuck everybody else. insurance in any form, is nothing more than a legal "protection" racket and all of us are getting screwed.I'm going to retire in about 10 years..I'll have 2 retirement funds, a annuinty fund, and hopefully I'll collect S.S. too,  why not? I paid into it, I'm damn sure gonna get something from them.

Quoted: ... I'm damn sure gonna get something from them.

Only if we keep letting in our southern, hispanic brothers, and then give them all amnesty. It's the only way to fill the void in the population.

the real estate market will also die with them

Quoted: Quoted: People like me will have to pay for all the old fucks who were too stupid, lazy, or selfish to save for themselves.  I suspect I will paying at least 60% of my income to federal income tax, social security and Medicare programs over my working life.  I’m 19 now; I will be graduating with a degree in finance specific to investment banking when I am barely 21.  I save as much money as I can now (which usually amounts to not much more than $100 a month.  However, the point is I make an effort.  Do you realize how much money you would have at retirement if your saved $100 a month at 6% over your life time?  (I do work now btw, just at a crappy hourly job) Oh now it could be worse.  You could have already been in the work force for 30 years, paid enough taxes to buy a new car every year, and helped pay for the education of young fucks and not get your monies worth.

How is that worse?  You have paid a much lower tax rate than I will likely be subjected to, and you will likely receive federal assistance.

Me = lots of taxes (way more than half my income), no government benefits when I retire at age 80.
You = taxes not exceeding four tenths of your income, SS, Medicare, whatever drug plan they dream up next.

All of my education has been privately financed, and I have been working since the day after I turned 15.  

I maybe incorrect but isn't the expression "money's worth."  Possessive.  The value "owned by your money."  

Quoted: the real estate market will also die with them

No no.  While the structure of the population is changing, the population is indeed growing.  Interestingly enough, our population growth would be stagnant w/o immigration.  So while everyone can agree that immigration presents a lot of problems, 0 pop growth or even negative growth brings with it a lot of other questions.    

Quoted: Quoted: ... I'm damn sure gonna get something from them. Only if we keep letting in our southern, hispanic brothers, and then give them all amnesty. It's the only way to fill the void in the population.

I see what you're getting at...The number of people working needed to support the number of people retired collecting S.S. To a degree I agree with you, The problem is with illegals is that the large majority of them get jobs where they are paid under the table in cash...No fed state, local taxes paid. Combine that with collecting food stamps health care, or some other form of welfare and they soon become more of a burden than they're worth. they're collecting and not paying in. Isn't in Calif. where over 80 hospitials have closed because of the steady stream of illegals wanting, and getting health care of some form? This is my point..If they want to stay, then they're going to have to pay their FAIR share, and not depend on the rest of us to make up for them. If they don't like it, then they can go back to their third world shithole.....

Triumph of the redistributionist left

I try hard to be a positive person. Then I read this today.

Please, one of you give me a good, solid reason to be optimistic.

With threatened or real pay cuts EVERY year from the .gov, no wonder no one wants to go into medicine.

For example, the Medicare fee for a  tracheostomy (making a hole in the neck and inserting a breathing tube) is 53% less now than in 1989.  And since insurance companies tie their reimbursement to what  Medicare does...

The future of medicine does not bode well for the majority of Americans.  

Instead of Marcus Welby, MD, you are much more likely to get treated by Marshapquti Farquairpthel, MD.  Good luck understanding his English.



Ah retirement.....a idea imposed by  politicians to get older workers out of the way for younger ones.   And add the almost religious fevor Americans have for retirement....no work, plenty of money for travel and fun, free healthcare...a real heaven on earth.  Now, the bill is about to come due on that big lie.

And never adjusting retirement to increased longevity.  After all, when SS started, most died before age 65 and would never collect.....