National Healthcare for the USA

by sammielee24 348 Replies latest jw friends

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  Rabbit

  I am for National Health Care. Until 3 years ago I've always had great Health Insurance. But, after a very bad car accident a few years ago many things went downhill. I had 5 major surgeries in 2.5 years, luckily my back surgery was done before my COBRA insurance ran out.

  These surgeries weren't elective. The accident was not my fault. But, because I had these operations the Ins. co.'s consider me a 'greater risk'. Just based on that, my premiums would sky-rocket, but, there's more...I have epilepsy. That is not my fault either. It has nothing to do with 'good' planning or education, but, it will guarantee you will not be covered by any private insurance.

  I've run my own small business for over 25 years and am not big enough to get a group coverage rate. I have been denied coverage by hundreds of co.'s just because of my epilepsy. The only option is the Texas Risk Pool, an insurance the state administers for people like me who "fall between the cracks". Here's the problem: They have 3 tiers of coverage, the very cheapest will cost 1 (one) person almost $1,000 per month ! Since it is the "cheap" one, it also has a $5,000 annual deductible ! So, if I had that coverage, I would pay out of pocket at least $17,000 a year for coverage before any insurance kicks in. Don't forget you also still have co-pays on hospital, doctor visits & prescriptions.

  I have no Health Insurance, I cannot afford it. My Epilepsy Rx's are very expensive and work well, they have to. If I start having seizures to the point I cannot drive...I will lose my license, lose my business, then what ? Eventually, I could end up bankrupt and on Welfare -- the public dime. That would be a shame for me. An expense for all.

  "Time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all." ~ The Bible says. That is true. You may be fortunate now and have a good job, too, but you never know what will happen tomorrow.

  We need National Health Care... now ! And that will be one of the most important factors on who I choose to vote (a newly found power) for... in the next several years.

  Rabbit
• 

  wednesday

  
  blondie's docs article was excellent. Very true.

  Perhaps someone can help answer some questions I have.. I will admit to being unable to totally understand what is really happening here.(regarding the whole insurance game)

  Frst I'm old enough (but early 50's so i'm not dead yet ( to remember life before managed care. I guess it may have depended on where you live, but here in the southwest, it was pay for service. I can vividly recall my parents having to BEG doctors nurses, hopsitals etc to take care of us kids, ER trips were very difficult as they would eat up my fathers entire paycheck(approx 80-100 around 1960-65.) and I have seen them literally hold up treatment while they badgered my father for payment. i can still see the demoralized , humilated lok on my fathers face...The job my dad held did not have insurance and finally he found a lower paying job but it had insurance. It was major medical however. It still did not provide for dotor visits. or medicine. (I never knew anyone who had that kind of insurance at this time) This was an ongoing problem groing up, having to beg doctors for medicine and treatment.Growing up in the south, poor whites were treated more or less like blacks and the mexicans who picked fruit seasonaly and stayed in tralier parks without bathrooms.

  We all hated managed care, it started out as I recall in the 80's with something called DRG's. That meant that they insurance had a set paymet for say as gallbaldder surgery and if yours required more time or whatever, it had to be approved by the insurance company. nurses, docs hated it. Then came managed care. And they really hated it . But one thing it did do was provide doctors visits and in some cases a prescription card.. I can recall seeing hospital bills with a charge of $5-10 for an asprin or a toliet issure box. This is outrageous and I believe is what is mostly wrong with the American health care system. Very greedy people tryiing to excessly profit from sick people. Doctors should make a good salary, they worked hard to be a doctor, but I would not expect they should become excessively rich. However, that is more or less the expectation here in the usa. Doctors now opt out of insurance and medicare and medicad so they can charge whatever they want. If you can't afford them, you will just have to see a doc who will take your insurance. They can provide inferior care b/c -threy are working for the insurance company. they are being paid to keep your cost down to deny your tests, and surgeries and medicines. yes it is true.my mothers doc told me this. He got a bonus for patients who he did not order too many tests on.(and the insurance co was the sole decision maker as to what was too many tesstm)and if he DOES order too many tests-they can drop their contract with him- -meaning he wont' get to see any of those insurance patients. That will hurt his practice.

  it is such a dirty business and it is all about greedy people trying to make more than what they should.

  however, how is a hospital or doc going to get rich if they survive on the contracted payments from insurance companies or worse yet medicare or medicad? they payments for things are so low, I wonder how the doc can keep his office oepn.

  weds
• 

  barry

  When Australia got its national health care I would have voted against it I inherantly shy against socialist policies by governments.

  Now i would absolutely support it in Australia as Ive mentioned before we pay one and a half percent of our income and that pays for excellent health care for everyone. The sort of numbers I see on here for health insurance are absolute robbery.

  When my wife went to hospital to give birth she got a privcate ward in a modern hospital, the best of care the first one being a ceasure the second natural. When checking out we signed a paper to say everything was payed by our one and a half percent yearly contribution. Mums also get 4 thousand per child to increase the birth rate. A problem in most western countries these days.
• 

  Fe2O3Girl

  Interesting.

  I really don't see the UK as a socialist country. All of our nationalised industries have been privatised.

  So, our healthcare system. There continues to be controversy about funding and management of the NHS, waiting lists and staffing. My experience has been excellent. I have had oral contraceptives at no charge for 14 years, and when we decided to start a family, all my maternity care was good (but this varies regionally). I went private for one scan and blood test for early prediction of congenital deformities (cost about £120). I could have had an equivalent test on the NHS, but I wanted to know as early as possible.

  From during pregnancy until my son's first birthday, I get free prescriptions and free dental care. My son is already registered with our NHS dentist, so he will have low cost dental care too. I have had low cost NHS dental care all my life.

  I also (like all women aged 25-65) have a regular cervical smear test every three years to check for abnormal pre-cancerous cells.

  I would be interested to know if there was widespread opposition in the UK to the establishent of the NHS. Now, although no-one thinks it is working perfectly, it is an arrangement that is supported across all our parties from the mid-right to the far-right (we haven't got any mainstream left wing parties). Threatening the NHS is political suicide. It is part of our national pride, values, consciousness, that healthcare is available to all at no cost at the point of use.
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  Navigator

  There was an Austrian Economist by the name of Ludwig Von Mises who defined the State as "that form of society in which each tries to live at the expense of his neighbor" Cynical, but very correct!

  There is much to fault in the US Health Care System. The cost is excessive and burdened by way too much administration. One reason it is so high is because people choose to spend their resources on other things besides medical insurance. They don't pay their medical bills so the rest of us must pay when we need medical attention. I lived under National Health Service while in the U.K. back in the 60's. It was horrible! Hopefully it has improved since then. Many of their doctors had emigrated to Canada and they were making up the deficit with doctors from India, Pakistan, Jamaica. It was difficult to find a physician you could understand. The infection rate in the hospitals was awful. My physician had 2700 patients on his list. Fortunately I had access to other healthcare options through the RAF There has been much praise for the Canadian system, but I wonder how well if would function if burdened by 11 million illegal imigrants..
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  barry

  ultimately the best system is the most efficient one [thats not the most efficient at extracting money out of hard working individuals] and usually private enterprise is the system is the most efficient and provides the standard of living to which we have all become accustom. The important thing is to recognise and be accepting where governments can be efficient to provide good outcomes. .
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  sammielee24

  Little Toe Lord here we go again. People who know nothing about how a Nationalised Healthcare system (augmented by insurance and a Private Healthcare system for those that want it) operates pontificating.
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  looking_glass

  Wedz - even now there are stories of people being turned away from hospitals because of not having insurance or the insurance they have is insufficient to cover their medical needs. It is called "dumping". Although it is illegal in most states, it continues to happen.

  There are secretaries in my office that cannot afford to be on our health care plan because the cost of covering them and their 2 kids is 500 dollars a month w/ a 1000 deductible. As on person said, I have a choice, to pay for the health insurance here or pay for groceries. I choose to feed my kids and run the risk of major health issues.

  There is no system that is perfect, no one is arguing that fact. But there has got to be something better then what we have in place now.
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  hillary_step

  Rabbit,

  What a very sad situation to find yourself in. I cannot believe that in a civilized country, its hard-working citizens should be subjected to Third World medical parameters. I feel for you, it must be a stress and worry for you on a daily basis.

  Apart from suggesting that you move to Europe, Canada or Cuba, where you will always find a doctor and first rate treatment , what does a person do?

  HS
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  plmkrzy

  NHC in this country is a scary thing because there is so much suspicion toward anything to do with government control and for good reason but there does need to be something better then what we have now. My HMO sucks. An appointment for urgent-care takes at least 1 month and if I can manage to get to my assigned doctor or the hospital, 100 miles away, I am treated well. If I can't travel the 100 miles then I'm pretty much f#%^ed. I cannot afford a PPO at this time, which would be an improvement.