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[user=10]Jennhere[/user] wrote:
I actually don't understand why you're not sympathetic. I'm guessing it's because, like you said, you're healthy. If the day ever comes when you're sick and you can't get insurance and can't afford to pay for care- maybe you'll pack up and move to a state that will assist you…? I don't know what you would be willing to do.
JennI would do what ever I needed to do. And I wouldn't pass socialist legislation to empower the government to steal even more money for them to waste.
I would support, and vote for legislation that prevents the insurance companies from getting discounts, or from using health conditions in their considerations.
And no matter how sick I would get, I wouldn't change that.
Wow! This post really riles me up, good points on both sides.
Jennhere-
Ex- Gov. Romney from MA put in a state wide requirement for all business entities to offer health insurance to all of there employees both part-time & full time. My daughter needed to have a simple heart test done for a murmur and couldn't get in for this test for 6 months. My other daughter living here in Wisconsin has the same issue,occasional fainting and had the same test done and completed within 2 weeks of her doctor visit. If she had an acute problem waiting 6 months would have been hell to pay.
Many years ago I worked at a city pediatric hospital whose main patients were what used to be called title 19, a state run health plan for those who were not working and did not have health care coverage. Our busiest night of the year was New Years Eve. Some parents would come in dressed in evening gowns and insist their children needed medical care for chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and even JRA. No one was ever sent home that day or the day after and yes, the majority of those kids were not sick at that time. It used to be a staff game on who we could expect to be in that night. You see not all patients are honest and equal. People have tried to cheat systems everywhere. Micheal Moore is right there can be corruption in any business for that fact, but how about the people who cheat this system and cause us all to pay such high premium's. That will not change with a national system. When things are free some people tend to take advantage. My mom used to say, nothing in this world is ever free:headbang:
One only needs to look at lyme disease to see what can happen when the government gets involved in the doctor/patient relationship and begins regulating medical treatment.Or the DRGS that currently dictate how long you can stay in a hospital based on your illness or injury, not on how you feel or how well you are healing.
Jo- I tend to agree with you too. If the government takes over health care like they did education, we are in for some really troubled times.
We could have a system that helps all. Offer the federal health insurance plan to businesses, maybe a three tiered plan. The first is the basic care, immunizations,, yearly physicals etc. 2nd tier offers more diagnostic testing that you pay additional charges for yourself and if you want the Cadillac, you pay additional as well. I also like the idea that doctors post their charges so you can see what they are before deciding on your provider. This is what private business does.
Being a nurse and a patient now I see how little influence I can have on my own health care unless I take a very proactive approach and let my doctors know I am in charge of my medical care not them. I am never willing to give that up. I have heard so many times on the bboard how someone”fired” their rheumy. It wouldn't be allowed on a government plan.
My advice is, be careful what you wish for. Healthcare is a very personal issue that each and every person has strong opinions on what may or may not be acceptable treatment. The majority of the people who post on this board have chosen a treatment plan that is very personal and considered by some to be “outside of the box” With a national plan you may not have the options you are used to! Just a little food for thought. I really wish all things were fair, believe me. It would be so much easier:?
Happy days!
Patti
Zoinks, didn't mean to stir the pot! Lots of good points out there. lots to think about.
I do want to emphasize a point made by Jenn, and that is that when we are sick, esp with chronic pain and illness, we don't have the energy to fight for our rights or search thru tons of paperwork looking for a loophole.Otherwise, I too see both sides of this. We need change, but will the gov't bring the kind of change that helps? Historically, whenever the gov't gets involved in anything, we lose choices instead of gain them, but we are at a point in this country where, for some people, any health care is better than none. I'm afraid that's exactly what they will get. The wealthy will still be able to pay for better health care, while the poor, sick, etc will have to settle for what's left. Still, what's left over in this country still beats the band when compared to healthcare in some parts of the world.
I wish there was a solution that benefitted everyone, but we can't force people to put the value of human life over material possessions. As long as there is greed there will be inequality. For me, the best I can do is be as involved as possible to try to make the system as fair as possible. 😯 Oi, this problem makes my head hurt!!!
Oh Linda,
I couldn't have said it better! Until we have a value sytem that puts people first, we will continue to flounder in the medical community. It is very sad but yet true, this is a first class medical system that in envied by the rest of the world. How come?? What makes it “the best” and what does the best mean??
No stress here right:roll-laugh::roll-laugh::roll-laugh: just kitchen table talk:roll-laugh::roll-laugh::roll-laugh:
Happy days!
Patti
http://www.healthcare-now.org/hr676.html
Support HR676 by going to this link and signing the petition to your local rep. or go to Michaelmoore.com and use his link to look up your rep. and write him/her a message to encourage support of HR676.
Those evil empires with “socialized medicine” such as England, France, Canada, Germany…. may not have perfect healthcare systems, but at least they have a more enlightened goal which is to provide EVERYONE with care. You can tweak the shortcomings and improve.The goal in America is for financial profit. Tweaking only serves to increase PROFITS, deny problems and secure positions. A little altruism with every endeavor isn't impossible. A little less corruption from the top would ensure a better experience than the one most American's expect from universal health care. Our current delivery system of government programs is the main problem interfering with a viable solution. Oh, that and the people who put money first, people second. Loving thy neighbor a bit more would help.
Jenn
http://www.healthcare-now.org/petition.php
^^^^^Sign the petition ^^^^^
Interesting article crossed my screen today. Not that our socialist leaning members will recognize it, any more than they acknowledge either of the two points I have made in every single other post. Others might find it interesting though.
7 secrets of health insurers
To really understand your coverage, you need to know about a lot more than just your deductibles and copayments.
By Insure.com
Health insurance can seem impenetrable. For starters, have you tried reading your policy? It's dense. With different regulations in each state, countless varieties of policies and elusive pricing practices, health insurance can seem downright confounding.
And wrapped up in all this are myths about health insurance that were perhaps once true — or never were. Here's a look at seven things you probably didn't know about your health insurer.
1. Health insurers' profit is about 3%.
Health insurers rack up revenues of $723 billion a year, according to data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. So you might think they make money hand over fist.
But with the costs of health care and prescription drugs rising every year, health insurers generally eke out only about a 3% profit. Health insurers would, in fact, make a bigger profit by selling toys to children.
By comparison, here are profit margins for other businesses, according to Hemscott, an independent financial data provider:
- 1.6% for grocery stores.
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- 4.3% for toy stores.
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- 6.5% for life insurance companies.
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- 8.0% for resorts and casinos.
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- 8.2% for property and casualty insurers.
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- 16.1% for cigarette makers.
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- 16.8% for major drug manufacturers.
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The federal data show that almost 86 cents of every dollar you pay for health insurance premiums goes to pay for medical services such as doctor visits, prescription drugs and hospital costs.According to a 2006 PricewaterhouseCoopers study conducted for America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group representing about 1,300 companies, the remainder of your premium dollar is spent on the following:
- 5 cents for policyholder services such as prevention, disease management, care coordination and investments in health information technology, plus provider support and marketing.
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- About 6 cents for insurers' administrative costs, including claims processing and compliance with government regulations.
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- 3 cents for health insurance plan profits.
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2. Your health insurer regularly pays for unnecessary medical tests.The cost of medical liability goes beyond legal costs for health insurance companies: About 10 cents of the nearly 86 cents spent on medical services goes to medical liability and the practice of defensive medicine.
In these litigious times, doctors often feel they must cover all the bases when a patient comes in with a health complaint. That can mean rounds of tests to rule out far-fetched conditions or even prescriptions handed out because patients demand them.
In Pennsylvania, for example, where there is no cap on jury awards, more than 90% of physicians admitted practicing defensive medicine, according to a 2005 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association:
- 43% used imaging technology when it wasn't necessary.
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- More than 50% referred patients to other specialists.
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- 70% of emergency physicians ordered additional diagnostic tests.
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- One-third prescribed more medications than were necessary.
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- 60% used unwarranted invasive procedures.
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- 42% restricted their practices by eliminating procedures such as trauma surgery and avoiding patients with complex medical issues.
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http://www.americanhealthcarereform.org/
I can't believe many still fear the “socialized medicine” tactic after suffering through our current capitalistic free market nightmare. There's already enough socialism to choke a horse in the U.S.. Bail out Big Banks, anyone???
Socialism for the rich and Capitalism for the poor. That's the current state of our Federalist union. Seriously, do you still think people conjure up black and white images of the Soviet Union from those scary documentaries we were forced to watch as school children in the 70's???
I'd take Sweden's socialized medicine over the United States Capitalistic Cripple Care anyday. I know, I know… you told me to move to a state that offers what I'm looking for… Maybe after the evil socialists in America take over the Cripple Care system currently employed by the U.S., you'll pack up and move to …. I don't know. Which countries, exactly, still use our nighmareish model of “healthcare”????
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