Mary Lloyd's husband was lying in the intensive care unit of an Arizona hospital when she got a good look at their new health insurance card for the first time.
Then she got the shock of her life. The card read: "This is NOT an insurance card."
For the retired couple from East Bethel, it was the beginning of a financial nightmare that left them with at least $50,000 in unpaid medical bills. They discovered that the new "health plan," they signed up for in January, for $499 a month, wouldn't pay for any of his medical care.
I am angry that this is happening to you. It is NOT fair. We need to have healthcare for everyone. But insurance does not = guaranteed healthcare.
And that my friend is what you will get. A requirement to purchase private healthcare insurance. The same insurance you have now. Except you will HAVE to purchase something.
And that my friend is what you will get. A requirement to purchase private healthcare insurance. The same insurance you have now. Except you will HAVE to purchase something.
It remains to be seen whether or not we will have a mandate. I'm hoping that if a mandate is imposed, a robust public option is offered so that those of us uncomfortable with the complete and total profit driven interests controlling our health care can will finally have some common sense competition. We have some things right in the US, but, we have a ways to get yet regarding "loving thy neighbor".
It remains to be seen whether or not whether or not we will have a mandate. I'm hoping that if is a mandate is imposed, a robust public option is offered so that those of us uncomfortable with complete and total profit-driven interests no longer control our health care system. We have some things right in the US, but, we have a ways to get yet regarding "loving thy neighbor".
A government run program is hardly a "loving thy neighbor". The government has never given us anything without us paying for it.
From the looks of things yesterday there is a mandate and it's not for UHC.
A government run program is hardly a "loving thy neighbor". The government has never given us anything without us paying for it.
From the looks of things yesterday there is a mandate and it's not for UHC.
Well the government is in fact you and I, isn't it?
My desire is to make certain that each and every American citizen has access to quality health care, without breaking the bank. We are America, every other developed nation has found a way, we can find a way as well.
And that, is what Jesus of Nazareth would call loving thy neighbor.
Well the government is in fact you and I, isn't it?
My desire is to make certain that each and every American citizen has access to quality health care, without breaking the bank. We are America, every other developed nation has found a way, we can find a way as well.
And that, is what Jesus of Nazareth would call loving thy neighbor.
If we want to be "us" we can pay for someone's healthcare and take out the middle man aka the government.
Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for life.
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
It is clear that a couple of the posters on this thread are very much against health insurance reform...I just cannot figure out what is so attractive to them about our status quo...what is so desireable in our current state of affairs that they are dead set against reform/change?
One might think that with our current system "joe blow" tax payer does not have any financial investment in the health of his neighbor "joe irresponsible" who has no savings, no insurance, and lives well beyond his means. Indeed, reading the posts of the opposition to reform, one might get the impression that only dead beats and shopaholics with credit card debt in the 6 figures are the ones with problems with health expenses. Or that the only people who are denied care by their insurance companies are idiots that don't take the time to read or investigate. That medical bankrupcy can be prevented by better planning.
Is it clear to the opposition that our country cannot afford to continue on the current path regarding healthcare? Healthcare currently costs us in the ballpark of 16% of our GDP, and is expected to reach 20% in the near future. As a nation we cannot sustain that AND have a manufacturing base.
It is clear that a couple of the posters on this thread are very much against health insurance reform...I just cannot figure out what is so attractive to them about our status quo...what is so desireable in our current state of affairs that they are dead set against reform/change?
One might think that with our current system "joe blow" tax payer does not have any financial investment in the health of his neighbor "joe irresponsible" who has no savings, no insurance, and lives well beyond his means. Indeed, reading the posts of the opposition to reform, one might get the impression that only dead beats and shopaholics with credit card debt in the 6 figures are the ones with problems with health expenses. Or that the only people who are denied care by their insurance companies are idiots that don't take the time to read or investigate. That medical bankrupcy can be prevented by better planning.
Is it clear to the opposition that our country cannot afford to continue on the current path regarding healthcare? Healthcare currently costs us in the ballpark of 16% of our GDP, and is expected to reach 20% in the near future. As a nation we cannot sustain that AND have a manufacturing base.
It's quite clear that some of us are opposed to a GOVERNMENT plan to run healthcare in this country. Actually, what the Dems want is for us to buy the very insurance they claim isn't very good. That makes no sense to me. And Obama says we can keep what we have if we like it. So he thinks some of us like what we have. Is that obvious?
Medicare as we know it now is a big part of the problem. Medicare doesn't pay the going rate so hospitals, docs, NH etc. have to make up the shortfall by charging John Q. Public more. And again the government wants to give away more low paying healthcare and cause more increases in premiums and fees.
Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
It's quite clear that some of us are opposed to a GOVERNMENT plan to run healthcare in this country. Actually, what the Dems want is for us to buy the very insurance they claim isn't very good. That makes no sense to me. And Obama says we can keep what we have if we like it. So he thinks some of us like what we have. Is that obvious?
Medicare as we know it now is a big part of the problem. Medicare doesn't pay the going rate so hospitals, docs, NH etc. have to make up the shortfall by charging John Q. Public more. And again the government wants to give away more low paying healthcare and cause more increases in premiums and fees.
I agree. The insurance companies do all they can to take in as much money as possible and pay out the least.
And this bill to use tax money to subsidize health insurance for low income people is wasteful.
But hospitals, even "not for profits" are doing OK
October 2007 -
On solid ground. Revenue gains continue to outpace growth in expenses, allowing U.S. hospitals to enjoy record profit and margin.
Hospital Financials Have Recovered to Pre-Recession Levels, According to Thomson Reuters Study
Ann Arbor, MI November 9, 2009 -
The median profit margin of U.S. hospitals increased from near zero in the third quarter of 2008 to more than 8 percent in the second quarter of 2009, according to an analysis of hospital financial performance published today by Thomson Reuters.
The recovery has been broad-based, with all classes of hospitals - small, medium and large community hospitals, teaching hospitals and major teaching hospitals - showing positive median margins.
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
I realize that defining what the "problem" is needs to be priority. Profits for insurance companies, hospitals, clinics, surgicenters, etc is not a "problem", those endeavors are by and large profitable. What is problematic is that the American people, increasingly, are unable to afford good health insurance outside of a large employer, if they change employers or lose their job...bye bye insurance. What is problematic is that people who are working poor and have no insurance may have no access to primary care dependent upon where they live...many docs only see people with insurance, not private pay (cash). What is a problem is that people who have insurance can be denied coverage by their insurance and then, in the midst of the financial and health woes of a very expensive foray as an uninsured into the acute medical world, they have to fight an expensive legal battle with an insurance company. Too many are sick and overwhelmed and the time limit flies by them. What is a problem is that people have health insurance but are required to fork over thousands of additional dollars for their healthcare, causing many of them to forego important care in order to do other important things.
We need to have reform that provides good, affordable basic insurance options for every American citizen.
I realize that defining what the "problem" is needs to be priority. Profits for insurance companies, hospitals, clinics, surgicenters, etc is not a "problem", those endeavors are by and large profitable. What is problematic is that the American people, increasingly, are unable to afford good health insurance outside of a large employer, if they change employers or lose their job...bye bye insurance. What is problematic is that people who are working poor and have no insurance may have no access to primary care dependent upon where they live...many docs only see people with insurance, not private pay (cash). What is a problem is that people who have insurance can be denied coverage by their insurance and then, in the midst of the financial and health woes of a very expensive foray as an uninsured into the acute medical world, they have to fight an expensive legal battle with an insurance company. Too many are sick and overwhelmed and the time limit flies by them. What is a problem is that people have health insurance but are required to fork over thousands of additional dollars for their healthcare, causing many of them to forego important care in order to do other important things.
We need to have reform that provides good, affordable basic insurance options for every American citizen.
And even with some government run program if there is no care available they can have all the insurance they want but still not have care.
If the closet hospital is 40 miles away it will still be 40 miles away after reform. And no one in Appalachia is gonna get Sloan Kettering care.
Even in Canada, a country many want us to follow, has a fragmented program. The Maritime provinces had a terrible time with keeping docs because it's a poor province and so those people didn't get as good care as those in Montreal. Do you really think care will be better in Mississsippi?
Onekidneynurse
475 Posts
And that my friend is what you will get. A requirement to purchase private healthcare insurance. The same insurance you have now. Except you will HAVE to purchase something.