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.
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
And so, I ask again, what would be an appropriate fix...or are you satisfied with the status quo? I am interested in discussing options and am weary of simply defending myself against posts which do nothing more than disagree without other suggestion and arguing irrelevant side topics.
I saw about half of the Frontline episode, and I liked Germany's system. People have to buy coverage, which will not be popular here, but companies compete for clients, insurers aren't allowed to make a profit on basic care (they make money from extras, like private rooms), and losing your job doesn't mean losing access to health care.
Is good enough good enough?
Vets like the VA. The elderly like Medicare.
The program was so left leaning my left shoulder and ear are sore.
I don't think FOX News airs programs like this (thought CNN does).
If you had listened to all of it you would have found that all of the countries are having serious financial problems with the programs.
I saw about half, starting in the middle of Japan. The most common problem was too little income. Basically, the nation is spending too little on health care. German doctors want to make more money.
Any large, complex system will have fraud. That's what auditors are for.
I have experienced a Medicaid patient standing in the pharmacy in tears, sick with influenza and bronchitis, crying because she had no money to pay for the prescription that the doc had given her...not covered by medicaid...
Very sad health delivery system in a wealthy nation.
Yes, and I have seen Medcaid patient complain about paying $1 for their RX while they have expensive cosmetics and cigarettes in the cart. I say let's pay for her RX but deny paying her expensive habits.
I live in MA, we have mandatory health care. No pre existing conditions, no bad insurance companies. You have to pay a fine if you don't have insurance. Critical Access Hospitals are in the red and may have to close, why ? Because to qualify for health care you have to be a legal resident for 5 years, leaves lots of people without access to hospitals.
Nursing jobs are a premium and don't expect to get a raise. You have to pay high state taxes, tons of fees, cost of living is very high. The state is bankrupt.
I lived in Massachusetts for 3 0 years. I left 8 months ago, to start my current job.
I live in MA, we have mandatory health care. No pre existing conditions, no bad insurance companies. You have to pay a fine if you don't have insurance. Critical Access Hospitals are in the red and may have to close, why ? Because to qualify for health care you have to be a legal resident for 5 years, leaves lots of people without access to hospitals.
By "legal resident" do you mean legal immigrant, or someone who has lived in the the state for 5 years? i think it's the former.
Nursing jobs are a premium and don't expect to get a raise. You have to pay high state taxes, tons of fees, cost of living is very high. The state is bankrupt.
Most of the COL is the high cost of housing, thanks to zoning boards that only allow senior housing, luxury apartments, and Mcmansions. The taxes are pretty reasonable. People like to complain about them because New Hampshire (with a 9% meals tax and sky-high property taxes) is next door.
I saw about half of the Frontline episode, and I liked Germany's system. People have to buy coverage, which will not be popular here, but companies compete for clients, insurers aren't allowed to make a profit on basic care (they make money from extras, like private rooms), and losing your job doesn't mean losing access to health care.
Vets like the VA. The elderly like Medicare.
...
I saw about half, starting in the middle of Japan. The most common problem was too little income. Basically, the nation is spending too little on health care. German doctors want to make more money.
Any large, complex system will have fraud. That's what auditors are for.
I agree Herring, we spend almost as much on defense as the rest of the world combined. Certainly, we can make cuts and still defend ourselves. Priorities... priorities.
When that happens people will be dancing in the streets. Day dreaming. That's where we should be protesting. But some of us did protest in the 60's and our government shot some of us. Kent State.
tewdles, RN
3,156 Posts
And so, I ask again, what would be an appropriate fix...or are you satisfied with the status quo? I am interested in discussing options and am weary of simply defending myself against posts which do nothing more than disagree without other suggestion and arguing irrelevant side topics.