The squeeze is on!

Nurses Activism

Published

isn't this a good argument for single payer????

http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2006/05/the_tipping_point.html

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http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=367876doc367876

first of all, the problem of being uninsured, or underinsured, would have to affect the middle-class and become a voting issue. the squeeze on the middle-class is well underway. last week, for instance, the commonwealth fund released an important new study on the uninsured. in 2001, researchers found that 28 percent of americans with annual incomes between $20,000 and $40,000 were uninsured for at least part of the year. by 2005, 41 percent of this income group fell into that category.

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I feel the pain every month. Hot topic for every working person in our country.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

So, what you've pointed out is that being uninsured is statistically significant across all income levels.

You've just pointed out a key flaw in the number of uninsured that is nationally tallied: because of EMTALA and the like, many people, in all income brackets, CHOOSE not to be insured.

I didn't say everybody. It is enough however, to artificially raise the actual number of uninsured to make it a completely misleading statistic vis a vi actual need.

Thank you for pointing this out.

~faith,

Timothy.

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i am one of the uninsured. i make anywhere between 8 to 10 thousand a month as an rn.

how do i handle my health care expenses? let's say i get sick. i don't pay the bill up front. i negotiate for the insurance company's rates which are vastly lower than the charges a hospital will make for an individual. and every month, i'm saving $$ not paying for premiums.

i've probably saved over a hundred thousand by not buying homeowner's, health, disability, etc. i buy the cheapest legal insurance to drive.

someone's got to pay for all that overhead, plus the sizeable profit that an insurance company makes. i'm glad it's not me :)

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i am one of the uninsured. i make anywhere between 8 to 10 thousand a month as an rn.

how do i handle my health care expenses? let's say i get sick. i don't pay the bill up front. i negotiate for the insurance company's rates which are vastly lower than the charges a hospital will make for an individual. and every month, i'm saving $$ not paying for premiums.

i've probably saved over a hundred thousand by not buying homeowner's, health, disability, etc. i buy the cheapest legal insurance to drive.

someone's got to pay for all that overhead, plus the sizeable profit that an insurance company makes. i'm glad it's not me :)

I am glad that you make enough to self insure. Your objections to the high overhead of health insurance makes the case for single payer in and of themself. As a nation we are spending 31% of our health care dollars on administrative costs NOT patient care. Adopting single payer will save enough just by reducing administrative costs to pay for universal coverage.

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Specializes in Long Term Care.

I see a lot of the problems with Helathcare these days because of the Company ADMINISTRATION and For PROFIT attitudes. The problems and the attitudes are directly related. No one is ever in it just because it gives them a warm and fuzzy. However, there could be a decrease in profit margin (read break for the little man and a little beeter staffing) with out compromising total profitability.

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I see a lot of the problems with Helathcare these days because of the Company ADMINISTRATION and For PROFIT attitudes. The problems and the attitudes are directly related. No one is ever in it just because it gives them a warm and fuzzy. However, there could be a decrease in profit margin (read break for the little man and a little beeter staffing) with out compromising total profitability.

Health care should be delivered on a non profit break even basis. I think that the profit motive ultimately distorts priorities away from patient care/need and towards self interest motivated by greed.

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Good luck, I hope you never get diagnosed with an illness. It will bankrupt you. What if a driver with minimal insurance hits you...how will you pay your bills. Doesn't your employer offer health insurance? You plan is great if you are well, but one illness will wipe you out.

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i am one of the uninsured. i make anywhere between 8 to 10 thousand a month as an rn.

how do i handle my health care expenses? let's say i get sick. i don't pay the bill up front. i negotiate for the insurance company's rates which are vastly lower than the charges a hospital will make for an individual. and every month, i'm saving $$ not paying for premiums.

i've probably saved over a hundred thousand by not buying homeowner's, health, disability, etc. i buy the cheapest legal insurance to drive.

someone's got to pay for all that overhead, plus the sizeable profit that an insurance company makes. i'm glad it's not me :)

I tried doing this when I had to have surgery but the hospital turned me down flat. So it doesn't work for everyone. The best that I could have gotten was a measly 2.5% discount if I could pay the bill in full in 30 days. :uhoh3: I was able to get a reduced rate from the surgeons (thank goodness). In a perfect (fair) world everyone would be able to pay the same thing for the same service. This way everyone would win.

Fuzzy, who could pay for those recommeded breast exams, colon exams, bloodwork, etc. out of pocket just fine. However if something bad were found than death would have to occur because there is no way in heck that I could pay for treatment. So I'll take my chances and remain ignorant.

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