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.
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.
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.
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.
Again greed raises it's ugly head. Do you know how much defense contractors make? LOL. And all of those things you want to cut are GOVERNMENT run programs. They are your government knowing what's best for you. LOL.. Just another example of my arguement. Thanks.
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.
A government run program that doesn't work. Why would we want to let them try again.
The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports had an article on "junk" insurance plans that claim comprehensive coverage, but pay for very little. Some won't pay for the first day of a hospital stay. Others won't pay for things they claim to cover.
A few hours ago, I caught Frontline on PBS. They had a show comparing government healthcare systems around the world, including Germany, which has over 200 of private insurers, and Switzerland, which got national health care in 1995. All spend 5% or less of their GDP on healthcare costs (the US spends about 15%), and all have healthier populations. The entire program is available online.
Government health care is good enough for Veterans and the elderly. Why not expand it to all Americans?
The May 2009 issue of Consumer Reports had an article on "junk" insurance plans that claim comprehensive coverage, but pay for very little. Some won't pay for the first day of a hospital stay. Others won't pay for things they claim to cover.
A few hours ago, I caught Frontline on PBS. They had a show comparing government healthcare systems around the world, including Germany, which has over 200 of private insurers, and Switzerland, which got national health care in 1995. All spend 5% or less of their GDP on healthcare costs (the US spends about 15%), and all have healthier populations. The entire program is available online.
Government health care is good enough for Veterans and the elderly. Why not expand it to all Americans?
Is good enough good enough?
Did you see the MD from the UK? He was sooooooooooooooo fat he could hardly get behind his desk. Preventative medicine? What's his life expenctancy?
The program was so left leaning my left shoulder and ear are sore. 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.
Japan is has the highest cost of living. Generations live together, they take care of the elderly in their homes. Do you think Americans would do that? You can stay in the hospital in Japan for $10 a night, with 3-5 other roomies. Let's see H1N1 in the bed beside a leukemia patient, Hep C in the same room with a transplant patient. Yeah that should work out well.
I work with a German doctor here in the USA he says the chief doc for Gemany's program makes over $750K a year. But no profit there. What are they paying for gas now in Europe?
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
A poor person with medicaid who cannot afford the prescription is not good...what would be an acceptable fix for this? That is sort of the purpose of this thread, right? To discuss how insurance in america (including medicaid) is not adequate. Discussion is a good thing. There is no way that healthcare is not going to cost money...lots of money...there is no question about that...what is in question is how we are going to spend that money. Quite frankly, it is obvious that our current method is in serious trouble and that a great deal of the money spent is not actually impacting patients or care. It is true that Germany is also a market/capitalist type system. It is also true that the United States is in a position to fashion whatever type of system that we believe will improve our care deliver and gain control of cost escalations unrelated to care delivery. I am an optimist by nature. I believe that we have the best health resources in the world right here in the good ol' USA. I also believe that we can do much better. I advocate for change because I believe we need change. I do not think tht the status quo is sustainable or even desireable.
A poor person with medicaid who cannot afford the prescription is not good...what would be an acceptable fix for this? That is sort of the purpose of this thread, right? To discuss how insurance in america (including medicaid) is not adequate. Discussion is a good thing. There is no way that healthcare is not going to cost money...lots of money...there is no question about that...what is in question is how we are going to spend that money. Quite frankly, it is obvious that our current method is in serious trouble and that a great deal of the money spent is not actually impacting patients or care. It is true that Germany is also a market/capitalist type system. It is also true that the United States is in a position to fashion whatever type of system that we believe will improve our care deliver and gain control of cost escalations unrelated to care delivery. I am an optimist by nature. I believe that we have the best health resources in the world right here in the good ol' USA. I also believe that we can do much better. I advocate for change because I believe we need change. I do not think tht the status quo is sustainable or even desireable.
Then why do you think a system riddled with fraud would be better. When something is expensive it's expensive whether you pay for it with your own money or mine.......... Another $47 Billion in Medicare fraud just reported AGAIN.
I don't think putting people who don't want to pay on the dole is sustainable.
herring_RN, ASN, BSN
3,651 Posts
Yea we can!
The people of Mississippi deserve healthcare the same as the President, a senator, CEO, and big city cab driver.
We can set up hospitals in Iraq. Why not in Mississippi?