The health care thread

[Cygnus]

What do you think about the recent debates on public health care in US? If you think it won't work, what do you suggest? Or do you think the current health care system is fine?

[tipstir]

Need a nationwide health care coverage for All American Citizens just like Medicare for the Seniors. Even if it has to come out of taxes.

Frankly my insurance rates are sky high. These insurance companies don't care it's all about making money, trying to denied any type of coverage they deem they don't want to cover. If you want these type of service then keep your private get rich insurance company who can decided to keep your coverage or not.

My wife was in a car accident and the darn insurance company we have is so huge they refuse to pay for the EMS that had to pick her up for the accident and drive her to the EMR.. Now we're stuck with $1,000 buck bill..

[DonnyDC]

I think its a little odd that the US is the only commonwealth country to not have universal healthcare...

[Lee Stewart]

It is something they we desperately need, but unfortunately will probably not get due to too many special interest groups that are against it. It takes money out of their pockets.

Can't have that!

[GLOW]

Corporate greed has ties to politicians and Obama and non-corrupt (smart) republicans and democrats probably won't be able to get the ball rolling. Like it or not, I highly doubt that we will ever have universal health care. Like you say Cygnus "its all about bizness"

Personally, I'm all for universal healthcare. The current state of healthcare makes absolutely no sense.

[Cygnus]

Some in US label universal health care as socialism, a no-no, a bad thing...

Originally Posted by DonnyDC

I think its a little odd that the US is the only commonwealth country to not have universal healthcare...

[rbinck]

Originally Posted by Cygnus

What do you think about the recent debates on public health care in US? If you think it won't work, what do you suggest? Or do you think the current health care system is fine?

I think it is too big a can of worms to get solved. No, I don't have a solution.

[Lee Stewart]

Originally Posted by rbinck

I think it is too big a can of worms to get solved. No, I don't have a solution.

We can use the solution that Canada used - a Value Added Tax on goods and services.

[tipstir]

Going to have to happen very soon..

These three professions cost are outrageous just to go and see them.

Eye Doctor
Dentist
Health Doctor

Just to visit the two Eye/Health Doctor is almost $100 bucks just for 20 minutes of their time. Get new glasses the lens and frame is so expensive you could end up spending more that $500 for a pair. Dentist feels like a rip off today.. When I was young it was cheaper to go to the dentist or see a regular doctor. Medicines are also expensive but generics have cut those cost down not by much though.

[Nevada_MO_Guy]

I think the US health care system is set up for making a profit, from the manufacturing of drugs to the increasing fees doctors demand and the necessity of those doctors to have malpractice insurance. Insurance companies never raise their rates.

From watching the documentary movie Sicko with Michael Moore...I know he is biased...it seems that these things have been worked out in other countries, but our Capitalism and free enterprise seems to be fighting any change.

[glennb1]

Originally Posted by tipstir

Going to have to happen very soon..

These three professions cost are outrageous just to go and see them.

Eye Doctor
Dentist
Health Doctor

Just to visit the two Eye/Health Doctor is almost $100 bucks just for 20 minutes of their time. Get new glasses the lens and frame is so expensive you could end up spending more that $500 for a pair. Dentist feels like a rip off today.. When I was young it was cheaper to go to the dentist or see a regular doctor. Medicines are also expensive but generics have cut those cost down not by much though.

It's not going to happen very soon....

Does your Eye Doctor have a sign in his office that say - $100 for 20 minutes ? It's usually so much per visit. Don't you have medical insurance that covers eye care ? My eye doctor visits only cost me the $25 office co-pay fee.

Glasses can be expensive. The frames alone can be pretty expensive. It's up to you to pick cheap or expensive frames, or to get anti-scratch coating, tinting, etc.. Most regular insurance doesn't cover eye glasses. The insurance that covers eye glasses won't pay for tinting, anti-reflective coating, anti-scratch coating. Do you get the Sunday paper ? Watch the ads for 2-for one glasses prices at PearleVision center, VisionWorld, etc...

Don't you have Delta Dental insurance ? A lot of times they cover 50%-%80 of things like crowns, fillings, root canals.

When you were young it was 50 years ago. Prices of things change in 50 years. When you were young it seemed cheaper to go see the doctor or the dentist because your parents were paying for it, not you. When you were young a trip to the doctor and dentist was the same doctor. In some towns at the time you were young the dentist was the town blacksmith and you only went to see a dentist if you needed a tooth pulled.

[tipstir]

Originally Posted by glennb1

It's not going to happen very soon....

Does your Eye Doctor have a sign in his office that say - $100 for 20 minutes ? It's usually so much per visit. Don't you have medical insurance that covers eye care ? My eye doctor visits only cost me the $25 office co-pay fee.

Glasses can be expensive. The frames alone can be pretty expensive. It's up to you to pick cheap or expensive frames, or to get anti-scratch coating, tinting, etc.. Most regular insurance doesn't cover eye glasses. The insurance that covers eye glasses won't pay for tinting, anti-reflective coating, anti-scratch coating. Do you get the Sunday paper ? Watch the ads for 2-for one glasses prices at PearleVision center, VisionWorld, etc...

Don't you have Delta Dental insurance ? A lot of times they cover 50%-%80 of things like crowns, fillings, root canals.

When you were young it was 50 years ago. Prices of things change in 50 years. When you were young it seemed cheaper to go see the doctor or the dentist because your parents were paying for it, not you. When you were young a trip to the doctor and dentist was the same doctor. In some towns at the time you were young the dentist was the town blacksmith and you only went to see a dentist if you needed a tooth pulled.

I only deal with female side of the profession.. They tend to listen more to your needs plus they have a nice smile and a sense of humor well the type I use too. Plus they do remember things about me that I too need have. Tender loving care.. Who else but a woman that looks nice!

Both my doctor's for eye and health charge me the same. I only have co-pay ($20 bucks) for the health doctor but I've seen her bill it's getting higher I think the last time it was $120 for 15 min visit. She usually says why are you here today? I tell her I fell sick? What do you need? I need something to take the pain away and make be better again.. What should I give you? Give me the same like the prior visit. That's it.. Get that Prescription paper and then off to Wal-mart Pharmacy. Then I use the co-pay for the medicines again..

The Eye doctor I only have a spending health account like a visa card can only be use for health stuff (anything in pharmacy department). So eye exam stuff like that is covered. I am lucky that her office and the vision place it attached. They already know me there too the manager. I say listen how much is all of this going to cost me? He told me pick out what you need? So I had said is this the most expensive frames you got! He said yep! This year the cost is much higher. I usually get their 10% off my glasses , frame and lens. Hay you need know the system and how to work it. Plus good to know someone there.

When he had wrote me up I was shocked by the price he gave me. But in all I never seen anyone find so many discounts and I had ended up saving $170 bucks including tax. Good deal 1 year protection on lens with free replacement, glare an etc.. I need two pair one for seeing stuff in the store like text related and one for the PC usage. Otherwise what I type won't make sense to you all.. I know, might still not anyway..LOL

[kamspy]

I'm all for universal healthcare, but my only caveat is that doctors and medical workers are not government employees.

I think the salary a surgeon makes is what sparks some of our best and brightest to learn take up medicine in college.


Not sure if we can keep the competitive pay for doctors along with universal hc.

[tipstir]

Rates to be regulated and fair.. I was in ER in a private room for 5 hours the bill was $5,000 so that's about $1,000 an hour.

[JMS]

Originally Posted by tipstir

Rates to be regulated and fair.. I was in ER in a private room for 5 hours the bill was $5,000 so that's about $1,000 an hour.

"Nothing was seriously wrong, and the hospital discharged her after five hours. The bill came to $8,789.29."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/op...11kristof.html

Yes. I know, it's the NY Times. However, this is interesting due to one person's experience with the US vs. Canadian systems.