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Agree, in part. A guy 2 houses down from me took his wife to the emergency room due to unrelenting stomach pain and gastrointestinal difficulty. 6 hours at the hospital. $27,000 for the hospital, $1,100 for the doctor and $500 for lab work. They are not insured. They knew that going in. Guess what? They are going to get stiffed because she has to file for bankruptcy. The big expense was the CT scan but the drugs they administered were $5,000.00. Mostly pain killers and tranquilizers. The diagnosis? ANXIETY. As I understand it, the law says they cant deny treatment due to inability to pay.
As an expat living in Canada for the last 35yrs and very used to the Canadian healthcare system stories like this are mindboggling, if i were still living in the USA i to would probably be with no insurance due to the pre existing condition of diabetes.
This year i've been having some leg problems and in my doctors attempt to diagnose the problem i've been referred to a vascular surgeon who has put me through 2 blood tests,2 ultra sounds,an echo-cardiogram,an MRI and a CT scan,cost for the 7 visits? $6 each time for parking.
Final diagnosis? Jim lose 70lbs
Cost tax wise to support this system of healthcare? about $50 per paycheck for some one making $50K per year, no paycheck? you're still covered, terms like Pre existing conditions,copays,caps,cobras are unheard of up here, if you are breathing and have a Canadian healthcare card =You're covered.
Yes, it's political hype. Everything seems to be political hype these days, especially in Florida. It's hard to know what's really going on these days, but it's possible. Avoid the big media outlets like the plaque that they are and do research via the web or at the library. Talk to people. Keep your eyes open. That sort of thing. Don't believe anything anyone tells you until you check it out for yourself. Health care varies so much from city to city (much less from state to state) that it's impossible to generalize about it. One person has full coverage for a reasonable cost, another has lousy insurance w/ high cost. It's a broken system, and if you find a good clinic or doctor, stay where you are. Fear and lies get people riled up, and allow corporations to take advantage of them. Just spend some time researching things yourself and come to a reasoned and intelligent conclusion. Occasionally you can get some good info here, but in general, internet forums are full of knee jerk reactors and chicken little types. Like everything, you just have to take the time to sift through things to find something true. You'll certainly know it when you see it. It's worth the trouble. When people are fearful and nervous about their health, their emotions often lead to bad decisions, and no one knows this better, or exploits it better, than politicians and/or corporations.
Problem in America today is a certain demographic and its media is so anti Obama that there kneejerk reaction to any thing he says or does is to go in a completely opposite direction,if he says something is white they'll insist its black, it gets to absurd levels when he institutes an affordable health care plan that will help millions but this anti Obama demographic whines and belly aches about it bankrupting the country, its the end of America, healthcare prices will rise 300% etc.
The consequences to this anti Obama stance is akin to shooting oneself in the foot as it only hurts Americas efforts to become more prosperous ,this Anti Obama demographic couldnt care less about America their only objective seems to be obstruct, filibuster, vote no to anything the President comes up with to try and better the American situation then they whine that the President isnt doing anything.
Hilarious all these people loving Obamacare and not even concerned that the REAL THINGS that would have changed health care tremendously were purchasing insurance interstate and tort reform. Which the Lawyer In Chief refused to address.
Tort reform? NO THANKS! If my doctor cuts off the wrong finger, you can bet your ass I am going to sue the hell out of him, and I deserve every right to do so. Conservatives like to screw the working poor enough when it comes to healthcare and they have preached about tort reform for a decade to further burden the people.
Here's a tip. BEfore you go to a doctor ask how much it's gonna cost. It's not rocket science.
Sounds to me like you were VERY uninvolved in your own "recovery".
And LOL the doctor not telling anyone about antibiotics. Of course they do. Because for one thing, it makes birth control pills ineffective. Secondly, they tell you to do probiotics with them. Even veterinarians do, and every time they offer a probiotic the client complains they just want to rip them off. Sorta like you.
If you're so against meds why did you even GO to a doctor for the knee to begin with and say NOTHING about not getting an exray or whatever your complaint is.
I don't even understand what you're complaining about. You didn't like the $40.00 co pay? Or the $10.00 RX? And in my entire life I've never seen a doctor bill list two different prices one with insurance and one without. I call BS on that.
Doctors offices are rarely able to tell you a price for services. I scheduled an appointment in November just two days ago and asked an estimated cost. The lady gave me a range of prices depending on what the doctor wants to have done.
The 300% projection is coming out of a rate letter sent by Humana in KY and their recent rate increase filing.
Your link has nothing to do with the projected costs of insurance, either traditional or through exchanges, especially since they're not up and running yet.
You have no way of knowing what policies will cost in the future either.
MY insurance is going to be income taxed by Obamacare as a "Cadillac" policy and it applies to hundreds of thousands of employees/retirees from my company which proves you WRONG. Obamacare is costing us PLENTY, considering that my cost right now is ZERO.
You're also completely ignoring the level of care that will be available through insurance plans especially exchanges. Just because you may be able to buy some half a$$ed basic or catastrophic plan for what YOU consider to be "reasonable" doesnt mean that the coverage is equal to what was available BEFORE Obamacare and the IPAB - formerly called death panels.
Why wouldn't medical care under ObamaCare go up. There was nothing in ObamaCare that addressed costs. Even the post passage of the ACA removed from the talking points--any cost savings.
Doctors offices are rarely able to tell you a price for services. I scheduled an appointment in November just two days ago and asked an estimated cost. The lady gave me a range of prices depending on what the doctor wants to have done.
Nonsense. Like in the knee pain thing. You know what an office visit costs. Once you get there you chose what you authorize to have done.
WHY SHOULD YOUR BODY BE DIFFERENT THAN A CAR INSPECTION??
I went to a dermatologist and reviewed ALL my insurance with them. I allowed her to remove 3 skin things. Then I got a bill for it. I disputed it and found out they filed it wrong.
Grow up, people. Stop expecting the external world to manage your affairs.
Why wouldn't medical care under ObamaCare go up. There was nothing in ObamaCare that addressed costs. Even the post passage of the ACA removed from the talking points--any cost savings.
Exactly. Given the whole PLAN is to force the country to eventually chose single payer government "healthcare" of course it's not going to be CHEAPER. For people who actually PAY MONEY and not expect everyone else to pay for them.
Defies logic. If Obamacare is based on younger people buying healthcare but you let them on parents policies until age 26 even MARRIED??? Not to mention they couldn't care less about paying for healthcare instead of an iphone.
Here's a tip. BEfore you go to a doctor ask how much it's gonna cost. It's not rocket science.
Sounds to me like you were VERY uninvolved in your own "recovery".
And LOL the doctor not telling anyone about antibiotics. Of course they do. Because for one thing, it makes birth control pills ineffective. Secondly, they tell you to do probiotics with them. Even veterinarians do, and every time they offer a probiotic the client complains they just want to rip them off. Sorta like you.
If you're so against meds why did you even GO to a doctor for the knee to begin with and say NOTHING about not getting an exray or whatever your complaint is.
I don't even understand what you're complaining about. You didn't like the $40.00 co pay? Or the $10.00 RX? And in my entire life I've never seen a doctor bill list two different prices one with insurance and one without. I call BS on that.
Based on your defensive tone, I take you you work in the highly lucrative medical market? Surely your defending your industry's exorbitant costs and salaries like it's nothing.
No need to "ask what it will cost" I have health insurance, anyways have you ever tried doing that? It's a long drawn out process, "call your insurance provider they say"...point is, the Doctor billed the insurance company $300 for 5 minutes of doing nothing but giving me some expensive drug that PT took care up without. Another Doctor gave me the PT Rx, a Specialist. So your wrong, I was "involved" in my own recovery. The original Doctor was more interested in getting to his afternoon Golf game then giving me 10 minutes of his time, much which is the case with many health professionals, took me a few years to find a good Doctor here, just like everything else many are not good at their line of work.
Nope, Doctor's often do not tell you about "alternative meds" or taking Antibiotics, not in my experience. "Vets" we are not talking pet care here, hello?
I did not have an x-ray, check you spelling again. I was going to get a MRI, but the specialist said it wasn't necessary. Drugs often do not help, but cause worse side effects, not too hard to figure that out. Habit forming and side effects which often can be permanent, no thanks...I only take them when necessary.
I get my statements from my insurance provider, I see what they are billed, and also I used the Rx meds cost based on if I didn't have insurance. Easy to ask the Pharmacist (what does that cost without insurance) they will tell you. It was $10 for me, but $100 for someone without insurance. Do not understand why that is hard to figure out?
You can call "BS" on whatever you want, but be sure your looking in the mirror at yourself when you do it.
As an expat living in Canada for the last 35yrs and very used to the Canadian healthcare system stories like this are mindboggling, if i were still living in the USA i to would probably be with no insurance due to the pre existing condition of diabetes.
This year i've been having some leg problems and in my doctors attempt to diagnose the problem i've been referred to a vascular surgeon who has put me through 2 blood tests,2 ultra sounds,an echo-cardiogram,an MRI and a CT scan,cost for the 7 visits? $6 each time for parking.
Final diagnosis? Jim lose 70lbs
Cost tax wise to support this system of healthcare? about $50 per paycheck for some one making $50K per year, no paycheck? you're still covered, terms like Pre existing conditions,copays,caps,cobras are unheard of up here, if you are breathing and have a Canadian healthcare card =You're covered.
This is why health care is now a business. If you have good insurance you'll be put through all sorts of tests. If someone is 70 pounds overweight wouldn't that be a hint that it could be causing leg problems? I'm sure all the tests are ordered because medical care is now about CYA. My doctor put me on a medication. A couple of months later I was having an issue. She sent me for all kinds of tests. Meanwhile I stopped the medication and the issues went away and haven't been back since. It's sad and scary that medicine isn't practiced to the best outcome for the patient, but it's tilted to the best outcome for insurance companies and protecting the doctor treating you.
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I'm sure all the tests are ordered because medical care is now about CYA. My doctor put me on a medication. A couple of months later I was having an issue. She sent me for all kinds of tests. Meanwhile I stopped the medication and the issues went away and haven't been back since. It's sad and scary that medicine isn't practiced to the best outcome for the patient, but it's tilted to the best outcome for insurance companies and protecting the doctor treating you.
