Message to Congress: here is what we want (legal, cost, dollars)
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Those are very good and workable suggestions. Thank you Camping!
The group insurance could be state run - or it could be even a coalition of states within a region, I believe. This would increase the pool.
The situation with folks opting out of coverage . . . that is a really difficult situation to tackle. I am not sure what the answer is. I do know that some people opt out just b/c they don't think they need insurance. That is a wholly different matter than someone who can't make ends meet and so passes on employer-offered insurance.
Yes, that is what I meant - those that opt out not because they can't afford insurance, but because they would prefer to blow the money on other things.
I would like to see insurance companies go non-profit, such as some of the "Blues" and Kaiser. The docs still make enough money.
I would like to see the total elimination of exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
I would like to see the govt. help low-income people with their ins. or a public plan for them.
Re: HSAs, I think you need to be careful. You can buy a stripped down plan, and use your HSA, but if you really get a serious illness., you probably won't have enough in the HSA to cover what the ins. doesn't pay.
I would like to see the elimination of pre-existing condition exclusions by insurers. The way insurance should work is the profitible policies pay for the unprofitable policies. Insurers invest vast sums in actuarial models and the actuaries who build them to predict, quite accurately, the costs of insuring a person with x, y and z properties. Then they tailor policies that will be profitible based on their actuarial findings. Eliminating the risk implicit with insuring those with pre-existing conditions, i.e. a kind of risk, artificially shields the insurers from risk, which is after all their business, and seems an unfair advantage in their favor.
I'd also like to see insurance de-coupled from employment.
I think we all are in agreement about pre-existing conditions - that is simply a construct that ins. companies have devised to minimize their risk. And they use it in very punitive ways.
You know - the history of health insurance and employment is that at one time, they were not coupled. Employers started offering insurance coverage as an incentive to attract workers.
Pretty crazy how all that has worked out . . .
The problem is . . . our employers underwrite some of the cost of healthcare insurance. Therefore, the premiums are lower than they would be if we took out our own individual policy.
I think the only way to get premiums down is to figure out how to lower the cost of the delivery of healthcare. After all, if it costs less than it does currently to see a doc, stay in a hospital, buy pharmaceuticals . . . then the insurance companies don't have to pay as much for those services. As it is, insurance companies contract w/ all these providers (at different rates). This needs to be standardized.
Some other ideas - remove insurance responsibilities from employers and have everyone shop for their own. This would increase competition.
Also - have the government (if necessary) fund "express"-type cheap clinics where people can go if they have minor illnesses. They wouldn't even necessarily have to fund anything other than start-up costs; they could simply agree to fund start-up costs if the clinics were operated according to guidelines for a certain period. This would provide more competition.
Another idea - require physicals every so often to catch problems before they become big and expensive to treat.
Do something to encourage insurance providers to go non-profit.
Hahaha, I just had visions of us doing this, slowly, over the years until everyone is covered thus giving us the Universal Health Care people are so scared of now.
But yes, I agree with what you are saying. I don't know how Medicaid works but I like the graduated payment idea, and copays and deductibles are always a way to control costs too.
I also have looked into HSA's and thing thats a great idea. I'll probably go that route myself.
Well, I have been thinking for several years that a one payor system is the way to go. The thing is . . . who is administering that system.
If the bulk of the revenue is NOT from tax revenue . . . then we have the possibility of creating a system that works for us. If the system is run via tax $$$ . . . then rationing comes into play in order to keep costs down.
I think we all are in agreement about pre-existing conditions - that is simply a construct that ins. companies have devised to minimize their risk. And they use it in very punitive ways.
You know - the history of health insurance and employment is that at one time, they were not coupled. Employers started offering insurance coverage as an incentive to attract workers.
Pretty crazy how all that has worked out . . .
The problem is . . . our employers underwrite some of the cost of healthcare insurance. Therefore, the premiums are lower than they would be if we took out our own individual policy.
I think the only way to get premiums down is to figure out how to lower the cost of the delivery of healthcare. After all, if it costs less than it does currently to see a doc, stay in a hospital, buy pharmaceuticals . . . then the insurance companies don't have to pay as much for those services. As it is, insurance companies contract w/ all these providers (at different rates). This needs to be standardized.
Maybe Kaiser should just run a national health plan, they have the experience
When looking for insurance for myself the HSA's were particularly attractive and SIMPLE. I'll have to do a little more investigating to see what the net annual cost is once you factor in the whole IRA-like savings plan that you own and get to keep forever.
I want my government to stay out of my personal life. Healthcare is personal to me.
If you were robbed or your home caught fire, I'm guessing that would be very personal to you. But I never hear, "I want my government to stay out of my personal life" with regard to police or fire protection. Why is that? From what I see, "I want my government to stay out of my personal life" is nothing more than a talking point with regard to healthcare.
My mother is on Medicare. She sees the same doctor as when she was insured through her employer. My girlfriend has been treated by the VA for close to 30 years now. Neither one feels any government "intrusion." I accompany my girlfriend to the VA hospital on many occassions. It's no different than any other hospital I've seen. There are no government agents spying on you while in the waiting room. A bureaucrat does not lie in wait as you approach the hospital steps. Such claims of govt. intrusion are nonsense.
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I want to control costs myself, which I was able to do through our HSA account. An real example: I was able to negociate the cost I paid for medical services for my son because the specialist knew he was going to get cash and wouldn't have to file paperwork and wait for payment. He was appreciative, I was very appreciate, and I walked away from that entire experience feeling in control of my own money and health. If we had less government and corporate involvement, this could happen.
I disagree entirely. That you acheived this does not indicate everyone can do the same. Furthermore, our current system transfers costs from those who can't pay to those who can. Also, one cannot negotiate a bill of several hundred thousand dollars down to a few thousand. Ain't gonna happen. Can't happen.
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