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Do you have $250,000 in cash (http://www.kansan.com/stories/2009/aug/27/health_insurance/ - broken link)? $400,000? Does your wife? I don't think so, since you had to finance a $4600 bill last month. Who pays when you get in an accident and cop out on your bill because you have no insurance?
Answer: the rest of us through higher insurance premiums and government funds for hospitals. Either that or your wife and infant. Most people choose bankruptcy over making payments on a $400,000 hospital bill.
This is a good point Art, but the insurance and health care industries need dramatic reform. You can also throw a bit of blame towards the legal industry that seems to think that every one should get to sue everyone else for every little thing that happens. There was a lot of coverage here in FL a few years ago about fewer doctors choosing the profession due to high costs of malpractice insurance.
I'm self employed with no employees and the last quote I got for health insurance was ~$1000 per month (this was 3 or 4 years ago I'm sure its 1300 or 1400 now). This was for a family of four, mid 30's' in normal health. Who can afford 12k a year for insurance? Most employees have no clue what it costs the employer to provide that 200 a month family plan.
As you can imagine we are self pay, and routinely get discounts from doctors (an $1100 discount from one doctor for setting my sons broken arm last year).
Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey has some very good ideas as well. My ears tuned in when I first heard about his business model, including salaries and healthcare for his employees. Check out his Wall Street Journal article for more details. I hate socialism for many reasons and therefore the policies that lead to its creation and implementation. Yes we need healthcare reform as we need reform in many other areas, however the government should have no part in its operation.
Some people want to boycott Whole Foods Market over what the CEO said. I started shopping there more instead.
So Greenville, being that you're in medical school and whatever's done will directly affect your livelihood, what do you suggest? I hear lots of protests about what's being proposed (the public option) in this national healthcare debate, but very few viable alternatives being put forwarded.
I could type for hours on this topic, but I will try to be as succinct as possible. Here is a sample of what I would like to see happen:
1. Return to the idea that health insurance is reserved for catastrophic events (e.g., bad motor vehicle accident, major surgery, hospitalization, etc.). That is what health insurance was created for, but it has evolved into trying to cover everything from simple doctor visits to medications. As recently as the early 1990s, insurance did not cover medications.
Think about car insurance: you purchase it in case you have a major accident or total your car. You do not buy car insurance and expect it to pay for gas, oil changes, tire rotation, and simple repairs. Routine maintenance is covered by the owner, and there is a real incentive to maintain it well. You have a personal stake in your car, because you know you are likely to run into problems if you don't take good care of it. In other words, you have a sense of responsibility for your car - much more than if someone else gave you the car and was making all payments on it.
Likewise, people must feel a certain level of responsibility for their health. Everyone but the truly health-conscious has to pay something for their medical care to feel a sense of responsibility. One study looked at doctor visits by patients based on how much the visit cost them. People who paid $5, $10, or $20 for doctor visits were much more discerning about their need for medical care if they were paying one of these three prices, as opposed to those who did not have to pay anything (they went to the doctor much more, for things that did not require a doctor visit). Interestingly, there was no difference in the number of doctor visits between those who paid $5 and those who paid $20.
2. Allow interstate competition for insurance plans. This increased level of competition would force insurance companies to lower their prices to a point which most consumers are willing and able to pay.
3. Shift from employer-based health insurance to health savings accounts. Give every individual a tax credit to use toward their own health care. Everyone would know that they have a certain amount of money to spend on their doctor visits each year, and would be forced to use their money wisely. They would also be able to purchase catastrophic coverage through insurance.
4. Tort reform. The amount of malpractice insurance doctors are forced to purchase is absolutely ridiculous. It is way too easy to sue your doctor. Physicians should be held to certain standards, because patients should expect a certain level of competence from their doctor. But aside from major errors or gross negligence, it should not be so easy to sue doctors. Many doctors today make decisions to cover their butt, rather than because it is necessarily in the best interest of the patient. Many times, that expensive MRI doesn't need to be ordered, but it is anyway to be absolutely sure of a diagnosis. That costs the system a lot of money.
5. Remove any and all barriers between patients and their doctors. I long for the days when the relationship between a patient and his or her doctor was sacred and personal. The current environment in medicine prevents doctors and patients from truly forming a close relationship. We need more time for patient visits, more open-mindedness by doctors when it comes to treatments, and the ability to do what is best for the patient. That is not possible these days, and it's a shame.
Greenville, do you really expect me to read all of that? Where's the cliffsnotes version? LOL. That's Obama supporters for you. Too lazy to read things like bills before they vote on them.
Do you have $250,000 in cash (http://www.kansan.com/stories/2009/aug/27/health_insurance/ - broken link)? $400,000? Does your wife? I don't think so, since you had to finance a $4600 bill last month. Who pays when you get in an accident and cop out on your bill because you have no insurance?
Answer: the rest of us through higher insurance premiums and government funds for hospitals. Either that or your wife and infant. Most people choose bankruptcy over making payments on a $400,000 hospital bill.
I didn't finance anything; I negotiated a reduced rate for all of the bills and paid them in full. Art, it sounds like you walk through life in fear; that's no way to live my friend.
I didn't finance anything; I negotiated a reduced rate for all of the bills and paid them in full. Art, it sounds like you walk through life in fear; that's no way to live my friend.
I don't have health insurance. a few weeks ago, while on a camping trip with the mens group from my church I was rushed to the ER. They thought it wa appendicitis, then kidney stones, then finally gall stoness. Long story short I was released after about 4 hours; after a cat scan, ultra sound, blood work, urinalysis, etc. Total bill including hospital, lab work, physician, etc, came to about $4600 . So what did I do? I simply called up the financial aid/business office and set up a payment plan.
You still haven't answered the question about what happens when your bill ends up being $400,000 instead of $4,6000. Who pays for that when you can't?
I have to say that, even though i am a liberal democrat, i have been very impressed with Rep Inglis. I disagree with him about the policies, but i think he is thoughtful, smart, and classy. He really listens and he really thinks about things. I have really appreciated his approach to legislating, to the point that I called his office a few times to say thanks.
I could type for hours on this topic, but I will try to be as succinct as possible. Here is a sample of what I would like to see happen:
Greenville, I would have posted your whole quote but I figured people can read it above if they like. I love this idea! Being a 27 year old male who hasn't visited the doctor in over 10 years, but has still paid for insurance, something like this would more than suit my needs!
One thing I do wonder is how would this suit older folks, I mean I assume there are government programs already in place for the elderly, but i'm not sure your plan would work for everyone.
Please stop the personal useless banter(Art, Sonrise) not accomplishing anything and this thread was off to a great start before it happened, you obviously have two very different points of view and if you care to debate with each other I implore you to do it privately. I am very interested in this topic and would love to read more peoples views on it, but I will report it if the crap doesn't stop.
Thank you, NoodlesKnowles, I'm glad someone else felt the same way about the direction this was going.
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