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Gail Heriot on Harvard Medical-Bankruptcy Study on National Review Online (http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/heriot200502110735.asp - broken link)
"Buried in the study is the fact that only 27 percent of the surveyed debtors had unreimbursed medical expenses exceeding $1,000 over the course of the two years prior to their bankruptcy. Presumably 73 percent — the vast majority — had medical expenses during that two-year period of $1,000 or less. Had that figure been recited up front, it would have been obvious that the proportion of bankruptcies driven by unmanageable medical debt was nowhere near half."
That's misleading and Heriot knows it. People don't file bankruptcy because they had medical expenses within the two years previous to filing. They file because they had excessive medical bills for years (and possibly a loss of employment) and have reached the point that they can no longer struggle to try to pay the bills.
Nevertheless, even she allows that 28% of the people filing for bankruptcy are doing it because of medical debt and that "Some bankruptcies are caused by crushing medical debt."
I think things were worse in 2007 than they were in 2005.
Okey dokey. Here is a refutation of that study.
"The study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, concludes that "62 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007 were medical." In fact, though, the survey on which it’s based asked respondents if medical expenses or problems were one of “a number of different reasons” for their bankruptcy. (“People file for bankruptcy for a number of different reasons. Why did you, or a spouse or partner, file for bankruptcy? Check all that apply.”)"
"Again, the lead author, Dr. David Himmelstein, is a co-founder of the “Physicians for a National Health Program,” an advocacy group calling for a “public or quasi-public” single-payer health system. One wonders whether other researchers, with other perspectives, might have presented the data differently."
"The study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, concludes that "62 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007 were medical." In fact, though, the survey on which it’s based asked respondents if medical expenses or problems were one of “a number of different reasons” for their bankruptcy. (“People file for bankruptcy for a number of different reasons. Why did you, or a spouse or partner, file for bankruptcy? Check all that apply.”)"
"Again, the lead author, Dr. David Himmelstein, is a co-founder of the “Physicians for a National Health Program,” an advocacy group calling for a “public or quasi-public” single-payer health system. One wonders whether other researchers, with other perspectives, might have presented the data differently."
I disagree with the findings. I'm being forced into file bankruptcy due in part to medical but my coverage is excellent and have a small co-pay. I'm still being treated and no longer can do the work I was performing after surgery. The problem is I lost my job after six months of being out of work (FMLA only protected me for 2 months). Living on 60% of your salary, its hard to make ends meet. So yes, Medical was a cause but not for the reasons the report would assume.
No one is saying healthcare costs are not a factor in some bankruptcies. But those in favor of the bills now in congress must recognize that by distorting the facts hurt their cause. Healthcare induced bankruptcies are wildly exaggerated.
No one is saying healthcare costs are not a factor in some bankruptcies. But those in favor of the bills now in congress must recognize that by distorting the facts hurt their cause. Healthcare induced bankruptcies are wildly exaggerated.
The study's conclusion, by the way is:
Quote:
Illness and medical bills contribute to a large and increasing share of US bankruptcies.
I'm not going to try and refute everything your guy refuting the refuted study tries to refute, but this is one of his major complaints with the study.
Quote:
It’s also not 62 percent. The researchers arrive at that sum by adding in people who do not report a medical reason for their bankruptcy, but fit other conditions - e.g., lost two weeks or more of income because of their or a family member’s illness, or had more than $5,000 in uncovered medical expenses in the previous two years. These people are counted as having a medical problem among the reasons for their bankruptcy even though, when given an opportunity to say so themselves, they did not.
I agree with the study that those occurrence's should count toward their totals.
If you want to edge it down 5%, ok, fine.
Still over half bankruptcies that had a significant contribution from medical expense.
And this caught my eye also:
Quote:
Most medical debtors were well educated
and middle class; three quarters
had health insurance.
Last edited by compJockey; 08-09-2009 at 08:08 PM..
I don't think you are a reasonable person, I think you may just have the most ill thought out posts on the WWW. Have you not heard of deductibles, and that's only if you can beat your health care provider in court and make them pay. This is the largest reason for bankruptcy in the nation. somehow you have turned this into a some kind of perverse post about suicide bombers. Go ahead and have the last word because after this, I'm done writing to you. You are just not ready for prime time.
Further more, the brain police would not know where to look for you. The spelling police should be alerted again. Don't you have spell check? a word here or there we can forgive, but you have about 6 or 7 per post after 3 words, you start looking very unintelligent
Well son, you don't win intelligent conversations by name calling. Besides, I don't sit and peck with two fingers. It takes me about 30 seconds to write the average post I put up. Also, for some reason half the time when I post my letters are being stalled, stopped, as if someone were controlling my ability to type. I know that can be done and I don't doubt that it is being done. So I don't have time to sit around and wait for fve minutes to correct a sentence once it is put up. I don't know if others of you have that problem but if you are a conservative I suspect you do. I don't have this problem anywhere else with my computer so I have to draw that conclusion.
Also, a.s w..e it doesn't bother me that yu don't want to talk to me because what you have to say is about as important to me as not at all.
If there are any genuine people in these fake protests, they've simply been mislead or are angry about something unrelated to healthcare reform.
Then again, maybe they have lived through 60 plus years of American history and are completely unable to think of a single government initiative that hasn't been taken over by government for their own self-serving purposes and wish to keep government from furthering that end.
Poll after poll shows some 85% of Americans have health insurance and of those 80% are happy with their insurance.
Rasmussen, Zogby: Majority now oppose Obama public healthcare plan | Mofo Politics | Hoping Obama Fails (http://www.mofopolitics.com/2009/07/17/rasmussen-zogby-majority-now-oppose-obama-public-healthcare-plan/ - broken link)
Then again, maybe they have lived through 60 plus years of American history and are completely unable to think of a single government initiative that hasn't been taken over by government for their own self-serving purposes and wish to keep government from furthering that end.
Poll after poll shows some 85% of Americans have health insurance and of those 80% are happy with their insurance.
Rasmussen, Zogby: Majority now oppose Obama public healthcare plan | Mofo Politics | Hoping Obama Fails (http://www.mofopolitics.com/2009/07/17/rasmussen-zogby-majority-now-oppose-obama-public-healthcare-plan/ - broken link)
And time after time, its been explained that those results are heavily influenced by people who rarely or never have to deal with their insurance company.
I'd have no complaints either, if I had no experience with insurance companies.
What I've been saying, too. These morons don't know or care what they're protesting, they just want to be a part of the GOP hate machine. Pathetic way to get your rocks off. They are a disgrace to this nation and to democracy. As is the GOP.
I just love the name of this group (fund for the public interest). If it were the public interest, why would you need to pay people to knock on doors?
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