POLITICAL! Ladies, your breastpump is gonna be more expensive!

gigiB

Read the bill.  I have and it scared the pants off me! 

I agree that there should be some type of health care reform, but the bill in the house panders to unions, and does nothing for tort reform.  Tort reform is a key to lowering health care cost but nothing in the bill. 

The bill is insane.  Really.  Take some time to read it.

I work for Childrens and I have yet to run across a DR that thinks this could be any good.  Most of them are deeply worried about the kids they care for. 

Mrs.PeachyKeen

I have an HSA which is a newer type of plan.  I bascially pay all of my medical expenses out of pocket until I reach my deductible ($4k for a family).  I do only pay the negotiated rate and my company gives me $2k a year to help with the deductible.  This is in addition to my normal monthly rate.  I am constantly amazed at the difference between the amount I owe and the original charge.  Recently,  I had a routine urinalysis at my most recently ob appt.  I only owed $4.94, but the original charge was almost $300.  How should the pee stick that they use and the paper cup equal $300 worth of services?  I think that is the issue with the medical system.  I am not sure how anyone without insurance is expected to pay some of the crazy charges. 

This being said I don't feel like that I should go and have a baby and pay nothing when I leave either.  Insurance really is a policy to help cover expenses when something happens.  You get car insurance in the event of an accident, why do we view that health insurance should be any different? 

A&JNelson

The thing you don't hear is the people in Canada and UK (for example) with socialized medicine and they are dying and are refused healthcare.  For instance... my 37 year old Aunt who has battled cancer for 4 years now... and the government has said she has been given all the treatment they can give.... NOT because there are no further treatments but because the Canadian government no longer wants to pay? Or when my grandfather at 75 was refused treatment for his second battle to cancer... because of his age....

And some of you think this will be a great thing. I can agree? cutting back on the expense would be nice? but if my child were to get sick? or my husband? or parent? it wouldn?t be so nice to be on a ?waiting list? for treatment... have a shortage of great doctors? or be refused treatment.  You talk to many from the UK and Canada and they do not like their healthcare system. 

*Breast cancer kills 25 percent of its American victims. In Great Britain, the Vatican of single-payer medicine, breast cancer extinguishes 46 percent of its targets.

*Prostate cancer is fatal to 19 percent of its American patients. The National Center for Policy Analysis reports that it kills 57 percent of Britons it strikes.

*?In 2008, the average Canadian waited 17.3 weeks from the time his general practitioner referred him to a specialist until he actually received treatment

maykat

Mrs.PeachyKeen:

I am constantly amazed at the difference between the amount I owe and the original charge.  Recently,  I had a routine urinalysis at my most recently ob appt.  I only owed $4.94, but the original charge was almost $300.  How should the pee stick that they use and the paper cup equal $300 worth of services?  I think that is the issue with the medical system.  I am not sure how anyone without insurance is expected to pay some of the crazy charges. 

I agree with this--I think this is the root of the problems with the health care system.  Also, can someone tell me why a percoset in the hospital is $120 with same insurance, but is only 30 cents when I leave and get a Rx filled at CVS?

Also, we just shelled out $2200 for a helmet to fix my infant daughter's flat head and face. The company told me that it will be $2200 out of our pockets if the insurance won't cover it but if they do, they will charge the insurance company $3600?  What's up with all the funny money changing hands.  None of this is operating by basic economic principles and this is why there needs to be some type of reform.

Oh and there's a 90% chance that the insurance company will NOT cover the helmet--why because 1/5 babies have flat heads because we put them to sleep to prevent SIDs...it's considered cosmetic.  I guess I don't understand the difference between having your face reconstructed after a car accident and this.

We also have a HSA plan.  I pay $300 a month to pay for my family.  I have an out of pocket maximum of $6000.  At the end of the year, not including the premiums I've paid out of my paycheck, I will have paid out of pocket $10,000...$2200 for the helmet and another $2500 because an ambulance took my husband to an ER that did not accept my insurance.

This is what is EFFFed up with our health care system---this somes from a Bi-Partisan household!!

Very BITTER over all the $$ I've shelled out when I supposedly have top of the line insurance.

andrea922

A&JNelson:

The thing you don't hear is the people in Canada and UK (for example) with socialized medicine and they are dying and are refused healthcare.  For instance... my 37 year old Aunt who has battled cancer for 4 years now... and the government has said she has been given all the treatment they can give.... NOT because there are no further treatments but because the Canadian government no longer wants to pay? Or when my grandfather at 75 was refused treatment for his second battle to cancer... because of his age....

And some of you think this will be a great thing. I can agree? cutting back on the expense would be nice? but if my child were to get sick? or my husband? or parent? it wouldn?t be so nice to be on a ?waiting list? for treatment... have a shortage of great doctors? or be refused treatment.  You talk to many from the UK and Canada and they do not like their healthcare system. 

*Breast cancer kills 25 percent of its American victims. In Great Britain, the Vatican of single-payer medicine, breast cancer extinguishes 46 percent of its targets.

*Prostate cancer is fatal to 19 percent of its American patients. The National Center for Policy Analysis reports that it kills 57 percent of Britons it strikes.

*?In 2008, the average Canadian waited 17.3 weeks from the time his general practitioner referred him to a specialist until he actually received treatment

Where are those stats from? I think this is why antectdotal evidence is not a good idea - dh (who was born, bred and lived in the UK until last year) has several family members who have, in the past few years, gone through cancer treatment and never at any point were they told they weren't allowed to get any more. 

 

MLvK

OMG, this is such a ridiculous post to start with, I don't even know why I am responding.    

The healthcare here sucks.   Insurance companies are publicly held companies.  You know what?  They care about making the investors happy with dividends.   This is my opinion, and if Andrea wants to disagree with me, I respect that.   I would love nothing more than to be shown that I am wrong.   Truly. 

Doctors have jacked up their prices to cover their malpractice insurance.  We are a very litigious society.

Pharmaceutical companies are evil.  (Again my opinion)  Every notice when you tell your doctor you have a problem, they write you a script.   I can't sleep.   Here's some ambien.    I don't want to take it.  Help me figure out whats wrong and why I can't sleep.  I want to sleep on m own and not rely on a drug.    My doctor said to me, "Good luck with that."  They love to give us pitocin, epidurals, c-sections.   LOVE!   Its a money making business.   Doctors don't want you to go natural.  They can't charge you for drugs and they have to sit around for a day, or two or more waiting for nature to run its course!  And if they go off duty while you are still laboring?  Guess what, they don't get paid for you.   So they fear monger and tell you, "We have to get this baby out."  You, of course will do what ever it takes for your baby to be safe and healthy.    

Pharm companies spend a lot of money on getting their drug prescribed.   My mom takes a cocktail of drugs every day and her doctors rarely ever ask her what she's already taking, talk to her about how those drugs are going to interfere with a new drug, etc.   Selling drugs is a big business in this country.   Again, publicly held companies.  

Ever notice how expensive it is to be healthy?   To eat right?   Join a gym?   Why is it that food lobbyists are so prevalent in Washington?   Why do the large farms corporate run farms get the government subsidies?     Obesity is a huge reason health care costs are driving up in the US.

We need an answer.  What we have is bad bad bad.   I also do not want to see a socialist system like UK, Canada, or Europe.   But like Jan and Andrea, I am glad my daughter is a dual citizen.  Their system is better than nothing. 

We came back to the states when I was 3 months pregnant and were told it is ILLEGAL for pregnancy to be considered a pre-existing condition.  But of course, every insurance company we spoke with found a loop hole in that and labeled me pre-existing.      Costs would be high for my pregnancy to be covered.   Like $1000/month, high.   Then I had a huge deductible, they wouldn't cover certain things.   So in the end I made the decision to pay out of pocket myself for prenatal care, labor and delivery.  Because it was cheaper than insurance.    Most people cannot afford to pay for that themselves.   It made me sick to think of all the people who may not get any prenatal care because they can't afford to.  

julienandy

Could we keep this board clear of this debate......healthcare is going to go up no matter what happens. 

MLvK

julienandy:

Could we keep this board clear of this debate......healthcare is going to go up no matter what happens. 

ditto this.  

andrea922

MLvK:

OMG, this is such a ridiculous post to start with, I don't even know why I am responding.    

The healthcare here sucks.   Insurance companies are publicly held companies.  You know what?  They care about making the investors happy with dividends.   This is my opinion, and if Andrea wants to disagree with me, I respect that.   I would love nothing more than to be shown that I am wrong.   Truly. 

Doctors have jacked up their prices to cover their malpractice insurance.  We are a very litigious society.

Pharmaceutical companies are evil.  (Again my opinion)  Every notice when you tell your doctor you have a problem, they write you a script.   I can't sleep.   Here's some ambien.    I don't want to take it.  Help me figure out whats wrong and why I can't sleep.  I want to sleep on m own and not rely on a drug.    My doctor said to me, "Good luck with that."  They love to give us pitocin, epidurals, c-sections.   LOVE!   Its a money making business.   Doctors don't want you to go natural.  They can't charge you for drugs and they have to sit around for a day, or two or more waiting for nature to run its course!  And if they go off duty while you are still laboring?  Guess what, they don't get paid for you.   So they fear monger and tell you, "We have to get this baby out."  You, of course will do what ever it takes for your baby to be safe and healthy.    

Pharm companies spend a lot of money on getting their drug prescribed.   My mom takes a cocktail of drugs every day and her doctors rarely ever ask her what she's already taking, talk to her about how those drugs are going to interfere with a new drug, etc.   Selling drugs is a big business in this country.   Again, publicly held companies.  

Ever notice how expensive it is to be healthy?   To eat right?   Join a gym?   Why is it that food lobbyists are so prevalent in Washington?   Why do the large farms corporate run farms get the government subsidies?     Obesity is a huge reason health care costs are driving up in the US.

We need an answer.  What we have is bad bad bad.   I also do not want to see a socialist system like UK, Canada, or Europe.   But like Jan and Andrea, I am glad my daughter is a dual citizen.  Their system is better than nothing. 

We came back to the states when I was 3 months pregnant and were told it is ILLEGAL for pregnancy to be considered a pre-existing condition.  But of course, every insurance company we spoke with found a loop hole in that and labeled me pre-existing.      Costs would be high for my pregnancy to be covered.   Like $1000/month, high.   Then I had a huge deductible, they wouldn't cover certain things.   So in the end I made the decision to pay out of pocket myself for prenatal care, labor and delivery.  Because it was cheaper than insurance.    Most people cannot afford to pay for that themselves.   It made me sick to think of all the people who may not get any prenatal care because they can't afford to.  

Not all insurance companies are publicly held companies - the company my dad ran is not and while I am not going to say the name of it the company is a very large one (not in GA) and doesn't have investors to make happy. I don't care what anyone thinks about insurance companies, I just think it is a quick go to in who to blame in terms of health care.

Also, with the pregnancy thing - there are only 2 individual insurance companies in GA that offer maternity coverage, and they are very up front about that. It has nothing to do with being a pre-exisiting condition but everything to do with the fact that it is a choice you (collectively, not you specifically) made, and they don't HAVE to cover it, they offer it as a convenience, for lack of a better word. We now have maternity coverage through our individual plan through BCBS and I can not deliver in the first 12 months of coverage or they won't pay for it, and the other plan we looked at had the same stipulation. This is very standard throughout insurance. Now, if it was a group plan through work it should have been covered.

I 100% respect everyone's opinions, and am not trying to argue, I just wanted to point out those things.

bulie

donna&ed:

I have a very simple philiosopy on healthcare and any other goods/services for that matter. If you want it, then get it yourself. Nobody should be paying for yours just because you are not working for it.

What still bugs me is that 85% of the American people have insurance. We are catering for the 15%? Really? I am just dumb founded on where our country is moving forward to.  This really makes me mad. Partisan mentality and ego seems to be driving this push rather than the true well being of the citizen.

I agree with this 100%

Louise06

MLvK:

OMG, this is such a ridiculous post to start with, I don't even know why I am responding.    

The healthcare here sucks.   Insurance companies are publicly held companies.  You know what?  They care about making the investors happy with dividends.   This is my opinion, and if Andrea wants to disagree with me, I respect that.   I would love nothing more than to be shown that I am wrong.   Truly. 

Doctors have jacked up their prices to cover their malpractice insurance.  We are a very litigious society.

Pharmaceutical companies are evil.  (Again my opinion)  Every notice when you tell your doctor you have a problem, they write you a script.   I can't sleep.   Here's some ambien.    I don't want to take it.  Help me figure out whats wrong and why I can't sleep.  I want to sleep on m own and not rely on a drug.    My doctor said to me, "Good luck with that."  They love to give us pitocin, epidurals, c-sections.   LOVE!   Its a money making business.   Doctors don't want you to go natural.  They can't charge you for drugs and they have to sit around for a day, or two or more waiting for nature to run its course!  And if they go off duty while you are still laboring?  Guess what, they don't get paid for you.   So they fear monger and tell you, "We have to get this baby out."  You, of course will do what ever it takes for your baby to be safe and healthy.    

Pharm companies spend a lot of money on getting their drug prescribed.   My mom takes a cocktail of drugs every day and her doctors rarely ever ask her what she's already taking, talk to her about how those drugs are going to interfere with a new drug, etc.   Selling drugs is a big business in this country.   Again, publicly held companies.  

Ever notice how expensive it is to be healthy?   To eat right?   Join a gym?   Why is it that food lobbyists are so prevalent in Washington?   Why do the large farms corporate run farms get the government subsidies?     Obesity is a huge reason health care costs are driving up in the US.

We need an answer.  What we have is bad bad bad.   I also do not want to see a socialist system like UK, Canada, or Europe.   But like Jan and Andrea, I am glad my daughter is a dual citizen.  Their system is better than nothing. 

We came back to the states when I was 3 months pregnant and were told it is ILLEGAL for pregnancy to be considered a pre-existing condition.  But of course, every insurance company we spoke with found a loop hole in that and labeled me pre-existing.      Costs would be high for my pregnancy to be covered.   Like $1000/month, high.   Then I had a huge deductible, they wouldn't cover certain things.   So in the end I made the decision to pay out of pocket myself for prenatal care, labor and delivery.  Because it was cheaper than insurance.    Most people cannot afford to pay for that themselves.   It made me sick to think of all the people who may not get any prenatal care because they can't afford to.  

 

I agree completely!