We are going to HAVE TO fix our healthcare system at some point.
If I have a job and I can afford my insurance, along with CO-pays and deductibles, etc., I want to keep it. That is getting harder b/c our CO-pays are high and deductibles are high. Also many hospitals are not providing services unless the CO pay or co-inurance is paid up front. they used to ok with billing you ,but more and more it is pay first or no MRI no xray, etc. My husband had a surgery a few years ago and they were badgering him about money on the way to surgery. They forced me to sign a paper saying we would make payments on the amount not paid by insurance before they would take him to surgery. We've have had to forgo needed treatments. Recently he needed pain relief. The doc was contracted by our insurance company, but the surgery center was not. We had to change docs b/c we could not afford the out of network payment for the surgery center. The doc would not help us find another doc, I had to take my husband to another doc (one I knew) so he could refer us to a doc and surgery center who was contracted with our plan) This is a nasty secret that many people do not know. They call to see if a docs office will "take" their insurance. The office says yes, or the radiology center says yes, or the surgery center says yes. What they mean is "yes" well take the insurance, but we are not contracted, i.e., we will bill you for what the insurance does not pay. It is scary out there. Dentists use this trick all the time. So the key word is : ARE YOU CONTRACTED WITH MY INSURANCE? Also, beware the anesthesiologist. They are seldom contracted with your plan, they do this on purpose. You seldom choose your anesthesiologist, they are just given to you. They are usually the one that works with the hospital or the doc. You will receive a bill from them and to your surprise, it won't be fully covered by your insurance b/c they are not contracted, they are out of net work. So many of them just basically are out of network for everyone that way they can receive a higher amount of money, they hope. Your insurance CO (when you complain about this) will tell you that "you chose' the anesthesiologist, but actually you did not. You were given one. So know they are going to make it your fault that the anesthesiologist is not contracted. You should know his stuff.
Insurance is horrible, but it is all we have, now. Thaks to greedy lawyers, we are all suffering.
I would not for one-second want the kind of care those on Medicare and especially Medicaid receive. Medicare does not have a terrible stigma, i.e., it is usually reserved for elderly, but also we have many disabled that are on it too. But Medicaid, well there is a definite stigma for that. Check and see with your docs and see how many of them actually will see either Medicare or Medicaid. It used to be fairly standard that all docs "took" Medicare, but not now. Many are "opting out." B/c of low benefits and just the hassle of dealing with the government. My own doc opted out b/c he said there was too much paperwork and if you made one little mistake, it was like dealing with the KGB. In the long gone past they may have received equal care, but not know. They seldom actually see a doctor, they see physician assistants, or maybe a nurse practitioner, or maybe just a medical assistant. They do get substandard care. They see docs just out of medical school who really are "practicing medicine" ( and don't tell me this does not happen, nursing students came in to"practice" starting IV's on my dying comatose father. When I found out-well I was livid. Also even though i have regular insurance, I recently was forced to see physican asistants, etc . This generally not provide a good level of care.(i did have one NP who was very good)
There should be some kind of back up healthcare/dental care for persons who cannot afford a doc. I can't see a dentist now b/c well, you know how well dentistry is covered by insurance, a lot of it at 50%. I don't think I should have to pay for those who refuse to work when they can. Currently we have in our town a bunch of the katrina victims. They are all 'hanging out" at a local apartment complex. They have turned what used to be a decent complex into a Ghetto. Most of the original residents have or in process of moving. The complex was more or less safe until they moved in. Recently someone was held up at gun point while taking trash out to the dumpsite in daylight. One of them (katrina victims) was recently asked why they were not looking for a job and the reply was more or less, no way man, the government owes us this and we are going to get as much as we can. we are on vacation. Do I care or feel responsible if these people get healthcare-NO but b/c they ARE b/c they getting welfare, so they do have healthcare? Sucking off the government tit.
Lady Lee, had to wait for at least a year (correct me if I'm wrong-I know someone will) or more for a freaking MRI. She was in really bad pain but could not get the drug she needed, not approved by her country. Thank Goodness she got her disability.
Surely there is a healthcare system out there that will provide for those who truly can't afford it and allow for those who can to choose.
