Some interesting comments:
The American Way - to Health
by fulltimestudent 11 Replies latest social current
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jgnat
He makes an intelligent argument.
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GrreatTeacher
We have a "Cadillac" plan as a benefit from my husband's employment. When his union was negotiating a new contract, the company threatened to drop the coverage. They sent us a letter stating that if we wanted to continue the insurance by self paying, it would be $20,000 a year. The contract was signed and we still have the insurance. No cost to us (though certainly part of the compensation package) and we have a $600 deductible, not including doctor's visits which are a $20 copay and not including prescriptions which are a maximum of $25. We also have a mail order pharmacy benefit for maintenance medications which cost $16 for a three month supply.
So, stay out of the hospital and don't need surgery and we have it really good (we don't even have to pay the deductible, just the copays)......until my husband loses his job or the insurance is renegotiated in a new contract.
By contrast, my brother has to pay in to his insurance at his job and he has a $3000 deductible...and they're getting ready to have a baby. So, there goes $3000.
This makes no kind of sense in a developed country.
In other ridiculousness, my husband hurt his back at work and had to have back surgery. It was covered under Workmen's Compensation, but they still sent the bills to us - $100,000 worth.
So, if you want to hurt yourself, try to do it at work.
Also, emergency departments , by law, have to treat everyone. That's why it takes 5 hours to get seen in the Emergency Department, it's clogged with uninsured people with ear infections. But, passing a kidney stone? Sorry, here's a gurney in the hallway so you can lie down while waiting...
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zeb
Yet the current and past Liberal national (read conservative) govts have moved hell and mountains to wreck the health system , Medicare, that a long past Labor (read sort of socialist) govt established.
I pay $4 for a prescription and there are other benefits of being a pensioner that are factored into hm i receive as a pension but that is another matter. The announcer on the clip states that Britain offers the contract for fake hips and the companies have to think about prices before tendering. The same thing is done in Australia with medications and the dept that does this is under immense pressure by the Liberals as they, wish to do away with it and let the 'market forces decide' being their ever present dictum. This would mean thousands of folk on life saving meds would no longer be able to buy them. Massive line ups in ER areas and the service which has been tottering because of sadistic funding cuts finally collapse to 3rd world level.
When 'support staff and nurses get a 4% (note %) payrise so do the highest level of plutocrats in dept castles. One such spent $300,000 renovating his office and was finally moved from his position when public outrage took effect. This guy was on a higher wage to than the Australian Prime Minister so the ultra-level are self serving in the extreme.
But a previous Liberal Health Minister went to the US was presented before a large audience of mainly doctors and he opened up with "We are looking forward to establishing an American style health system in Australia!"... He was booed off the platform.
Funny we never saw that on the news or in the tame press?
But this guy does make some very excellent commentary. Stay healthy, do walks, turn the idiot box off, avoid stress, get proper sleep.
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LisaRose
He makes me a a lot of sense. I think the ACA was designed to address some of these issues, but it got so watered down by the time it passed it didn't help. Maybe now that it has gone into effect without the death squads and meltdown of the healthcare system some of the other parts of it can get passed as well.
In my area they found that the same procedure can cost very different amounts, to the point that it's ridiculous, obviously something is wrong. I have had the pleasure of going to the county hospital emergency room on a Friday night. It was obvious that a lot of those people could have been taken care of by a regular doctors office. It's so inefficient, some people were being treated in the hallway, they didn't have enough beds. My husband was being treated, I left for five minutes to get something to eat, when I came back he was gone and the bed was made up like he was never there. They told me he was discharged, but since I had the keys to the car where would he be? He had actually just been moved to another room, but everyone was so overworked and rushed they couldn't take the time to help me. I felt like I was in the twilight zone.
Now, the only other hospital (Doctors) on this side of the county is failing, they have too many Medicare patients, as its mostly lower to middle income residents. They don't have enough private patients to make up the loss. All these will now go to the already overworked county hospital, but its a half hour drive away for most of them, which can't be good in an emergency situation. Our only option (other than the county hospital) is the military hospital or another private hospital, both 45 minutes to an hour away. People are trying to save Doctors, but it's really difficult with the way our healthcare system is set up. Medicare doesn't pay enough, so the hospitals have to charge private patients much more, if there isn't enough of them, the hospital fails.
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villagegirl
I am Canadian, apparently I need to go outside and kiss the ground
of my native country and burn incense to my red maple leaf flag.
Thank God I am in Canada. Thank you Canada, the True North Strong and Free,
well back to the hockey game. No co-pays here, all is well and we have the Queen
looking over us, God Save the Queen. I feel so safe, really, seriously, I do.
What foresight I had, to arrange to be born in Canada.
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Mikado
I was very ill with a serious infection and had to visit the ED of a local hospital a fortnight or so ago. I had first class treatment, several injections and tablets, all wonton the hour and was sent home much more relieved, all in all, I was forty dollars out of pocket, I LOVE Australian socialized medicine...
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villagegirl
Careful Mikado don't use the word "socialized" around Americans,
they beieve it is worse than witchcraft, the very mention of the word
will send Republicans with torches to march on the Whitehouse -
Oh wait a minute, we Canadians already did that, in 1812, when we
marched on Washington and burned down the Whitehouse,
my profound apologies to all Americans. But I think they wrote
it out of American history books, like several other embarrassments.
(the rebuild seems fairly fireproof.)
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prologos
There is something wrong making the most urgent need of humans, health care, a means of profiteering. shame on the first aid station that charged the samaritain for the services to the man he helped.
But i am with the girl in that canadian village.
I came to canada 60 years from a country that had government supported universal health care as far back as the US had the Watch Tower. Now Canada has it too, and it is a blessing.
we were those hapless private hospital patient in the US though. made to pay dearly. but
if you are a destitute alien, you might get a free heart transplant, and if it fails ( through faulty blood typing), you can have the temerity by the survuvors to sue for damages. it has happened.
Health? the Amway?
Pay.
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AudeSapere
(Marking)