A Dangerous Topic - the new health care plan

[Blue Skys]

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Yes, I realize that folks do not ever intend on paying the bills they rack up when they visit the emergency room for a sore throat, and that in the end the cost goes up for everybody to compensate for their neglegance (sp?). Do you know that at wal-mart, if I steal I would be arrested and procesecuted to the fullest extent of the law?

Things need to change, but government run insurance is not the change that needs to happen. They should not take money from my paycheck to pay for people that won't pay their bills. I have to pay my medical bills on my own, noone is paying them for me. What makes my neighbor any different? People need to be held accountable and the rules need to change, not the playing field.

Truly, I do appreciate the candor shown here in these two replies; Unlike many on here, at least they admit their lack of concern for their neighbors possible misfortunes; it's not always "laziness". Their statements do beg the question of how they would feel if some disaster struck and they or their loved ones were without insurance and facing silent suffering and/or death if they could not pay for medical attention.

It would be unfortunate, however, I do not expect anyone to have money taken from their pay checks to help me. If they want to help me, then great, but don't rob them. Why not require medical providers to offer payment plans. Keep it simple. Don't drag my money into it, I have my own bills and my own problems I can barely afford, having yet another tax is just crazy. Plus I didn't say anything about laziness, I just said it's not my problem.

Why not ask, with all the technology the medical field has, why is the most basic of healthcare - preventative medicine - so expensive. Bloodwork, physicals etc. Having government run healthcare will not combat the prices that the doctors are charging, why not regulate that instead, so it will be affordable to more people?

Plus, where is the education. People need to be told eating McDonalds for every meal is unhealthy and will make you sick. If Americans continue on the path they are on now, the cost of treatment for the deseases that are so rampant (diabetes, obesity etc...) will be astronomical, don't lay that cost on me.

 

[DuckyBoys]

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You do realize that both the outgoing head and incoming head of your medical "association" (whatever it is called) came out over the weekend and said the Canada health care system was unsustainable, patients are getting substandard care, and it is about to implode.

Just thought I'd tell ya...

 

[Wifezilla]

 

[australorpchick]

"If folks don't want "socialized medicine" or socialized anything else, then they ought to be willing to stand up and agree to opt out/sign out of their right to receive Medicare and Social Security when they retire."

These are things that we have paid for. As long as I can take out all the money that's already been taken out of my check, what will be taken out in the future and invest it how I see fit, I'll consider this option. However, as it stands now SS will be broke by the time I'm old enough to retire.

However, if the government is obligated to accept the healthcare that they vote on, I'd be willing to consider it. Our government forcing something on the people, that they themselves would not accept, is not right.

 

[PattiXmas]

People need to apply a common sense approach to this "health care" situation. If you look at it from that approach, you will see where it will fail and cause more taxes and more problems.

Let's start with the simple basic approach - ask yourself how long does a person have to go to school to become a doctor. Then ask yourself how much does that education cost. Even when they are a "doctor", they have to continue their education because there is so much more to learn each year as far as treatments go and illnesses.

Now ask yourself how much in rents, nursing staff, office staff, equipment, materials, phone bills, utility bills and such that the doctor's offices spends in a year. Ask yourself roughly how much in bad debts these offices write off in a year. Also ask yourself how much the Malpractice insurance costs a year, the "business" insurance costs.

Most doctors have "negotiated" a price with the major health insurance companies on what they both feel is a reasonable and fair price to charge to be in "network" with the insurance companies. One of the perks about "accepting" certain insurances is that the doctor's have to take a reduced fee from the insurance companies and as long as you are "in network", the doctors take what they can get. If you are "out of network", chances are you will pay a full price and then get a reimbursement from your own insurance carrier in a reduced amount, or the doctors will just work with you and again take what they can get. Even still, this creates even more "overhead" for the doctors offices, as they have to bill out, correspond back and forth with the insurance carriers, and even have to wait for up to 60 days before they see any money. Does the doctors staff wait 60 days for their salaries? Does the utility companies wait 60 days? How about their Malpractice and business insurance? Will they wait? How about the government with their taxes? Nope, none of these places will wait this long without at least applying a late fee/fine. The "negotiated" amount that the doctors receive from Medicaid/Medicare is substantially less then what is allowed from major insurance companies. The amounts aren't even negotiated - it is just what the GOVERNMENT will pay. In some cases, it will take more then 60 days for payment to be received, more paperwork, more red tape, and surprisingly enough, sometimes once the treatments have been done, they will even deny the claim, and that doctor is out once again.

I don't like the high costs of the doctors visits, but I can understand the "overhead" and know why it has to be. A company, yes - you can consider a doctor a "company" cannot survive if it's overhead is higher then the amount of money received. I don't know about you, but at the end of the month, I personally like to end my financial month in the "black" because you never know what the next month will bring. I wouldn't want the Government dictating to me how much I earn, how much I have to give away and making me share what I have worked for. That would be like me coming into your house and taking your big screen TV because it's not fair that I don't have one.

We teach our children to share with others when they are playing together. Would you really like the kid down the block to take your child's favorite play toy and keep it? How would you calmly tell your child that the other kid can have it since they don't have one? Would you child accept that as an answer? I know mine wouldn't, and I have raised them with morals and values. They know that they must share to a certain extend, as long as they have enough to go around. If it is their own special toy/treat, they know not to bring it out.

So in closing, apply some common sense to this "reform". It's not really a "reform" and it is something that won't help us at all.

(Edited to add - I am doing something about my thoughts on this. Hubby and I both signed a petition to our senators/congressmen telling them we are NOT in support. Let's see how well they listen.)

 

[karl lutz]

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Not only have you paid but your employer has matched dollar for dollar every cent you have invested in S.S.so I think if you consider it the gov must fix this before ever incuring any new debt. we as a nation.All "employers & employees" have already invested a huge portion of our lives in that & With no clear vision as to our guarenteed return.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
You do realize that both the outgoing head and incoming head of your medical "association" (whatever it is called) came out over the weekend and said the Canada health care system was unsustainable, patients are getting substandard care, and it is about to implode.

Just thought I'd tell ya...

I don't get substandard care... I go to the doctor, the doctor treats me, it comes out of our taxes. I haven't been to the doctor in a while because I moved and my doctor is kind of far away (a new medical centre just opened up a town over and I had my name on the list of patients I just haven't registered yet lol).

 

[karl lutz]

From the Wall Street Journal
White House shuts Email that collected fishy claims
It seems the white house was collecting the names of people that made fishy claims about obamas health care plan. When Republicans raised concerns about people getting unsolicited emails from the white last week The white house shut it down. When asked what & why they were doing this the white house had no responce!!!! Ask yourself IS FREEDOM under fire from this administration or what???? Is freedom of speech in decline? Are we in COMMUNIST Russia? Where do they get thew right ? I am Entitled by the CONSTITUTION to my private oppinion. GET A CLUE people This admin wants in your private life as bad as a wevil wants in a cotton patch and as reagon said in 61 this bill is just one more step towards total govt control!

 

[RabbitMage]

Tinfoil hats for sale! Only $10.99!

 

[redhen]

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I'll take 4!!