I lvoe my new job, but some calls are just depressing

[Mattemma]

We have insurance through my dh's job,and I still seem to pay more out of pocket than the insurance company does.They always are rejecting claims.Lol,my doc gets mad at me for not going in,but I refuse till I have the last visit paid for.Once I pay off one medical bill I get another,so it never really ends.

 

[domino7]

I call insurance government sanctioned extortion.

 

[annanicole18]

A lot of states offer health care for just the kids if you are within a certain income level or meet other criteria. I'm sorry but I feel that anyone who has the ability to work should have to pay for their health care. Just because hospitals charge a lot doesn't mean the Doctors who work there make a lot. Heck the doctors only get paid for the work they do if the hospital gets paid in many hospitals. I live in an area where the ratio not paying is ridiculous. The people got the service they should have to pay the doctors and nurses worked hard to go to school to work in a profession that everyone needs and is hard work not to mention the liability of getting sued these days. Only children, the elderly, and disabled should have free health care. These homeless adults need to use the resources that are widely available to them to change their life if they even want to. I'm of the younger generation and i value the fact that my husband and I work hard to have nice things and to make sure that we get the care we need in the event of an accident and are not sitting around dying wait for apathetic doctors to get around to seeing us.

 

[ebwy]

actually I should point out that here in the UK we do pay for our healthcare - in our taxes. For example anything that the government defines as a "luxury" (and that includes such things as ..erm... feminine sanitary products, and shoes for adults etc) we pay 17.5% in Value Added Tax on when we buy it. About the only things I'm sure we don't pay that on are children's shoes & clothes, and food. And everyone pays that, as it's added on automatically in the prices we pay when we buy things. Other things have different taxes on them, which I'm told are higher than the taxes in the USA (no idea, I don't really keep track).

When you earn money, it's taxed heavily before you get it. You put it in the bank, more taxes on it while it's there. then when you die, they tax your beneficiaries for recieving the money you've saved up, then there's tax on the money in the new owner's bank accounts....

But because it's taxes we pay anyway, we don't get a huge bill for our healthcare (unless we chose to pay to go to a private hospital etc)

 

[RabbitMage]

Quote:
By the grace of a loving friend I'm not homeless. I am without a job, waiting on a disability application to go through, coasting on my tax return money and some meager savings. I do not at present have health insurance, haven't had it for the last six years, and have not ever qualified for any assistance in that time. IF my disability is approved I might qualify for something, but I don't count on it. I don't personally know anyone in my age group who has or can afford insurance, and I know very few of us qualify for any help.

There's more than 'the homeless' and 'the well employed'. There are scores of people who are underemployed, or working two+ part time jobs, or are students, or are in some situation that leaves a gap in their coverage and in many cases there is nothing for these people to fall back on.

 

[amyparrotflock]

Quote:
It's not just the patent, most pharmecuetical companies spend years of time and millions of dollars in research before the drugs will even see clinical trials part/stage 1. Only 1 in 5 will get this far,fewer will see human clinical trials, and even fewer will be approved by the FDA. so in a world that isn't perfect and since they aren't all run by the government, but rather private companies I think they have the right to try to re-coup at least SOME of the funding spent on research. Once you stop the research, you stop new drug development, and don't make any further advances in field.

One way to help defray costs is that most of big pharma says they will help with PPA or another program, but to qualify for them, it's god freakin' redicolous! A friend of mine has her inlaws living with her, and when they hit the donut/loop hole, she has to loan them money because on retirement they MAKE TOO MUCH to qualify! These people wouldn't be able to afford a roof over their heads, or food if they didn't have family!

The government could subsisidze some of the research or share it between companies rather than pitting each of them against each other, but hey thats the advantage of a free market, right?!. Some of the smaller companies would eventually fail because they lack the manpower to be able to keep up with big pharma.

I truely understand the frustration of not being able to afford the drugs (i'm currently unemployed) but I do also see the other side of the coin.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
And I also "care about my health"

Hence the reason I have learned how to care for all the basics, and we learned how to support my husbands Type 1, so that he no longer has the familiar associated issues, such as slow healing, infections, etc.

We even have reversed most of his neuropothy!

How? By eating all those foods the government and scientists tell us are bad for us.
Raw milk, real cod liver oil, organ meats, butter, lard, coconut oil. You name it!!
We also use probiotics liberally!

In Alaska, if you do not have insurance (which we cannot because of dhs type 1) it costs $250 just for an initial visit!!!

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

I recall at the last hearings, that our president stated that he is willing to talk about all aspects of the Bill.
He also stated that the health bill would not cost anyone anything extra.
But when asked about the line in the bill that states that everyone would see a 12-13% increase in taxes, he immediatly said that was not up for discussion.

 

[Julie08]

.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
If one of them does, that's where I'm moving.