Health Insurance

[JimandChristy 1,689]

I have to say though, while the whole insurance industry here is corrupt - the doctors do have to take some responsibility here.

I guess they are just used to people paying ridiculous money for insurance, therefore there is very little 'low-key' medicine practiced.

Example. My Husband had a swollen foot last month, so he went to a clinic. The first thing they did was 2 x-rays. Then they did a blood sugar test. Then he saw the Dr. who said it might be gout (doubtful). They booked him in for an ultrasound for the following week.

He got 2 different kinds of pills. His foot is now fine - who knows, maybe it was a bug bite. We cancelled the ultrasound appointment. (We paid for all this by the way - our insurance has a very high deductible)

My point is, in Canada, he would have been given the pills first, he would not have had the needless test and the 2 x-rays unless it didn't improve over a week or so.

Goes back to lack of regulation, doctors can do whatever they like if it meant running up the bill so they get a hefty pay check at the end of the month. Some doctors are even "bribed" if that's the right word (given a bonus) by the pharmaceutical company if they can sell so much of their new, pricey drug. However I don't want to tar all the doctors with the same brush, there are some out there who are currently demoralised with the system knowing they've had to send patients away to die because either they didn't have health insurance or didn't have sufficient coverage.

Best way to sum it up for me.

When I go to the doctors in the UK, my doctor says "What can I do for you" and in the surgery around me I see leaflets, posters about giving you advice and help with your health.

When I go to the doctors in the USA, the doctor says "Do you have insurance/money" and in the surgery around me I see advertisements for selling drugs and insurance policies.

We all know Health Care should not be about profit, take it away from the greedy corporations and hand it over to the people of the USA and it's professionals in the Health Care industry.

[JimandChristy 1,689]

There are doctors who take the ethics of their job seriously and will (so far as is possible) battle with the health insurance companies to give a patient the best treatment.

But given that the different health insurance companies have vastly differing plans, levels of coverage and general rules - it necessitates Doctor's practices having these huge numbers of admin staff to manage the bureaucracy.

Could be wrong but in the USA the bureaucracy stuff takes up around 30% of the total bill, in Britain/France/Canada it only takes up around 1.6% of the total bill. There's some cost cutting already, another reason why Americans pay the most per capita for healthcare.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Better get back to work. God help me if I am fired and then get injured.

Actually I shouldn't be laughing at all.

I'd rather I receive all health care money both I and my employer pays in cash. This way if I am ill, I can fly to AUS and receive both treatment and a holiday, without having to worry about what is or is not covered.

What would really work well is a catastrophe plan that covers any emergency needs (say you get shot or go into cardiac arrest) and nothing else. For anything else, I'd rather get it overseas too.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I have to say though, while the whole insurance industry here is corrupt - the doctors do have to take some responsibility here.

I guess they are just used to people paying ridiculous money for insurance, therefore there is very little 'low-key' medicine practiced.

Example. My Husband had a swollen foot last month, so he went to a clinic. The first thing they did was 2 x-rays. Then they did a blood sugar test. Then he saw the Dr. who said it might be gout (doubtful). They booked him in for an ultrasound for the following week.

He got 2 different kinds of pills. His foot is now fine - who knows, maybe it was a bug bite. We cancelled the ultrasound appointment. (We paid for all this by the way - our insurance has a very high deductible)

My point is, in Canada, he would have been given the pills first, he would not have had the needless test and the 2 x-rays unless it didn't improve over a week or so.

Goes back to lack of regulation, doctors can do whatever they like if it meant running up the bill so they get a hefty pay check at the end of the month. Some doctors are even "bribed" if that's the right word (given a bonus) by the pharmaceutical company if they can sell so much of their new, pricey drug. However I don't want to tar all the doctors with the same brush, there are some out there who are currently demoralised with the system knowing they've had to send patients away to die because either they didn't have health insurance or didn't have sufficient coverage.

Best way to sum it up for me.

When I go to the doctors in the UK, my doctor says "What can I do for you" and in the surgery around me I see leaflets, posters about giving you advice and help with your health.

When I go to the doctors in the USA, the doctor says "Do you have insurance/money" and in the surgery around me I see advertisements for selling drugs and insurance policies.

We all know Health Care should not be about profit, take it away from the greedy corporations and hand it over to the people of the USA and it's professionals in the Health Care industry.

Television ads for prescription drugs are illegal in the UK, the idea behind it is that it encourages people to self-diagnose and put pressure on doctors to put them on the brand name drugs they've seen on TV, rather than the treatments that are "best" for their condition.

I always find those ads hilarious morbid - in that they always show people running around under bright sunlight (to prove how active and healthy they are) while a voiceover reads off a list of side-effects that include "dry mouth, depression and death".

Edited May 7, 2009 by Private Pike

[JimandChristy 1,689]

I have to say though, while the whole insurance industry here is corrupt - the doctors do have to take some responsibility here.

I guess they are just used to people paying ridiculous money for insurance, therefore there is very little 'low-key' medicine practiced.

Example. My Husband had a swollen foot last month, so he went to a clinic. The first thing they did was 2 x-rays. Then they did a blood sugar test. Then he saw the Dr. who said it might be gout (doubtful). They booked him in for an ultrasound for the following week.

He got 2 different kinds of pills. His foot is now fine - who knows, maybe it was a bug bite. We cancelled the ultrasound appointment. (We paid for all this by the way - our insurance has a very high deductible)

My point is, in Canada, he would have been given the pills first, he would not have had the needless test and the 2 x-rays unless it didn't improve over a week or so.

Goes back to lack of regulation, doctors can do whatever they like if it meant running up the bill so they get a hefty pay check at the end of the month. Some doctors are even "bribed" if that's the right word (given a bonus) by the pharmaceutical company if they can sell so much of their new, pricey drug. However I don't want to tar all the doctors with the same brush, there are some out there who are currently demoralised with the system knowing they've had to send patients away to die because either they didn't have health insurance or didn't have sufficient coverage.

Best way to sum it up for me.

When I go to the doctors in the UK, my doctor says "What can I do for you" and in the surgery around me I see leaflets, posters about giving you advice and help with your health.

When I go to the doctors in the USA, the doctor says "Do you have insurance/money" and in the surgery around me I see advertisements for selling drugs and insurance policies.

We all know Health Care should not be about profit, take it away from the greedy corporations and hand it over to the people of the USA and it's professionals in the Health Care industry.

Television ads for prescription drugs are illegal in the UK, the idea behind it is that it encourages people to self-diagnose and put pressure on doctors to put them on the brand name drugs they've seen on TV, rather than the treatments that are "best" for their condition.

I always find those ads hilarious morbid - in that they always show people running around under bright sunlight (to prove how active and healthy they are) while a voiceover reads off a list of side-effects that include "dry mouth, depression and death".

Then the doctors give out another drug to counteract those side effects, then another drug to counteract the side effects of the one they gave out previously. All for the sake of greed and profit, just to mention Sicko again, almost like that person who was on 9 different medications when they only needed to be on 4 of them.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I have to say though, while the whole insurance industry here is corrupt - the doctors do have to take some responsibility here.

I guess they are just used to people paying ridiculous money for insurance, therefore there is very little 'low-key' medicine practiced.

Example. My Husband had a swollen foot last month, so he went to a clinic. The first thing they did was 2 x-rays. Then they did a blood sugar test. Then he saw the Dr. who said it might be gout (doubtful). They booked him in for an ultrasound for the following week.

He got 2 different kinds of pills. His foot is now fine - who knows, maybe it was a bug bite. We cancelled the ultrasound appointment. (We paid for all this by the way - our insurance has a very high deductible)

My point is, in Canada, he would have been given the pills first, he would not have had the needless test and the 2 x-rays unless it didn't improve over a week or so.

Goes back to lack of regulation, doctors can do whatever they like if it meant running up the bill so they get a hefty pay check at the end of the month. Some doctors are even "bribed" if that's the right word (given a bonus) by the pharmaceutical company if they can sell so much of their new, pricey drug. However I don't want to tar all the doctors with the same brush, there are some out there who are currently demoralised with the system knowing they've had to send patients away to die because either they didn't have health insurance or didn't have sufficient coverage.

Best way to sum it up for me.

When I go to the doctors in the UK, my doctor says "What can I do for you" and in the surgery around me I see leaflets, posters about giving you advice and help with your health.

When I go to the doctors in the USA, the doctor says "Do you have insurance/money" and in the surgery around me I see advertisements for selling drugs and insurance policies.

We all know Health Care should not be about profit, take it away from the greedy corporations and hand it over to the people of the USA and it's professionals in the Health Care industry.

Television ads for prescription drugs are illegal in the UK, the idea behind it is that it encourages people to self-diagnose and put pressure on doctors to put them on the brand name drugs they've seen on TV, rather than the treatments that are "best" for their condition.

I always find those ads hilarious morbid - in that they always show people running around under bright sunlight (to prove how active and healthy they are) while a voiceover reads off a list of side-effects that include "dry mouth, depression and death".

Then the doctors give out another drug to counteract those side effects, then another drug to counteract the side effects of the one they gave out previously. All for the sake of greed and profit, just to mention Sicko again, almost like that person who was on 9 different medications when they only needed to be on 4 of them.

There was one on the other night for (I think) a brand of sleeping pills - one mild pill that you take to go to sleep and another slightly different drug to keep you asleep if the first one wasn't enough.

2 prescription charges right there...

[Dr. Obvious 49]

But given that the different health insurance companies have vastly differing plans, levels of coverage and general rules - it necessitates Doctor's practices having these huge numbers of admin staff to manage the bureaucracy.

I always wondered a bit about that. I had to go for a short time without health insurance. Absolutely no doctor would take me for an extremely simple problem despite the fact that I did have the cash to pay them up front, no problem. They'd rather chase pennies with the insurance company than take my cash? Really?

[catknit 144]

Better get back to work. God help me if I am fired and then get injured.

Actually I shouldn't be laughing at all.

I'd rather I receive all health care money both I and my employer pays in cash. This way if I am ill, I can fly to AUS and receive both treatment and a holiday, without having to worry about what is or is not covered.

What would really work well is a catastrophe plan that covers any emergency needs (say you get shot or go into cardiac arrest) and nothing else. For anything else, I'd rather get it overseas too.

I WISH there were plans like that out there! I've been searching high and low for "something" to cover me while I'm overseas - I have no want for doctor visits or pharma coverage. I want something the counts as continuing coverage so I'm not raked over the coals when I get back AND if I come home for a visit and a tree falls on me I have hospitalization covered!!! That's it - that's all I want and 10 phone calls, 15 emails, 10 online applications and NOTHING fits that.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

My wife had a preventative mammogram carried out. Because she is under 35, insurance won't cover it. So we received a nice bill of $735 for it.

We have the top insurances coverage / policies through Anthem. What cracks me up is that you get screwed when you try to be preventative, then if your not and are diagnosed with something, they screw you again and refuse to pay the bills because then the treatment is too expensive.

Second thing is how the heck does a mammogram cost $735. I just wrote a check to the labs and everyone else asking for a fee but what the heck am I paying insurance for?

Cost in Australia Z E R O.

Cry me a fvckin RIVER!

[HannahP 119]

My wife had a preventative mammogram carried out. Because she is under 35, insurance won't cover it. So we received a nice bill of $735 for it.

We have the top insurances coverage / policies through Anthem. What cracks me up is that you get screwed when you try to be preventative, then if your not and are diagnosed with something, they screw you again and refuse to pay the bills because then the treatment is too expensive.

Second thing is how the heck does a mammogram cost $735. I just wrote a check to the labs and everyone else asking for a fee but what the heck am I paying insurance for?

Cost in Australia Z E R O.

Cry me a fvckin RIVER!

I hope you die slowly and painfully and dumbly, just as you lived.

[JimandChristy 1,689]

My wife had a preventative mammogram carried out. Because she is under 35, insurance won't cover it. So we received a nice bill of $735 for it.

We have the top insurances coverage / policies through Anthem. What cracks me up is that you get screwed when you try to be preventative, then if your not and are diagnosed with something, they screw you again and refuse to pay the bills because then the treatment is too expensive.

Second thing is how the heck does a mammogram cost $735. I just wrote a check to the labs and everyone else asking for a fee but what the heck am I paying insurance for?

Cost in Australia Z E R O.

Cry me a fvckin RIVER!

I hope for your sake you never suffer an illness when your health insurance doesn't give you enough coverage for it and you have to shell out hundreds/thousands of dollars to keep yourself alive. There are thousands of people out there every year who have to face this ordeal, you know its wrong and I know its wrong, comment was very insensitive.

[DeadPoolX 9]

I have to say though, while the whole insurance industry here is corrupt - the doctors do have to take some responsibility here.

I guess they are just used to people paying ridiculous money for insurance, therefore there is very little 'low-key' medicine practiced.

Example. My Husband had a swollen foot last month, so he went to a clinic. The first thing they did was 2 x-rays. Then they did a blood sugar test. Then he saw the Dr. who said it might be gout (doubtful). They booked him in for an ultrasound for the following week.

He got 2 different kinds of pills. His foot is now fine - who knows, maybe it was a bug bite. We cancelled the ultrasound appointment. (We paid for all this by the way - our insurance has a very high deductible)

My point is, in Canada, he would have been given the pills first, he would not have had the needless test and the 2 x-rays unless it didn't improve over a week or so.

Goes back to lack of regulation, doctors can do whatever they like if it meant running up the bill so they get a hefty pay check at the end of the month. Some doctors are even "bribed" if that's the right word (given a bonus) by the pharmaceutical company if they can sell so much of their new, pricey drug. However I don't want to tar all the doctors with the same brush, there are some out there who are currently demoralised with the system knowing they've had to send patients away to die because either they didn't have health insurance or didn't have sufficient coverage.

Best way to sum it up for me.

When I go to the doctors in the UK, my doctor says "What can I do for you" and in the surgery around me I see leaflets, posters about giving you advice and help with your health.

When I go to the doctors in the USA, the doctor says "Do you have insurance/money" and in the surgery around me I see advertisements for selling drugs and insurance policies.

We all know Health Care should not be about profit, take it away from the greedy corporations and hand it over to the people of the USA and it's professionals in the Health Care industry.

Contrary to popular belief, doctors don't make a ton of money -- not anymore. The days of doctors playing golf are long gone and have been for years.

The major problem here are the insurance companies and malpractice lawsuits. Doctors need to order a battery of tests to cover their butts. If they don't and the patient has a problem, the doctor can then be sued for malpractice. Even if the doctor wins the suit, his malpractice insurance premiums will still rise. How much do doctors pay out per year for malpractice insurance? Well, Texas has the "lowest prices" for malpractice insurance that start around $80,000 per year (and that's assuming the doctor has never been sued).

In addition to malpractice insurance eating up money, doctors need to fight with insurance companies to get paid what they charge. Medical insurance can -- and often does -- defer payment (sometimes for months at a time). When medical insurance does pay out, doctors are lucky to see half of what they charged, if that much. Technically speaking, an insurance company could legally pay a doctor absolutely nothing, but doing so would drive doctors out of business, thereby hurting the insurance companies themselves. After all, if no one sees a doctor, then medical insurance is no longer necessary.

Sometimes doctors need to hire additional staff to fight with the insurance companies. My dad did this. He has an extra employee on his payroll just to argue with insurance to get money he's earned.

The medical industry isn't perfect, but the major problem isn't with the doctors. It's the insurance system that not only screws the patients, but the doctors as well.

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

My wife had a preventative mammogram carried out. Because she is under 35, insurance won't cover it. So we received a nice bill of $735 for it.

We have the top insurances coverage / policies through Anthem. What cracks me up is that you get screwed when you try to be preventative, then if your not and are diagnosed with something, they screw you again and refuse to pay the bills because then the treatment is too expensive.

Second thing is how the heck does a mammogram cost $735. I just wrote a check to the labs and everyone else asking for a fee but what the heck am I paying insurance for?

Cost in Australia Z E R O.

Cry me a fvckin RIVER!

I hope you die slowly and painfully and dumbly, just as you lived.

would you like it if he said that to you?

[Niels Bohr 72]

Seriously, I do like to hit them with a massive lawsuit for their fukup.

[rebeccajo 14]

I have to say though, while the whole insurance industry here is corrupt - the doctors do have to take some responsibility here.

I guess they are just used to people paying ridiculous money for insurance, therefore there is very little 'low-key' medicine practiced.

Example. My Husband had a swollen foot last month, so he went to a clinic. The first thing they did was 2 x-rays. Then they did a blood sugar test. Then he saw the Dr. who said it might be gout (doubtful). They booked him in for an ultrasound for the following week.

He got 2 different kinds of pills. His foot is now fine - who knows, maybe it was a bug bite. We cancelled the ultrasound appointment. (We paid for all this by the way - our insurance has a very high deductible)

My point is, in Canada, he would have been given the pills first, he would not have had the needless test and the 2 x-rays unless it didn't improve over a week or so.

Goes back to lack of regulation, doctors can do whatever they like if it meant running up the bill so they get a hefty pay check at the end of the month. Some doctors are even "bribed" if that's the right word (given a bonus) by the pharmaceutical company if they can sell so much of their new, pricey drug. However I don't want to tar all the doctors with the same brush, there are some out there who are currently demoralised with the system knowing they've had to send patients away to die because either they didn't have health insurance or didn't have sufficient coverage.

Best way to sum it up for me.

When I go to the doctors in the UK, my doctor says "What can I do for you" and in the surgery around me I see leaflets, posters about giving you advice and help with your health.

When I go to the doctors in the USA, the doctor says "Do you have insurance/money" and in the surgery around me I see advertisements for selling drugs and insurance policies.

We all know Health Care should not be about profit, take it away from the greedy corporations and hand it over to the people of the USA and it's professionals in the Health Care industry.

Contrary to popular belief, doctors don't make a ton of money -- not anymore. The days of doctors playing golf are long gone and have been for years.

The major problem here are the insurance companies and malpractice lawsuits. Doctors need to order a battery of tests to cover their butts. If they don't and the patient has a problem, the doctor can then be sued for malpractice. Even if the doctor wins the suit, his malpractice insurance premiums will still rise. How much do doctors pay out per year for malpractice insurance? Well, Texas has the "lowest prices" for malpractice insurance that start around $80,000 per year (and that's assuming the doctor has never been sued).

In addition to malpractice insurance eating up money, doctors need to fight with insurance companies to get paid what they charge. Medical insurance can -- and often does -- defer payment (sometimes for months at a time). When medical insurance does pay out, doctors are lucky to see half of what they charged, if that much. Technically speaking, an insurance company could legally pay a doctor absolutely nothing, but doing so would drive doctors out of business, thereby hurting the insurance companies themselves. After all, if no one sees a doctor, then medical insurance is no longer necessary.

Sometimes doctors need to hire additional staff to fight with the insurance companies. My dad did this. He has an extra employee on his payroll just to argue with insurance to get money he's earned.

The medical industry isn't perfect, but the major problem isn't with the doctors. It's the insurance system that not only screws the patients, but the doctors as well.

I kind of disagree with the golf bit. I still see plenty of doctors in the US driving up to the golf course in their Mercedes.

That being said, I never begrudged my Doc a good lifestyle. He spent a lot of money for an education that took a big chunk of time out of his youth. He works hard and in the true spirit of capitalism I say - let him live well.

You are absolutely correct about the cost of malpractice cover and its contribution to the problem. The bit you didn't mention though was brought up in the example of going to the doctor for a swollen foot and receiving x-rays, an ultrasound script, etc.

Doctors and hospitals in the US excessively cover their ####### with tests so the chart is "CYA'd" - i.e. in case you drop over dead from your swollen foot, your chart will contain evidence that the Doctor/Hospital took every conceivable precaution to prevent the calamity. They probably couldn't even GET malpractice insurance if they didn't operate this way.

Edited May 9, 2009 by rebeccajo