Health care: Which System?

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Well I've just been lumbered with a $250 bill for a bit of dentistry the wife had done a few months ago. I'm got an outstanding bill for another $300 for a ENT "procedure" I had done. And we're expecting another one for a biopsy the wife had to get last month.

We're probably looking at (at least) the best part of $1000 for little more than diagnostic stuff!

Wow your really gonna be pissed when that 1000 is taken out of your paycheck to pay for your neighbor.

Goddam right, SON! pro government SUCKS!

Who needs services when barry is gonna service YOU for free! With one hand in your CROTCH and the other in your back POCKET!

Meds are obviouslly to expensive too!

MEDS!? Who needs fuckin' meds. Bourbon is the only medecin youll ever NEED!

Damn BOY, I thought you KNEW this!

Your my boy and always will be.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Well I've just been lumbered with a $250 bill for a bit of dentistry the wife had done a few months ago. I'm got an outstanding bill for another $300 for a ENT "procedure" I had done. And we're expecting another one for a biopsy the wife had to get last month.

We're probably looking at (at least) the best part of $1000 for little more than diagnostic stuff!

Wow your really gonna be pissed when that 1000 is taken out of your paycheck to pay for your neighbor.

Goddam right, SON! pro government SUCKS!

Who needs services when barry is gonna service YOU for free! With one hand in your CROTCH and the other in your back POCKET!

Meds are obviouslly to expensive too!

MEDS!? Who needs fuckin' meds. Bourbon is the only medecin youll ever NEED!

Damn BOY, I thought you KNEW this!

Your my boy and always will be.

Pickle sniffing felcher.

[AlHayatZween 2]

At first my kid thought his bill was only $3,600.00 that he had a 20% co-payment, but that was only for my granddaughter. At the request of our kids, either my in-laws or my wife and I spent most of our time as this was their first baby and kind of new to them. We changed her diapers with advice on feeding, a nurse would just pop in now and then to make sure everything was okay. It's not like they did anything to our granddaughter, she was being nursed and didn't even have to provide food. Doc came in to count her toes and fingers. Later my son fell off his chair with a $12,000 bill for his wife.

Was this with or without insurance?

If this is with insurance, i'm going to have to give birth at home with some scissors, KY, and a two sets of pliers.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Well I've just been lumbered with a $250 bill for a bit of dentistry the wife had done a few months ago. I'm got an outstanding bill for another $300 for a ENT "procedure" I had done. And we're expecting another one for a biopsy the wife had to get last month.

We're probably looking at (at least) the best part of $1000 for little more than diagnostic stuff!

Wow your really gonna be pissed when that 1000 is taken out of your paycheck to pay for your neighbor.

Goddam right, SON! pro government SUCKS!

Who needs services when barry is gonna service YOU for free! With one hand in your CROTCH and the other in your back POCKET!

Meds are obviouslly to expensive too!

MEDS!? Who needs fuckin' meds. Bourbon is the only medecin youll ever NEED!

Damn BOY, I thought you KNEW this!

Your my boy and always will be.

Pickle sniffing felcher.

Dont know what that is???????? You, however must know? Have you had it since birth? Is it a pre-exsisting condition?

[AlHayatZween 2]

Wow your really gonna be pissed when that 1000 is taken out of your paycheck to pay for your neighbor.

Rogue, with respect...

i'm already paying for my neighbors... and they get to smoke, drink, and eat as much fast-food as they want...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well I've just been lumbered with a $250 bill for a bit of dentistry the wife had done a few months ago. I'm got an outstanding bill for another $300 for a ENT "procedure" I had done. And we're expecting another one for a biopsy the wife had to get last month.

We're probably looking at (at least) the best part of $1000 for little more than diagnostic stuff!

Wow your really gonna be pissed when that 1000 is taken out of your paycheck to pay for your neighbor.

Goddam right, SON! pro government SUCKS!

Who needs services when barry is gonna service YOU for free! With one hand in your CROTCH and the other in your back POCKET!

Meds are obviouslly to expensive too!

MEDS!? Who needs fuckin' meds. Bourbon is the only medecin youll ever NEED!

Damn BOY, I thought you KNEW this!

Your my boy and always will be.

Dam RIGHT bro!

Music speaks louder than WORDS! lets JAM!

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Wow your really gonna be pissed when that 1000 is taken out of your paycheck to pay for your neighbor.

Rogue, with respect...

i'm already paying for my neighbors... and they get to smoke, drink, and eat as much fast-food as they want...

your paying for the neighbors on either side of you. your gonna be paying for the whole city, if this passes. Show me a skinny welfare recipient?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

So TRUE!

Suckin' on barry's muthafuckin TEAT! So funny to WATCH! theyll all be screamin and cryin when their pocket books are EMPTY an they cant get their fuckin' CAFFAY LATAYS!

[spookyturtle 9,466]

So TRUE!

Suckin' on barry's muthafuckin TEAT! So funny to WATCH! theyll all be screamin and cryin when their pocket books are EMPTY an they cant get their fuckin' CAFFAY LATAYS!

You've got the idiot down to a T.

[DeadPoolX 9]

This is all very fascinating. It seems to me that many in this thread think we should pay doctors what we "feel" they and what they do is worth. This of course pays no attention to the fact they are the only people who could do what they do and we need them.

I also find it interesting that so many want to get paid in full (and presumably what they feel they are worth) while they don't wish to give the same consideration to others.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This is all very fascinating. It seems to me that many in this thread think we should pay doctors what we "feel" they and what they do is worth. This of course pays no attention to the fact they are the only people who could do what they do and we need them.

I also find it interesting that so many want to get paid in full (and presumably what they feel they are worth) while they don't wish to give the same consideration to others.

If you buy a defective product in a store you can return it. If the doctor you pay to fix a problem (like a persistent nosebleed) by cauterising a blood vessel - and the procedure doesn't resolve the problem (or makes it worse), then you're obligated to pay the same amount again for a roll of the dice.

If we're looking at it from a consumer value for money point of view - how is it that someone can charge an apparently arbitrary figure for it?

When I had surgery the out of pocket costs were around $2500. I don't know what they were for - or how that breaks down from what the doctor charges the insurance company, to what I pay at the end.

How do I (or anyone) know that the charges incurred during a hospital visit, or a doctors visit are:

(i) legitimate

(ii) within the acceptable market price for that service

Edited May 14, 2009 by Private Pike

[DeadPoolX 9]

This is all very fascinating. It seems to me that many in this thread think we should pay doctors what we "feel" they and what they do is worth. This of course pays no attention to the fact they are the only people who could do what they do and we need them.

I also find it interesting that so many want to get paid in full (and presumably what they feel they are worth) while they don't wish to give the same consideration to others.

If you buy a defective product in a store you can return it. If the doctor you pay to fix a problem (like a persistent nosebleed) by cauterising a blood vessel - and doesn't resolve the problem, then you're obligated to pay the same amount again.

If we're looking at it from a consumer value for money point of view - how is it you can charge an apparently arbitrary figure for it?

When I had surgery the out of pocket costs were around $2500. I don't know what they were for - or how that breaks down from what the doctor charges the insurance company, to what I pay at the end.

How do I (or anyone) know that the charges incurred during a hospital visit, or a doctors visit are:

(i) legitimate

(ii) within the acceptable market price for that service

If you're looking at it from a customer point-of-view, then it's your responsibility to "shop around." If one doctor charges above what you're willing to pay, then go to another one. If you accept the doctor (and thereby his procedures) you need to deal with it.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This is all very fascinating. It seems to me that many in this thread think we should pay doctors what we "feel" they and what they do is worth. This of course pays no attention to the fact they are the only people who could do what they do and we need them.

I also find it interesting that so many want to get paid in full (and presumably what they feel they are worth) while they don't wish to give the same consideration to others.

If you buy a defective product in a store you can return it. If the doctor you pay to fix a problem (like a persistent nosebleed) by cauterising a blood vessel - and doesn't resolve the problem, then you're obligated to pay the same amount again.

If we're looking at it from a consumer value for money point of view - how is it you can charge an apparently arbitrary figure for it?

When I had surgery the out of pocket costs were around $2500. I don't know what they were for - or how that breaks down from what the doctor charges the insurance company, to what I pay at the end.

How do I (or anyone) know that the charges incurred during a hospital visit, or a doctors visit are:

(i) legitimate

(ii) within the acceptable market price for that service

If you're looking at it from a customer point-of-view, then it's your responsibility to "shop around." If one doctor charges above what you're willing to pay, then go to another one. If you accept the doctor (and thereby his procedures) you need to deal with it.

Of course you do - because you have no choice in the matter.

But how exactly does a person shop around? If you have to go in for any sort of procedure, its next to impossible to get an accurate estimate of the final out of pocket costs - because they're dependent on how much (or even if) the insurance company pays out, besides which the average person doesn't have the first idea about the market rate for different procedures.

Edited May 14, 2009 by Private Pike

[DeadPoolX 9]

This is all very fascinating. It seems to me that many in this thread think we should pay doctors what we "feel" they and what they do is worth. This of course pays no attention to the fact they are the only people who could do what they do and we need them.

I also find it interesting that so many want to get paid in full (and presumably what they feel they are worth) while they don't wish to give the same consideration to others.

If you buy a defective product in a store you can return it. If the doctor you pay to fix a problem (like a persistent nosebleed) by cauterising a blood vessel - and doesn't resolve the problem, then you're obligated to pay the same amount again.

If we're looking at it from a consumer value for money point of view - how is it you can charge an apparently arbitrary figure for it?

When I had surgery the out of pocket costs were around $2500. I don't know what they were for - or how that breaks down from what the doctor charges the insurance company, to what I pay at the end.

How do I (or anyone) know that the charges incurred during a hospital visit, or a doctors visit are:

(i) legitimate

(ii) within the acceptable market price for that service

If you're looking at it from a customer point-of-view, then it's your responsibility to "shop around." If one doctor charges above what you're willing to pay, then go to another one. If you accept the doctor (and thereby his procedures) you need to deal with it.

Of course you do - because you have no choice in the matter.

But how exactly does a person shop around? If you have to go in for any sort of procedure, its next to impossible to get an accurate estimate of the final out of pocket costs - because they're dependent on how much (or even if) the insurance company pays out, besides which the average person doesn't have the first idea about the market rate for different procedures.

Ask the physician first. Other than that, check to see what your health insurance provider covers and what percentage of any given procedure's cost.

[AlHayatZween 2]

the prices being charged are not transparent, and that is part of the problem. it would be easier to stomach the costs of some procedures if you knew in advance. try calling a radiologist and asking in advance how much an ultrasound would cost? or how much a blood test for your iron count would cost? what if you need an MRI and you don't have insurance, but you actually have the cash to pay for it? it's really hard to get a straight answer. and oftentimes, the answer you get on the phone is not what you get charged, and therein lies the frustration.

a procedure that has been the same for years should have a transparent cost. an estimated cost w/ insurance, if need be, because they all apparently bargain differently. but if you don't have insurance, the cost should be fixed and exact and available before the appointment occurs.