How much do you pay for healthcare?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

"Scuzi, Vorrei un bottiglia d'Purel e un bottiglia di Xanex"... Grazie

This is Amurka. We speak English here, eyetalian!

[Ali G. 37]

It's why many doctors refuse to accept medicare and medicaid... they simply can't afford to.

Strange how doctors in every other first world country can afford it..

Anyways, one of the doctor's biggest expenses is litigation insurance.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Anyways, one of the doctor's biggest expenses is litigation insurance.

And alimony.

[christeen 966]

And alimony.

[Ali G. 37]

IMO - this is the BEST REASON to stay in Canada.

Period.

psssssssssst - you win. <<EOM>>

Is there something I am missing with folks from Houston.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

One of my biggest concerns with relocating to the USA is the health care issue. Are present, with my gov't job, I pay $57 monthly for health care premiums. It was at $54 for about 14 years and went up for $3 this year. This included vision and all my extended health. No copays, no concern for any maximum number of times to see the doctor, no issue whatsoever for being denied for any pre-existing conditions etc. So a pre-existing condition is when you are sick or have a medical issue. You are discrimated against and possibly dropped or risk having your premiums sky rocket because you need care and have a medical condition. How punitive and draconian is this?

So you think that you should be able to get a $300,000 procedure covered when you already have a condition and only pay a small premium?......

Our biggest issue in Canada is the matter of waitlists at times, for some procedures and that can be a problem. This isn't for life threatening issues. Variables include rural services verses urban etc.

Those wait lists sometimes make things life threatening though....

I've been listening very closely to the health care debate in the USA for the past year. There IS a lot of fear mongering taking place and clearly Canada's system has been attacked and misrepresented at times, absolutely by the right wing faction. A meaningful debate should take place but unfortunately the politics are the priority and things get silly and we're left with death panels and pulling the plug on grandma and other tomfoolery. As well there is a notion that Canada's system is run by gov't. But it's run by doctors and nurses who don't work directly for gov't. The gov't adminsters and funds health care. It has legislation and regulations but it doesn't run it. Doctors are private practitioners.

Our system isn't perfect but it's not based on privilege; it's a right. In the USA, it's a privilege of sorts. Odd how you don't have the right to health care but a right to bear arms.

Health insurance companies in the USA at times discriminate and appear to be completely in charge of health care. I believe America has great health care professionals. In my view, the debate should be over health insurance and not health care. To me 'health care' is really a dialogue or negotation between a patient and his or her medical professional who agree on a course of action to provide health care services; how those services are PAID is really the issue and that has little to do with health care; it's about payment of those services, health insurance.

Hearing peoples' stories of huge deductibles, high monthly premiums and less than stellar health coverage is a concern. Moreover, having so many people not convered by insurance is just wrong despite neo conservatism that promotes an every man for himself paradigm.

And the USA pays more per capita than any other civilized country. Reform is needed; the question is what will be reformed and what it'll look like. Too bad a decent debate can't be had as it deterioates to the ridiculous faster than a Ferrari.

Just my humble opinion and rant for the day.

I get what you're saying about the overall debate and I've tried to be reasonable and point out that COST is the overall problem, not insurance... If you ACTUALLY LOOK at how much money insurance companies pay-out and how much they actually take-in and then look at their profit margins compared to other businesses, it's a real eye opener (and they don't make those profits off premiums alone btw.. investments play a huge role for them to even be able to pay for people).

The problem with COST is because of other entities out there. Big Pharma being one of the main ones and how they get their way with law makers. The other being certain good drugs that are banned because the FDA thinks they have too many risks, even if those risks are rare. This added on top of mandated requirements for procedures that have cheaper ways of going about them, that are still quite effective.

There's also the factor that in addition to federal regulations,. each state has its own set of rules as well that are placed on doctors and insurance companies even..

Despite the rhetoric, insurance companies themselves are the least of the bad guys out there.... Medicare denies more claims than anyone else out there (I believe their rate was close to 7%) Aetna was a close 2cd though at 6 1/2% I believe.. and most other private companies denial of coverage was below 3%...

MOST people have good coverage in this country and get taken care of when need be and sometimes over cared for depending.

If you want to 'fix' the system, the current one is just fine... If actual COST was brought down and the market was opened up as well (on all health care levels including insurance). Stop letting Big Pharma and other medical companies dominate Washington and put the doctors and the people back in charge of their own care and let the people and the doctors make the decisions..

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Is there something I am missing with folks from Houston.

The drugs?

[Ali G. 37]

And alimony.

Yeah, unfortunately you cannot joke on that one. Doctor we know pays over $200k per year in litigation insurance. Furthermore, it's the reason he had to join a medical center than be able to practice on his own - it's basically too expensive.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Ali G.

[christeen 966]

Profits 2009

United; 3.8 Billion

Aetna; 1.3 Billion

Blue Cross; 3.2 Billion

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Profits 2009

United; 3.8 Billion

Aetna; 1.3 Billion

Blue Cross; 3.2 Billion

Those numbers are only meaningful when put in context. How much did they receive in premiums? How much did they pay out in claims?

[christeen 966]

2009 the following companies were in the top 50 in gross profits;

Pfizer

Merck

Bristol Meyers Squibb

Amgen

United Healthcare

BCBS

[Ali G. 37]

MOST people have good coverage in this country and get taken care of when need be and sometimes over cared for depending.

If you want to 'fix' the system, the current one is just fine... If actual COST was brought down and the market was opened up as well (on all health care levels including insurance). Stop letting Big Pharma and other medical companies dominate Washington and put the doctors and the people back in charge of their own care and let the people and the doctors make the decisions..

There are thousands of actual experiences that disagree. I too thought the system is awesome until I actually had to use it.

What you are suggesting in the last sentence can only be achieved by means of government legislation.

People, companies and even countries tend to emulate what works best. Strange how no one wants to emulate the US system. Actually, many use it as an example of what not to do. You seem to overlook this little reality. Or do you see it but still believe, we are the US!, screw the rest.

If someone came to AUS and said look at what Canada is doing for xyz, it's awesome. Government officials would fund a study to research it. They'd discuss it, consider it and most likely implement it - or a version of it. What they wouldn't do is say, who cares, we are the best bla bla bla bla snore.. The latter attitude is just idiocy and pride. It's also why what the rest of the first world is doing is of no interest to anyone against the reform.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Ali G.

[Ban Hammer 13,651]

And alimony.

[christeen 966]

Again, I believe that those who oppose changes to the system are ones who have never had to deal with the system or see a loved one denied coverage or see someone close to them totally wiped out by the system.

Our medical system is a big fear for many immigrants... They hear the stories and fear for getting ill. My husband still has a hard time grasping the whole insurance concept and is scared silly for something to happen or if we get sick. He is scared that since I do not have coverage that I will develop something or he will get injured and we will be wiped out financially... For most people coming to America, this is a big concern. For many coming here, they are giving up what they consider a superior medical system (even those from less developed nations) to the harsh cold reality of medical in america... and it is confusing.

[onwa 6]

Again, I believe that those who oppose changes to the system are ones who have never had to deal with the system or see a loved one denied coverage or see someone close to them totally wiped out by the system.

Our medical system is a big fear for many immigrants... They hear the stories and fear for getting ill. My husband still has a hard time grasping the whole insurance concept and is scared silly for something to happen or if we get sick. He is scared that since I do not have coverage that I will develop something or he will get injured and we will be wiped out financially... For most people coming to America, this is a big concern. For many coming here, they are giving up what they consider a superior medical system (even those from less developed nations) to the harsh cold reality of medical in america... and it is confusing.

My husband is from Nigeria and thinks their health system is way better.