Health care reform, anyone?

[JimandChristy 1,689]

The USA finally entered the 20th Century.

[thesnowman 1]

Maybe government isn't the best entity to control health care, but it is a millions time better than an insurance company. If you think about all the money the insurance companies spend trying to decline care, advertising and billing, that could all go into patient care. I think the thing that most annoys me is that it is tied into your work, if you loose your job, you loose your insurance (cobra is to expensive). My first job in the USA had good insurance, low premiums ($200 a month for entire family) and only $20 for a doctors visit, but when I left there for a better job and more money I lost my good insurance, I now pay so much more and as I mentioned earlier I am still paying off my daughters birth despite putting away over 2k in a FSA card. I also remember we got this bill through from the hospital and the insurance wouldn't pay $50 of it, so we were curious on what it was, turns out that it was the drop of tylenol that they gave my son for his immunizations. $50 for something that costs around $6 a bottle, so we now take our own.

I like the idea of this insurance exchange where we can pool our numbers to get cheaper insurance. As I have mentioned before I have my own share of issues with the NHS, but I would take the NHS over my private insurance USA health care.

[TracyTN 237]

I do agree that giving the insurance companies power is what has gotten us to where we are now. I just don't see a govt run system as the fix for that. I like the idea of this 'insurance exchange' but I am not convinced that we can sustain the cost of the bill as passed.

[thesnowman 1]

I do agree that giving the insurance companies power is what has gotten us to where we are now. I just don't see a govt run system as the fix for that. I like the idea of this 'insurance exchange' but I am not convinced that we can sustain the cost of the bill as passed.

I actually liked one of the ideas floated before was to form a not for profit insurance company, rather than a public option and I thought was a rather good idea. One thing is clear though we could not sustain the cost of health care as it was before the bill was passed. If the Republicans had actually tried to help craft the bill we might have ended up with something better, but they made the decision to be obstructionist for political gain, so much for America first.

[Boiler 45,585]

Nothing has been done to reduce costs.

There is a reason Pharma shares have been going up.

[Eli the Barrowboy 16]

I pay 15% of my self-employed income in the US for Social Security and Medicaid ... Neither of which I avail of ... at least in the UK I could have gotten something out of it ... 15% people ... for nothing I avail of. Oh and that 15%, that's before state or federal income tax ...

The US spends twice as much on health care per capita - over $7,000 - than any other country yet has a higher mortality rate than many third world countries ... go figure.

Maybe if the schools here weren't turning out a bunch of uneducated conservative drones they could think for themselves rather than let Fox News tell them what to believe. You doubt me? I saw a lady at a Tea Party rally say the Government were planning to tell people what they can and can't eat ... right after they abort all the babies, kill the elderly and take away their guns no doubt ... dumber than a box of hammers.

These are some real facts ... Slovenia people!!!

* The United States ranks 43rd in lowest infant mortality rate, down from 12th in 1960 and 21st in 1990. Singapore has the lowest rate with 2.3 deaths per 1000 live births, while the United States has a rate of 6.3 deaths per 1000 live births. Some of the other 42 nations that have a lower infant mortality rate than the US include Hong Kong, Slovenia, and Cuba. Source: CIA Factbook (2008)

* Approximately 30,000 infants die in the United States each year. The infant mortality rate, which is the risk of death during the first year of life, is related to the underlying health of the mother, public health practices, socioeconomic conditions, and availability and use of appropriate health care for infants and pregnant women. Sources: CDC and National Center for Health Statistics

Life Expectancy

* Life expectancy at birth in the US is an average of 78.14 years, which ranks 47th in highest total life expectancy compared to other countries. Source: CIA Factbook (2008)

Bankruptcy

* About half of the bankruptcy filings in the United States are due to medical expenses. Source: Health Affairs Journal 2005

R.

Edited March 30, 2010 by Eli the Barrowboy

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Whether or not you have health insurance in the US is tied to a job.

I believe many people don't realize the quality of their insurance is tied to how large a company they work for. Firstly, a large group allows the employer more purchasing power towards a truly comprehensive plan which covers more procedures and at a better depth. As the payout rate is spread out over a greater number of participants, the premium will be lower. Thus employees will pay a smaller percentage towards the premium, as the employer's premium is lower.

Thus it has gotten to the point in the US that it's no longer enough just to be employed. You have to go to work for XYZ corporation in order to have affordable insurance that works for you. It creates another chasm in our society. Not only do the "lower class" who perhaps work for smaller employers earn less, but they are exposed to higher health care costs.

Why should someone who works for a smaller company or earns less have inferior coverage to another worker? If part of the culture of the US is to get off your duff, work and contribute, why should people suffer inequitable health care due to where they have been able to find work?

[TracyTN 237]

I actually liked one of the ideas floated before was to form a not for profit insurance company, rather than a public option and I thought was a rather good idea. One thing is clear though we could not sustain the cost of health care as it was before the bill was passed. If the Republicans had actually tried to help craft the bill we might have ended up with something better, but they made the decision to be obstructionist for political gain, so much for America first.

That is an interesting idea - wish it would have been explored. I don't see either political party acting above reproach in this whole mess, so I'm not going there. But it seems clear that this whole bill was shoved together quickly without much thought.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

My husband and I are both self-employed, and currently have no insurance. We're solidly middle class, edging towards middle age and overly educated. We're not the stereotypical types who wouldn't have insurance, but the sad truth is we are the reality, and there are thousands more like us these days. We did have an individual policy when we first got here, but the premium was increased to a level we could not sustain. I mean, I am NOT going to move house just because the f*cktards at an insurance company put my monthly premium up $500 a month without warning. With some pre-existing conditions, neither of us can afford to get a new policy now. We pay for health care out of pocket (and get to write off a substantial sum of it), and we still pay less than we would with a policy. My dermatologist and therapist both give me discounts for paying in cash; we also get prescription discounts through our AAA membership. We still see the doctor as we need, but in our late 30s it's not that frequently. We don't and won't have kids, so we don't have to worry about pediatric care. We're getting catastrophic cover shortly. It's pathetic that we have to cobble together something like this.

I could get an in-house job with an investment bank or hedge fund, but I love what I do and have built up a substantial international profile by being an independent voice. My husband is an actor and musician. We're not giving up what we do for this.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

But what would happen if you got hit by a bus? You'd probably be screwed.

I have great insurance but that's because I work for a big corporation. I've thought of going freelance but the reason I don't is because of health insurance. So much for the entrepreneurial spirit of the USA.

Edited March 30, 2010 by Trompe le Monde

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

That's why I'm getting catastrophic cover, the best I can reasonably afford. I do a lot in my personal life to reduce risk. I also don't have the mindset that going bankrupt is the end of the world. People recover from it every single day. It is tragic, but it is not worse than death.

I know some people might see not having cover as a lifestyle choice for a middle class person, but honestly, I would rather live as I do (which is hardly high on the hog -- I haven't had a holiday since March 2008) than be forced into a living situation where I would be miserable, in housing that didn't suit my personal and professional needs (I work from home), without adequate transportation, without a few minor indulgences like the occasional magazine or decent ingredients for my meals. We live in one of the most expensive areas of the country, but we do it because we have no choice given my husband's career. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ####### if people judge me for this. I'm not asking for anyone to pick up my tab.

It was scary to strike out on my own but I am rising fast, much faster than I would have had I stayed in the corporate world I was in while in the UK. I may very well go in-house again some day, but that day is not right now.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

But what would happen if you got hit by a bus? You'd probably be screwed.

I have great insurance but that's because I work for a big corporation. I've thought of going freelance but the reason I don't is because of health insurance. So much for the entrepreneurial spirit of the USA.

It's called job lock, and big corporations like it. Serves to keep the peasants in their place.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

It's called job lock, and big corporations like it. Serves to keep the peasants in their place.

You are absolutely right. It's funny how much more "freedom" you might have when you don't have to worry about health cover.

[TracyTN 237]

You are absolutely right. It's funny how much more "freedom" you might have when you don't have to worry about health cover.

Honestly I completely agree.

Like you, I work for a big company which has excellent benefits. I can tell you we wouldn't have considered having a sprog if I didn't have this coverage!

But, my ultimate dream is to work as a paralegal for an immigration attorney (yeah, I'm that sad, LOL). There is one I have already spoken with who is keen to hire me once she gets that part of her business going. My main concern in one day making that transition is insurance. Hubby is self employed so you know where that leaves us - kind of screwed!! I am hoping this new 'insurance exchange' will close some of this gap but I'll admit to being slightly ignorant about what it will actually do. So in that sense, I am happy with the reform - though I'm still ultimately hesitant about having more govt involvement and the costs.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I love America. Always have. But I'll be keeping my German citizenship for one reason only: health care.

Currently I'm without health insurance. I've paid in for year and years and years and really never got sick. Then, in 2007, when I was paying about $680 per month single (I started with $271 in 1992), an insurance agent told me that I can save tons of money by switching to Blue Shield. So he gave me an application, I filled it out, turned it in, and got denied.

I had been a private pilot and race car driver (with pro license) since the 1980s, so every year I had to get an annual medical. One day I had my traditional Starbucks Quad Grande Mocha before the medical, and my blood pressure was too high. "No problem," said my doctor, "come back in the morning" without your morning coffee and we do it again." I did, my blood pressure was normal, and I passed.

This incident, which was in my doctor's file, was enough for the insurance giant's drone to mention a "history of hypertension" and deny my application. No joke. My doctor wrote a formal letter explaining it and declaring me perfectly healthy. Didn't work. Since then I'm without insurance. One illness, and I'm wiped out financially.

So what do I think about America doing the first baby step in the direction of the 20th Century? Take a guess.

I wish we had single payer, or a strong public option, but at least we're now moving one tiny step in the right direction. The big corporations are against it, and the dumbest of the dumb people because they don't even realize it helps them too if they get sick and can't be dropped by their insurance giant anymore, among other things.

My philosophy is this: if I dial 9-1-1, whether I need the police, the fire department, or an ambulance, I shouldn't be worried about having to file bankcruptcy. Imagine you have a fire, call 9-1-1, and they ask you what fire insurance plan you have? Or you have a burglar in your house, call 9-1-1, and the police dispatcher asks you about your police protection plan? Yet, if you are sick, and need medical help, basic medical help, not cosmetic surgery, you have to be worried sh*tless to lose everything you worked for. I know I am.

The U.S. is among the richest nations in the world. Yet we have failed to establish basic human care that every European can take for granted.

Time for change.