Connecticut governor questions GOP's patriotism

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Did you read my post at all? One person who pays $400+ a month for insurance is clearly being charged as a high-risk...

I wish I was surprised by your lack of care for the sick.

my lack of care for the sick?

Please. Spare me your emotional bullshit.

Insurance isn't CARE. Insurance is a payment supplement. It has NOTHING to do with health care.

You want to talk about "caring" for the sick, go talk to the health care providers.

[JohnR! 5,495]

I'm going to say that there's a HUGE difference between Insurance and Health Care.

I know this is hard to understand, but you don't need Insurance to have health care.

I am absolutely saying the company matters over the person in the case if that's the company's choice on who they choose to serve and not serve based on the RISK of serving said person.

Why should a company insure you and charge you a premium of let's say $800/month when they know that within a couple of months they'll already be paying out tens of thousands of dollars on you? That's bad for business.

The only reason you don't need insurance to have health care is because all of us who have health insurance are picking up the tab you leave behind unpaid, when you leave the ER.

Why should we pay for the slackers who would rather not spend their money on health insurance?

You want to talk about "caring" for the sick, go talk to the health care providers.

However, didn't the GOP scream bloody murder when the administration brought up the notion of the single payer system?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

The only reason you don't need insurance to have health care is because all of us who have health insurance are picking up the tab you leave behind unpaid, when you leave the ER.

Why should we pay for the slackers who would rather not spend their money on health insurance?

Why should doctors/hospitals have to treat people who cannot pay? The last time I checked slavery was abolished with the 13th amendment.

However, didn't the GOP scream bloody murder when the administration brought up the notion of the single payer system?

Why should everyone have to pay for everyone elese's health care?

We've got this idea that people need to live longer, that there's an inherent benefit in everyone having healthcare. There isn't. It's all emotional feel good bullshit. If you or I die today, the world won't know the difference. Wanting to live longer is a selfish venture. It's very much an individual want, not a need.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Why should doctors/hospitals have to treat people who cannot pay? The last time I checked slavery was abolished with the 13th amendment.

Why should everyone have to pay for everyone elese's health care?

We've got this idea that people need to live longer, that there's an inherent benefit in everyone having healthcare. There isn't. It's all emotional feel good bullshit. If you or I die today, the world won't know the difference. Wanting to live longer is a selfish venture. It's very much an individual want, not a need.

Doctors and hospitals are forced to pay people who cannot pay, by law. They cannot refuse treatment, so it is true that you don't need to have insurance to get health care, thanks to those of us who pay your bill.

Alas, the problem is not whether you live or die or if anyone misses you. You presume incorrectly that only people with life threatening ailments go to hospitals and ERs. The problem is when you show up at the ER, with a broken leg or spine, the care of which will cost thousands of dollars to the rest of us. The problem is really not whether you die, so much as those instances when you live, long enough to raise the premiums for all the rest of us.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Doctors and hospitals are forced to pay people who cannot pay, by law. They cannot refuse treatment, so it is true that you don't need to have insurance to get health care, thanks to those of us who pay your bill.

Alas, the problem is not whether you live or die or if anyone misses you. You presume incorrectly that only people with life threatening ailments go to hospitals and ERs. The problem is when you show up at the ER, with a broken leg or spine, the care of which will cost thousands of dollars to the rest of us. The problem is really not whether you die, so much as those instances when you live, long enough to raise the premiums for all the rest of us.

First off, if you have health insurance, it's one of the biggest misconceptions that you pay for people who do not pay. You don't.

Hospitals usually write off a majority of the money that is not collected from the 'deadbeats.' OR they pass on the expense to Cash customers.

The only time an insurance company pays more is when a hospital is out of network, and they don't have pre-negotiated rates. Which in those cases you pay a higher deductible or most of the costs yourself. You basically screw yourself going out of network.

Otherwise, a hospital can bill $50 for a cup of Jello all day long, the insurance company is only going to give them $2 for it. Same with an X-ray that "costs" $350 and the hospital bills $1350, the most the hospital is going to get in return is around $400.

Now you want to talk about problems with costs of health care, let's talk about the "government" options of medicaid and medicare. Where that same X-ray above might cost $350, medicare might only pay $275. This becomes a huge problem, especially for private practices who continue to drop medicaid and medicare because of the lack of proper payments.

We can play the blame game all day long, and while those who do not pay affect some pocket books, if you already have insurance it's more than likely not yours that they are hurting.

[rocks 494]

Why should doctors/hospitals have to treat people who cannot pay? The last time I checked slavery was abolished with the 13th amendment.

I hope no one you know gets cancer.

[JohnR! 5,495]

First off, if you have health insurance, it's one of the biggest misconceptions that you pay for people who do not pay. You don't.

Hospitals usually write off a majority of the money that is not collected from the 'deadbeats.' OR they pass on the expense to Cash customers.

The only time an insurance company pays more is when a hospital is out of network, and they don't have pre-negotiated rates. Which in those cases you pay a higher deductible or most of the costs yourself. You basically screw yourself going out of network.

Otherwise, a hospital can bill $50 for a cup of Jello all day long, the insurance company is only going to give them $2 for it. Same with an X-ray that "costs" $350 and the hospital bills $1350, the most the hospital is going to get in return is around $400.

Now you want to talk about problems with costs of health care, let's talk about the "government" options of medicaid and medicare. Where that same X-ray above might cost $350, medicare might only pay $275. This becomes a huge problem, especially for private practices who continue to drop medicaid and medicare because of the lack of proper payments.

We can play the blame game all day long, and while those who do not pay affect some pocket books, if you already have insurance it's more than likely not yours that they are hurting.

You are wrong. Hospitals pass on the cost of the dead beats onto their operating costs, which is turn is passed on to all who pay for their services.

Furthermore, where do you think 'write offs' end? They end up at the bottom line....

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I hope no one you know gets cancer.

I see. So because someone gets cancer, someone else should be forced to treat them, even if there will be no other trade/benefit than the fact the government told them to do it. So Slavery is OK as long as it's government sponsored. Gotcha.

[JohnR! 5,495]

I see. So because someone gets cancer, someone else should be forced to treat them, even if there will be no other trade/benefit than the fact the government told them to do it. So Slavery is OK as long as it's government sponsored. Gotcha.

Unfortunately it is so. Until hospitals can operate as any other business and serve their customers according to what they can afford, we will be in this situation.

It is slavery, forcing doctors and business to work for free.

[rocks 494]

I see. So because someone gets cancer, someone else should be forced to treat them, even if there will be no other trade/benefit than the fact the government told them to do it. So Slavery is OK as long as it's government sponsored. Gotcha.

I'm really touched by your insensitivity. Enjoy your rant.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

You are wrong. Hospitals pass on the cost of the dead beats onto their operating costs, which is turn is passed on to all who pay for their services.

Furthermore, where do you think 'write offs' end? They end up at the bottom line....

Hate to break it to you, but I kind of deal with this ####### each and every day. Not wrong in the least.

There's a bottom line of course, but you also forget that hospitals make ALOT of money to begin with. Insurance payments, cash payments, rent for shared facilities used by certain vendors, donations (this is actually huge), etc.

A lot of the write-offs happens thanks to tax breaks as well.

Either way you spin it though, insurance premiums are not affected by those who do not pay. Insurance companies don't put up with it and you're damn ignorant of medical billing if you really think they do.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I'm really touched by your insensitivity. Enjoy your rant.

Does it bother you that I don't blink at eye at all the heart felt news stories of this person and that person who doesn't have health care?

It doesn't directly effect me, so why should I Care?

This idea that I should all of a sudden care about your family because mine might be in a situation one day is absurd. If mine is in a situation, then that's my responsibility to deal with it, isn't it? I wouldn't expect you to care or give a damn. It doesn't effect you and your family either way.

[rocks 494]

Does it bother you that I don't blink at eye at all the heart felt news stories of this person and that person who doesn't have health care?

It doesn't directly effect me, so why should I Care?

This idea that I should all of a sudden care about your family because mine might be in a situation one day is absurd. If mine is in a situation, then that's my responsibility to deal with it, isn't it? I wouldn't expect you to care or give a damn. It doesn't effect you and your family either way.

I care about all people. Cancer is a terrible disease and no one deserves to die because they can't afford the treatment. Again, the person I'm talking about had insurance but had to pay for chemotherapy on top of their insurance because they had reached their lifetime limit for treatment. Go back and read my post, clearly you didn't read it.

All insurance companies take a risk when they insure you, no car insurance company knows if you're going to total 10 cars on the interstate, but if you do they have to pay up. No insurance companies know if your house is going to get broken into and have everything stolen. No insurance company can predict that you are going to get cancer or some other incurable disease. The risk is leveled out by the amount of people who don't have these problems. This is how insurance works...

[Penny Lane 8,159]

It's sad that people can go through life without having any care or empathy for anything that doesn't directly impact them. I can't imagine caring so little about my fellow human beings. We're all in this together.

But it's funny that the same people in this thread who are all "I don't care, doesn't impact me" are the same people who are all outraged at the idea of gay marriage as if it impacts them.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Evylin

[JohnR! 5,495]

1342468246[/url]' post='5529675']

Hate to break it to you, but I kind of deal with this ####### each and every day. Not wrong in the least.

There's a bottom line of course, but you also forget that hospitals make ALOT of money to begin with. Insurance payments, cash payments, rent for shared facilities used by certain vendors, donations (this is actually huge), etc.

A lot of the write-offs happens thanks to tax breaks as well.

Either way you spin it though, insurance premiums are not affected by those who do not pay. Insurance companies don't put up with it and you're damn ignorant of medical billing if you really think they do.

Ok. I think we can agree to disagree.