Health Insurance

[Carola 0]

I just wonder, what if you find yourself in a emergency and you aren't covered by any health insurance and you don't have the money... what do you do in this case? what the hospital do in this case?.

The hospital is legally obligated to treat all comers, with or without ability to pay. However, they can, and do, issue bills. And if they don't get paid, they can turn those bills over to collection agencies.

Good.

[Sister Fracas 5]

She shouldn't. Neither should the millions of Americans who are forced to postpone medical treatment because they have no insurance at all.

No system is going to be perfect. The question is whether we want a system that at least tries to be equitable and fair, or one that really doesn't give a flying **. A system that at least protects people from crushing loads of medical debt, or a system that allows hard-working families to fall into bankruptcy because of a medical crisis.

Take your pick...

A system that doesn't give a flying ** or fcuks it up...I believe that would be our only choice here.

Edited March 16, 2006 by Frances

[internetkafe 0]

$300 sounds about average from what I've heard from people. I'm Blue Cross too, and to have the middle of the road insurance, which it sounds like your husband has, for my husband and I would cost $240.

Does his company offer a high deductible plan? That's what we have, and it's $160 a month for DH and I. It's in conjunction with a Health Savings account, which my firm kicks in $1000 a year.

I just got this job about a month ago, and prior to that, we were paying $300+ for really cruddy insurance through my temp agency.

If the benefits are decent, I would say go for it. Much easier to pay $3600 a year then be stuck with $20,000 after an accident.

I have had no insurance either and since I came here in November. No word from fu.king USCIS about my EAD so far. And my wife can not afford health insurance for me.

I read the line under your timeline, Rahma. I do not speak Arabic but it seems it is related to patience. Can you please give me the exact translation of the verse?

Thank you.

[pax 0]

A system that doesn't give a flying ** or fcuks it up...I believe that would be our only choice here.

Then I'll take the one that fcuks it up.

I'd love to never be afraid that I'll be bankrupted by medical costs.

[john_and_marlene 162]

I pay $460/year for my whole family and prescriptions are free.

There was one small catch to qualify for this insurance: 20 years of military service

Edited March 16, 2006 by john_and_marlene

[nina1 0]

i stated in my first post that my husband pays 100/mth...WEll, he just informed me that it's actually 50/mth.. And he also said that it's like 250 to add me onto his insurance.

As for us canadians paying taxes, believe me, i would rather pay higher taxes (15% taxes in Quebec, for provincial +federal together) and know that im covered weather im just going to see a doctor for a consultation or getting surgery done, RATHER THAN paying the 9% tax here in TN and pay EXTRA every month (300dollars) to be covered.

That kidney stone that my husband had would have been taken care of for FREE if he were a canadian, as opposed to him paying 9%tax+ 50/mth+FREAKING $$5000!!

i HATE THE health system here..I swear, sometimes i feel that a person might as well die if he can't afford his medical services.

Also, a slight comparison to health costs.... When i go on a trip, i like to have it ALL-INCLUSIVE. It gives me peace of mind that i don't have to WORRY about my food, paying tips, paying for entertainment... This is how i like my health services... I want to pay taxes (even if some of you THINK it's higher taxes), and not have to worry myself and lose my precious peace of mind!

[faith 0]

I pay $460/year for my whole family and prescriptions are free.

There was one small catch to qualify for this insurance: 20 years of military service

yeah but I remember when military insurance was free.... before TriCare.

[john_and_marlene 162]

I pay $460/year for my whole family and prescriptions are free.

There was one small catch to qualify for this insurance: 20 years of military service

yeah but I remember when military insurance was free.... before TriCare.

You can still choose the free option, but the copays are much higher. TriCare Standard is free and is essentially what CHAMPUS used to be.

[faith 0]

i stated in my first post that my husband pays 100/mth...WEll, he just informed me that it's actually 50/mth.. And he also said that it's like 250 to add me onto his insurance.

As for us canadians paying taxes, believe me, i would rather pay higher taxes (15% taxes in Quebec, for provincial +federal together) and know that im covered weather im just going to see a doctor for a consultation or getting surgery done, RATHER THAN paying the 9% tax here in TN and pay EXTRA every month (300dollars) to be covered.

That kidney stone that my husband had would have been taken care of for FREE if he were a canadian, as opposed to him paying 9%tax+ 50/mth+FREAKING $$5000!!

i HATE THE health system here..I swear, sometimes i feel that a person might as well die if he can't afford his medical services.

Also, a slight comparison to health costs.... When i go on a trip, i like to have it ALL-INCLUSIVE. It gives me peace of mind that i don't have to WORRY about my food, paying tips, paying for entertainment... This is how i like my health services... I want to pay taxes (even if some of you THINK it's higher taxes), and not have to worry myself and lose my precious peace of mind!

Try to remember that when your husband's employer takes out the health care costs from a paycheck, it is BEFORE they calculate taxes. It's pre-tax. So you aren't getting taxed on that $300 per month.

[Sister Fracas 5]

FACT...Americans don't want to pay more in taxes... *shrug*

[faith 0]

I pay $460/year for my whole family and prescriptions are free.

There was one small catch to qualify for this insurance: 20 years of military service

yeah but I remember when military insurance was free.... before TriCare.

You can still choose the free option, but the copays are much higher. TriCare Standard is free and is essentially what CHAMPUS used to be.

ahh Champus... that's what we had. I paid $7 to have my son in a non military hospital I haven't been a military wife since 1995, so things have surely changed!

[pax 0]

No one wants to pay more of anything.

The question, again, is whether you want to pay for something that might not protect you from medical bankruptcy.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

peejay

I would hate you be your SO and be refered to as your Immigrant all the time makes it sound like he/she is a animal and not you wife/husband.....

Kezzie

[Mand 1]

Doesn' the tax bracket here average out at about 1/3 of your pay check? Or am I totally wrong?

[nina1 0]

My father-in-law passed away 14yrs ago. He didn't have health insurance, he was on welfare. From what i was told about his death is that it's the hospital that killed him. They knew that he had no insurance, and instead of keeping him with tubes and stuff, they decided to let him die.

I'm not sure if collections tried to get the money from his wife or children, but i do know that they never paid it.

He was young, maybe 50. I heard he was a writer and a poet.. My mother-in-law always tells me that if he was still around, he would've written all kinds of poetry to me and my husband...