The Major Reason You Can't Afford Medical Insurance

originally posted by: katfish
A comment about hospitals charging what they want:
9 years ago I got sick, very sick, and the doctors asked me "how long you want to live?" I replied "80".
They took out my stomach.
12 days in the hospital, various infections and treatments (which did not work, I had to sign myself out to get home to my herbal remedies). We were also charged for items we did not use (drugs, equipment, etc) to the tune of a couple thousand bucks.
The bill was staggering.
BUT my husband did some digging and discovered that the insurance company NEGOTIATED with the hospital to lower the charge.

It would have hit our savings hard, but we could have paid for the whole thing ourselves at the discounted rate.

If we could take the money we pour into insurance and just save it, we could afford any care we wanted. Husband's company won't allow that, though.

I had over 100,000 dollars in medical bills just this year, I paid roughly 5,000 out of pocket, the insurance paid the rest.....there is no way that I could have saved the premiums and paid for it....thousands of people have lost their homes, due to medical bills.....apparently to you that's no big deal

a reply to: katfish
Do you think you are going to get the same price as the insurance co did?

You could pay once, what was the money supposed to go to? If it was retirement, you vary well may end up working til you can't.

Everyone is one tumor away form being in the poor house.

BUT my husband did some digging and discovered that the insurance company NEGOTIATED with the hospital to lower the charge. It would have hit our savings hard, but we could have paid for the whole thing ourselves at the discounted rate. If we could take the money we pour into insurance and just save it, we could afford any care we wanted. Husband's company won't allow that, though.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

You pay insurance for those minor checkups because the insurance companies realized it's cheaper to focus on preventative care, so the premiums that used to cover catastrophic coverage now cover ordinary care because that results in fewer catastrophic events.

That's precisely what they should be doing, but it makes the whole idea of insurance pretty screwy, and contributes to why it just doesn't work as a system.

I thought the main reason you can't afford health insurance is because insurance in general is a scam...

The very premise of giving someone money per year and never seeing any of that money back if I DON'T get sick, or wreck my car, or have my house burn down, is insane. You're giving money to someone for nothing then, no wonder they would have a healthy profit margin and therefor be unable to understand the true economics of the average joe.

The crazier part of insurance is the fact they don't always do what you purchased them to do, so what was the whole point of them? Ever wonder why dental insurance isn't part of the Medicad and gov health care? Because it's a sure thing you're going to need your teeth fixed, but that would mean not enough profit margin to be interesting, if it's hiked a bit and sold to common folks, sure it's awesome, but still won't cover what you are most likely to need.

Almost everywhere you look, you see this sick game of how much can we get passed the simpletons and look at where we're stealing money from them today...

It's growing sickening.

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

The idea of insurance is a sound one, as long as less people use it than contribute to it. In other words, the insurance can only work when only the very worst of all the claims are satisfied.

If your house burns down and you have paid your insurance for 7 years, it gets replaced per the contract that you set up with the co.

Health insurance is a mess, becasue it is an inelastic need. If you are in the e-room you are there because you need help like heart attack, poisoning, broken whatever. They will help you , but at what point should insurance take over paying for the visit?

a reply to: seasonal

While I do think insurance in general could work if handled another way,

Such as what I paid into it should be noted and used to help me in the future, for example, I had a car loan for 5k, paid on time for car insurance and the loan, then hit a deer ( rutting season ( another story )).

I had my loan paid off, but was only given 1500 back, despite having gap coverage. That 1500 doesn't get me another loan, even with not so bad credit, I need a co-signer since it's not even close to the 4k I paid to get the initial loan without a co-signer. Guess what, I don't have anyone to co-sign for me, is that a joke?

So now, I'm without a car and the car insurance is without me as a customer because I have no car. How did that car insurance really help? I've been with them for the last 10 years, paying my deal.

So why wasn't I given the whole time I've been paying as my awarded amount? Or even replace my vehicle after the loan or make sure I had as much as I paid into the last vehicle.

If they did this, I'd have a vehicle again, they'd have a customer and I'd have faith that the system isn't broken and works.

Instead of feeling like I've been paying my insurance company for the last 10 years just to not get a fine from the state...

That doesn't seem right to me, since the state should be putting better fencing alongside the roads to prevent deer collisions.

The system seems rigged, we don't even get what we pay into it anymore, we're making others rich at our own expense.

a reply to: Tranceopticalinclined

In your example, you leave out personal liability, uninsured driver, in Michigan we have medical care for those injured in a car.

Insurance isn't a bank account. It helps cover you in the event you are involved in a accident. It is a loosing proposition. And one of the costs of being an adult.
I have had cars I have bought for $1,000 and in 2 years the car insurance I have paid has surpassed the cost of the vehicle. I get what you are saying, but you loose. It is a way to inexpensively cover a major loss.

a reply to: jimmyx

When the hell did Katfish say that you had to like or adopt the same model that (s)he would prefer?

Why are you demonizing people who say that, for themselves, they would prefer something different that the standard health "insurance" model that currently exists? When did (s)he ever say that (s)he wanted people to get foreclosed on in order to pay Big Medical? That's an absurd hyperbole.

a reply to: Aazadan

I'm going to call out this garbage as I read it.

On the surface, sure, annual checkups are a preventative thing (but a healthier lifestyle would be better, but I digress)...but has it ever occurred to you that maybe checkups are pushed so hard in order to find every little thing that might be wrong with you in order to push a prescription for something that often times can be corrected with simple lifestyle changes?

I agree with you that it doesn't work as a whole (the insurance system), but I think that we take different paths to come to that same conclusion. Hopefully we can both agree that the government shouldn't be able to force us to purchase insurance as private citizens.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

As long as everyone realizes that the buck stops with the tax payer.

When someone has a major malpractice suit and it is limited in it's reward, the insurance compnay is protected and the tax payer picks up the disabled person.

When someone wants to ignore the fact that most people think that the health insurance is a good idea, the tax payer picks up the tab.

When someone goes to the e-room and doesn't pay their bill, the tax payer picks up the tab.

When a bank dabbles in the stock market the tax payer picks up the tab.

the list is huge.

a reply to: seasonal

Hi.
Can I stick this in here?

US federal debt held by the public as a percentage of GDP, from 1790to 2013

The Articles of Confederation

Agreed to by Congress November 15, 1777; ratified and in force, March 1, 1781.

eta;
the history lesson I remember learning about was the fact our forefathers didn't like paying the king's ransom and started using their own money, which he didn't like- because he didn't get any of it...and so he promised perpetual war...unless we go belly-up?

So our forefathers went belly-up and conceded the british rule over us- though, we think with a new constitution that would spare us.

This could be considered an opinion piece?

a reply to: loveguy

Start a thread, like "the buck is the tax payer" or "screwed---How the taxpayer is everyone's piggy bank" Something along those lines.

I would love to read everything you got. Because everyone here gripes (me included), but eventually, more times than not, the tax payer takes it on the chin.

a reply to: seasonal

Sounds like a conspiracy thread.

This could be considered an opinion piece?

a reply to: seasonal

Yeas and wow when its to the point for some where they work, one person in the two income, really just for out of this world insurance cost........you are experiencing oppressive economic conditions. CONSIDER THERE IS EVEN A LAW AND PENTATY ATTACHED NOW TO THE WHOLE THING. It comes down to have health care or pay fine.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: loveguy

Start a thread, like "the buck is the tax payer" or "screwed---How the taxpayer is everyone's piggy bank" Something along those lines.

I would love to read everything you got. Because everyone here gripes (me included), but eventually, more times than not, the tax payer takes it on the chin.

As much as I'd like to start a thread, I won't. It's one of those 'pick your fights- don't let them pick you' sort of things.

I feel my jousting sword is better suited for those who want to look stuff up on their own. I use my joust as a pointer, not to deceive anyone lacking their own discernment.

Thanks though.

a reply to: theantediluvian

This problem is not a matter of TDE or wage its a matter of a great big old fat pig at the troff.

a reply to: loveguy

Then instant message me, with a good starting points on your info. I love being a punching bag....

a reply to: Logarock

The pig feeds off of Trickle.

If trickle wasn't there and we were using the 1960-1970 shared productivity schedule, the pig would indeed be fit and trim.

This problem is not a matter of TDE or wage its a matter of a great big old fat pig at the troff.

a reply to: seasonal

I resent had some issues and my HCP did a good job of coving me.....an they should considering what we pay and I hope they don't think they are doing me a favor or some bullsh*t. These fancy tv adds for these firms can get us to forget the whole thing is a bizz deal.

a reply to: seasonal

800$+- for many, a month isnt trickle. As much as a house payment is a serious problem.