USA Health Care Delusion - Are you Afflicted?

Obamacare was a gift to the corporate fascists and thier pet politicians on the take.
Rather than attack these corporate fascists, the state propaganda machine wants you to attack poor people that never wrote obamacare and who do not purchase politicians.

a reply to: jacobe001
Forcing people to pay taxes to provide life saving treatment to people is commie #, you should attack these poor people begging off everyone else. My nation is a mess, everyone gets treatment free at the point of need and is free to take out their own health insurance...can you imagine that? Commie bastards.
[/sarcasm again lol]

a reply to: Realtruth

It' insane to me that you don't have free healthcare in the states.

The usual argument is you don't want to pay more taxes but from what it sojnds ljke we pay less taxes here in the UK too so what the hell is your government doing with all that cash?!?

originally posted by: Dem0nc1eaner
so what the hell is your government doing with all that cash?!?

Spending on overseas military trying to be the hard man of the world instead of looking after their people.
The US system is the worst in the developed world for its people...500 million people in the EU agree and so does Canada, Australia, New Zealand, even Ghana and Cuba.
Commie bastards all of them, the US insurance system is obviously the best because it protects the individual who can afford it, screw those middle income folk working hard but can't afford it.
Commie bastards in the rest of the world lol.

a reply to: Realtruth
Back to the OP.

With no blaming, in all reality most Doctor's don't know what test's cost, or which lab has the best pricing. I get that you wanted answers about your child's illness, but this could have all been avoided by calling your health care provider and working with them to get a solid price quote on "A" test, so that you can tell your Doctor, who then can determine WHICH test will give him/her the best answer in your price range.

Yes it's a lot of work.
Yes it is a collaboration.

But if you aren't going to put in the work to maximize your results no one else will.

Even when I had a generous PPO I called and compared pricing with the provider cause, NO I don't need every test known to man to get a answer. I just need the right one. Altho now I have a crappy plan it's something I still do which makes for some interesting haggling with my Internist, but if he buckles down an thinks it thru we can usually come up with something I can afford the co-pay on without breaking the bank.

Doctor's are usually sympathetic to the realities of life. Oh sure some are just in it to maximize the profits of their practices/hospitals, but most just actually want to figure out what your illness is to resolve it. Doctors honest to gosh DON't know what the prices are, but the ladies in medical billing DO.

The coding a Doc uses needs to be specific to JUST the test they need from a lab, or what happened to you is what happens. This is something you can check with your provider before getting the test. Labs all charge differently so it pays you to make a phone call. Here Quest Diagnostics is known to cost much more than some hospital labs, so despite who your Doc prefers you use it really pays to shop around. Some places also give a discount for people paying cash, also something to ask about.

a reply to: Caver78
Sounds complicated as # and a total ball-ache.
This year I've had CT/MRI scans, a heart monitor for a week, and various blood tests and it hasn't cost me # all except my regular taxes.
I wouldn't want to live in the US system, not a #ing chance.

a reply to: Realtruth

You do know that you can vote for the people who agree with you?

You didn't have to vote according to some flag-waving groupthink mandate.

Your problem is poor selection of your healthcare plan. If you had selected a more complete policy, you would not have been out of pocket to the degree you were. Depending on the plan, insurance companies negotiate cost with providers mainly so their payout is much less but it also benefits the patient because they also require providers to accept what they are willing to pay and any excess charges are not passed on to the patient. Next time you choose a health plan, "choose wisely my son".
a reply to: Realtruth

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

I didn't say it didn't suck.

But you have to work with what ya got. Plus it's just a couple of phone calls to get solid answers. The simplest thing would be to extend Medicare to everyone, but in reality our economy went from manufacturing to the health care business. To go to socialized health care would pretty much wipe out 1/4 or more of our economy overnight with masses of unemployed dropping us into a guaranteed depression almost instantly.

This is the actual white elephant in the room.

It's also why everyone keeps slapping another band-aide on the problem cause no one wants to be responsible for crashing the economy. The problem is much more complicated than most realize. I'm not defending the system we have, but neither do I want to go back to 1929 either.

originally posted by: Irishhaf
Our health care sucks and its not getting better, but I do not want the govt running our health care system either. 22 veterans a day committing suicide shows they cant even manage to handle 22 million people how in the F am I supposed to think they can manage 300 million more.

ETA no I do not have an answer..

Perhaps if you guys looked at what the rest of the world is doing with health care, it would give you some ideas?

a reply to: Caver78
Sounds a nightmare, there will be teething problems whatever you do, but slashing unneeded military spending would help, it's not like anyone is gonna attack the US anytime soon is it. Your nation can afford taxation funded healthcare same as the 500 million people in the EU can, the 'larger population' argument is bull#, more people in the world enjoy tax funded healthcare than the US population.
I genuinely feel for your people who work an average job and # their pants if they become seriously ill. Not a worry for people in the UK, EU, Canada, Australia, NZ, even Ghana and Cuba.
It is a crying shame in my opinion, your nation can easily afford to provide the same for your people.

a reply to: CharlesT

Not everyone gets a choice of a better plan.
Currently we get to pick between a crappy high deductible CDHP or a HSA. The ACA Marketplace plans run about $650 a month here for a single person with a $1500.00 deductible, but $900 for a $500 deductible one.

Lots of people are stuck between a rock & a hard place. Not everyone has great options.

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Maybe, but I've had friends in Canada die waiting to see specialists and there are plenty of nightmare stories to go along with the UK's NHS system as well. NO system is perfect.

a reply to: Caver78
People are free to have private healthcare as well, my ex wife does, she gets treatment quicker than me, no rights are infringed by tax funded healthcare. I actually had to wait 3 weeks longer for the same problem to see a consultant doctor than my ex wife, meh 3 weeks of pain but no insurance payments. Lol, why do US people think tax funded countries don't allow private insurance as well? They do.
I choose not to because the free at point of use option is so good.

a reply to: Realtruth

political hero's may need a mental health check-up, but it may cost you your entire life-savings, so buckle-up.

hahaha - not really funny.

That sort of scam leads from free spirited thinking defended as individualism and anything goes in the US.

Market forces and all that BS spin. As apologists would say "individuals have the choice to decide with their wallet" meanwhile denying the reality that one day their political leanings will not save them from bankruptcy.

Our "free" health care covers tests - I doctor shop - I have private insurance as well. Our system is becoming as corrupt as the US.

Our private insurance premiums are going up by about 4% and our dental coverage going down from the 1st of Jan 19.

So my dentist today gave me a quote for 11,000 with about $4500 out of pocket and she needs to do it before my coverage is reduced. She means well but theres price gouging there as she's just expanded her practice!!!

She gave me a "fortnightly plan" LOL what am i buying a cheap $400 phone?

I told her i'll evaluate and prioritize based on pain, facial aesthetics, budget, time constraints.

Guess what - she put on a smile but it bordered on a shall we say 'arrogant & cold" and "sensed" her hand getting closer to my wallet.

Our pension age was recently changed....

hahahaha - we're screwed either way.

If you were born on or after 1 July 1952, then your Age Pension age will be 65.5 years, 66 years, 66.5 years or 67 years, depending on your specific date of birth.
The first shift upwards in Age Pension age took place in July 2017 when the Age Pension eligibility age increased to 65.5 years, and then in six-month increments every 2 years, until it reaches the age of 67 years from 1 July 2023.

From July 2019, Age Pension age increases to at least age 66 years (subject to your date of birth).

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight
Lmao, I'll die working haha!
I don't mind though, I like working, banter with mates, gets me out of the house so no heating bills lol.

a reply to: CharlesT

Interesting that NZ does it now. Another reason why the richies from the US are buying up in NZ?
They know something we don't.

I cant remember the name but one of the head honchos of a US mercenary co. was allowed quick citizenship after only 3 days stay in NZ.

NZ only extradites capital offense crimes - fraudsters or lobbyists from the US are welcome.

Clinton apparently bought land there as well

www.nzherald.co.nz...

NBC journalist Matt Lauer revealed as wealthy American who bought $13m station

a reply to: schuyler

Good points, but you didnt address the over prescribing. A corrupt system no less.

The doctor suggested a single stool-sample, so we agreed, but only before we knew what it would any of the costs. Doctor said don’t worry it’s around $50.

A week later we received a bill for $1295.00 for 6 separate tests on a stool-sample, the average cost for a bacterial stool sample, in our area, was about $40-$80. Even at $100 the cost shouldn’t have been over $600. We called the doctor she blamed the lab, the lab blamed her, and we threatened legal action because it was way over the national average, and we didn’t authorize 6 tests

They spend less because their quality of care is lacking and cannot handle some cases. So they don't do anything.

Dracula never died, he moved to the USA and had loads of children. They're all called insurance companies. What is it with you Yanks, roll over like little dogs and pay the insurance companies their dues before treatment.
You want me to tell you what to do? get rid of the insurance blood suckers, cos they are taking the lions share of YOUR medical bills. Then limit the medical profession on what they can charge, and that includes tests and treatments.
Pay a minimum figure (not a tax a single figure) everybody pays and as Celtic says, get your government to stop paying out mind numbing figures to the military.
But you wont do that will you because some schmuck has told you it's a socialist system and you equate socialism with communism.
In the UK at the moment with cancer, there is a fast track system. If cancer is suspected you see a specialist for conformation minimum 3 weeks and if diagnosed with cancer treated within 3 weeks.