So let me get this straight ...

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by Insensitive PAP

Heck, maybe we can all pitch in and buy you a Ferarri too.

Too late pap -the fifth is on the way!

[Mormon Red Death]

Originally Posted by tooblue

If only that were reality ... but it's not. Of course, imagine 40, 50, 60% of your population is uninsured and your meds cost three times as much as they are being sold by the same company in other countries. Oh, and let's not forget that you can fly to South East Asia for an operation for half the cost to have it done at a hospital just down the street from your home

Even if the uninsured was 40 million people (which I think is way to high) that would only be 13% of our population

[UtahDan]

Originally Posted by tooblue

I just think it's interesting that a society that considers itself the moral compass of the world cannot arrive a reasonable solution on health care.

I should ad to my little personal story above -did I mention that at the time my wife became pregnant I paid Blue Cross / Blue shield $130 a month for insurance coverage. When contacted, Blue Cross / Blue shield indcated they would pay $600 to cover the cost of doctor visits but NOTHING towards the birth ... and of course once the child was born they would happily cover him/her so long as I was willing to accept a larger monthly payment!

It's just interesting that's all.

Look nobody gets denied emergency care, period. And when you can't pay the doctors (who have worked more than decade and gone into debt for their education to be license) our society is generous enough to allow a person to discharge their debts. Is any of that consequence free? Of course not.

Also, why is the insurance company the bad guy for telling you what your policy says? I mean, when you were planning a pregnancy did you read your policy to see what it covered first? If not, that is a little irresponsible no? When the wife and I were planning kiddo number one we changed policies to make sure we were fully covered, then we saved the money we knew we would have to pay before we even started trying.

Sorry it this sounds harsh, but your attitude is one I seem to be encountering a lot and its not a very mature one. Society doesn't owe you anything, nor does your health insurance carrier beyond what you bargain with them for.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by Mormon Red Death

Even if the uninsured was 40 million people (which I think is way to high) that would only be 13% of our population

And how about the underinsured?

[MikeWaters]

$600 per day is pretty cheap for one day in the psych ward.

The American system is a disaster and unsustainable.

Most of my friends won't accept anything but cash.

If you're poor there is a good chance you will go to a psychiatrist who didn't learn to speak English as their first language, and your visit will last less than 5 minutes.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by tooblue

And how about the underinsured?

The underinsured are totalled #$@#ed.

We had a severely depressed lady who was psychotic come into the ER. She had been a housekeeper/nanny her entire life, and as such her employer had given her some really terrible insurance. It would only cover $100 per day.

So no psych hospital would accept her insurance.

Finally the rich family that employed her ponied up the cash to get her in. It was a mess.

In Dallas we have people from surrounding counties who have lied about where they live in order to get free life-saving care (i.e. cancer treatment). And when Dallas finds out that they lied, they are hosed. Payment in full.

[DrumNFeather]

I had a $400 dollar Ambulance ride to the U of U hospital from the Communications Building on Campus (for the few U people, you'll know that is not that far...probably less than half a mile).

$$$ Some people got to have it...yeah yeah yeah, some people really need it.

[MikeWaters]

I had to pay 30% when I had my appendix out.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by UtahDan

Look nobody gets denied emergency care, period. And when you can't pay the doctors (who have worked more than decade and gone into debt for their education to be license) our society is generous enough to allow a person to discharge their debts. Is any of that consequence free? Of course not.

Also, why is the insurance company the bad guy for telling you what your policy says? I mean, when you were planning a pregnancy did you read your policy to see what it covered first? If not, that is a little irresponsible no? When the wife and I were planning kiddo number one we changed policies to make sure we were fully covered, then we saved the money we knew we would have to pay before we even started trying.

Sorry it this sounds harsh, but your attitude is one I seem to be encountering a lot and its not a very mature one. Society doesn't owe you anything, nor does your health insurance carrier beyond what you bargain with them for.

To even suggest that one must consult an insurance company before deciding to have a child is beyond offensive -and demonstrates the fundamentally flawed nature of the health care system in the states. I'm flabbergasted at the idiocy of your comments. You don't come across as harsh but rather as an imbecile. You claim to live in a society that values life and personal freedoms. Such an attitude is demonstrative of the abject immaturity and selfishness that is rampant in today’s world.

To further elaborate insurance coverage was the very first thing we looked into ... it of course required a significant increase in monthly payments -more than the cost to insure the child AFTER he/she was born And yes we looked at MANY different insurance companies and options!

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by UtahDan

Look nobody gets denied emergency care, period. And when you can't pay the doctors (who have worked more than decade and gone into debt for their education to be license) our society is generous enough to allow a person to discharge their debts. Is any of that consequence free? Of course not.

Also, why is the insurance company the bad guy for telling you what your policy says? I mean, when you were planning a pregnancy did you read your policy to see what it covered first? If not, that is a little irresponsible no? When the wife and I were planning kiddo number one we changed policies to make sure we were fully covered, then we saved the money we knew we would have to pay before we even started trying.

Sorry it this sounds harsh, but your attitude is one I seem to be encountering a lot and its not a very mature one. Society doesn't owe you anything, nor does your health insurance carrier beyond what you bargain with them for.

And let's consider Doctors and their loans ... MRD loves to highlight his notion of government telling doctors what to charge etc. There are ceilings on costs, but not on the numbers of patients you can see.

It is also important to note that the government helps pay for Doctors education to minimize the debt. Doctors in Canada don't pay the government back and they have absolute freedom to specialize and move or work where ever they want!