Guest guest Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 "Americans are afraid that they can't afford to get sick. Those of us with insurance are paying more and more of the premium and more out-of-pocket as well. Studies show further that we face bankruptcy if we get sick. Many among us have to choose between paying for medicine and paying for food and housing. And with the recent economic downturn, the ranks of those without insurance are growing." www.pnhp.org My fervent hope and prayer for the coming (Gregorian) new year is that this odious "White Elephant" of a health care system in the United States is truly and genuinely reformed. That the burdens with which it shamefully inflicts pain and suffering on millions of people are lessened, if not entirely eliminiated. That needed reforms move us away from schemes that perpetuate the role of private insurers and towards single-payer health care (which the president-elect has said that he's in favor of). For this I pray and, of course, advocate. "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." ~Dr. Luther King, Jr. >> The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential health care> reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey available for> completion by members of the cancer community. > > You can fill in the survey at:> > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what your issues> related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some examples that> you might want to discuss are research funding, access to prostate cancer> screening, access to treatment, etc.> > You can read some of the input that the transition team has received about> healthcare reform by going to this link> http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> > If you have not already participated your time is limited so take part now.> > > > Kathy> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 Little Town Beseeches Obama's Health Chief > >> > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential health> care> > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey available for> > completion by members of the cancer community.> >> > You can fill in the survey at:> >> > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> >> > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what your> issues> > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some examples> that> > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to prostate> cancer> > screening, access to treatment, etc.> >> > You can read some of the input that the transition team has received> about> > healthcare reform by going to this link> > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> >> > If you have not already participated your time is limited so take part> now.> >> >> >> > Kathy> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 I have to pay over $12,000 a year for health insurance. No I cannot afford it. That amount is over 1/3 of my pension. But I do not want a government run health care system and have them tell me what doctor will cut on me. I do not want a doctor from a government pool cutting on my sex organ or any other body part. I want to choose. I would love for health care costs to go down, but they probably will not. So I will have to do without other things in the event I need more surgery other than the prostate surgery I had last year. > > > > > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential health > > care > > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey available > for > > > completion by members of the cancer community. > > > > > > You can fill in the survey at: > > > > > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html > > > > > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to > > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what > your > > issues > > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some > examples > > that > > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to prostate > > cancer > > > screening, access to treatment, etc. > > > > > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has received > > about > > > healthcare reform by going to this link > > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/. > > > > > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so take > part > > now. > > > > > > > > > > > > Kathy > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 I have to pay over $12,000 a year for health insurance. No I cannot afford it. That amount is over 1/3 of my pension. But I do not want a government run health care system and have them tell me what doctor will cut on me. I do not want a doctor from a government pool cutting on my sex organ or any other body part. I want to choose. I would love for health care costs to go down, but they probably will not. So I will have to do without other things in the event I need more surgery other than the prostate surgery I had last year. > > > > > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential health > > care > > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey available > for > > > completion by members of the cancer community. > > > > > > You can fill in the survey at: > > > > > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html > > > > > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to > > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what > your > > issues > > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some > examples > > that > > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to prostate > > cancer > > > screening, access to treatment, etc. > > > > > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has received > > about > > > healthcare reform by going to this link > > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/. > > > > > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so take > part > > now. > > > > > > > > > > > > Kathy > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 I have to pay over $12,000 a year for health insurance. No I cannot afford it. That amount is over 1/3 of my pension. But I do not want a government run health care system and have them tell me what doctor will cut on me. I do not want a doctor from a government pool cutting on my sex organ or any other body part. I want to choose. I would love for health care costs to go down, but they probably will not. So I will have to do without other things in the event I need more surgery other than the prostate surgery I had last year. > > > > > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential health > > care > > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey available > for > > > completion by members of the cancer community. > > > > > > You can fill in the survey at: > > > > > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html > > > > > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to > > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what > your > > issues > > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some > examples > > that > > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to prostate > > cancer > > > screening, access to treatment, etc. > > > > > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has received > > about > > > healthcare reform by going to this link > > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/. > > > > > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so take > part > > now. > > > > > > > > > > > > Kathy > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 A national health service would have the efficiency of the Post Office, the bureaucracy of the IRS, and the compassion of the Army. You really want that? "Governments do some things better than others--so do corporations. Medicare is the most efficient health care system in the US, with administration costs about 20% of the average HMO's administration costs. And if you think there's no such thing as corporate bureaucracy, you've probably never had a problem with your HMO. Ask anyone who has. Any system is going to have some red tape. But it's a matter of having *one* system of red tape, or 50 different ones. And government's not all bad. Government has provided us with public libraries, the GI Bill, Social Security, police and fire protection, the Do-Not-Call list, emergency services, national parks... there's bad, sure, but that doesn't mean you can just ignore the good." from SinglePayer: Answers and Facts about Health Care for All also What is Single Payer? lastly let Daschle (and by extension Obama) know how you feel. > > > >> > > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential > health> > > care> > > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey > available> > for> > > > completion by members of the cancer community.> > > >> > > > You can fill in the survey at:> > > >> > > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> > > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > > >> > > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> > > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what> > your> > > issues> > > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some> > examples> > > that> > > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to > prostate> > > cancer> > > > screening, access to treatment, etc.> > > >> > > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has > received> > > about> > > > healthcare reform by going to this link> > > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> > > >> > > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so > take> > part> > > now.> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > Kathy> > > >> > >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 A national health service would have the efficiency of the Post Office, the bureaucracy of the IRS, and the compassion of the Army. You really want that? "Governments do some things better than others--so do corporations. Medicare is the most efficient health care system in the US, with administration costs about 20% of the average HMO's administration costs. And if you think there's no such thing as corporate bureaucracy, you've probably never had a problem with your HMO. Ask anyone who has. Any system is going to have some red tape. But it's a matter of having *one* system of red tape, or 50 different ones. And government's not all bad. Government has provided us with public libraries, the GI Bill, Social Security, police and fire protection, the Do-Not-Call list, emergency services, national parks... there's bad, sure, but that doesn't mean you can just ignore the good." from SinglePayer: Answers and Facts about Health Care for All also What is Single Payer? lastly let Daschle (and by extension Obama) know how you feel. > > > >> > > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential > health> > > care> > > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey > available> > for> > > > completion by members of the cancer community.> > > >> > > > You can fill in the survey at:> > > >> > > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> > > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > > >> > > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> > > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what> > your> > > issues> > > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some> > examples> > > that> > > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to > prostate> > > cancer> > > > screening, access to treatment, etc.> > > >> > > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has > received> > > about> > > > healthcare reform by going to this link> > > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> > > >> > > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so > take> > part> > > now.> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > Kathy> > > >> > >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 A national health service would have the efficiency of the Post Office, the bureaucracy of the IRS, and the compassion of the Army. You really want that? "Governments do some things better than others--so do corporations. Medicare is the most efficient health care system in the US, with administration costs about 20% of the average HMO's administration costs. And if you think there's no such thing as corporate bureaucracy, you've probably never had a problem with your HMO. Ask anyone who has. Any system is going to have some red tape. But it's a matter of having *one* system of red tape, or 50 different ones. And government's not all bad. Government has provided us with public libraries, the GI Bill, Social Security, police and fire protection, the Do-Not-Call list, emergency services, national parks... there's bad, sure, but that doesn't mean you can just ignore the good." from SinglePayer: Answers and Facts about Health Care for All also What is Single Payer? lastly let Daschle (and by extension Obama) know how you feel. > > > >> > > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential > health> > > care> > > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey > available> > for> > > > completion by members of the cancer community.> > > >> > > > You can fill in the survey at:> > > >> > > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> > > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > > >> > > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> > > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what> > your> > > issues> > > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some> > examples> > > that> > > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to > prostate> > > cancer> > > > screening, access to treatment, etc.> > > >> > > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has > received> > > about> > > > healthcare reform by going to this link> > > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> > > >> > > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so > take> > part> > > now.> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > Kathy> > > >> > >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 I am reminded of an old gag: " Do you know where they go through when they do cancer surgery on a person? " Ans. (after rightly timed pause): " Your wallet. " I do not have health insurance. In my opinion, it is over priced. Almost 3 years ago, I paid for cancer surgery " out of pocket " . My Uro taught me to negotiate fees upfront before procedure when they are ordered or sheduled. He gave me a liberal discount; one matched by many other health care providers involved in the treatment, surgery, testing, readings and etc. Eating healthy, running daily, thinking positive and getting the proper amount of sleep have been my health plan. Those practices don't cover everything, but do a nice job. I am good with that. I will be turning 54 in April and will be running my 3rd marathon. Supportively, Mick -- Abilene, TX > > > > > > > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential > health > > > care > > > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey > available > > for > > > > completion by members of the cancer community. > > > > > > > > You can fill in the survey at: > > > > > > > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > > > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html > > > > > > > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to > > > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what > > your > > > issues > > > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some > > examples > > > that > > > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to > prostate > > > cancer > > > > screening, access to treatment, etc. > > > > > > > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has > received > > > about > > > > healthcare reform by going to this link > > > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/. > > > > > > > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so > take > > part > > > now. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Kathy > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 We have something that is far, far worse then what would be in a system similar to what Federal Government employees and Congress has. It is the insurance companies! At least with a single payer system your senator and congressman can intervene on your behalf. Not with the insurance companies! Imagine what will happen to this country is the Brownie poops and the State Farm Insurance companies will be allow to interfere and bungle in the same manner as they did with the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita! I'm sure that ex-Senator Trent Lott is well familiar with this situation! What is most threatening about a possible bird flu pandemic is that it will not be the unhealthy and elderly with impaired immune system, but it will be the young and healthy, --the law enforcement officers, the utility and water works employees, the truck and transportation drivers and operators, nurses, physicians and the like@ There is already serious concerns with the state of our hospitals and emergency facilities after years and years of stingy reimbursements by insurance companies and Medicare and Medicaid especially with insufficient stockpiles of ventilators and other essential medical equipment and supplies! As a result, unnecessary deaths and morbidity is likely, with huge damage to our country and society happening. At least with a single payer system, needed influence over allocation of equipment and services will be possible to minimize unnecessary deaths and morbidity. There was already a situation back in 1976 in Kansas City with the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse disaster. In that case, the number of deaths were over 100 and that horrible injuries were in the range of 1,000 to 2,000, and the emergency hospitals were so overwhelmed as to be on the verge of financial collapse! The insurance industry was forced to make emergency advance payments to present this from occurring! Just scale this up to the bird flu pandemic when the numbers will be in the millions! BTW, providing for Medicare coverage for early retirees will make substantial contributions in reducing the health care cost burden and most of the high flier chronic disease like diabetes, COPD, heart disease and cancer that are responsible for a substantial portion of Medicare costs begin the present themselves in the very early 50's, when, if prompt and thorough intervention takes place, the downroad costs for management will be hugeness less! A major problem in the private health insurance industry market is that those that need help and early intervention are essentially excluded. In my case, before I became eligible for Medicare is that the private health insurance industry, because of my mild to moderate ulcerative colitis would not touch me with a ten-food colonoscope! As an example how picky underwriting has become, there is an insurance company in Iowa (American Republic Insurance Company) that will issue health insurance for a healthy skydiver, but not life insurance! In your case, as soon as you become eligible for Medicare, you may wish to one of the Medicare Advantage plans. In most cases, for the cost of your Medicare Part B monthly premium alone, these plans provide far more coverage at far less co-pays than Medicare Part B alone and include Part D drug coverage or even with a regular Medicare supplement policy. In the case with United Healthcare Medicare Complete program, the network is so huge and the doctors and hospital you will want to use is likely to be in the network. There is no restrictions on when you can consult a specialist. However, for low income persons, the remaining co-pay for hospitalization and other expenses can still be a burden. On the other, a plan like Wellcare has a less extensive network of providers, and visits to a specialist in most cases require a referral from you primary care doctor, but the co-pay for hospitalization is zero, for durable medical equipment zero, and in network physician visits zero, as well as zero co-pay for generic medicines, even through the coverage gap. Unfortunately, the coverage for specialty medications (IV's, etc.) is still limited (typically with co-pay of 33 percent), until the coverage gap total out of pocket payments have been satisfied. During this economic downturn, if something is not done quickly, the cost burden to the health care economy is going to be catastrophic down the road with all of the press reports of consumers delaying or denying health care for themselves (medication, doctor's visits, etc.). Just do not believe all of the Right Wing propaganda on how bad a single payer system will be. If you do not like the British or Canadian model, then look at the French, German and Swiss models! Louis. . . ----- Origina Message ----- From: G. To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 12:26 AM Subject: Re: Health Care reform I have to pay over $12,000 a year for health insurance. No I cannot afford it. That amount is over 1/3 of my pension. But I do not want a government run health care system and have them tell me what doctor will cut on me. I do not want a doctor from a government pool cutting on my sex organ or any other body part. I want to choose. I would love for health care costs to go down, but they probably will not. So I will have to do without other things in the event I need more surgery other than the prostate surgery I had last year.> > >> > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential health> > care> > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey available> for> > > completion by members of the cancer community.> > >> > > You can fill in the survey at:> > >> > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > >> > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what> your> > issues> > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some> examples> > that> > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to prostate> > cancer> > > screening, access to treatment, etc.> > >> > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has received> > about> > > healthcare reform by going to this link> > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> > >> > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so take> part> > now.> > >> > >> > >> > > Kathy> > >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 We have something that is far, far worse then what would be in a system similar to what Federal Government employees and Congress has. It is the insurance companies! At least with a single payer system your senator and congressman can intervene on your behalf. Not with the insurance companies! Imagine what will happen to this country is the Brownie poops and the State Farm Insurance companies will be allow to interfere and bungle in the same manner as they did with the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita! I'm sure that ex-Senator Trent Lott is well familiar with this situation! What is most threatening about a possible bird flu pandemic is that it will not be the unhealthy and elderly with impaired immune system, but it will be the young and healthy, --the law enforcement officers, the utility and water works employees, the truck and transportation drivers and operators, nurses, physicians and the like@ There is already serious concerns with the state of our hospitals and emergency facilities after years and years of stingy reimbursements by insurance companies and Medicare and Medicaid especially with insufficient stockpiles of ventilators and other essential medical equipment and supplies! As a result, unnecessary deaths and morbidity is likely, with huge damage to our country and society happening. At least with a single payer system, needed influence over allocation of equipment and services will be possible to minimize unnecessary deaths and morbidity. There was already a situation back in 1976 in Kansas City with the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse disaster. In that case, the number of deaths were over 100 and that horrible injuries were in the range of 1,000 to 2,000, and the emergency hospitals were so overwhelmed as to be on the verge of financial collapse! The insurance industry was forced to make emergency advance payments to present this from occurring! Just scale this up to the bird flu pandemic when the numbers will be in the millions! BTW, providing for Medicare coverage for early retirees will make substantial contributions in reducing the health care cost burden and most of the high flier chronic disease like diabetes, COPD, heart disease and cancer that are responsible for a substantial portion of Medicare costs begin the present themselves in the very early 50's, when, if prompt and thorough intervention takes place, the downroad costs for management will be hugeness less! A major problem in the private health insurance industry market is that those that need help and early intervention are essentially excluded. In my case, before I became eligible for Medicare is that the private health insurance industry, because of my mild to moderate ulcerative colitis would not touch me with a ten-food colonoscope! As an example how picky underwriting has become, there is an insurance company in Iowa (American Republic Insurance Company) that will issue health insurance for a healthy skydiver, but not life insurance! In your case, as soon as you become eligible for Medicare, you may wish to one of the Medicare Advantage plans. In most cases, for the cost of your Medicare Part B monthly premium alone, these plans provide far more coverage at far less co-pays than Medicare Part B alone and include Part D drug coverage or even with a regular Medicare supplement policy. In the case with United Healthcare Medicare Complete program, the network is so huge and the doctors and hospital you will want to use is likely to be in the network. There is no restrictions on when you can consult a specialist. However, for low income persons, the remaining co-pay for hospitalization and other expenses can still be a burden. On the other, a plan like Wellcare has a less extensive network of providers, and visits to a specialist in most cases require a referral from you primary care doctor, but the co-pay for hospitalization is zero, for durable medical equipment zero, and in network physician visits zero, as well as zero co-pay for generic medicines, even through the coverage gap. Unfortunately, the coverage for specialty medications (IV's, etc.) is still limited (typically with co-pay of 33 percent), until the coverage gap total out of pocket payments have been satisfied. During this economic downturn, if something is not done quickly, the cost burden to the health care economy is going to be catastrophic down the road with all of the press reports of consumers delaying or denying health care for themselves (medication, doctor's visits, etc.). Just do not believe all of the Right Wing propaganda on how bad a single payer system will be. If you do not like the British or Canadian model, then look at the French, German and Swiss models! Louis. . . ----- Origina Message ----- From: G. To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 12:26 AM Subject: Re: Health Care reform I have to pay over $12,000 a year for health insurance. No I cannot afford it. That amount is over 1/3 of my pension. But I do not want a government run health care system and have them tell me what doctor will cut on me. I do not want a doctor from a government pool cutting on my sex organ or any other body part. I want to choose. I would love for health care costs to go down, but they probably will not. So I will have to do without other things in the event I need more surgery other than the prostate surgery I had last year.> > >> > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential health> > care> > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey available> for> > > completion by members of the cancer community.> > >> > > You can fill in the survey at:> > >> > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > >> > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what> your> > issues> > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some> examples> > that> > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to prostate> > cancer> > > screening, access to treatment, etc.> > >> > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has received> > about> > > healthcare reform by going to this link> > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> > >> > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so take> part> > now.> > >> > >> > >> > > Kathy> > >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 We have something that is far, far worse then what would be in a system similar to what Federal Government employees and Congress has. It is the insurance companies! At least with a single payer system your senator and congressman can intervene on your behalf. Not with the insurance companies! Imagine what will happen to this country is the Brownie poops and the State Farm Insurance companies will be allow to interfere and bungle in the same manner as they did with the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita! I'm sure that ex-Senator Trent Lott is well familiar with this situation! What is most threatening about a possible bird flu pandemic is that it will not be the unhealthy and elderly with impaired immune system, but it will be the young and healthy, --the law enforcement officers, the utility and water works employees, the truck and transportation drivers and operators, nurses, physicians and the like@ There is already serious concerns with the state of our hospitals and emergency facilities after years and years of stingy reimbursements by insurance companies and Medicare and Medicaid especially with insufficient stockpiles of ventilators and other essential medical equipment and supplies! As a result, unnecessary deaths and morbidity is likely, with huge damage to our country and society happening. At least with a single payer system, needed influence over allocation of equipment and services will be possible to minimize unnecessary deaths and morbidity. There was already a situation back in 1976 in Kansas City with the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse disaster. In that case, the number of deaths were over 100 and that horrible injuries were in the range of 1,000 to 2,000, and the emergency hospitals were so overwhelmed as to be on the verge of financial collapse! The insurance industry was forced to make emergency advance payments to present this from occurring! Just scale this up to the bird flu pandemic when the numbers will be in the millions! BTW, providing for Medicare coverage for early retirees will make substantial contributions in reducing the health care cost burden and most of the high flier chronic disease like diabetes, COPD, heart disease and cancer that are responsible for a substantial portion of Medicare costs begin the present themselves in the very early 50's, when, if prompt and thorough intervention takes place, the downroad costs for management will be hugeness less! A major problem in the private health insurance industry market is that those that need help and early intervention are essentially excluded. In my case, before I became eligible for Medicare is that the private health insurance industry, because of my mild to moderate ulcerative colitis would not touch me with a ten-food colonoscope! As an example how picky underwriting has become, there is an insurance company in Iowa (American Republic Insurance Company) that will issue health insurance for a healthy skydiver, but not life insurance! In your case, as soon as you become eligible for Medicare, you may wish to one of the Medicare Advantage plans. In most cases, for the cost of your Medicare Part B monthly premium alone, these plans provide far more coverage at far less co-pays than Medicare Part B alone and include Part D drug coverage or even with a regular Medicare supplement policy. In the case with United Healthcare Medicare Complete program, the network is so huge and the doctors and hospital you will want to use is likely to be in the network. There is no restrictions on when you can consult a specialist. However, for low income persons, the remaining co-pay for hospitalization and other expenses can still be a burden. On the other, a plan like Wellcare has a less extensive network of providers, and visits to a specialist in most cases require a referral from you primary care doctor, but the co-pay for hospitalization is zero, for durable medical equipment zero, and in network physician visits zero, as well as zero co-pay for generic medicines, even through the coverage gap. Unfortunately, the coverage for specialty medications (IV's, etc.) is still limited (typically with co-pay of 33 percent), until the coverage gap total out of pocket payments have been satisfied. During this economic downturn, if something is not done quickly, the cost burden to the health care economy is going to be catastrophic down the road with all of the press reports of consumers delaying or denying health care for themselves (medication, doctor's visits, etc.). Just do not believe all of the Right Wing propaganda on how bad a single payer system will be. If you do not like the British or Canadian model, then look at the French, German and Swiss models! Louis. . . ----- Origina Message ----- From: G. To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 12:26 AM Subject: Re: Health Care reform I have to pay over $12,000 a year for health insurance. No I cannot afford it. That amount is over 1/3 of my pension. But I do not want a government run health care system and have them tell me what doctor will cut on me. I do not want a doctor from a government pool cutting on my sex organ or any other body part. I want to choose. I would love for health care costs to go down, but they probably will not. So I will have to do without other things in the event I need more surgery other than the prostate surgery I had last year.> > >> > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential health> > care> > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey available> for> > > completion by members of the cancer community.> > >> > > You can fill in the survey at:> > >> > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > >> > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what> your> > issues> > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some> examples> > that> > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to prostate> > cancer> > > screening, access to treatment, etc.> > >> > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has received> > about> > > healthcare reform by going to this link> > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> > >> > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so take> part> > now.> > >> > >> > >> > > Kathy> > >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 So I'm in favor of public health insurance. Hi: I'm CDN and from what I hear the US will NEVER have a medical care system I would trade for! Women get better pre-natal care in Canada than will ever be available in the US. Statistically speaking pre-natal care,Cancer recovery and high risk care, could be the reason that Canadians live longer by one year than do Americans, and nobody needs to beg for treatment. Now I'm not bashing USA, I'm married to an American girl, 11 years, and it seems to do ok for it's Seniors. I'm coming on to 74 years, and start my 4th week of radiation in the US on Monday. I've been prodded, poked, Scanned, Stabbed, needled and Advised in both the US and Canada and I really can't tell you the comparison in service from one or the other, In Canada, the only time I go into my wallet is for my medial card, and because of my senior status in the US, just for a small co-pay here. 12 years ago I had a triple Bypass operation in Canada, and I'm lucky I was in Canada because otherwise I'm sure I would not be writing this here today. I'm not saying you need to follow the CDN pattern, surely you're smart enough to start your own, only, not smart enough to know when to do it. Those with money will need to pay for the poor and that's where it appears you're stuck. In Canada, people have the same pressure and we are fighting constantly to keep what we have. Bye Emile New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 So I'm in favor of public health insurance. Hi: I'm CDN and from what I hear the US will NEVER have a medical care system I would trade for! Women get better pre-natal care in Canada than will ever be available in the US. Statistically speaking pre-natal care,Cancer recovery and high risk care, could be the reason that Canadians live longer by one year than do Americans, and nobody needs to beg for treatment. Now I'm not bashing USA, I'm married to an American girl, 11 years, and it seems to do ok for it's Seniors. I'm coming on to 74 years, and start my 4th week of radiation in the US on Monday. I've been prodded, poked, Scanned, Stabbed, needled and Advised in both the US and Canada and I really can't tell you the comparison in service from one or the other, In Canada, the only time I go into my wallet is for my medial card, and because of my senior status in the US, just for a small co-pay here. 12 years ago I had a triple Bypass operation in Canada, and I'm lucky I was in Canada because otherwise I'm sure I would not be writing this here today. I'm not saying you need to follow the CDN pattern, surely you're smart enough to start your own, only, not smart enough to know when to do it. Those with money will need to pay for the poor and that's where it appears you're stuck. In Canada, people have the same pressure and we are fighting constantly to keep what we have. Bye Emile New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 So I'm in favor of public health insurance. Hi: I'm CDN and from what I hear the US will NEVER have a medical care system I would trade for! Women get better pre-natal care in Canada than will ever be available in the US. Statistically speaking pre-natal care,Cancer recovery and high risk care, could be the reason that Canadians live longer by one year than do Americans, and nobody needs to beg for treatment. Now I'm not bashing USA, I'm married to an American girl, 11 years, and it seems to do ok for it's Seniors. I'm coming on to 74 years, and start my 4th week of radiation in the US on Monday. I've been prodded, poked, Scanned, Stabbed, needled and Advised in both the US and Canada and I really can't tell you the comparison in service from one or the other, In Canada, the only time I go into my wallet is for my medial card, and because of my senior status in the US, just for a small co-pay here. 12 years ago I had a triple Bypass operation in Canada, and I'm lucky I was in Canada because otherwise I'm sure I would not be writing this here today. I'm not saying you need to follow the CDN pattern, surely you're smart enough to start your own, only, not smart enough to know when to do it. Those with money will need to pay for the poor and that's where it appears you're stuck. In Canada, people have the same pressure and we are fighting constantly to keep what we have. Bye Emile New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 "Several participants emphasized the need for a government-sponsored, universal health-care plan. "I was surprised at how many people, including health-care professionals, have moved to the idea that a a single-payer, universal plan is needed," Doss said. "Every other industrialized country on this planet has national health care as a right of citizenship. We should do no less," said Skip , a psychology professor at Sonoma State University, at the meeting. "One of the critical things in the development of a national health-care system is something that seeks to integrate top-down design issues with the bottom-up, grassroots things that are going on already in this county and probably every other county in the country." from Health-care costs top list of concerns > > > > >> > > > > The Obama Transition Team is looking for input on potential> > health> > > > care> > > > > reform. ACOR has set up a discussion list with a survey> > available> > > for> > > > > completion by members of the cancer community.> > > > >> > > > > You can fill in the survey at:> > > > >> > > > > <http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html>> > > > > http://acor.org/town-hall/survey.html> > > > >> > > > > You can also directly take part in the process by going to> > > > > http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory and share your story and what> > > your> > > > issues> > > > > related to your cancer experience or those in your life. Some> > > examples> > > > that> > > > > you might want to discuss are research funding, access to> > prostate> > > > cancer> > > > > screening, access to treatment, etc.> > > > >> > > > > You can read some of the input that the transition team has> > received> > > > about> > > > > healthcare reform by going to this link> > > > > http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable/C21/.> > > > >> > > > > If you have not already participated your time is limited so> > take> > > part> > > > now.> > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > > Kathy> > > > >> > > >> > >> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 The theory behind health insurance is sharing the risk. If every person in the country is in one pool of insured, the cost to each person is exactly the average cost of health care for all people in the country. However, the motivation of an insurance company is necessarily different. It aims not to share the risk but to avoid the risk by not insuring higher risk people and/or by charging them higher premiums. The ideal goal is to make a profit on each person, to charge him more than they pay out for him. There's no way around that. If the company doesn't do that they will make less money than their competitors, or lose money, and be driven out of business. Very highly paid actuary/statisticians are hired to analyze risk precisely for each group of people. Private insurance works out well if you're young, male (women can get pregnant and will pay 50% more than men in some states where it is not illegal to charge different rates by gender), and healthy. In other words, if you don't really need health care, you can get it cheap. However if you're old, or you have or have had cancer or some other serious health condition, private insurance costs a bundle, if you can get it at all. I called a number of insurance companies that wouldn't even talk to me when I told them I had had cancer. They told me not to bother to apply for a quote because I wouldn't qualify. I am totally dependent on my current HMO and will not be able to change insurers even if they treat may badly or price me out of the market. Even if I could find another company to insure me, I can expect a " pre-existing condition " battle for any claims I might make. I've seen my HMO rates go up dramatically because I'm older than I once was. And since I'm going to keep getting older, I can expect my rates to keep going up dramatically until I hit the magic age for Medicare. For most of us as we reach retirement age, our income goes down but our health insurance cost goes up. If it weren't for Medicare we would be, as they say, S-O-L. So I'm in favor of public health insurance. As for the question of whether public health insurance means lower quality of care, I just don't know. I do know that with private insurance the doctors are being paid less and less and having to fight more and more to get paid. My wife is a social worker who does counseling, paid for mostly by health insurance. It is amazing the hoops that the insurance companies put her through to get paid, and the shady dodges and outright lies that many of the companies use to avoid paying her. Everyone has heard the expression Never attribute to malfeasance what can be explained by simple incompetence. But with the insurance companies it's the other way around. They pretend they didn't get a claim, or that it didn't have the right codes on it, or it was lost in the mail, or the check went out - oh you mean you didn't get it?, or it wasn't authorized, or, oops, we must have lost the paper work. It never works the wrong way and results in an overpayment. It happens too often to be incompetence. So before someone tells me all the things wrong with single payer health insurance I'd like to hear what's so good about private insurance and why it's any better to justify the higher cost and risk that it imposes. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 The theory behind health insurance is sharing the risk. If every person in the country is in one pool of insured, the cost to each person is exactly the average cost of health care for all people in the country. However, the motivation of an insurance company is necessarily different. It aims not to share the risk but to avoid the risk by not insuring higher risk people and/or by charging them higher premiums. The ideal goal is to make a profit on each person, to charge him more than they pay out for him. There's no way around that. If the company doesn't do that they will make less money than their competitors, or lose money, and be driven out of business. Very highly paid actuary/statisticians are hired to analyze risk precisely for each group of people. Private insurance works out well if you're young, male (women can get pregnant and will pay 50% more than men in some states where it is not illegal to charge different rates by gender), and healthy. In other words, if you don't really need health care, you can get it cheap. However if you're old, or you have or have had cancer or some other serious health condition, private insurance costs a bundle, if you can get it at all. I called a number of insurance companies that wouldn't even talk to me when I told them I had had cancer. They told me not to bother to apply for a quote because I wouldn't qualify. I am totally dependent on my current HMO and will not be able to change insurers even if they treat may badly or price me out of the market. Even if I could find another company to insure me, I can expect a " pre-existing condition " battle for any claims I might make. I've seen my HMO rates go up dramatically because I'm older than I once was. And since I'm going to keep getting older, I can expect my rates to keep going up dramatically until I hit the magic age for Medicare. For most of us as we reach retirement age, our income goes down but our health insurance cost goes up. If it weren't for Medicare we would be, as they say, S-O-L. So I'm in favor of public health insurance. As for the question of whether public health insurance means lower quality of care, I just don't know. I do know that with private insurance the doctors are being paid less and less and having to fight more and more to get paid. My wife is a social worker who does counseling, paid for mostly by health insurance. It is amazing the hoops that the insurance companies put her through to get paid, and the shady dodges and outright lies that many of the companies use to avoid paying her. Everyone has heard the expression Never attribute to malfeasance what can be explained by simple incompetence. But with the insurance companies it's the other way around. They pretend they didn't get a claim, or that it didn't have the right codes on it, or it was lost in the mail, or the check went out - oh you mean you didn't get it?, or it wasn't authorized, or, oops, we must have lost the paper work. It never works the wrong way and results in an overpayment. It happens too often to be incompetence. So before someone tells me all the things wrong with single payer health insurance I'd like to hear what's so good about private insurance and why it's any better to justify the higher cost and risk that it imposes. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Alan, right on! Laurel > > > The theory behind health insurance is sharing the risk. If > every person in the country is in one pool of insured, the cost > to each person is exactly the average cost of health care for > all people in the country. > > However, the motivation of an insurance company is necessarily > different. It aims not to share the risk but to avoid the risk > by not insuring higher risk people and/or by charging them > higher premiums. The ideal goal is to make a profit on each > person, to charge him more than they pay out for him. There's > no way around that. If the company doesn't do that they will > make less money than their competitors, or lose money, and be > driven out of business. Very highly paid actuary/statisticians > are hired to analyze risk precisely for each group of people. > > Private insurance works out well if you're young, male (women > can get pregnant and will pay 50% more than men in some states > where it is not illegal to charge different rates by gender), > and healthy. In other words, if you don't really need health > care, you can get it cheap. > > However if you're old, or you have or have had cancer or some > other serious health condition, private insurance costs a > bundle, if you can get it at all. I called a number of > insurance companies that wouldn't even talk to me when I told > them I had had cancer. They told me not to bother to apply for > a quote because I wouldn't qualify. I am totally dependent on > my current HMO and will not be able to change insurers even if > they treat may badly or price me out of the market. Even if I > could find another company to insure me, I can expect a > " pre-existing condition " battle for any claims I might make. > > I've seen my HMO rates go up dramatically because I'm older than > I once was. And since I'm going to keep getting older, I can > expect my rates to keep going up dramatically until I hit the > magic age for Medicare. > > For most of us as we reach retirement age, our income goes down > but our health insurance cost goes up. If it weren't for > Medicare we would be, as they say, S-O-L. > > So I'm in favor of public health insurance. > > As for the question of whether public health insurance means > lower quality of care, I just don't know. I do know that with > private insurance the doctors are being paid less and less and > having to fight more and more to get paid. My wife is a social > worker who does counseling, paid for mostly by health insurance. > It is amazing the hoops that the insurance companies put her > through to get paid, and the shady dodges and outright lies that > many of the companies use to avoid paying her. > > Everyone has heard the expression Never attribute to malfeasance > what can be explained by simple incompetence. But with the > insurance companies it's the other way around. They pretend > they didn't get a claim, or that it didn't have the right codes > on it, or it was lost in the mail, or the check went out - oh > you mean you didn't get it?, or it wasn't authorized, or, oops, > we must have lost the paper work. It never works the wrong way > and results in an overpayment. It happens too often to be > incompetence. > > So before someone tells me all the things wrong with single > payer health insurance I'd like to hear what's so good about > private insurance and why it's any better to justify the higher > cost and risk that it imposes. > > Alan > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Alan, right on! Laurel > > > The theory behind health insurance is sharing the risk. If > every person in the country is in one pool of insured, the cost > to each person is exactly the average cost of health care for > all people in the country. > > However, the motivation of an insurance company is necessarily > different. It aims not to share the risk but to avoid the risk > by not insuring higher risk people and/or by charging them > higher premiums. The ideal goal is to make a profit on each > person, to charge him more than they pay out for him. There's > no way around that. If the company doesn't do that they will > make less money than their competitors, or lose money, and be > driven out of business. Very highly paid actuary/statisticians > are hired to analyze risk precisely for each group of people. > > Private insurance works out well if you're young, male (women > can get pregnant and will pay 50% more than men in some states > where it is not illegal to charge different rates by gender), > and healthy. In other words, if you don't really need health > care, you can get it cheap. > > However if you're old, or you have or have had cancer or some > other serious health condition, private insurance costs a > bundle, if you can get it at all. I called a number of > insurance companies that wouldn't even talk to me when I told > them I had had cancer. They told me not to bother to apply for > a quote because I wouldn't qualify. I am totally dependent on > my current HMO and will not be able to change insurers even if > they treat may badly or price me out of the market. Even if I > could find another company to insure me, I can expect a > " pre-existing condition " battle for any claims I might make. > > I've seen my HMO rates go up dramatically because I'm older than > I once was. And since I'm going to keep getting older, I can > expect my rates to keep going up dramatically until I hit the > magic age for Medicare. > > For most of us as we reach retirement age, our income goes down > but our health insurance cost goes up. If it weren't for > Medicare we would be, as they say, S-O-L. > > So I'm in favor of public health insurance. > > As for the question of whether public health insurance means > lower quality of care, I just don't know. I do know that with > private insurance the doctors are being paid less and less and > having to fight more and more to get paid. My wife is a social > worker who does counseling, paid for mostly by health insurance. > It is amazing the hoops that the insurance companies put her > through to get paid, and the shady dodges and outright lies that > many of the companies use to avoid paying her. > > Everyone has heard the expression Never attribute to malfeasance > what can be explained by simple incompetence. But with the > insurance companies it's the other way around. They pretend > they didn't get a claim, or that it didn't have the right codes > on it, or it was lost in the mail, or the check went out - oh > you mean you didn't get it?, or it wasn't authorized, or, oops, > we must have lost the paper work. It never works the wrong way > and results in an overpayment. It happens too often to be > incompetence. > > So before someone tells me all the things wrong with single > payer health insurance I'd like to hear what's so good about > private insurance and why it's any better to justify the higher > cost and risk that it imposes. > > Alan > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 As a physical therapist for over 25 years, and as a guy who had to quit my own business to get my wife health insurance (multiple medical problems) I too have come around and now favor national health insurance. The health care system in this country is a disgrace. Sure, we have "the greatest state of the art health care in the world" but only if you have health insurance! If you are unemployed or work for a company that doesn't offer health insurance you are thrown to the dogs in this country. No doctor wants to see you and you are quickly bankrupted by hospital bills. I don't see people up in arms in Canada, Britain, France, Germany complaining about their health care. I do realize that in these countries there are often long waiting times for seeing doctors, and that you may have to go to a hospital far from your house for certain procedures but AT LEAST YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM. In this country unless you are on Medicaid, Medicare, or lucky enough to have private insurance you have nothing. The quality of health care may indeed suffer with national health insurance but AT LEAST EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING, Laurel wrote: Alan, right on!Laurel>> > The theory behind health insurance is sharing the risk. If> every person in the country is in one pool of insured, the cost> to each person is exactly the average cost of health care for> all people in the country.> > However, the motivation of an insurance company is necessarily> different. It aims not to share the risk but to avoid the risk> by not insuring higher risk people and/or by charging them> higher premiums. The ideal goal is to make a profit on each> person, to charge him more than they pay out for him. There's> no way around that. If the company doesn't do that they will> make less money than their competitors, or lose money, and be> driven out of business. Very highly paid actuary/statisticians> are hired to analyze risk precisely for each group of people.> > Private insurance works out well if you're young, male (women> can get pregnant and will pay 50% more than men in some states> where it is not illegal to charge different rates by gender),> and healthy. In other words, if you don't really need health> care, you can get it cheap.> > However if you're old, or you have or have had cancer or some> other serious health condition, private insurance costs a> bundle, if you can get it at all. I called a number of> insurance companies that wouldn't even talk to me when I told> them I had had cancer. They told me not to bother to apply for> a quote because I wouldn't qualify. I am totally dependent on> my current HMO and will not be able to change insurers even if> they treat may badly or price me out of the market. Even if I> could find another company to insure me, I can expect a> "pre-existing condition" battle for any claims I might make.> > I've seen my HMO rates go up dramatically because I'm older than> I once was. And since I'm going to keep getting older, I can> expect my rates to keep going up dramatically until I hit the> magic age for Medicare.> > For most of us as we reach retirement age, our income goes down> but our health insurance cost goes up. If it weren't for> Medicare we would be, as they say, S-O-L.> > So I'm in favor of public health insurance.> > As for the question of whether public health insurance means> lower quality of care, I just don't know. I do know that with> private insurance the doctors are being paid less and less and> having to fight more and more to get paid. My wife is a social> worker who does counseling, paid for mostly by health insurance.> It is amazing the hoops that the insurance companies put her> through to get paid, and the shady dodges and outright lies that> many of the companies use to avoid paying her.> > Everyone has heard the expression Never attribute to malfeasance> what can be explained by simple incompetence. But with the> insurance companies it's the other way around. They pretend> they didn't get a claim, or that it didn't have the right codes> on it, or it was lost in the mail, or the check went out - oh> you mean you didn't get it?, or it wasn't authorized, or, oops,> we must have lost the paper work. It never works the wrong way> and results in an overpayment. It happens too often to be> incompetence.> > So before someone tells me all the things wrong with single> payer health insurance I'd like to hear what's so good about> private insurance and why it's any better to justify the higher> cost and risk that it imposes.> > Alan> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 As a physical therapist for over 25 years, and as a guy who had to quit my own business to get my wife health insurance (multiple medical problems) I too have come around and now favor national health insurance. The health care system in this country is a disgrace. Sure, we have "the greatest state of the art health care in the world" but only if you have health insurance! If you are unemployed or work for a company that doesn't offer health insurance you are thrown to the dogs in this country. No doctor wants to see you and you are quickly bankrupted by hospital bills. I don't see people up in arms in Canada, Britain, France, Germany complaining about their health care. I do realize that in these countries there are often long waiting times for seeing doctors, and that you may have to go to a hospital far from your house for certain procedures but AT LEAST YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM. In this country unless you are on Medicaid, Medicare, or lucky enough to have private insurance you have nothing. The quality of health care may indeed suffer with national health insurance but AT LEAST EVERYBODY HAS SOMETHING, Laurel wrote: Alan, right on!Laurel>> > The theory behind health insurance is sharing the risk. If> every person in the country is in one pool of insured, the cost> to each person is exactly the average cost of health care for> all people in the country.> > However, the motivation of an insurance company is necessarily> different. It aims not to share the risk but to avoid the risk> by not insuring higher risk people and/or by charging them> higher premiums. The ideal goal is to make a profit on each> person, to charge him more than they pay out for him. There's> no way around that. If the company doesn't do that they will> make less money than their competitors, or lose money, and be> driven out of business. Very highly paid actuary/statisticians> are hired to analyze risk precisely for each group of people.> > Private insurance works out well if you're young, male (women> can get pregnant and will pay 50% more than men in some states> where it is not illegal to charge different rates by gender),> and healthy. In other words, if you don't really need health> care, you can get it cheap.> > However if you're old, or you have or have had cancer or some> other serious health condition, private insurance costs a> bundle, if you can get it at all. I called a number of> insurance companies that wouldn't even talk to me when I told> them I had had cancer. They told me not to bother to apply for> a quote because I wouldn't qualify. I am totally dependent on> my current HMO and will not be able to change insurers even if> they treat may badly or price me out of the market. Even if I> could find another company to insure me, I can expect a> "pre-existing condition" battle for any claims I might make.> > I've seen my HMO rates go up dramatically because I'm older than> I once was. And since I'm going to keep getting older, I can> expect my rates to keep going up dramatically until I hit the> magic age for Medicare.> > For most of us as we reach retirement age, our income goes down> but our health insurance cost goes up. If it weren't for> Medicare we would be, as they say, S-O-L.> > So I'm in favor of public health insurance.> > As for the question of whether public health insurance means> lower quality of care, I just don't know. I do know that with> private insurance the doctors are being paid less and less and> having to fight more and more to get paid. My wife is a social> worker who does counseling, paid for mostly by health insurance.> It is amazing the hoops that the insurance companies put her> through to get paid, and the shady dodges and outright lies that> many of the companies use to avoid paying her.> > Everyone has heard the expression Never attribute to malfeasance> what can be explained by simple incompetence. But with the> insurance companies it's the other way around. They pretend> they didn't get a claim, or that it didn't have the right codes> on it, or it was lost in the mail, or the check went out - oh> you mean you didn't get it?, or it wasn't authorized, or, oops,> we must have lost the paper work. It never works the wrong way> and results in an overpayment. It happens too often to be> incompetence.> > So before someone tells me all the things wrong with single> payer health insurance I'd like to hear what's so good about> private insurance and why it's any better to justify the higher> cost and risk that it imposes.> > Alan> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 "Of course, what insurance (and the lack of it) often represents, as numerous studies have shown, is the difference between care and no care, between an early cancer diagnosis and a late diagnosis, between properly managing a chronic condition like asthma and waiting until a dangerous attack occurs. For some of the patients in the Archives of Surgery study, which was led by s Hopkins trauma surgeon Adil Haider, what insurance represented was nothing less than the difference between life and death." ~from No Insurance? That's a Killer. > >> > > > The theory behind health insurance is sharing the risk. If> > every person in the country is in one pool of insured, the cost> > to each person is exactly the average cost of health care for> > all people in the country.> > > > However, the motivation of an insurance company is necessarily> > different. It aims not to share the risk but to avoid the risk> > by not insuring higher risk people and/or by charging them> > higher premiums. The ideal goal is to make a profit on each> > person, to charge him more than they pay out for him. There's> > no way around that. If the company doesn't do that they will> > make less money than their competitors, or lose money, and be> > driven out of business. Very highly paid actuary/statisticians> > are hired to analyze risk precisely for each group of people.> > > > Private insurance works out well if you're young, male (women> > can get pregnant and will pay 50% more than men in some states> > where it is not illegal to charge different rates by gender),> > and healthy. In other words, if you don't really need health> > care, you can get it cheap.> > > > However if you're old, or you have or have had cancer or some> > other serious health condition, private insurance costs a> > bundle, if you can get it at all. I called a number of> > insurance companies that wouldn't even talk to me when I told> > them I had had cancer. They told me not to bother to apply for> > a quote because I wouldn't qualify. I am totally dependent on> > my current HMO and will not be able to change insurers even if> > they treat may badly or price me out of the market. Even if I> > could find another company to insure me, I can expect a> > "pre-existing condition" battle for any claims I might make.> > > > I've seen my HMO rates go up dramatically because I'm older than> > I once was. And since I'm going to keep getting older, I can> > expect my rates to keep going up dramatically until I hit the> > magic age for Medicare.> > > > For most of us as we reach retirement age, our income goes down> > but our health insurance cost goes up. If it weren't for> > Medicare we would be, as they say, S-O-L.> > > > So I'm in favor of public health insurance.> > > > As for the question of whether public health insurance means> > lower quality of care, I just don't know. I do know that with> > private insurance the doctors are being paid less and less and> > having to fight more and more to get paid. My wife is a social> > worker who does counseling, paid for mostly by health insurance.> > It is amazing the hoops that the insurance companies put her> > through to get paid, and the shady dodges and outright lies that> > many of the companies use to avoid paying her.> > > > Everyone has heard the expression Never attribute to malfeasance> > what can be explained by simple incompetence. But with the> > insurance companies it's the other way around. They pretend> > they didn't get a claim, or that it didn't have the right codes> > on it, or it was lost in the mail, or the check went out - oh> > you mean you didn't get it?, or it wasn't authorized, or, oops,> > we must have lost the paper work. It never works the wrong way> > and results in an overpayment. It happens too often to be> > incompetence.> > > > So before someone tells me all the things wrong with single> > payer health insurance I'd like to hear what's so good about> > private insurance and why it's any better to justify the higher> > cost and risk that it imposes.> > > > Alan> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 "Of course, what insurance (and the lack of it) often represents, as numerous studies have shown, is the difference between care and no care, between an early cancer diagnosis and a late diagnosis, between properly managing a chronic condition like asthma and waiting until a dangerous attack occurs. For some of the patients in the Archives of Surgery study, which was led by s Hopkins trauma surgeon Adil Haider, what insurance represented was nothing less than the difference between life and death." ~from No Insurance? That's a Killer. > >> > > > The theory behind health insurance is sharing the risk. If> > every person in the country is in one pool of insured, the cost> > to each person is exactly the average cost of health care for> > all people in the country.> > > > However, the motivation of an insurance company is necessarily> > different. It aims not to share the risk but to avoid the risk> > by not insuring higher risk people and/or by charging them> > higher premiums. The ideal goal is to make a profit on each> > person, to charge him more than they pay out for him. There's> > no way around that. If the company doesn't do that they will> > make less money than their competitors, or lose money, and be> > driven out of business. Very highly paid actuary/statisticians> > are hired to analyze risk precisely for each group of people.> > > > Private insurance works out well if you're young, male (women> > can get pregnant and will pay 50% more than men in some states> > where it is not illegal to charge different rates by gender),> > and healthy. In other words, if you don't really need health> > care, you can get it cheap.> > > > However if you're old, or you have or have had cancer or some> > other serious health condition, private insurance costs a> > bundle, if you can get it at all. I called a number of> > insurance companies that wouldn't even talk to me when I told> > them I had had cancer. They told me not to bother to apply for> > a quote because I wouldn't qualify. I am totally dependent on> > my current HMO and will not be able to change insurers even if> > they treat may badly or price me out of the market. Even if I> > could find another company to insure me, I can expect a> > "pre-existing condition" battle for any claims I might make.> > > > I've seen my HMO rates go up dramatically because I'm older than> > I once was. And since I'm going to keep getting older, I can> > expect my rates to keep going up dramatically until I hit the> > magic age for Medicare.> > > > For most of us as we reach retirement age, our income goes down> > but our health insurance cost goes up. If it weren't for> > Medicare we would be, as they say, S-O-L.> > > > So I'm in favor of public health insurance.> > > > As for the question of whether public health insurance means> > lower quality of care, I just don't know. I do know that with> > private insurance the doctors are being paid less and less and> > having to fight more and more to get paid. My wife is a social> > worker who does counseling, paid for mostly by health insurance.> > It is amazing the hoops that the insurance companies put her> > through to get paid, and the shady dodges and outright lies that> > many of the companies use to avoid paying her.> > > > Everyone has heard the expression Never attribute to malfeasance> > what can be explained by simple incompetence. But with the> > insurance companies it's the other way around. They pretend> > they didn't get a claim, or that it didn't have the right codes> > on it, or it was lost in the mail, or the check went out - oh> > you mean you didn't get it?, or it wasn't authorized, or, oops,> > we must have lost the paper work. It never works the wrong way> > and results in an overpayment. It happens too often to be> > incompetence.> > > > So before someone tells me all the things wrong with single> > payer health insurance I'd like to hear what's so good about> > private insurance and why it's any better to justify the higher> > cost and risk that it imposes.> > > > Alan> >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 > ... I do realize that in these countries there are often long > waiting times for seeing doctors ... I went to my HMO complaining of a persistent sore throat that had lasted about two months. They scheduled me to see a specialist in three months. I asked if I couldn't see anyone sooner. They said they had a backlog. I said, " What if it's something serious like throat cancer? " They said, " Don't worry, throat cancer is slow growing. " And this is very expensive, private health insurance folks. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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