Impeding changes to our Health Care system

[Spexxvet]

One part of the reform that has had a positive effect on my family: When my oldest graduated high school, she couldn't take a gap year, because she couldn't stay on our health insurance policy. My second kid will graduate this year, and can take a gap year, because President Obama enacted the law allowing us to keep kids on our health insurance policy until they are 25 years old.

Thank you, Mr. President.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

"Do you drive? Use public transportation, roads, highways and/or bridges? Do you go to public beaches, libraries or parks?"

I do all these things.

Can you still pay to use private roads, use private transportation, go to private beaches, bookstores, and country clubs, if you want to and can afford it?

[Clodfobble]

My friend with a diabetic daughter and a self-employed husband now have health coverage for their family, due to the new laws. Previously, all 6 of them were uninsured because of the one daughter's pre-existing condition.

Thank you, Mr. President.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

My friend with a diabetic daughter and a self-employed husband now have health coverage for their family, due to the new laws. Previously, all 6 of them were uninsured because of the one daughter's pre-existing condition.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Wait til they get the bill for their premium.... or wait, will all the rest of be paying that?

[glatt]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

or wait, will all the rest of [us] be paying that?

That's the whole point of insurance. The healthy pay for the sick. And what they get in return is the promise that they will be taken care of if they get sick.

[henry quirk]

"Well then HQ, apparently you do not wish to contribute to our society in any way."

There's so much wrong with this statement: let me count (some of) the ways...

1-I'm hard-pressed how you arrived at this above conclusion...care to explain your reasoning?

2-In the context of 'mandatory', 'law', and 'single payer', there is no such animal as 'contribute' (normally a voluntary event), there is only 'take'.

3-What is 'society'? Define it.

4-If a body pays for the services and products he or she needs and wants directly (instead of shuffling cap in hand to big daddy government) is this not 'contributing'?

#

"How are all those thing going to exist without contributions?"

Again with 'contributions'.

Each of these -- public transportation, public beaches, libraries, parks, etc. -- is a separate item on the list...some (because of the way municipal, regional, state, national, living is currently organized) require some communal funding, while others don't.

If you wanna dicker about what should be funded by 'all', start a new thread (or revitalize an old one if such already exists).

[infinite monkey]

I like to see these real world accounts of people who have gotten some relief.

Thank you Mr. President.

(Yes!)

[classicman]

Well then HQ, apparently you do not wish to contribute to our society in any way.
How are all those thing going to exist without contributions?

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

or wait, will all the rest of [us] be paying that?

What glatt said.

Are you aware that you are also already paying for that other guy's house fire with your homeowner's insurance, and that other guy's car wreck with your auto insurance? It's insurance. That's how it works.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

What glatt said.

Are you aware that you are also already paying for that other guy's house fire
with your homeowner's insurance, and that other guy's car wreck
with your auto insurance? It's insurance. That's how it works.

Does anyone find it paradoxical that the salaries of patient-care staff
and the continued existence most hospitals' now depend upon
the US government's funding of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, VA, etc.

Conservatives blame Obama for rising health care costs,
but then try to scare seniors by saying Obama is cutting
Medicare reimbursements to hospitals by 27%.
Maybe just a bit of self-interest here ?

Little mention is made of GWB's clause in Medicare Part D prohibiting
Medicare from "negotiating" drug costs with pharmaceutical companies.

e.g., CDC contracts with Merck for Shingles vaccine (Zostavax) at $105/dose
for use by county health departments, but it is $161 for Medicare.
Patients of private physicians can expect fees of ~ $400.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

What glatt said.

Are you aware that you are also already paying for that other guy's house fire with your homeowner's insurance, and that other guy's car wreck with your auto insurance? It's insurance. That's how it works.

what clodfobble said

not to mention that other uninsured indigent guy's emergency room visit to take care of a problem later and for vastly higher costs than an earlier and vastly cheaper, but not emergency room justifiable condition... You, and I, are already paying for that now too.

It's charity care. That's how it works.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by BigV

what clodfobble said

yes

It's charity care. That's how it works.

no

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

What glatt said.

Are you aware that you are also already paying for that other guy's house fire with your homeowner's insurance, and that other guy's car wreck with your auto insurance? It's insurance. That's how it works.

The systems may seem similar but that is not how it works in health care. The auto body shops don't charge me $900 for a $2 thermostat because lots of people wreck their cars. That's not how it works.

[BigV]

My point is that the care isn't free. Those costs are incurred, and they get paid for by everyone else, not just the hospital eating the whole cost. If you pay money into the health care system, some of the money you pay goes to cover the cost of the UNCOMPENSATED care provided by the hospital but not paid for by the recipient of that care.

[classicman]

I understand that, I was simply pointing out that the phrase you use actually exists and has meaning.