The Health Care Bill has passed...

[swanqween]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Most insurance companies are in the business of making money. Most are not non-profits.

Ahh and therein lies the problem!

My $0.02 on the matter:

Yes, being uninsured sucks & has problems; however, making insurance mandatory (thinking of the mandatory auto insurance law in Ca.) doesn't really work either. Why doesn't it work, (using results of aforementioned auto insurance) if you can't afford insurance you still won't buy it; or you'll sign up just to re-register you vehicle (or avoid the income tax penalty) then drop it. When Sacramento passed this idea the residents of the state heard the lip service from the insurance Co.s that they would offer 'low-cost' insurance for low-income residents (yeah right!) Now I've always held auto insurance (which has ALWAYS been higher than my registration/license fees have been!) But I scoff at their idea of what 'affordable' insurance is *especially* when the coverage is minimal.

How does this relate to med insurance? A for profit Co.s idea of what low cost & affordable is will be much different than the low income worker's idea who is living paycheck to paycheck (if that); perhaps the Gov't subsidies will assist, but what's the cost of that, more national debt that the taxpayers get to deal with via higher taxes *&* med insurance increases?

IMO costs need to be contained *first* before you mandate for everyone to have coverage for the out-of-control costs. How can this be achieved? a couple (less than conservative) ideas:

-nationalize health care; make health care administrators and providers government employees with set compensation, eliminating the for-profit 'must-raise-profits-each-year-for-our-stockholders' mentality

-reduce litigation; implement the (European?) system where if you LOSE you pay legal council fees for BOTH sides (this should reduce frivolous lawsuits) side tangent: redesign the juror system and adopt the (British?)system (isn't our legal system based upon theirs in the 1st place) incorporate 'professional jurors' that can be educated about matters, legalities, technology, etc. (cringing every time I think of the OJ Simpson trial; yikes!)

Sorry for going on, but it really irks me when legislation is passed that is 'supposed' to improve a situation but it is more about the elected Representatives concern about touting their own horn for re-election than taking the time to analyze policy and creating something that will actually address and improve the situation!

But hey, isn't it supposed to take effect in 2013; so plenty of time for those bureaucrats to revise, delay, extend deadlines, and ammend away for the next three years!

[AGDee]

Most Americans don't understand that the health care system is on the verge of a collapse similar to the auto industry or the banking system.

I think people should be able to keep the health insurance that they have, if they enjoy it, even if they change jobs, quit work to be a stay at home mom, find themselves unemployed or forced into early retirement, etc. Being able to enjoy the health insurance that you have should be something that everybody can do. Yours may be good now, but if your employer decides to make a change, you are at their mercy. If your employer makes a change, you may end up like me... losing all of the doctors who have been treating you for 15 years, know your history and your family, know and understand how different medications work for you, etc and be stuck with whatever doctors the new insurance will cover, whether you like it or not.

[AOII Angel]

I completely get what your saying Dee...I had this same argument with my coworker yesterday. We're on the same side. I think that the main problem in health care is that we are allowing companies to run insurance companies and hospitals as "For Profit" companies. No one should be able to make a profit on the backs of peoples' health. It's unethical and it's plain wrong. I'm glad they were able to get something started. I hope they don't think that this is going to "fix" health care, because it won't. The problem is...you can't fix a system by basing the new system on the foundation of a broken system. I agree with you that the American public has no idea what they are talking about when they say they are for or against health care reform. They are just mimicking the talking head pundits of their chosen parties. The only people who really know the ins and outs are those that have been effected by the imperfect system or work in the system.

[Psi U MC Vito]

I do think that the health care system needs to be reformed, but I'm not sure about the bill that was voted out. My view is, what do lawyers really know about health care?

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

I do think that the health care system needs to be reformed, but I'm not sure about the bill that was voted out. My view is, what do lawyers really know about health care?

Ditto

[RU OX Alum]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Ditto

This is one of my favorite words ever. Sorry, I am a spazz for language. /hijack.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by RU OX Alum

This is one of my favorite words ever. Sorry, I am a spazz for language. /hijack.

Are you old enough to actually remember ditto paper?

[AGDee]

My other argument, generally, is... if you don't want the government to pay for the uninsured, then stop requiring hospitals to care for the uninsured. I've yet to have someone explain in a logical manner why hospitals must provide their care for free when no other industry has to do that. If health care is NOT a right, then hospitals shouldn't have to treat people who can't pay. If it IS a right, then continue to require hospitals to provide the care but figure out a way to reimburse them. Be consistent.

If hospitals are compensated, even at lower levels, for all the care they provide, the charges for the insured will go down. Currently, they have to make up the difference somehow.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by AGDee

My other argument, generally, is... if you don't want the government to pay for the uninsured, then stop requiring hospitals to care for the uninsured. I've yet to have someone explain in a logical manner why hospitals must provide their care for free when no other industry has to do that. If health care is NOT a right, then hospitals shouldn't have to treat people who can't pay. If it IS a right, then continue to require hospitals to provide the care but figure out a way to reimburse them. Be consistent.

If hospitals are compensated, even at lower levels, for all the care they provide, the charges for the insured will go down. Currently, they have to make up the difference somehow.

Bingo! You can't send a sick person away from an ER, but they won't let us determine who is truly sick. I have a runny nose so I'm going to the ER to be treated for a cold for a $900 charge that I'll never pay and the hospital will have to eat. Nice!

One part of the argument that swanqween missed is that insurance prices should come down because with increased numbers of healthy people in the system paying in but not using resources, it decreases expenses. As dirty as insurance companies can be at times, they do actually have to justify their rates to state insurance regulators. I'm hopeful that the federal government does get a cap on their administrative fees and profit margins pushed through. If we can't make them go "non-profit", we should at least push as much of the money as we can towards paying claims.

I heard an incredible story last week. One of the urologists was talking in the Physician's Dining Room with another surgeon, arguing against reform. He was talking about paying for his health insurance policy since he is in solo practice. His wife has pancreatic cancer. He actually has Medicare which helps pay for his premiums which are $4000 a month! I was completely shocked! That's $48,000 a year!!!! How could any normal person afford that kind of bill? And he's against health insurance reform?!

[Psi U MC Vito]

Oh God, now we have a fight brewing between the GC lawyers and doctors. Where's the popcorn?

[Ghostwriter]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

Oh God, now we have a fight brewing between the GC lawyers and doctors. Where's the popcorn?

This should be a good one. Anyone know any good doctor cheers?

Pass the popcorn, please.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

Oh God, now we have a fight brewing between the GC lawyers and doctors.

That would be awesomeness.