momee Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 We pay through the nose for health insurance each month. One illness, four hospital visits later and we now are looking at over 2500.00 in payments due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Did you look through all the bills very carefully to make sure they covered everything they were supposed to, and that you were billed correctly? If you're paying so much for insurance and still ending up with piles of medical bills, you might want to go onto the health care exchange to see if you could get a better deal, if you haven't already. My dh's employer insurance went up, so we recently applied through our state's exchange. It turns out dd qualifies for free health care with 100% coverage through the state even though dh is paid pretty decently for the area, and he and I got a platinum plan for less than we would have paid for his employer insurance. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Deductibles can be fairly large. Plus even with an 80/20 plan, the 20 % can add up. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 My boss told me this morning he's considering selling his house to cover the costs of his wife's cancer treatment. The insurance his wife has had for 20 plus years as a hospital RN is refusing to pay for much of her treatment. It's truly awful. It's insane that we pay for insurance and it doesn't do what it should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Talk to the business office and arrange a payment plan, even if only a couple hundred a month (or what you can afford). Until you meet your deductable, yeah, it is a hit to the wallet. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I feel for you. It's not uncommon, of course. You're experiencing what most people do nowadays. It's infuriating. I'll admit that I'm scared of the word "socialist" and yet I want a national health service so badly I can taste it. I'm very torn over this issue. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Did you look through all the bills very carefully to make sure they covered everything they were supposed to, and that you were billed correctly? If you're paying so much for insurance and still ending up with piles of medical bills, you might want to go onto the health care exchange to see if you could get a better deal, if you haven't already. My dh's employer insurance went up, so we recently applied through our state's exchange. It turns out dd qualifies for free health care with 100% coverage through the state even though dh is paid pretty decently for the area, and he and I got a platinum plan for less than we would have paid for his employer insurance. have you gotten the letter with the increase for next year? Our payment, with no changes, is doubling in cost come next year. Our plan is nowhere near platinum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 We are there too. It sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 have you gotten the letter with the increase for next year? Our payment, with no changes, is doubling in cost come next year. Our plan is nowhere near platinum. We only signed up last week and the way I understood it, it said the rates were for 2016, so I think any increase for next year is already included in what we were quoted. I could be wrong, of course. They don't exactly make this stuff easy to understand. :P The premiums are about $500 a month for dh and I. He would have paid $600 a month for worse coverage from his job, so if the premiums do double we'll probably just go with coverage through his employer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I feel for you. It's not uncommon, of course. You're experiencing what most people do nowadays. It's infuriating. I'll admit that I'm scared of the word "socialist" and yet I want a national health service so badly I can taste it. I'm very torn over this issue. This. I have my own bills, of course. But my taxes are increasing each year in order to pay for public employee health plans that are far superior to anything I could ever hope for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Ouch. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 have you gotten the letter with the increase for next year? Our payment, with no changes, is doubling in cost come next year. Our plan is nowhere near platinum. I knew the letter was coming, but when I opened it—whoo boy! Our new monthly payment is well over doubling, for a very high deductible plan. I have an appointment with our health insurance agent in November after the exchange opens, to see what our other options are. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghansMom Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Hugs. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 We had a bad year where a combination of week long hospitalization and surgery coincided with the switch to high deductible plans. My parents loaned us money. We've had some bad years since, though we were able to manage better. The system is absolutely broken. Hospitals will generally work with you. Talk to billing about lowering the amounts, perhaps a lesser amount for a lump sum, or getting financial assistance. Set, in writing, a reasonable payment plan. Mostly :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I knew the letter was coming, but when I opened it—whoo boy! Our new monthly payment is well over doubling, for a very high deductible plan. I have an appointment with our health insurance agent in November after the exchange opens, to see what our other options are. Erica in OR Alternate option: pay the new higher penalty. We also are on a very high deductible plan. We basically have the smallest premium we could find. Funny though, the smallest premium wasn't the least coverage. We have a separate policy for one dd who has to see doctors regularly. She has good coverage. Good luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Ugh, I'm sorry! I hate dealing with medical bills and they seem neverending. As soon as I get up to date with one Dr, hospital, etc, we get hit with more bills from others. I had an allergic reaction to spider bites in may that I'm still paying off, then DH had to see a specialist, DS had to get 2 teeth pulled and DH and I both have bills for the bloodwork portion of our annual physical. I had just finished paying off DH's trip to the ER in December when all these new ones started hitting. And we're pretty healthy in general. We have a low deductible and then 80/20 plan and man that 20% can add up! We pay about $500 a month for our portion and DH's work covers the rest - $22,000 last year according to the tax info they sent out. Too much fat in the system! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 My son spent a week in the hospital last year. I'm still paying the hospital. Five more payments and I am done!!! That's in addition to all the payments I made to a zillion specialists he saw in hospital. For several months I dreaded getting the mail. And I even liked my health insurance (prior to this)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Insurance is nothing but a joke and legalized scam! I hate it! No help, but just commiserating. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I feel your pain. We have a high deductible plan ($10,000)...and a DH that was diagnosed with cancer at the end of last year. We now owe $20k in med bills, and the year will begin again in just a few months, so yay, add another $10k to the total! All I can say is thank goodness hospitals have payment plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I had no idea it was really this bad for average Americans. Truly, I thought these types of numbers were horror stories, not everyday life. Unhelpful disparaging comments: (Why is anybody opposed to a sensible taxpayer-type system to cover universal basic healthcare? Yes, taxes are a bit more in universal healthcare countries, but they aren't $600 per month, per family more! Nobody sells houses to pay for cancer. What's going on?) Really. I'm so sorry that you guys all seem to end up with "insults" added to your "injuries" -- injuries are bad enough. 😞 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Insurance has not covered most of my husband's medical costs. His specialists don't take insurance and we have an hmo so no out of network coverage. They also do not pay for some of his drugs because they are not part of our plan. They do cover some of his meds and that is helpful. Although one that they cover still costs us $100 a month because it is name brand. There is no generic for it. So frustrating. I can wax on about how we are the working poor due to non covered medical expenses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 :( Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I had no idea it was really this bad for average Americans. Truly, I thought these types of numbers were horror stories, not everyday life. Unhelpful disparaging comments: (Why is anybody opposed to a sensible taxpayer-type system to cover universal basic healthcare? Yes, taxes are a bit more in universal healthcare countries, but they aren't $600 per month, per family more! Nobody sells houses to pay for cancer. What's going on?) Really. I'm so sorry that you guys all seem to end up with "insults" added to your "injuries" -- injuries are bad enough. 😞 Our health insurance system really is as bad as it can get in a developed nation IMO. I'm really glad we signed up for (non-profit) Health Share a decade ago or we'd have been in the same boat with mega $$ owed, but not everyone qualifies for Health Share due to its limitations and our good old political system won't allow others to form. After all, why copy a successful system or just create one that covers everyone in itself. :glare: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I am so sorry. Insurance companies are vipers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 My boss told me this morning he's considering selling his house to cover the costs of his wife's cancer treatment. The insurance his wife has had for 20 plus years as a hospital RN is refusing to pay for much of her treatment. It's truly awful. It's insane that we pay for insurance and it doesn't do what it should. It used to do what it should, to a large degree. Now we pay through the nose and get very little back when we need it. It's awful. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 There is something so wrong when insurance companies are publically traded corporations that make money for investors, and for profit companies are buying up local, nonprofit hospitals. I don't know whether it is Orwellian or Kafkaesque. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I had no idea it was really this bad for average Americans. Truly, I thought these types of numbers were horror stories, not everyday life. Unhelpful disparaging comments: (Why is anybody opposed to a sensible taxpayer-type system to cover universal basic healthcare? Yes, taxes are a bit more in universal healthcare countries, but they aren't $600 per month, per family more! Nobody sells houses to pay for cancer. What's going on?) Really. I'm so sorry that you guys all seem to end up with "insults" added to your "injuries" -- injuries are bad enough. 😞 Generally I think people are afraid of taxes soaring upward and quality of care getting even worse. :( 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Health care costs are ridiculous. I'm constantly telling my kids not to goof off because I can't afford the medical bills if they get hurt. Maybe I should start wrapping them in bubble wrap and have them wear a helmet. That said, unfortunately, $2500 doesn't sound ridiculous for that many hospital visits. Nine years ago I went to the ER for a fracture in my foot. One x-ray, crutches, and an ace bandage set me back thousands of dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I was talking to a friend today. She was telling me that about 10 years ago, she just noticed a lump in her breast and her husband came home from work that day fired. She was afraid to go to the doctor because it would be pre-existing. He took awhile to find a job, then had to wait until insurance was effective, and she said it was about 9 months before she went to the doctor. Lump was now grapefruit size and was cancer. Luckily, it was encapsulated and she is fully recovered after surgery. The discussion went on some, and I said, "sometimes I want to become a Canadian just for the healthcare". Then *this same person* said, "Oh, I've heard terrible things about how you have to wait for treatment." :blink: All I can say is the fear machine is fully functional and effective. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 (Why is anybody opposed to a sensible taxpayer-type system to cover universal basic healthcare? Yes, taxes are a bit more in universal healthcare countries, but they aren't $600 per month, per family more! Nobody sells houses to pay for cancer. What's going on?) They would have to be more than that to provide healthcare under our current system. The whole system is broken. It includes, among many factors, insane hospital pricing structures, phamaceutical companies charging more in this country than in other countries and expecting us to absorb the costs, medical schools charging exorbitant tuition, lawsuits jacking up malpractice insurance as well as increasing CYA treatments, insured folks covering the cost for the uninsured - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can provide universal healthcare and you take out ONE of those factors (the uninsured). If all the other factors remain, there is no way universal healthcare can be sustained without bankrupting the country. That was the problem with ObamaCare. While helping some, it attempted to address ONE of these factors and left the others untouched. Fail. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Initially the Obamacare initiative had a public sector option, but that option was taken out so that insurance companies would support the plan with advertising dollars. Our whole system is broken, indeed. :( 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 They would have to be more than that to provide healthcare under our current system. The whole system is broken. It includes, among many factors, insane hospital pricing structures, phamaceutical companies charging more in this country than in other countries and expecting us to absorb the costs, medical schools charging exorbitant tuition, lawsuits jacking up malpractice insurance as well as increasing CYA treatments, insured folks covering the cost for the uninsured - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can provide universal healthcare and you take out ONE of those factors (the uninsured). If all the other factors remain, there is no way universal healthcare can be sustained without bankrupting the country. That was the problem with ObamaCare. While helping some, it attempted to address ONE of these factors and left the others untouched. Fail. Universal healthcare, Medicare for Everyone, would also address the hospital pricing structures and pharmaceutical costs. As it stands right now, Medicare has payment guidelines that doctors and hospitals must follow. I can't imagine that would change if we expanded Medicare to everyone. It would certainly cut down on all the administrative costs that drive up the cost of insurance and healthcare. (I think it would also lead to a massive rise in unemployment as all those medical billing specialists and insurance company cost control personnel are laid off). I'd expect that pharmaceutical companies would quickly negotiate lower prices to be included in the universal health plan. If they didn't, Congress would quickly feel the pinch and be less inclined to carve out exceptions for big pharma. And of course, the Martin Shkrelis of the world wouldn't be able to jack up the price on a med by 4000% overnight. OP, make sure that the hospital isn't trying to gap bill you. I recently received a bill for $1000 for an ER visit for stitches that was supposedly completely paid at the time services were rendered. It turned out that our wonderful local hospital bills patients for the difference between what their insurance negotiated with the hospital system and what they feel they should get paid. This is completely nefarious and not allowed by their contract with the insurance companies. I took care of it with one phone call to my insurance company. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobeatenpath Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 That is horrible. As someone who has lived in various countries, all of which had universal healthcare* I can not get my head around people getting such huge bills. And having to pay for your own cancer treatment is not something I would even imagine. People stuck in jobs they hate because they know if they leave they won't have health cover for themselves and families. It's wrong. Unfortunately everything I have seen about the US system is it is rotten to the core. And a combination of vested interests and many people who really have bought in to the propaganda (as in have no idea what universal healthcare is actually like and believe the lies about waiting lists being too long or 'death panels' and such rubbish) means it is not going to change any time soon. *In Australia and the UK the governments are pushing people to have private health cover, and in Australia the tax code is written to favour you if you do. But if I turn up to the emergency department with a broken leg it doesn't cost me anything to be treated even if I don't have private cover. In the UK my son gets all his medical care free, including prescriptions and his glasses, because he is under 16. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 . I'll admit that I'm scared of the word "socialist" and yet I want a national health service so badly I can taste it. I'm very torn over this issue. There's no Western country that is purely capitalist. It's all a question of each country deciding what combination of free market and government intervention it is happy with. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 That is so scary. I'm sorry you're dealing with that! My little sister was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She has received tests, surgeries, chemotherapy, consults, workshops, even wigs! All within a month and without paying - or being billed - a cent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Health care costs are ridiculous. I'm constantly telling my kids not to goof off because I can't afford the medical bills if they get hurt. Maybe I should start wrapping them in bubble wrap and have them wear a helmet. That said, unfortunately, $2500 doesn't sound ridiculous for that many hospital visits. Nine years ago I went to the ER for a fracture in my foot. One x-ray, crutches, and an ace bandage set me back thousands of dollars. I was thinking the same thing. I had to go to the hospital for 2 days a couple of years ago and the bill was over $30K (retail price! :crying: ) I ended up having to pay $1,600 and I have no idea what my insurance settled on with them. I could go back and look it up but each cost is an individual bill (ER visit, CAT scan, then ambulance, hospital, each doctor billed individually, stress test, gall bladder scan, etc......there are over 20 ind. charges I would need to add up) We pay $600/mo. and overall our insurance isn't bad. We used to pay $0 when I worked. Not sure if where I worked can sustain that anymore, but it was excellent coverage. I paid $0 for each pregnancy and birth. I had C-secitons too. 100% covered from pre-natal care to post baby care. We are offered lower per month insurance if we want to choose it, but we need the more expensive insurance for our son with some special needs. It covers 65% of his therapy out of network and allows him UNLIMITED visits. I am waiting for them to change that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 We pay through the nose for health insurance each month. One illness, four hospital visits later and we now are looking at over 2500.00 in payments due. I'm sorry that you're going through this. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: That's pretty much normal around here. Negotiate, ask for payment plans, the whole nine yards. Ask for a supervisor, financial manager, etc. I just paid off a bill that we negotiated down by 75% because insurance wouldn't cover it. Thankfully they took monthly payments with no interest, but it still took me over a year. Another one was very accommodating with variable, no-interest payments as long as I paid a minimum in person by check every two weeks. Go figure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 But yeah don't be afraid to ask for a payment plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 They would have to be more than that to provide healthcare under our current system. The whole system is broken. It includes, among many factors, insane hospital pricing structures, phamaceutical companies charging more in this country than in other countries and expecting us to absorb the costs, medical schools charging exorbitant tuition, lawsuits jacking up malpractice insurance as well as increasing CYA treatments, insured folks covering the cost for the uninsured - and that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can provide universal healthcare and you take out ONE of those factors (the uninsured). If all the other factors remain, there is no way universal healthcare can be sustained without bankrupting the country. That was the problem with ObamaCare. While helping some, it attempted to address ONE of these factors and left the others untouched. Fail. Going one step further--we're surrounded by career politicians who wouldn't know an honest day's work if it bit them on the arse. Until we have term limits, we're not going to be able to get rid of politicians who are married to special interest groups. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Some years we have no major illness and no one needs an operation for anything...and we never do met our deductable. We pay our co-pays and a lot more for our eye exams, meds, etc. Oh, well. Other years, we get in a car crash, have over half a million in bills for one of us alone, and after the deductable is met it is all covered (eventually) and we are not ruined. Some years (2015, I am looking at you) some of us have enough other medical stuff to meet our deductable (I think we are $1,500 per person, for four people, per year) and then the rest for that person is covered. I met my deductable months ago, and my last surgeries and ER visit were covered 100% Stuff from earlier in the year that was not covered 100%, I just sent the hospital a hundred bucks per month with a note saying this is what I have to do (i was not putting a lot of money on a credit card since then I would not be able to pay it off in full in a month, which is what we do with our one credit card). Hospital was happy as long as they knew we were working on paying our bill. Insurance and health care costs are a fact of life like rent or mortgage, taxes, etc. Some years you never meet the deductable, and it seems unfair that you have to work to pay down a large bill...but would you rather have enough major health cr*p happen that you met you deductable early and then the rest of the year is covered? Hope that makes sense. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Generally I think people are afraid of taxes soaring upward and quality of care getting even worse. :( Those are real factors-of-concern, but not to the degree that people seem to think. It is true that taxes would go up... In comparing taxes between nations you see that we do pay more. But with health premiums and bills for health events in people's lives, I think the cost of care that is included in taxes would be a lot less in the vast majority of cases. It's also true that quality of care would go down... For some people. The standard of card for an affluent, well insured, good-location individual in the U.S. Is a dream and a goal for Canafians. But we don't dream that a few of us will experience excellence, and the rest will experience barriers to care in order to compensate. Waiting for non-immediate-essential care: especially if it involves waiting while you deteriorate and then qualify as urgent... That's terrible, and it's sometimes real. Most often triage is done well enough that having patience helps many and does very little harm. It levels the playing feild and provides adequate care to the whole population most of the time: not excellent care to part of the population all of the time. But it's annoying. Nobody gets treated like a customer. So I guess those are valid concerns if 'you' are already someone who can afford their own care well enough, looking to minimize your taxes... But it's hard for me to see the downside outweighing the up side. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Those are real factors-of-concern, but not to the degree that people seem to think. It is true that taxes would go up... In comparing taxes between nations you see that we do pay more. But with health premiums and bills for health events in people's lives, I think the cost of care that is included in taxes would be a lot less in the vast majority of cases. It's also true that quality of care would go down... For some people. The standard of card for an affluent, well insured, good-location individual in the U.S. Is a dream and a goal for Canafians. But we don't dream that a few of us will experience excellence, and the rest will experience barriers to care in order to compensate. Waiting for non-immediate-essential care: especially if it involves waiting while you deteriorate and then qualify as urgent... That's terrible, and it's sometimes real. Most often triage is done well enough that having patience helps many and does very little harm. It levels the playing feild and provides adequate care to the whole population most of the time: not excellent care to part of the population all of the time. But it's annoying. Nobody gets treated like a customer. So I guess those are valid concerns if 'you' are already someone who can afford their own care well enough, looking to minimize your taxes... But it's hard for me to see the downside outweighing the up side. That's how I see it too. If one looks at the charts, the US spends as much on taxation-funded healthcare as does the UK, but due to inefficiencies, it uses that amount of money just to cover a few people, while the UK covers everyone. Many people in the UK have top-up insurance: they still use the NHS for the majority of their care (GP, Emergency) but they use their top-up insurance to jump the queue if it's inconvenient to wait. By US standards, the top-up insurance is not very expensive and it keeps the upper middle classes happy. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 As someone who has used and or dealt with Medicaid and Medicare either for ourselves or for loved ones - the fear of universal health care being nothing more than expanding those programs is completely valid imnsho. It's awful substandard care that takes too long to access in way too many cases. Also. It is not always free. In many ways it is basically government insurance. There's a lot of people on those systems suffering substandard care or not getting the care they should at all. Many people who are very pro universal healthcare, such as myself, are extremely worried about those problems being expanded. Or of seeing everyone get the crappy care many of our vets endure via the VA medical system. Those concerns are not paranoia or a sign we don't want genuine universal healthcare. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 That's how I see it too. If one looks at the charts, the US spends as much on taxation-funded healthcare as does the UK, but due to inefficiencies, it uses that amount of money just to cover a few people, while the UK covers everyone. Many people in the UK have top-up insurance: they still use the NHS for the majority of their care (GP, Emergency) but they use their top-up insurance to jump the queue if it's inconvenient to wait. By US standards, the top-up insurance is not very expensive and it keeps the upper middle classes happy. I researched both Canada and the UK 25 years ago for a course on legal policy. This information was true back then. I think many Americans want to continue to their detriment that America is the best and not take a look at the hard numbers. Politicians seem to easily sway the public by adding random cases which turned out bad and may or may not have been related to national health care. The fact is we have plenty of nightmare anecdotes in the US. The fact is when you put a person's taxes and payments to health insurance premiums together it's more than the percentage of tax in other countries that provide healthcare. And that's not including things like copays or eyeglasses. The only thing efficient in the US system is the way insurance companies make money. Second would be how well they pay off politicians. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Other years, we get in a car crash, have over half a million in bills for one of us alone, and after the deductable is met it is all covered (eventually) and we are not ruined. I totally agree -- even though I vented upthread about our high deductible bills. Because we met our 10K deductible in 1 month of a year and all the remainder of the year was covered. That was 6+ months of intermittent in-patient chemo, plus several complications and ICU stays. I'm very thankful for our insurance during this time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 If one looks at the charts, the US spends as much on taxation-funded healthcare as does the UK, but due to inefficiencies, it uses that amount of money just to cover a few people, while the UK covers everyone. Medicare covers basically everyone over 65 (you have to have paid into the Social Security system). That's not a small number of people and they are the population that uses healthcare most intensively. That's what strikes me as so strange about the American reaction to "socialized medicine". We'll all end up on socialized medicine if we live long enough and most of the people who are currently part of it are reasonably happy with it. You do need to buy a Medicare Supplemental plan to cover the cost share portion that's left to the individual. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Most people in Canada have supplemental plans too, if they are employed, have families and living on a reasonable budget. These generally focus on prescriptions, vision, dental and various therapies which are not considered basic enough to be universally covered. (They are covered in s bit of a patchwork-way for elderly, kids, or low income.) Unlike the UK, Canada does not have 'line jumping' through supplemental insurance and the public system. You would have to get care at a private facility (few and far between) to be able to pay that way. (There are some very few private clinics in major cities that are able to do business that way for affluent clients who are able to pay instead of wait, but for most people making an arrangement like that would involve first traveling to a major urban centre. In my area they seem to specialize in long-wait or low priority areas of care, like joint replacement or specialized imaging.) Sometimes I wonder how many every-day decisions people make in the U.S. are related to fear of incurring massive medical bills. Helicopter parenting strikes me as possibly inter-related. Employment issues and pre-existing conditions? Maybe medical anxiety? (Over-testing? Over-diagnosis? Medical avoidance?) Food and diet choices? While nobody likes to face health risks, of course, do any of you think the sense of monetary cost that accompanies healthcare in the U.S. spills over into normal life in unhealthy ways? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valley Girl Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 "chiguirre" Medicare covers basically everyone over 65 (you have to have paid into the Social Security system). That's not a small number of people and they are the population that uses healthcare most intensively. That's what strikes me as so strange about the American reaction to "socialized medicine". We'll all end up on socialized medicine if we live long enough and most of the people who are currently part of it are reasonably happy with it. You do need to buy a Medicare Supplemental plan to cover the cost share portion that's left to the individual. I'm sure most people know, but in addition to the cost of a supplemental plan, there are premiums for Part B coverage, etc. Paying into the social security system doesn't offset those additional costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 We're there right now too. I have over $3000 in bills for one ER visit that lasted less than an hour and didn't even properly diagnose my injury. And with our new for profit hospital I can't even get someone who can tell me what services I'm actually being billed for. Fully half my bill is for "facility fee". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 That's how I see it too. If one looks at the charts, the US spends as much on taxation-funded healthcare as does the UK, but due to inefficiencies, it uses that amount of money just to cover a few people, while the UK covers everyone. Many people in the UK have top-up insurance: they still use the NHS for the majority of their care (GP, Emergency) but they use their top-up insurance to jump the queue if it's inconvenient to wait. By US standards, the top-up insurance is not very expensive and it keeps the upper middle classes happy. Laura I have a question that you might be able to answer. Years ago, I was helping a relative in the UK. She was in a big hospital, but it took forever to see a doctor. Whe I asked about having a private physician look at her, I was told that, if I did that, National Health would no longer apply. I can't remember if she would have to go to a private hospital, or if we would gave to pay for the NH one. I had a similar situation later when relative was in a cottage hospital, with good nursing care, but non existent doctors. So my question is, was that correct, or was I being lied to, or something in between. This was several decades ago, if that helps. I would love to hear what you think. I did ask friends while I was there, but everyone seemed to feel it was difficult to use both NH and private. It sounds as though that has changed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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