Soaps.com - MESSAGE BOARDS

...this is my take....people who go to a hosp regardless of having insurance or not are given the help they need. The doc's all take a vow to do no harm and they will treat all who enter. That being said, they don't and can't follow up with the patients care. That is up to the patient to get that care on their own. There are many doc's that do accept medicaid, but there are those who don't. Some people don't qualify for medicaid because they work, but don't make enough for insurance or as Sunny said she is a private contractor who cannot afford the premiums to pay for her own health insurance. Something definatey has to be done so that those who are working their trade, ( a trade that is soo needed) are offered a reasonable rate for their insurance. Nothing is free, but to have a law that the rates are reasonable will help all of the people like Sunny and the like.

I have a BIL that is suffering from MS and he is getting worse by the day because of a stipulation of a so called "spend Down" no one can understand why he is cut off of medication for two weeks every three months, during that time he has horrendious seizures...it sets him back for weeks and also deterioates his brain activity...this is the health care that we presently have..and it's not working ..... if something is to be done then the Insurance that is available now..needs major reconstruction.

Someone else mentioned what the government does with Veterens..and that's not pretty either.

I say those who have insurance through their work ..Keep it, and those who don't have it..let there be a program that makes the cost to the person a reasonable cost, like the ones who work for companys that provide insurance. We pay alot for our coverage, but it's better than not having it.

for those that are against gov't controlled health insurance, i would like to know what their suggestions are.....it certainly cannot be the status quo, that sure as he!! isn't working, i will be waiting to hear your ideas

I don't really care( not to be mean) if the gov. steps in or not. all I care about is not losing any more of my hard earned $$. My state has taxed us enough!!(IMO). I would probably be interested in a gov. plan as long as it's bettet then the one I have. If it's not I'D rather stick with what ive got and keep it @ the same cost. Thats the bad part (imo) I get mine through work and every year it goes up but the benefits decline. What's up with that!!? That is what the gov. should look into(and possibly cut out) the Insurence companies!! In my mind I think that would make more $$ because your taking out the middle man!!

Actually, I have a small idea that might already be in place, IDK. Maybe the insurance companies could be audited and have the results be made public? The more the company gives people the shaft, the more people quit/refuse to accept a job b/c they already know how crappy their health insurance is. Eventually, the business will have to stop using said insurance and find a better one.

in my opinion, if you don't have a solution, don't dismiss an idea to fix a problem, and i certainly do not think any drug companies are hurting in any way

I think everyone is getting a wrong idea about what government - sponsored medical care means. For example: I am currently on Medicare and pay a hefty premium (relative to income) to the medicare program for Medical and Presp. drug. Plus, at the beginning of each year, one must meet a deductible for each program (med. and presp), then one must also meet a deductible for each service and prescription. One thing I suppose you do not know is that each provider also adjusts the charges because it is medicare and that's what Medicare has negociated with providers. Just for an example: Say your bill amounted to $1,000. First off, medicare (thru negiotiations) determined that service was only worth $500.00. So, the provider esentially 'eats' the other $500.00 through adjustments. Then, after adjustment, Medicare pays 80% of the remaining 500.00 which equals $400.00 for Medicare and 20% or $100.00 for the patient to pay. It is the clout that the government has with the providers to negociate
the terms of the amount the service is worth. Please believe me, Medicare is not an entitlement or handout. With preminums plus co-pays, this year, despite medicare, I have paid hundreds in co-pays. I suspect that a government sponsored health program for others would work the same way, and the goverment would have some clout to control costs as well! Many diffferent private insurance companies underwrite the Medicare program. It's not just government dollars - it still requires some financial responsibility on the part of the recepient as well. Another benefit is that there are no restrictions as to which physician you can see or which facility you may need. I think the best way to keep medical costs down is to have negociated terms and what better way to get a handle on the high medical costs than to have a huge bundle of the population involved in a cost-saving program. Also, you can keep your own insurance if you like it better, or you could move it around from job to job. What's not to like about that? A second benefit - the healthier the population, the lower the medical care costs on the front end. Overcharges have been attempted in the past from unscrupulous providers (mostly the State Medicaid Programs), but an all-encompassing, negociated, standardized pricing method would go a long way in eliminating that problem as well. Medicare isn't as bad a program as some would suggest. It will run out of money in the future if it isn't fixed and as medical costs continue to rise!

PS. For paitents who have no insurance and clog up the emergency room (which is the most expensive service), having a guaranteed insurance program would probably prevent a large amount of ER visits just to see a dr. for a minor medical issue. Now if that isn't cost-saving for everyone (hosptial included), I don't know what is.