Concerns about Health Care - Page 2

[Leta]

Maggie, I think I love you.

Congratulations on the birth of your twins!

[chaoticzenmom]

Originally Posted by magstphil

My point was and is simply this- Senators whether on the floor, at a townhall, on Hardball, or whatever else are not always presenting facts. Might as well go to the source. Of course reading the entire bill is a feat and may not be something we can manage and of course it's hard to completely understand but one can at very least arm themselves with the facts from the bill itself in a particular area of concern/interest.

True. It's frustrating that it's so hard to understand. I hope the senators do understand it.

You can vote on it at the congress website...I'll go find it. I haven't voted yet because honestly, I don't know how to feel about it and reading it doesn't really help.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text Place your vote here in addition to your phone calls.

[Epona]

I used to read things of import...

[sapphire_chan]

Something to keep in mind whenever you look at this sort of law, is that usually 'mandated' means a service must be made available, not that people have to accept a service.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Something to keep in mind whenever you look at this sort of law, is that usually 'mandated' means a service must be made available, not that people have to accept a service.

THANK YOU!!!!!

Mandated means the provider MUST pay for it, IF the person wants it. As in "mandated" hospital stays after giving birth. you don't have to stay, you don't have to give birth in a hospital etc, but if you do and you want to stay then the provider MUST pay for it.

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by tbone_kneegrabber

THANK YOU!!!!!

Mandated means the provider MUST pay for it, IF the person wants it. As in "mandated" hospital stays after giving birth. you don't have to stay, you don't have to give birth in a hospital etc, but if you do and you want to stay then the provider MUST pay for it.

Yup. And IMO this is a very good thing. This could prevent more Terri Schiavos.

[Turquesa]

Good point about the mandates. That should reassure a lot of people hesitant about the end-of-life counseling. Most recently, I heard that the Senate is planning on nixing that portion, anyway.

To clarify on my particular post, the bill mandates that individuals purchase their own insurance if they can't get it through their employers and fall through the safety net for Medicaid. That's what I'm against. I may be more amenable to it if the public option were offered on a sliding scale basis.

[phatchristy]

http://www.factcheck.org/

Non-partisan, researched information up there at the link I just posted.

I'm actually more concerned here that NOTHING is going to be done or that nothing is really going to change. We are here, at a crucial point in american history, where it is so clearly obvious that the system is failing most except the uber wealthy and here I am scared that the special interest groups, lobbyists and insurance companies are going to get their way (aka keep it like it is or only get something lukewarm). Because when you're well off, and have excellent coverage healthcare isn't an issue to you.

I have a cousin that died as a result of his lack of healthcare...and know way too many people that make barely too much money to qualify for medicaid, but can't afford their employer's insurance.

Here we pay very high insurance costs for our family. We're weird, even when we could barely afford it we paid. Sigh. And, that's because we do without pretty much everything but the basics. And, insurance is very high--about $7,500 per year. That's before deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance. Yep--so even if you get sick with insurance you still have to pay a percentage.

Many people at his office can't afford it and go without insurance alltogether. And, I've seen myself, my husband, my sister go without insurance. My sister couldn't afford to pay cobra after she lost her job for the second time. I also have friends who've had serious family tragedies (one of whom was a mom who discovered she had breast cancer when she was pregnant) and the family--not only did they have to deal with losing her...but they had to deal with the enormous amount of medical bills. And, that was WITH having insurance.

I have family and friends in the medical field, I also at one time thought I would become a doctor (still debating here, honestly the system rather disgusts me so I don't know if I will go back to school for it). I actually had all my children at home with midwives (except the accidental UC, though midwife was on her way LOL) and I'm a big believer in evidence based care.

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by phatchristy

I'm actually more concerned here that NOTHING is going to be done or that nothing is really going to change. We are here, at a crucial point in american history, where it is so clearly obvious that the system is failing most except the uber wealthy and here I am scared that the special interest groups, lobbyists and insurance companies are going to get their way (aka keep it like it is or only get something lukewarm). Because when you're well off, and have excellent coverage healthcare isn't an issue to you.

Amen.

I am really tied up in this. I usually follow our country's workings but healthcare reform is something I am invested in more so than anything else I can remember. I'm praying for real reform but I am terrified nothing will come of it that really helps those in need. I read this morning they yet again are questioning a public option and are thinking of ditching it altogether. :

I get that people want to keep their healthcare as is I really do and under this bill that is a possibility but really even if it wasn't it comes down to everyone being able to be insured and insured well vs only a few. I'm sorry but a few people having to change their doctors just doesn't keep me up at night- the amount of people without quality care does.

[swd12422]

What I don't understand is why we have to have this kind of plan (which is already ridiculously expensive in the amount of time, etc. it's taking to prepare and debate) when all they need to do is loosen up Medicare and Medicaid. If the problem is that there are too many needy/poor/unemployed/underemployed people who can't afford coverage, offer Medicaid to them! The requirements for Medicaid are so ridiculous that it's a wonder anyone benefits from it. Wouldn't simply expanding those benefits (and making copays/premiums for it on a sliding scale so it's not cost-prohibitive) be cheaper and less scary to the masses than overhauling an entire system?

And I'd love to read the bill, but even my college education and stellar reading skills from toddlerhood don't allow me to understand it. I can't imagine half of Congress being able to comprehend it all, nevermind the rest of us.

[holyhelianthus]

Because health insurance is expensive and often times doesn't cover squat when you think you are covered. Then there are those who make a decent amount but find they can't be insured because of a pre existing condition. So on one front we need to have a less expensive public option to bring down the costs of the others (they need competition as not having it allows them to hike up prices and create impossible policy at our expense as we have to buy into it because we have no other option) and on another side of it we need to allow people coverage without discrimination. If we drive prices down more people will be able to afford healthcare and not have to rely on a gov't system and the same goes for putting a cap on the limiting policies.

Simply put that is. Hopefully it made sense.

[holyhelianthus]

Health Care Explained On The Back Of A Napkin

[studentmama]

Originally Posted by magstphil

Health Care Explained On The Back Of A Napkin

Thanks for posting this, I think it's a pretty decent break down of what is being debated(and not debated).

[Belle]

Originally Posted by phatchristy

http://www.factcheck.org/

Non-partisan, researched information up there at the link I just posted.

I'm actually more concerned here that NOTHING is going to be done or that nothing is really going to change. We are here, at a crucial point in american history, where it is so clearly obvious that the system is failing most except the uber wealthy and here I am scared that the special interest groups, lobbyists and insurance companies are going to get their way (aka keep it like it is or only get something lukewarm). Because when you're well off, and have excellent coverage healthcare isn't an issue to you.

I have a cousin that died as a result of his lack of healthcare...and know way too many people that make barely too much money to qualify for medicaid, but can't afford their employer's insurance.

Here we pay very high insurance costs for our family. We're weird, even when we could barely afford it we paid. Sigh. And, that's because we do without pretty much everything but the basics. And, insurance is very high--about $7,500 per year. That's before deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance. Yep--so even if you get sick with insurance you still have to pay a percentage.

Many people at his office can't afford it and go without insurance alltogether. And, I've seen myself, my husband, my sister go without insurance. My sister couldn't afford to pay cobra after she lost her job for the second time. I also have friends who've had serious family tragedies (one of whom was a mom who discovered she had breast cancer when she was pregnant) and the family--not only did they have to deal with losing her...but they had to deal with the enormous amount of medical bills. And, that was WITH having insurance.

I have family and friends in the medical field, I also at one time thought I would become a doctor (still debating here, honestly the system rather disgusts me so I don't know if I will go back to school for it). I actually had all my children at home with midwives (except the accidental UC, though midwife was on her way LOL) and I'm a big believer in evidence based care.

Amen to this. We have insurance. But its crap insurance. We are swamped by our medical bills and will be unable to buy a house because we've gone to collections for a miscarriage and two emergency room visits. We have the "wonderful" HSA with the high deductible that some politicians rave about. It doesn't cover squat. Our premiums are just as high as they used to be before we got on this awful plan. We still pay $400 a month and we get zilch from it. If we didn't have insurance then we could have got government help for the miscarriage.

[chaoticzenmom]

I sent my letter to my senator telling him that I support a public option. I prefer it to be on a state level, but whatever gets it done, I suppose.

But, I still don't like the idea of paying dr's based on performance. It seems demeaning to dr's and it's already messed up the relationship between dr's and patients when it comes to vaccines (p4p incentives). :

I'll be watching and writing as much as I can throughout the process. The senate doesn't even have a bill yet from what I'm reading, so we'll see what happens there.

[Leav97]

Originally Posted by chaoticzenmom

But, I still don't like the idea of paying dr's based on performance. It seems demeaning to dr's and it's already messed up the relationship between dr's and patients when it comes to vaccines (p4p incentives). :

How would you like to see Dr's paid? Right now they are paid by the # of proceedures. That doesn't seem to work either.

[meganbarr]

The big thing everyone needs to keep in mind here is that there are actually 5bills being discussed. Even on TV you hear pundits say "the healthcare plan" but as of right now there is not 1 plan. Each plan is a little bit different. A bill with have to pass the House then be sent to the Senate for revisions then passed in the Senate, then passed in the House with revision. We still have a long way to go and a lot of small changes until we have 1 bill that is going to be "healthcare reform."

The bill that has everyone upset about killing grandma is the bill that is currently being marked up in the Senate Finance Commitee. Originally, it did have a mandate for end of life counseling for Medicare recipients. Now however, it has been changed to voluntary end of life counseling for Medicare recipients. There are no death panels or government buraucrats deciding who lives or dies. Just a patient and the doctor of their choice having a conversation about choices. Some of the Senators in the 6 person panel working on the bill have even thought about scrapping the idea altogether since all of the misinformation has caused such controversy. This would be tragic because I think it is important for everyone be well educated about their healthcare choices at every stage of life. This used to be a completely non-partisan issue with pretty much everyone thinking it was a good idea until someone decided to make a political game out of something very important.

[cagnew]

I am of a very different opinion then pretty much everyone that has posted so far. I do not support any government run insurance (look at how screwed up Medicaid and Medicare are!), or socialized health care. I think there needs to be reform, and I don't claim to know how to go about that (although TORT reform and dropping state boundaries for insurance co. seem to be good ideas). I just know what I don't want. I have researched health care in other countries and I don't want health care in the US to end up like... Canada, England, Russia, Australia, etc. The stat's for those countries and their systems are not good.

That being said... I thought political dicussions were not allowed on MDC. I hate to think the their censorship applies only when certain views and debates take place. Maybe I need to go re-read the rules....