Milt Palacio

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...uietlyunderway

Health insurance costs are already out of control, so now let's make everybody pay even more for it out of their own pocket?

Help the rich business owners, screw everyone else. How could anyone support a policy like this?

JW77

I can appreciate the anger over an issue like this, but I changed the title so that things wouldn't get negative if people happen to disagree with your statement.

Plus, we had an issue about thread titles a while back, and I think it's important to be consistent.

Anyway, back to the subject...

More careful users of healthcare? Aren't Americans already way down on the list when it comes to using healthcare?

That's a bunch of crap if you ask me.

I can agree with that.

mh67511

Health insurance is so confusing...I'm still a little confused about that article. I just went to the doctor and I have NO idea how much it cost . I am covered under my parents I think but I don't have my insurance card or anything. It better not be a lot because I think it's crap when you go to the doctor and clearly something is not right but they say "Well I don't know what it is; let's see if it goes away. Come back in two weeks." Yeah, ok, so I'll have to pay to see you AGAIN. Sigh, at least I rarely go to the doctors. And the special doctors that come in supposedly give a discount to students.

Now dental insurance! My damn braces cost $3000 and my mom's insurance changed right after my parents signed the contract and either the orthodontist wouldn't accept it or insurance wouldn't pay for it. That sucked pretty bad.

Does insurance cover operations that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? I don't get how insurance companies could be profitable because I doubt you'd even come close to paying that much in premiums/deductibles in a LIFETIME. Let's say I need heart surgery and it's going to cost $500K. I have insurance that deducts $160 from every paycheck from or somethign like that (that's what my moms was)...now on top of that $160, do I pay a deductible or what? And let's say I do pay a $1000 deductible...does insurance pay the hospital the other $499K?? How in the heck can the insurance companies stay profitable?

AuburnGrad

I am completely opposed to this plan, and I'm currently uninsured as my employer does not offer healthcare benefits.

I foresee this leading to more problems. What about people who cannot afford to set aside money into those accounts? Or, in my case, the uninsurable with preexisting, chronic conditions? It's hard enough for me, financially, to put any money into a general savings account let alone add another savings on top of that. We may be covered for "catastrophic" expenses under the high-deductible policy, but many of those uninsured (myself included) go without routine checkups or lab work because the cost of those services is so high. Without a group plan through an employer, I can see millions of Americans choosing not to get the medical help they need in order to save what little money they do have. Many Americans gripe about co-pays; I can't imagine they'll jump at the chance to pay in full.

I only see this benefiting the young and healthy. I see the lure of accumulating money in the tax-sheltered accounts, but with millions of Americans who can't afford individual coverage or who have preexisting health problems it just doesn't make sense to me.

This happened to me last year. I spent an entire day in the ER knowing it would cost me a fortune not having insurance only to have the ER doctor tell me he really wasn't sure what was wrong. He gave me medication he thought might help, but that I needed to see my physician the next day to get her opinion. So, not only did I have a $1,500+ hospital bill, but I also had the $70 charge to see my physician, $80 lab work charge, and about $200 in prescribed medications.


Now, I shall go back to my lurker mode. lol

Milt Palacio

The plans would only benefit people who never get sick and never get more than a routine checkup each year. Almost everybody else will be paying more.

Personal responsibility="pay for your own damn health insurance!"

This plan would be disastrous for many and would only increase the 45 million Americans that have no health insurance. It also would increase costs for the majority of Americans.

Really, it's a lose-lose plan. It does nothing to solve the root problems of health insurance.

ceilirose

So as an example..if you had cancer and needed major surgery and extensive chemotherapy this plan would pay for all of that after you paid your deductible?

Everything else would be paid for by your savings account? Regular check ups, basic screening tests, vaccinations, visits for minor medical problems?

I lived in Hawaii and they have near universal coverage and it's been around for close to 30 years. As little as five years ago my co-pay was $8 to $10 depending on what I was seeing a doctor for, my monthly premium was $350 less than what I'm paying now in Massachusetts and I was on a HMO but my plan allowed me to go to specialists without getting referrals. I'm self employed and we had many more options for coverage in terms of expenses and what was covered then I do in Massachusetts. When I hear people talk about the horrors of universal coverage I have to shake my head. You're much more apt to go to a doctor for something minor (that could lead to something major untreated) if you're only paying $15.00 or so.

Screening tests can be expensive too. Colonoscopys, MRI's, CAT Scans etc..would that be included as part of a catastrophic plan or regular screening? Those could easily go over $1600 in no time.

It favors those who are young and healthy but not others. It wouldn't even favor those who are young and have medical problems.

SuperDeluxe

The Healthcare system is idiotic. You have low income folks going into the ER for every sniffle or cold. And so many people abuse health insurance for drugs/etc.

There needs to be better controls on healthcontrol..especially on any state/federal run programs.

Milt Palacio

That's crap and you know it.

ceilirose

People do use emergency rooms for minor ailments because they can't afford health insurance nor can they pay out of pocket to a doctor for a regular appointment. It's all part of the problem..but it's not the people who are doing that who should be criticized. It's the system.

mh67511

Yeah I'd like to know what is considered catastrophic. I don't like the sound of this plan ONE BIT.

If someone can't afford health insurance NOW, how are they supposed to be able to pay premiums (even if they are low) on high-deductible catastrophic insurance AND put aside money into a health savings account?

UnsilentMajorty

They can't.

Unless they are working a really good job and or are young and really don't need (in the immediate present or near future) things that are covered under catastrophic insurance...

That I am sure people like SuperDeluxe and his utopian, black-and-white world falls under

But seriously, here is an example:

Let's say you make less than $18,000 a year. You are working three jobs -- most of which are low-paying AND have no health benefits. You get in an accident that needs immediate medical attention (like severe bleeding). So, what do you do? You go to the ER of your local hospital because by law -- in some states/cities -- They CAN'T refuse service to you. Especially, if it is life threatening like severe bleeding and other things.

Now, they treat you and you live.

The main problem comes from the fact that you will eventually have to pay... But in some states/cities, even if you don't, it doesn't matter in that the loop hole is the law(s) say a hospital can't refuse service to you if you are dying or severly injured (for a lot of legal reasons more than humanitarian; let's not kid ourselves).

One city I lived in they would try and do collections on people like I described above... But they never found them. Or, if they did, the peop;le simply said put a lean on their house, put them in jail (because they knew they couldn't win)... But guess what? It costs MORE money to start those beauractic procedures than the paitent owes. Hence, THIS is part of the reason why healthcare costs are so high. Not the actual cost themselves in some cases. But the peripheral and ancilliary costs of the healthcare system (like hiring a collection agency; getting the local law enforcement involved to help track down the people, etc).

mh67511

It would be interesting to see how much hospitals write off.

I know when I lived in Chicago I had a friend whose parents went to Cook County to get their meds and other things done. I believe it was free or very cheap. At the time it was really crappy but I believe they opened a new hospital within the past few years...?? Do most cities have these free hospitals? Or is it just in major cities?

TheAngel

I think my town has a free clinic, and we're pretty small. But I'm not sure about that.

SuperDeluxe

Umm. Its not crap.

People ABUSE the state healthcare..for medicines..drugs..using ER for colds.

There are chronic abusers.

SuperDeluxe

Good to know you feel that way!

Thanks!