Those who live out of U.S. with Socialized Medicine

concernedmom · Nov 19, 2007

I agree with Sakasuka, I would NOT want the government in charge of my medical care. The medicare system is totally screwed up, especially the drug portion. Also, medicare/medicaid reimbursements are way lower than ANY health insurance company. It may sound good to you to seriously cap the doctor's charges, but then what incentive does someone have to spend YEARS in medical school, racking up tons of debt to then be capped at a low pay rate so you make less than someone who spent half the time you did in school. Then, to make matters worse, you'd still have HUGE malpractice/liability insurance because currently, anyone can sue anyone, even without justification. You definitely won't be attracting the "best of the best" to the medical field! Do you really want a mediocre surgeon performing your transplant?<hr>
Just a side note, Lynda, current health insurance does cap what doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies charge. I just spent a week in the hospital. The total bill was $23,000 including the doctor's fees. Insurance paid about $12,000, I paid $600 (was already almost to my max out of pocket for the year, and the rest was written off.<hr>Several medical insurance agents have told me that medicare/medicaid's low reimbursements, combined with write-offs from the uninsured is what drives the high prices that hospitals and doctors charge the insurance companies. They lose so much on those two segments (medicare/medicaid and uninsured) that they charge the private sector MORE than OUR share in order to make up for those losses. In essence, we are not only paying for medicaid/medicare through our taxes but also through higher medical costs.<hr>Also, waiting a year for "elective" surgeries is crazy! Remember elective surgeries are any non emergency surgery. Knee replacement, hysterectomies (including where the woman has been bleeding non-stop for a year - not emergency, make her wait another year!), gallbladder removal, even a lot of cardiac stuff - non-emergent angioplasties, etc. Just because a procedure is considered "elective" does NOT mean it's not necessary!<hr>Get rid of medicare, medicaid, and instead offer EVERYONE the same private policies for reasonable prices (subsidized by the government when necessary). Honestly, if we all have the same access to the same health insurance plans for reasonable cost, AND, the ability to change at ANY time, competition will increase and the end result will be better service for all.<hr>Also, when I say everyone has the same access, I'm also referring to our senators/congressmen. Currently, they and their families have the best coverage for almost nothing. They also have excellant retirement - better than our medicare by far. All they have to do is serve a few years in congress or the senate. I say make them have the SAME insurance and the SAME retirement as US. There will be HUGE improvements if you do that! Of course, unfortunately, WE don't have that power - THEY do. (Just a side rant, sorry).<hr>There are ways to make universal health insurance a reality without getting the government involved (other than having them subsidize the cost of the insurance policies). <hr>JMHO.

concernedmom · Nov 19, 2007

I agree with Sakasuka, I would NOT want the government in charge of my medical care. The medicare system is totally screwed up, especially the drug portion. Also, medicare/medicaid reimbursements are way lower than ANY health insurance company. It may sound good to you to seriously cap the doctor's charges, but then what incentive does someone have to spend YEARS in medical school, racking up tons of debt to then be capped at a low pay rate so you make less than someone who spent half the time you did in school. Then, to make matters worse, you'd still have HUGE malpractice/liability insurance because currently, anyone can sue anyone, even without justification. You definitely won't be attracting the "best of the best" to the medical field! Do you really want a mediocre surgeon performing your transplant?<hr>
Just a side note, Lynda, current health insurance does cap what doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies charge. I just spent a week in the hospital. The total bill was $23,000 including the doctor's fees. Insurance paid about $12,000, I paid $600 (was already almost to my max out of pocket for the year, and the rest was written off.<hr>Several medical insurance agents have told me that medicare/medicaid's low reimbursements, combined with write-offs from the uninsured is what drives the high prices that hospitals and doctors charge the insurance companies. They lose so much on those two segments (medicare/medicaid and uninsured) that they charge the private sector MORE than OUR share in order to make up for those losses. In essence, we are not only paying for medicaid/medicare through our taxes but also through higher medical costs.<hr>Also, waiting a year for "elective" surgeries is crazy! Remember elective surgeries are any non emergency surgery. Knee replacement, hysterectomies (including where the woman has been bleeding non-stop for a year - not emergency, make her wait another year!), gallbladder removal, even a lot of cardiac stuff - non-emergent angioplasties, etc. Just because a procedure is considered "elective" does NOT mean it's not necessary!<hr>Get rid of medicare, medicaid, and instead offer EVERYONE the same private policies for reasonable prices (subsidized by the government when necessary). Honestly, if we all have the same access to the same health insurance plans for reasonable cost, AND, the ability to change at ANY time, competition will increase and the end result will be better service for all.<hr>Also, when I say everyone has the same access, I'm also referring to our senators/congressmen. Currently, they and their families have the best coverage for almost nothing. They also have excellant retirement - better than our medicare by far. All they have to do is serve a few years in congress or the senate. I say make them have the SAME insurance and the SAME retirement as US. There will be HUGE improvements if you do that! Of course, unfortunately, WE don't have that power - THEY do. (Just a side rant, sorry).<hr>There are ways to make universal health insurance a reality without getting the government involved (other than having them subsidize the cost of the insurance policies). <hr>JMHO.

concernedmom · Nov 19, 2007

I agree with Sakasuka, I would NOT want the government in charge of my medical care. The medicare system is totally screwed up, especially the drug portion. Also, medicare/medicaid reimbursements are way lower than ANY health insurance company. It may sound good to you to seriously cap the doctor's charges, but then what incentive does someone have to spend YEARS in medical school, racking up tons of debt to then be capped at a low pay rate so you make less than someone who spent half the time you did in school. Then, to make matters worse, you'd still have HUGE malpractice/liability insurance because currently, anyone can sue anyone, even without justification. You definitely won't be attracting the "best of the best" to the medical field! Do you really want a mediocre surgeon performing your transplant?<hr>
Just a side note, Lynda, current health insurance does cap what doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies charge. I just spent a week in the hospital. The total bill was $23,000 including the doctor's fees. Insurance paid about $12,000, I paid $600 (was already almost to my max out of pocket for the year, and the rest was written off.<hr>Several medical insurance agents have told me that medicare/medicaid's low reimbursements, combined with write-offs from the uninsured is what drives the high prices that hospitals and doctors charge the insurance companies. They lose so much on those two segments (medicare/medicaid and uninsured) that they charge the private sector MORE than OUR share in order to make up for those losses. In essence, we are not only paying for medicaid/medicare through our taxes but also through higher medical costs.<hr>Also, waiting a year for "elective" surgeries is crazy! Remember elective surgeries are any non emergency surgery. Knee replacement, hysterectomies (including where the woman has been bleeding non-stop for a year - not emergency, make her wait another year!), gallbladder removal, even a lot of cardiac stuff - non-emergent angioplasties, etc. Just because a procedure is considered "elective" does NOT mean it's not necessary!<hr>Get rid of medicare, medicaid, and instead offer EVERYONE the same private policies for reasonable prices (subsidized by the government when necessary). Honestly, if we all have the same access to the same health insurance plans for reasonable cost, AND, the ability to change at ANY time, competition will increase and the end result will be better service for all.<hr>Also, when I say everyone has the same access, I'm also referring to our senators/congressmen. Currently, they and their families have the best coverage for almost nothing. They also have excellant retirement - better than our medicare by far. All they have to do is serve a few years in congress or the senate. I say make them have the SAME insurance and the SAME retirement as US. There will be HUGE improvements if you do that! Of course, unfortunately, WE don't have that power - THEY do. (Just a side rant, sorry).<hr>There are ways to make universal health insurance a reality without getting the government involved (other than having them subsidize the cost of the insurance policies). <hr>JMHO.

concernedmom · Nov 19, 2007

I agree with Sakasuka, I would NOT want the government in charge of my medical care. The medicare system is totally screwed up, especially the drug portion. Also, medicare/medicaid reimbursements are way lower than ANY health insurance company. It may sound good to you to seriously cap the doctor's charges, but then what incentive does someone have to spend YEARS in medical school, racking up tons of debt to then be capped at a low pay rate so you make less than someone who spent half the time you did in school. Then, to make matters worse, you'd still have HUGE malpractice/liability insurance because currently, anyone can sue anyone, even without justification. You definitely won't be attracting the "best of the best" to the medical field! Do you really want a mediocre surgeon performing your transplant?<hr>
Just a side note, Lynda, current health insurance does cap what doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies charge. I just spent a week in the hospital. The total bill was $23,000 including the doctor's fees. Insurance paid about $12,000, I paid $600 (was already almost to my max out of pocket for the year, and the rest was written off.<hr>Several medical insurance agents have told me that medicare/medicaid's low reimbursements, combined with write-offs from the uninsured is what drives the high prices that hospitals and doctors charge the insurance companies. They lose so much on those two segments (medicare/medicaid and uninsured) that they charge the private sector MORE than OUR share in order to make up for those losses. In essence, we are not only paying for medicaid/medicare through our taxes but also through higher medical costs.<hr>Also, waiting a year for "elective" surgeries is crazy! Remember elective surgeries are any non emergency surgery. Knee replacement, hysterectomies (including where the woman has been bleeding non-stop for a year - not emergency, make her wait another year!), gallbladder removal, even a lot of cardiac stuff - non-emergent angioplasties, etc. Just because a procedure is considered "elective" does NOT mean it's not necessary!<hr>Get rid of medicare, medicaid, and instead offer EVERYONE the same private policies for reasonable prices (subsidized by the government when necessary). Honestly, if we all have the same access to the same health insurance plans for reasonable cost, AND, the ability to change at ANY time, competition will increase and the end result will be better service for all.<hr>Also, when I say everyone has the same access, I'm also referring to our senators/congressmen. Currently, they and their families have the best coverage for almost nothing. They also have excellant retirement - better than our medicare by far. All they have to do is serve a few years in congress or the senate. I say make them have the SAME insurance and the SAME retirement as US. There will be HUGE improvements if you do that! Of course, unfortunately, WE don't have that power - THEY do. (Just a side rant, sorry).<hr>There are ways to make universal health insurance a reality without getting the government involved (other than having them subsidize the cost of the insurance policies). <hr>JMHO.

concernedmom · Nov 19, 2007

I agree with Sakasuka, I would NOT want the government in charge of my medical care. The medicare system is totally screwed up, especially the drug portion. Also, medicare/medicaid reimbursements are way lower than ANY health insurance company. It may sound good to you to seriously cap the doctor's charges, but then what incentive does someone have to spend YEARS in medical school, racking up tons of debt to then be capped at a low pay rate so you make less than someone who spent half the time you did in school. Then, to make matters worse, you'd still have HUGE malpractice/liability insurance because currently, anyone can sue anyone, even without justification. You definitely won't be attracting the "best of the best" to the medical field! Do you really want a mediocre surgeon performing your transplant?<hr>
Just a side note, Lynda, current health insurance does cap what doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies charge. I just spent a week in the hospital. The total bill was $23,000 including the doctor's fees. Insurance paid about $12,000, I paid $600 (was already almost to my max out of pocket for the year, and the rest was written off.<hr>Several medical insurance agents have told me that medicare/medicaid's low reimbursements, combined with write-offs from the uninsured is what drives the high prices that hospitals and doctors charge the insurance companies. They lose so much on those two segments (medicare/medicaid and uninsured) that they charge the private sector MORE than OUR share in order to make up for those losses. In essence, we are not only paying for medicaid/medicare through our taxes but also through higher medical costs.<hr>Also, waiting a year for "elective" surgeries is crazy! Remember elective surgeries are any non emergency surgery. Knee replacement, hysterectomies (including where the woman has been bleeding non-stop for a year - not emergency, make her wait another year!), gallbladder removal, even a lot of cardiac stuff - non-emergent angioplasties, etc. Just because a procedure is considered "elective" does NOT mean it's not necessary!<hr>Get rid of medicare, medicaid, and instead offer EVERYONE the same private policies for reasonable prices (subsidized by the government when necessary). Honestly, if we all have the same access to the same health insurance plans for reasonable cost, AND, the ability to change at ANY time, competition will increase and the end result will be better service for all.<hr>Also, when I say everyone has the same access, I'm also referring to our senators/congressmen. Currently, they and their families have the best coverage for almost nothing. They also have excellant retirement - better than our medicare by far. All they have to do is serve a few years in congress or the senate. I say make them have the SAME insurance and the SAME retirement as US. There will be HUGE improvements if you do that! Of course, unfortunately, WE don't have that power - THEY do. (Just a side rant, sorry).<hr>There are ways to make universal health insurance a reality without getting the government involved (other than having them subsidize the cost of the insurance policies). <hr>JMHO.

Faust · Nov 19, 2007