Oh, yes, let’s remove any market forces at all and have the same people who have brought us the post office, VA and the wonderfully efficient welfare system(s) make our health care decisions.
Actually, Obamacare is a huge deal for me. I am self-employed, and very, very grateful that I’ll finally be able to purchase health insurance in a free marketplace. Conservatives would be rejoicing too, if they actually understood how it works. It’s their plan, after all.
When NBC News tells us in 2014 we will pay double for our Company Sponsored Health Care over what we paid in 2013…"Insurance companies are mandated to spend at least 80% of your premiums on actual health care. Anything beyond that must be refunded. Why would your premiums double?
Amazing the “right” is so opposed to “Romneycare lite” that hasn’t even kicked in yet, and THEY inserted the "private insurer mandate, and no negotiating drug prices, that promise to add and retain the greatest costs to health care!!
The Republicans are selling a 9 inch diameter catheter, and saying they’re plans are better???
Gosh, I wasn’t feeling so well this morning, so I called my doctor and I had an appointment this afternoon. In Toronto. Maybe you need to think about switching to a single-payer system.
“……Obamacare is a nightmare, but our current system is not much better. …..”.Interesting observation when you consider that most of Obamacare does not come into effect until 2014..Obamacare increased health care availability and eliminated some egregious injustices. But it did not, could not, was prevented from addressing the real drivers of health care costs and thus affordability will not change. U.S. health care costs will continue to be about double most other countries..Other developed countries in the world provide universal coverage at affordable costs in one of two ways: single payer government sponsored, thus eliminating the insurance companies: or not for profit insurance plans with tight control of costs. The U.S. is the only country in the developed world that treats sickness of the people as a profit opportunity. .I’ll make a prediction with 100% guaranteed accuracy: Because Obamacare did not address the drivers of costs, health care costs will continue to rise and continue to be about double any other country on a per capita bases and % of GDP, but now the conservatives will accuse Obamacare as being solely to blame.
If I want to see my GP, I call in the morning and I have an appointment that afternoon or the next day. I’ve never had a serious illness, but for things like hernia repair, yes, you wait a month or so. A friend of mine was diagnosed recently with esophageal cancer; they operated two days later — it took that long to assemble the surgical team. She has since had an extensive regime of radiation and chemotherapy — and of course, she doesn’t have to worry about the costs. Another friend of mine has bladder cancer — it’s manageable, but it requires a long series of treatments, which can be quite expensive over the long run. Again, he doesn’t have to think about the cost. No system is perfect, but the Canadian system works pretty well mot of the time.
^ & ^^ Steven Brill’s 55 page article in Time “Bitter Pill” reveals some of the horrors of the American medical system. To a Canadian accustomed to the Canadian system, it reads like something out of Dante’s Inferno..eg. Janice a 64 year old out of work sales clerk went to the hospital with chest pains. After tests and brief discussion with the doctor, they sent her home with the diagnosis of indigestion and a $21,000 bill. Not able to pay, she went to a Medical-billing advocate" who belongs to a growth industry service that tries to reduce medical bills. The lady informed her that the problem is the Chargemaster fee schedule and that the bill is only a negotiating point. Seems the hospital looks at how much money you might have and then tries to get as much out of you as possible. Working at $97 per hour, the lady was able to negotiate the bill down to $11,000. .You have to ask – Is this happening in a civilized country? By the way, the CEO of the hospital earns $1,860,000.
lonecat almost 11 years ago
Visually clever. If Obamacare is so bad, why not do the smart thing and replace it with a single-payer system?
Hamstersbane almost 11 years ago
Oh, yes, let’s remove any market forces at all and have the same people who have brought us the post office, VA and the wonderfully efficient welfare system(s) make our health care decisions.
ARodney almost 11 years ago
Actually, Obamacare is a huge deal for me. I am self-employed, and very, very grateful that I’ll finally be able to purchase health insurance in a free marketplace. Conservatives would be rejoicing too, if they actually understood how it works. It’s their plan, after all.
Jason Allen almost 11 years ago
When NBC News tells us in 2014 we will pay double for our Company Sponsored Health Care over what we paid in 2013…"Insurance companies are mandated to spend at least 80% of your premiums on actual health care. Anything beyond that must be refunded. Why would your premiums double?
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
Amazing the “right” is so opposed to “Romneycare lite” that hasn’t even kicked in yet, and THEY inserted the "private insurer mandate, and no negotiating drug prices, that promise to add and retain the greatest costs to health care!!
The Republicans are selling a 9 inch diameter catheter, and saying they’re plans are better???
lonecat almost 11 years ago
Gosh, I wasn’t feeling so well this morning, so I called my doctor and I had an appointment this afternoon. In Toronto. Maybe you need to think about switching to a single-payer system.
Gypsy8 almost 11 years ago
“……Obamacare is a nightmare, but our current system is not much better. …..”.Interesting observation when you consider that most of Obamacare does not come into effect until 2014..Obamacare increased health care availability and eliminated some egregious injustices. But it did not, could not, was prevented from addressing the real drivers of health care costs and thus affordability will not change. U.S. health care costs will continue to be about double most other countries..Other developed countries in the world provide universal coverage at affordable costs in one of two ways: single payer government sponsored, thus eliminating the insurance companies: or not for profit insurance plans with tight control of costs. The U.S. is the only country in the developed world that treats sickness of the people as a profit opportunity. .I’ll make a prediction with 100% guaranteed accuracy: Because Obamacare did not address the drivers of costs, health care costs will continue to rise and continue to be about double any other country on a per capita bases and % of GDP, but now the conservatives will accuse Obamacare as being solely to blame.
lonecat almost 11 years ago
If I want to see my GP, I call in the morning and I have an appointment that afternoon or the next day. I’ve never had a serious illness, but for things like hernia repair, yes, you wait a month or so. A friend of mine was diagnosed recently with esophageal cancer; they operated two days later — it took that long to assemble the surgical team. She has since had an extensive regime of radiation and chemotherapy — and of course, she doesn’t have to worry about the costs. Another friend of mine has bladder cancer — it’s manageable, but it requires a long series of treatments, which can be quite expensive over the long run. Again, he doesn’t have to think about the cost. No system is perfect, but the Canadian system works pretty well mot of the time.
Gypsy8 almost 11 years ago
^ & ^^ Steven Brill’s 55 page article in Time “Bitter Pill” reveals some of the horrors of the American medical system. To a Canadian accustomed to the Canadian system, it reads like something out of Dante’s Inferno..eg. Janice a 64 year old out of work sales clerk went to the hospital with chest pains. After tests and brief discussion with the doctor, they sent her home with the diagnosis of indigestion and a $21,000 bill. Not able to pay, she went to a Medical-billing advocate" who belongs to a growth industry service that tries to reduce medical bills. The lady informed her that the problem is the Chargemaster fee schedule and that the bill is only a negotiating point. Seems the hospital looks at how much money you might have and then tries to get as much out of you as possible. Working at $97 per hour, the lady was able to negotiate the bill down to $11,000. .You have to ask – Is this happening in a civilized country? By the way, the CEO of the hospital earns $1,860,000.