Obamacare

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

Prince Of Dorkness wrote:

Go Beavers wrote:

Because I'm not sure "can't be turned away" means "we won't send you a bill".

They can't turn you away but they don't have to give you good treatment. If you can't pay for it, they just have to keep you from dying long enough to get you to leave.

There is some bleak imagery painted with this description. Is the Hippocratic Oath obsolete? In Canada... a person is found on the streets in need of serious medical attention... this person gets it without being chased afterwards for massive bills incurred.

I'm late to this discussion and have not read any of the previous posts, but I would suggest that public health and public education should be two staples of any society regardless of who benefits the most and who uses it the least.

There are plenty of examples of people receiving poor treatment at the hospitals in Canada. Just look that poor guy in Winnipeg (I think) that died in the ER waiting for medical attention, an enquiry has taken place or is underway. The facts in Canada are quite simple that plenty of people are living in pain waiting for much needed elective surgery, as well as the many who have no doc and must rely on the ER (long waits) or walk in clinics ... here in Ontario it's around 50% of every tax dollar goes to health and then add public education brings about 70% of every tax dollar into those 2.

So my guess is even though our basic needs may be met through the public system ... in time where going to be asked to pay more, probably in some form of user fees.

Gern Blansten wrote:

You can find horror stories anywhere. The facts are that healthcare in the USA is not as effective and comes at a much higher cost than countries that provide universal care.

Don't even bother arguing....those are facts

so ... quality healthcare cost ...

Jason P wrote:

Wow. Our healthcare cost per capita and % of GDP is outragous. You would think our government would be working on figuring out what is wrong with our healthcare system expenditures and what is driving up cost.

No wonder people can't afford insurance.

Insurance is one of the biggest reasons health care costs so much in my opinion.

Gern Blansten wrote:

Jason P wrote:

Wow. Our healthcare cost per capita and % of GDP is outragous. You would think our government would be working on figuring out what is wrong with our healthcare system expenditures and what is driving up cost.

No wonder people can't afford insurance.

uh....have you heard of the Affordable Care Act? Part of the problem is people getting healthcare and paying nothing because they are uninsured.

That's the problem with our system.

I don't think you can get away without paying. They can't deny you medical attention if you don't have insurance, but I'm pretty sure they come looking for you to pay the bill.

duska3419 wrote:

I have to decide by the end of this month if I want to sign up for the student health insurance offered by my school for approx 25% of my income, or if I want to wait and take a gamble with the new insurance exchanges. I tried to find out more about costs and coverage with the plans that are going to be offered on the exchanges but I couldn't find anything. Does anyone know where the Obamacare plans are actually listed with the prices?

Using the attached link, you can tack on whatever State you wish to seek information.

Take a moment to read some of the benefits offered at this site.

This site can answer any questions you have regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I would strongly stress that any and everyone read the section on PRE-conditions, as this is the underlying part of the Act that Congress wants to get repelled. This is the section that could save your life in the long run.

https://www.healthcare.gov/

Interesting article from Kaiser Health News on what drives the healthcare cost in this country to 18% of the GDP. They are a non-partisan, non-profit organization. The link at the bottom goes deeper into each issue:

1. We pay our doctors, hospitals and other medical providers in ways that reward doing more, rather than being efficient

2. We're growing older, sicker and fatter.

3. We want new drugs, technologies, services and procedures.

4. We get tax breaks on buying health insurance -- and the cost to patients of seeking care is often low.

5. We don't have enough information to make decisions on which medical care is best for us.

6. Our hospitals and other providers are increasingly gaining market share and are better able to demand higher prices.

7. We have supply and demand problems, and legal issues that complicate efforts to slow spending.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/stories/2012/october/25/health-care-costs.aspx

Prince Of Dorkness wrote:

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

Is the Hippocratic Oath obsolete?

that really just says "do no harm."

And if they come in with a broken collarbone (like my friend did after a motorcycle accident) have have no insurance (since he was "healthy and in his 20s"), they can just hand you a sling and a few aspirin once they determine you aren't about to die from internal bleeding. Bones set? fuck you, poor guy, casts are for people with insurance or the ability to pay for care.

I just read the entire oath, and it's beautiful and eloquent. I think it's much more than "do no harm" - though that could just be semantics.

Tomato, tomahto.

ER treatment, I'm guessing, is different in different regions...different in different times too, maybe. Dunno.

When my husband first moved out here and was uninsured (and unemployed), we made several needed trips to the ER. Those doctors and nurses, far as I could tell, had no idea about his insurance status and treated him with professionalism and compassion - as did the administrators we dealt with. No worry about him being discharged before he should be.

Sure we had a shitload of bills afterward, but they were warranted. And eventually paid.

I'll also say I'm thankful about not having the pre-condition aspect anymore.

Dad Explains Obamacare

‘It’s Bullshit,’ Father Says

News in Brief • Family • Politics • ISSUE 49•39 • Sep 23, 2013

PITTSBURGH—After noticing a newspaper article about the implementation of the upcoming Affordable Care Act, local father Andrew Panetta, 53, made an effort Monday to explain the intricacies of Obamacare to his son, sources confirmed. “It’s bullshit,” Panetta reportedly said, clarifying how insurance companies will comply with federal law in order to properly set up state-sponsored health care exchanges. “All of it. Complete and total bullshit.” Panetta went on to conclude his seven-second explanation of the expansive new health care law by saying, “I’m telling you, it’s bullshit.”

http://www.theonion.com/articles/dad-explains-obamacare,33961/