Election Results

[crazedACD]

I don't know that much about politics, insurance companies, and healthcare but I really, really wish that dental fell more under healthcare. You want people to get jobs? Make sure they have all their teeth :/. Even with dental insurance, for major dental work, you are looking at up to 10k..and I'm not talking cosmetic things like braces.

[Fran27]

Originally Posted by darkchild16

Its not as easy as that though. Health insurance out of pocket for my family with Blue Cross and Blue Shield is:
224.40 with a 5 THOUSAND dollar deductible.
for a $1500 deductible it is
585.00

BEFORE we get into medical history. No maternity, no dental, only the 600 dollar one includes vision.

To take my kids to the dr out of pocket is $120 for a check up and shots, $75 for a sick visit, $100 for a checkup no shots.

For us we have a sliding scale dr. Hospitals will make payment plans/have grants.

It literally would NOT pay for us to have health insurance out of pocket.

Jeremy has been with his job 4 YEARS at full time hours and they refused to give him a full time employment status and that was legally ok.

He gets a limited health plan for all of us with Pizza Hut that we are looking into I need to call them but its been insane with Savannah that I haven't had 2 seconds to figure it all out.

Its not so cut and dry as OMG you are crazy for not having insurance. Out of pocket insurance is CRAZY.

With the new law, wouldn't Jeremy's job have to offer insurance though? I highly doubt here I'd pay less than $300 out of pocket for a check up... seriously the first time I went to the doctor here it cost me like $350. So yeah, for you I would see how much it would suck.

[milos_mommy]

Is this state-by-state thing? In NYS, public health insurance is CHEAP, with decent coverage (most doctors will take it unless it's some kind of really ridiculous specialist, like a hypo-therapist or something), and you can qualify easily. It's for "low-income" families, but even with decent income, it's still fairly low. It's free if you're making under approx $1500/month, and it goes up to I think $3600/month for $60 per child with a family max cost of $180.

Anyone who can't afford that should be able to qualify for medicaid, and there's a variety of family plans, children plans, etc.

[milos_mommy]

Is this a state-by-state thing? In NYS, public health insurance is CHEAP, with decent coverage (most doctors will take it unless it's some kind of really ridiculous specialist, like a hypo-therapist or something), and you can qualify easily. It's for "low-income" families, but even with decent income, it's still fairly low. It's free if you're making under approx $1500/month, and it goes up to I think $3600/month for $60 per child with a family max cost of $180.

Anyone who can't afford that should be able to qualify for medicaid, and there's a variety of family plans, children plans, etc.

[darkchild16]

Originally Posted by Fran27

With the new law, wouldn't Jeremy's job have to offer insurance though? I highly doubt here I'd pay less than $300 out of pocket for a check up... seriously the first time I went to the doctor here it cost me like $350. So yeah, for you I would see how much it would suck.

Yes they would. Thats what I like about the law its not perfect BUT it does have SOME good. Am I saying it doesnt need some tweaking and have some flaws NO but it has some good points in it.

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

Is this state-by-state thing? In NYS, public health insurance is CHEAP, with decent coverage (most doctors will take it unless it's some kind of really ridiculous specialist, like a hypo-therapist or something), and you can qualify easily. It's for "low-income" families, but even with decent income, it's still fairly low. It's free if you're making under approx $1500/month, and it goes up to I think $3600/month for $60 per child with a family max cost of $180.

Anyone who can't afford that should be able to qualify for medicaid, and there's a variety of family plans, children plans, etc.

Here you don't get a choice of which one you get put on. It's based on income. The kids qualify for medicaid but we have the option of ONE dr. I would much rather pay myself and get to pick my doctor. They wont cover me because I don't cooperate with child support for Beverly and they only do low-cost for kids.

[milos_mommy]

Originally Posted by darkchild16

Here you don't get a choice of which one you get put on. It's based on income. The kids qualify for medicaid but we have the option of ONE dr. I would much rather pay myself and get to pick my doctor. They wont cover me because I don't cooperate with child support for Beverly and they only do low-cost for kids.

What do you mean? If you're on medicaid you don't get a choice in dr? Also, you don't have a choice here either, it is based on income, with the lowest being medicaid, if you don't qualify for that, you get child health plus or family health plus

[Pops2]

Originally Posted by Fran27

Well, how many of those people are broke because of medical expenses? How will those people who can't afford $200 a month for a basic plan (totally putting a random number there) be able to afford a $30,000 bill if something happens and they have to go to the hospital? Honestly it's just crazy to me that people don't want health insurance. The meds I need to use alone cost like $1000 a month without insurance. Without them, I'd probably have to go to the hospital a lot. Paying for insurance is just cheaper in the long run.

So... I see both points. But IMO it's still the lesser of two evils.

But something needs to be done about health insurances. In France I was paying $50 out of pocket every month for my meds. Office visits were $15, and I was getting most of that back. I came here, no insurance, and paid $2500 for the same things. It's totally ridiculous. As far as I'm concerned, any business trying to make money out of people's health issues is just absolutely disgusting.

profit motive is why the USA has most of the best doctors & pharmaceutical companies (including outstanding doctors from other countries coming here to get filthy). PROFIT in and of itself is NOT evil or bad, w/o it people do NOTHING productive. profit on americans is how the pharmeceutical companies can afford to provide medications to 3rd world countries for next to nothing or even for free. price gouging is an issue just like it is with the oil companies.

[darkchild16]

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

What do you mean? If you're on medicaid you don't get a choice in dr? Also, you don't have a choice here either, it is based on income, with the lowest being medicaid, if you don't qualify for that, you get child health plus or family health plus

The insurance we can afford to pay the monthly and the copays but they still give us the medicaid (we tried to apply for the kids. They do have medicaid we just never use it (the one issue we HAVE used it for was Savannahs diaper rash). You get a choice in drs sometimes but here there is only one dr's office that takes it.

[milos_mommy]

Profit motives are also why doctors frequently prescribe inappropriate drugs and push invasive, unnecessary tests on patients, because insurance and pharmaceutical companies push them, over incentives, etc.

Doctors aren't paid for based on how well they treat you. They're paid for based on how often you get sick and go to see them. Why the hell would they have an incentive to make people better if they get a wad of cash every time you come in for a strep test?

[Miakoda]

Doctors are also damned if they do, damned if they don't.

A doc is sued for malpractice if he doesn't run a bunch of tests, thereby takes a conservative route, and it turns out the patient has a major issue which those tests would e devalued earlier.

A doc is sued for malpractice if he runs a bunch of tests after opting to take a more aggressive diagnostic stance, and it turns out nothing is wrong with the patient.

My uncle is a retired OB/GYN. He might've made a nice salary, but when you pay over $750,000 in medical malpractice insurance, your paycheck doesn't look that great after all.

Another friend of mine is a pediatrician. After 9 years in school, and close to $100,000 in student loan debt, his $110,000/year salary doesn't seem all that great after all.

One of my concerns lies with the government reducing doctors' profits, thereby slashing yearly salaries, what incentive will there be for someone to give up 8-12 years of their life to college and medical school, not to mention the sacrifice of a social and family life?