The Average Cost of a Family Health Insurance Plan Is Now $27,000

[neurosis]

That my parents (85 at the time) would have to wait 7 weeks for a standard doctors appointment, and if that  was "too long", they could wait only 5 weeks, for a phone call from the doctor.

I tried to get an appointment with a cardiologist due to some heart arrhythmia caused by blood pressure issues, and they put me on a 6-month waiting list. I don't know how typical that is here in the US but I couldn't believe it.

[Newbeeee™]

Aaaannnnd this just popped up on twatter - NHS need 3bill or they'll "ration yer treatment"
https://x.com/DebiEvansMatron/status/1982589662725349654

[Bucky Cornstarch]

I guess the same goes for Tyler and a few others.










And you can GFY!!!!

It was a joke. And yes, Tyler is indeed the one with the least "skin in the game."

And since I am not a Nutty xenophobe, I actually welcome viewpoints from outside of my immediate sphere, so thank you.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

Aaaannnnd this just popped up on twatter - NHS need 3bill or they'll "ration yer treatment"
https://x.com/DebiEvansMatron/status/1982589662725349654

Please tell us you aren't dim enough to believe healthcare isn't rationed by insurance companies here in the good 'ol US of A.

[YoDoug]

Please tell us you aren't dim enough to believe healthcare isn't rationed by insurance companies here in the good 'ol US of A.

I have a family member that works for an insurance program. She actually worked in developing training programs to help adjusters find ways to deny claims. Insurance companies absolutely try to deny coverage, even for things that should be covered. Their operating plan is deny as much as they can and make you fight to get it covered.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

I have a family member that works for an insurance program. She actually worked in developing training programs to help adjusters find ways to deny claims. Insurance companies absolutely try to deny coverage, even for things that should be covered. Their operating plan is deny as much as they can and make you fight to get it covered.

That's capitalism, baby!!!!!

[YoDoug]

That's capitalism, baby!!!!!

I am usually the first one here to point out how greed eventually ruins capitalism. However, I also admit socialism and communism are worse.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

I am usually the first one here to point out how greed eventually ruins capitalism. However, I also admit socialism and communism are worse.

Yeah butbutbutbutbutbutbutbut....

This is bad but the other thing is worse!!!!

Remember how, in a previous post, you provided an example that supported your argument? You did a really great job, thank you.

Now do that with communism/socialism or whatever word you've been conditioned to be terrified of. When looking for said example, make sure to avoid this reference that says, in essence, people who are on Medicaid (socialism) are generally satisfied:

A large majority of Medicaid users are satisfied with their overall services, with some surveys showing that 83% of enrollees rate Medicaid positively. Other studies indicate that around 88% of users are satisfied with their doctors and 91% have a regular source of care. Despite this high satisfaction with the overall program, some users still experience issues with navigating the system, though the overall sentiment remains positive.

We're all pulling for you 

[YoDoug]

in essence, people who are on Medicaid (socialism) are generally satisfied:

Purely anecdotal, but I just got back yesterday from visiting my 90 year old Father-in-law in TN while he was in a rehab facility. He has Myelodysplastic syndrome and his blood gets out of whack and needs transfusions regularly. He had an episode where the benefits from a transfusion did not last as long as previous. He ended up too weak to even get to the bathroom and my brother law found on the floor laying in his own soiled underwear. Hospital for a few days and then to rehab. He lives alone. Medicare will only cover up to 15 days in rehab and is ready to send him home by himself in no condition to be on his own. The only other option is pay hundreds per day for rehab out of pocket which he does not have. Medicaid, the States answer is they will put him in a state run home and put a lien on his house to pay for it. In a larger discussion with the admin at the rehab facility they said they get this type of denial of claims all the time from Medicare/Medicaid.

[mowens]

Hypothetical situation:

We make medicare for all plus private insurance the standard. There will be fraud and inefficiency. Taxes will go up.

But is that any different than what we have now? Do we not have rampant fraud and ineffeciency? Are our prices going Up?

I don't know the answer but something needs to be done.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

Purely anecdotal, but I just got back yesterday from visiting my 90 year old Father-in-law in TN while he was in a rehab facility. He has Myelodysplastic syndrome and his blood gets out of whack and needs transfusions regularly. He had an episode where the benefits from a transfusion did not last as long as previous. He ended up too weak to even get to the bathroom and my brother law found on the floor laying in his own soiled underwear. Hospital for a few days and then to rehab. He lives alone. Medicare will only cover up to 15 days in rehab and is ready to send him home by himself in no condition to be on his own. The only other option is pay hundreds per day for rehab out of pocket which he does not have. Medicaid, the States answer is they will put him in a state run home and put a lien on his house to pay for it. In a larger discussion with the admin at the rehab facility they said they get this type of denial of claims all the time from Medicare/Medicaid.

That sucks and I am sorry that he and your family are going through this. Safe to say we can put that in the 10-20% "not satisfied" column.

[YoDoug]

That sucks and I am sorry that he and your family are going through this. Safe to say we can put that in the 10-20% "not satisfied" column.

Source for your poll?

[Smit]

Purely anecdotal, but I just got back yesterday from visiting my 90 year old Father-in-law in TN while he was in a rehab facility. He has Myelodysplastic syndrome and his blood gets out of whack and needs transfusions regularly. He had an episode where the benefits from a transfusion did not last as long as previous. He ended up too weak to even get to the bathroom and my brother law found on the floor laying in his own soiled underwear. Hospital for a few days and then to rehab. He lives alone. Medicare will only cover up to 15 days in rehab and is ready to send him home by himself in no condition to be on his own. The only other option is pay hundreds per day for rehab out of pocket which he does not have. Medicaid, the States answer is they will put him in a state run home and put a lien on his house to pay for it. In a larger discussion with the admin at the rehab facility they said they get this type of denial of claims all the time from Medicare/Medicaid.

I wonder how different it would have been if he was on private insurance. Private insurance companies aren't really known for being eager to spend money on that kind of expense. I expect you'd have to have a real Cadillac health care plan for something like that to be covered. Probably the majority of people who have that kind of plan are executives in big companies or, you know, politicians who get to decide what kind of health care coverage to give themselves.

Hypothetical situation:

We make medicare for all plus private insurance the standard. There will be fraud and inefficiency. Taxes will go up.

But is that any different than what we have now? Do we not have rampant fraud and ineffeciency? Are our prices going Up?

I don't know the answer but something needs to be done.

It's pretty well known that per capita in the U.S. we spend a lot more money on health care than other 1st world countries do. Because most 1st world countries have some sort of socialized medicine it seems likely we could implement a system like that and spend less per capita.

Get rid of the insurance companies. They make a shit ton of profits that could go toward single payer health care.

Make the focus on health care facilities health rather than profit.

It's not going to happen for many reasons. Insurance companies and health care companies in general spend a lot of money on lobbying our elected "representatives." Also people in this country are just too damn stubborn to change something they know into something that's been reviled for decades, even when it becomes clear what we have isn't working for a lot of people.

[mowens]

Except that I don't think Medicare works well without private supplemental insurance.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

Source for your poll?

It's a fucking google search, you moron

Look, we get it. You like what we have. Until you don't. You also don't like big bad scary words, especially when you don't understand them or are unable to put them in context.

Enjoy the best health care system in the world.