Quote:
Originally Posted by Barefootsies
I hear what you are saying.
I agree that the U.S. should, or could, provide some measure of ... the term escapes me... major medical to those who seriously can't afford it. Homeless, under $20k a year, working poor, whatever. These people should be able to die on a bed like anyone else.
I do not think everyone should get free or subsidized coverage. Myself included. I can afford it if I want it.
I opted out of health care this year because the past couple of years, I spent more in premiums then I would have gotten back in coverage. For example, my doctor visits were not covered. I paid 50% or more on most of the tests and xrays I would receive. About the only thing I had gotten a decent discount on was medicine. But I am rarely sick as I am 36. This is with Blue Cross Blue Shield mind you.
I did shop around some for other carriers before dropping them completely. However, I love this shit, most insurance companies now will not insure you if you are over a target weight for your height. (new insurance)
So in my case, I think I the cut off for someone 6' is 220 lbs. I weight more than that by 30. So they would not cover me until I hit their max out weight and height limit.
This past year, I was at the doctors office all of one time. Early in the year. That is only because they would not give me a script without going in there. Although it is a recurring problem.
So 2008 medical bill. $71.00 plus a $15 prescription.
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But if you come down with serious cancer tomorrow, you're looking at upwards of a million dollars in medical bills. While that might not be a lot to you, that is a lot to most Americans.
I think one of the big issues people are missing here is that the problem isn't just about not getting health insurance, it's the rules in place that fuck people like us. Health insurance companies can bend rules and basically fuck you out of anything they want. They can cancel you when you get sick and can simply refuse to pay the bills you have. They can determine that their medical diagnosis is better than your doctors and refuse to pay for specific procedures.
At the same time, pharmaceutical companies bend the rules too. They pay for vacations for doctors so they prescribe their more expensive drugs that are not needed. They lobby for rules so that patients can't get their drugs from other countries at a discount.
Then you have doctors who will milk good insurance companies. They'll overbills, run unnecessary tests, and prescribe unnecessary treatments.
In the end you have a circle jerk of those 3 fucking over the patient. Put some rules in place and actually punish the criminals and you reduce health insurance dramatically. Right now our government represents doctors, big pharma and the insurance companies, not the people.