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The best quality medical care in the world is irrelevant to someone who cannot afford it.
Look, I'd like to strike a balance between quality of care and coverage. I do agree medicaid reimbursement rates are so low it probably would drive some healthcare providers right out of business.
What most of us can't figure out though is why universal health care is such a difficult proposition in the USA when you find it in all of Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and even Taiwan. Something just doesn't add up.
In my opinion, the difference is that Americans will not accept the realities of those healthcare systems. Waiting months for non-emergent CT scans. Waiting months for elective surgery. Waiting for everything that is not emergent. Americans want it now.
In my opinion, the difference is that Americans will not accept the realities of those healthcare systems. Waiting months for non-emergent CT scans. Waiting months for elective surgery. Waiting for everything that is not emergent. Americans want it now.
That's when you need to pull out your own money, which moves you ahead of everyone else.
In my opinion, the difference is that Americans will not accept the realities of those healthcare systems. Waiting months for non-emergent CT scans. Waiting months for elective surgery. Waiting for everything that is not emergent. Americans want it now.
I agree with Southernnaturelover, if there was something you wanted faster than you could get it through the healthcare system's normal channels, you'd work on how to pay for it yourself. In most of the countries of Western Europe there is the regular healthcare system, and then there is the private pay pathway. Those who have the means and don't want to wait for something like elective surgery have the option to pay for it themselves. We already have concierge practices in different parts of the country. In NYC there are more than a few non-concierge primary care practices that don't accept any form of coverage -- if you come to them, you pay with credit cards. I don't see that changing.
What I would like to see change as soon as possible is situations like that faced by the OP. Working people in this country should be able to either qualify for Medicaid or be allowed to purchase coverage on their state's Exchange.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Reputation: 58359
We have insurance, it costs me about $150/month and my employer about $1,500/month. It's high deductible with health savings account, and when my wife stayed overnight in the hospital (with MRI and more) we ended up with bills of about $6,000. It's just the new normal since the ACA. We paid about half, then since the provider offers no interest payments, are paying $250/month on the balance. Just call them and ask about a payment plan.
For each of the charges on this bill, an insurance company has a schedule which shows the already agreed* upon price the hospital is willing to accept. You don't know what those prices are. If you were were an insurance company with a prior rate*agreement, here's what you'd do when you received that first bill: 1.Look over the bill, and disallow any charges that don't belong there; 2.Compare each remaining charge with your schedule, and replace the amount charged with the correct price agreed to by contract; 3.Send a check for the revised amount. Every hospital in the country, as near as I can tell, is running this dual* price scam. They will go to almost any lengths to avoid spilling the beans in open court. Sometimes even to the point of forgiving your entire bill to the tune of thousands of dollars, if they can just avoid giving you any solid evidence of their scheme.
Total Balance Due on all bills: $6,703.58
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It defies logic that people get stuck with such bills when there are healthcare systems all over the world that work just fine and are paid for through taxes,
no deductibles,
no co pays,
no caps,
no losing your coverage if you lose your job.
You are covered from cradle to grave period.
As an example in the last 6 months i've had the following procedures=
2 Doppler ultra sounds.
CT scan
.2 MIBI nuclear scan,one with stress one without.
Bone density scan.
2 MRIs
4 full blood tests
2 ECGs
Yeah i'm a sick puppy,however cost out of pocket? $0.00 cdn.
I cant believe people wouldnt prefer such a system.( Canadian eh)
It defies logic that people get stuck with such bills when there are healthcare systems all over the world that work just fine and are paid for through taxes,
no deductibles,
no co pays,
no caps,
no losing your coverage if you lose your job.
You are covered from cradle to grave period.
As an example in the last 6 months i've had the following procedures=
2 Doppler ultra sounds.
CT scan
.2 MIBI nuclear scan,one with stress one without.
Bone density scan.
2 MRIs
4 full blood tests
2 ECGs
Yeah i'm a sick puppy,however cost out of pocket? $0.00 cdn.
I cant believe people wouldnt prefer such a system.( Canadian eh)
How much do you and your fellow citizens pay in taxes?
How much do you and your fellow citizens pay in taxes?
It is really a matter of where tax dollars are spent?
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