The New "We Don't Care" Health Insurance Program

Economy & Finance
281

I honestly hope it happens,because it’ll be a track wreck of epic proportions. Then we can get rid of the idea that single-payer would be a good idea for the whole country.

“Another poll, commissioned by the nurses’ union, found that 70 percent of Californians were in favor of a universal, single-payer health care system”

“But the prospect of paying the government for health care through new taxes caused support for the proposal to fall from 65 percent to 42 percent.”

People want stuff until they see the bill for it.

282

Single payer may save money if you look at the total spend on health care. US is right now dominated by employer-sponsored health care and our cost is going thru the roof. We spend the most and get about the least among OCED countries.

Right now the cost is hidden from consumers. That’s why it’s so deadly. People think they get “free” coverage from work but of course there is no free lunch. If everybody gets health care from government then people will get paid more. In addition the whole costs will be out in the open and there will be pressure to push it down.

Anything is better than the current corrupt employer-based system.

283

Single-payer will hide the actual costs even more. Today, consumers have deductibles and co-pays, so they pay some of the costs out-of-pocket. Especially if it’s a payroll tax of 15% as California is considering. You’ll have people playing completely different amounts for healthcare. We already know what causes most of the spend. It’s the sickest 5% which are 50% of spend. A small list of chronic diseases account for 80%, and Americans have those diseases as much higher rates than other countries. Unless we start living healthier, then spending as a percent of GDP will increase.

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284

But you can also argue because of our broken health care system, people don’t have good access to preventive care and end up jacking up the costs.

Single payer is not some unicorn concept. Every advanced nation in the world has it. We are the odd man out, and our health care cost is the highest with little to show for it.

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285

Is the issue preventive care when you look at all the fast food places in America? I saw some food stamp data and the top items people buy are soda and junk food. When I was in Taiwan, you get a 12 ounce soda with no refills. In America, we get 32 ounces and unlimited refills.

Then there’s the whole screw up by the FDA where we put the country on low fat and high sugar diets. That’s exactly when the obesity rate started to climb. It’ll take decades to reverse that screw up.

286

Looks like death panels are the only solution. .Maybe fat people, those that eat bad food, smoke, take illegal drugs, do risky sports will have to pay more. .How else can the government control bad behavior. …For me single payer is the only solution. .Afterall emergency care is given too everyone regardless of ability to pay…single payer in effect…

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287

Cost of a rattlesnake bite. Only in America folks!

DBjFLGBXoAAUekI.jpg768×1024 178 KB

288

Do you think anyone will actually pay that full amount?

289

We all do through ridiculous insurance rates

290

I went to valley med emergency room once when I did not have insurance. It was for an allergic reaction to a prescription medicine. The bill was $11k and they ended up not doing anything except giving me a shot to counteract it. I paid them $50 a month for one year and stopped. I never heard from them again and they got a fair price for their services.

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291

The fact is that they are asking that amount of money that can put a family in bankruptcy when in other countries it would be for free. Gee!

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It’s not free. The difference in other countries is everyone else is forced to pay taxes to pay the bill for you. Just because you don’t personally get a bill doesn’t mean it’s free. That’s like going out to eat and someone picks up the check for the whole table. Dinner wasn’t free. Someone else paid for it.

294

A friend got bitten by a rattler ~1999. The anti-venom was $20k then. “Pharmacy” line item is $83k now. And I thought drugs get better or cheaper.

Oh, that statement is 2 years old, June 2015.
It is probably 100k for the pharmacy now.

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295

There are two people, maybe 3 on this topic that really are out of their league or their minds. They applaud each other, and they seem to not get the idea of a system insuring everybody without the consequences of going BK for the expenses incurred. Poor people, really, they must hate humanity.

At least one person Marcus, the “unbiased=republican in disguise” keeps drumming at the “it’s not free”. Nobody has said it is free. The reason “free” is used, it’s to illustrate the fact that under other real futuristic, realistic country, not a banana republic like the US is now, the laugh of the circus, you go to see the doctor or go to the hospital to have a surgery, you basically get all for free. Taxes and whatnot are funding such free healthcare. Gee! Do you think we don’t know how to read?

Oh, by the way, I am pro all America. Healthcare, free healthcare for all. Not the crappy, chitty, death panel the republicans are going to push down our throats.

For those smart enough, have you heard, read, seen any debate about Shitcare in congress? Of course not! The dumbsters are doing away with any compromise, any debate, they won’t let the CBO, or any congressmen to have a look at what they are enacting. And the idiots, cry babies, were complaining of Obamacare being passed down their throats even though they had a chance to read it, debate it, and vote against it.

We are in serious problem with this administration. Everything is done behind doors. Those executive orders are flying out of that desk, but Obama signed one too many, and played golf too much, oh, the irony is amazing. :joy::joy:

296

Do hospitals report unpaid bills to credit bureau? They could use credit reporting to force people to pay small to mid sized bills. But for really big bills, most patients are not able to pay at all

297

I quoted your post where you said it’s free. Now you say no one said it’s free.

Some states are trying to pass medicaid for all. Let them do it and see how well it works. If you think medicaid will be better than what you have, then move to one of those states.

298

To @Manch point earlier:

we are paying for it via ER care for the uninsured. that is not sustainable and inefficient. People need an adult conversation in this country. Medical care needs to be rationed, cost / benefit analysis needs to be done for treatments, and preventive care needs to be practiced

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299

But, one of the first incentives I liked, it was the one where they made people to be aware of what they eat. Such rule forced companies to state the amount of calories on what the products had well written on their packages. So people knew what they ate when they visited McDonald’s and the likes. At least, this principle was a good start to make people aware of what they just push down their throat.

Guess which party stopped that? The dumb party against science. The GOP.

300

I need to exercise more my poor English.

The reason “free” is used, it’s to illustrate the fact that under other real futuristic, realistic country, not a banana republic like the US is now, the laugh of the circus, you go to see the doctor or go to the hospital to have a surgery, you basically get all for free. Taxes and whatnot are funding such free healthcare. Gee!

Do you think we don’t know how to read?:scream: