Posted on 10/04/2016 11:50:00 PM PDT by Olog-hai
I am currently dealing with a serious medical problem that (thank God) my faith-based health cost sharing organization is covering at 100%. While setting up payment, I talked to the financial manager at the hospital, and she told me how lucky I was. She said, “The people I feel sorry for are the ones with the Obamacare policies.” She said they’re already dealing with serious health crises, and they think they’re covered, only to discover they have lousy policies with huge deductibles and co-pays that are going to leave them financially drained. She says she does all she can to help them, but there are limits to what she can do.
This is someone who deals with such things every day, as her profession. It’s a sobering reminder that having “insurance coverage” does NOT mean that you have real health care.
You guys don’t know the half of it, believe me.
(I am going to make this quick because I have to go to bed.)
I am a reservation agent for taxi companies from LA to Washington DC, north to Minneapolis and south to West Palm Beach.
Evidently there is a law someplace (no time to look it up now) that requires 3rd party payment for transportation to treatment if the patient cannot afford it. These are nearly always Medicaid patients. This might seem kind, until you realize that a huge majority of these trips are for dialysis. These people go multiple times each week (2 trips each) and it is not unusual for me to see trips that cost $ 30 each way. That means $ 60 per day. The bulk of these trips I run into are in California (maybe it is a state law there, I don’t know).
For other people, if the patient cannot get home on their own, the hospital has to provide transportation, usually thru a voucher out of their own funds. Again, there is often to limit to this. I once had someone so far from home, that the fare was north of $ 125.
And in case you’re wondering, the ONLY medical facility that appears to not offer any kind of transportation help for patients at all is...wait for it....the VA.
(Maybe some of them do, but in nearly 3 years, 35,000 calls a year, I have yet to run into one case of the VA doing this.)
Improve by steamrolling it into the ground. All he did was raise the cost of healthcare insurance to extremely unaffordable levels.
Crash the system quicker.
The liberals in Minnesota are drowning in their Obamacare/Minncare pool.
Medicare, as well. They lose money on it.
Second, having been shut out of the healthcare discussion from the beginning, what makes you think that anything the Republicans proposed or put forward while Obama was in office would've been considered? Nothing.
The best they could've done was to repeal and offer some kind of "replacement" ideas. There have been some outlines available in a number of places...outlines that discuss some "ideas" about how to offer healthcare to more people using more free-market concepts.
I think allowing Obamacare to whither on the vine, so to speak--has actually been the correct way to demonstrate its failure. Shoring it up by throwing money at various holes would've only prolonged the failure. Hopefully, a President Trump will be able to more easily come in and say, "this legislation has been a failure," and the majority will agree. They will welcome new plans and more importantly, "killing" Obamacare will not cause major grief for the great majority of people in this country.
What would YOU have done?
Undocumented’s and other career freeloaders use the ER as their family doctor.
In many cases, gov’t. assistance is ALREADY available to them . They are either TOO lazy or TOO stupid to apply for it.
Consequently … the hospital can’t collect on the charges so the accounts go over to collection agencies… who DO make application for fed assistance to pay for med attention that was given to these losers. Of course the hospital gets only pennies on the dollar in payment for the delinquent charges.
So:
• Taxpayers pay a premium for their OWN health plans (increasing all the time)
• Taxpayers pay a deductible on their policies, when they make a claim
• Taxpayers pay for ‘office visits’ up front every time they see a doctor
• Taxpayers are continually stiffed by the fed with more and higher taxes, so losers who won’t work and other career freeloaders can have FREE health care
• Hospitals make up their loss on delinquent accounts, by padding the bill for all patients who DO have insurance…..
Mr. Taxpayer just paid F I V E times, and doctor has not touched him yet!!!!!
AND...we still have these f’n Liberal morons running for office by promising their supporters to wring MORE money out of American taxpayers… who are those greedy, rich and uncaring Conservatives.
Is anyone else angry about this as I am!?
But, but, but ...they PROMISED!!!!!
They really didn't try very hard on a replacement. They spent all their time passing repeal votes that they knew would go nowhere.
The best they could've done was to repeal and offer some kind of "replacement" ideas. There have been some outlines available in a number of places...outlines that discuss some "ideas" about how to offer healthcare to more people using more free-market concepts.
None of which would work any better than Obamacare has.
I think allowing Obamacare to whither on the vine, so to speak--has actually been the correct way to demonstrate its failure. Shoring it up by throwing money at various holes would've only prolonged the failure. Hopefully, a President Trump will be able to more easily come in and say, "this legislation has been a failure," and the majority will agree. They will welcome new plans and more importantly, "killing" Obamacare will not cause major grief for the great majority of people in this country.
Killing Obamacare will cause grief for some. Not replacing it will cause grief for others. But trying yet another unworkable solution will cause the most grief to the greatest number of people.
FUBO, ROFLOL
Medicare is priced fixed, it’s broke, $60 Billion in yearly fraud, doctors are starting to refuse new Medicare Patients. Procedures, lab test, bone density and prostate test are now 2 yrs apart. Gastro says I need a upper GI every year for Barrett’s Esophagus (NEXIUM CAUSED) but Medicare only covers every 2 years. Same goes for Bone Density, it needs to be yearly to gauge if meds are working. Trouble is most don’t, they are all FDA Flagged OP DRUGS Kidney failure deaths, A Fib, Jaw Degeneration and A Typical Femur Fractures or Forteo Black Boxed for Bone Cancer on top of the other FDA Flags.
Pain MEDS are now highly restricted so granny can’t even have pain control DUMBO said would be better than treatment of some diseases. Many diseases don’t have treatments, just pain control.
They did nothing but let Obama skate
Funny, these FRs that are bashing you MUST have forgotten that. Short memories. That is why these GOPers keep getting elected
WWWWWHHHHAT??? Nothing to fix and yet it is a dysfunctional mess
We are talking about ObamaCare here. So you are happy with it and nothing to fix? Yeah right.
And yes we can blame the Republicans because they were given the House and then the Senate saying they were going to do something about Obamacare or have you forgotten.
You are right about that.. the Republican party left me after the Patriot act. Now, it’s simply not a party I can even relate to. Big Govt expanders and exemptocrats.
Thank GOD he’s a lame duck. My big fear is Corker running for Governor he’s even worse than Halsam. Tenncare has been a failure from the start, it was the forerunner of Romneycare. How many times has it been down sized now as it has become to expensive for TN to handle. No one addresses the FRAUD.
They want an excuse to install a State Income Tax. They tried that, we rebelled. Taxquist had his jack booted thugs blocking the entrance to the Capitol bldg and accused peaceful protestors of violence. I was there, there was no violence unless you call a lot of shouting, horn honking and sign waving violence.
Ramsey is not going to run. Wish Sen Mark Norris would as he is leading the fight against these unwanted refugees.
I get a choice of Kustoff as my next US Rep. Not to happy with that. And if Corker runs and wins, Kustoff will go for Corker’s seat, is how I see it play out. Lamar has already been governor no where for him to go but private business or a cabinet post.
Out of Townhall today
Fail: ‘Ailing’ Obamacare May Not Survive, Says...the New York Times
Bill Clinton: Obamacare Is ‘The Craziest Thing In The World’
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2016/10/04/bill-clinton-obamacare-is-the-craziest-thing-in-the-world-n2227868?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm&newsletterad=
Ditto goes for new Medicare patients. GYN’s no longer want women that age, no profit in a once a year visit.
Signs up in specialist offices, No New Medicare Patients are going up. Low reimbursement and slow pay is a big factor along with the fixed prices. Quality of care is going down. What few docs that take it are over booked and take months to get into. Many docs retired rather than practice under DUMBOCARE.
They would have to crush state rights to implement this scheme, the fix is in for the Supreme Court.
Medicaid is a Federally funded state administered plan.
And the Republicans could've proposed the best plan, the best legislation in the history of all legislative bodies...one that provides healthcare for everyone, with minimal costs, and Obama would've vetoed it. Guaranteed.
Your comment that "none of [the Republican ideas] would work better than Obamacare..." is speculation, at best. Work better at what, providing healthcare? Allowing people to claim that they're "insured?" Driving the country more deeply into debt?
At least Republican's could claim their proposals would be less costly, and far less likely to ruin the US healthcare system.
I asked before, how would you fix this? What's your plan? You're big on doubt and cynicism, but not big on alternatives. Are you here to offer constructive ideas, or are you just here trolling?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.