The thing that scares me the most though isn't the money part. Yea.. that'll suck. But, it's the quality of care. The ease of getting an appointment and actually seeing a doctor. It's knowing that I will only have to wait a few days for a non-emergency but can get in the same day for an emergency. I currently can get a 2nd opinion within days, sometime the next day, even as a new patient.
It saddens me that people can not see the reality of throwing everyone into this mandatory system. Things won't get better... they'll get worse. Shortage of doctors. Shortage of nurses. Long waits for appointments. Long waits to get into the appointment once you are sitting in the waiting room. And then, a 2 minute appointment revolving door meeting where the doctor doesn't have time to really evaluate your situation. They won't have time to get to know you - build a relationship. All because they have 100 people sitting in their waiting room desperate to see them for whatever reason.
There must be another solution to the problem of people not being able to get health insurance. I wish I knew what that was. But for now, I want to be selfish and say I'm sorry.. it's not my problem. It never has been. I've always made getting and keeping insurance a priority. Even with pre-existing conditions. I've taken care of myself with exercising and eating right.
4 comments:
In Canada, healthcare administration costs are 1% of the total costs. In the US administration costs are 51% of the total healthcare costs. Running insurance companies as a for-profit entity is part of the broken system. CEO's do no deserve inflated salaries for denying people insurance claims. I have free healthcare. The care of my doctor has not declined at all. I do not receive sub-par care in any way shape for form. Yes, 50% of Canadians think our system could be better; however, 99% of Canadians would never want a US-based healthcare system.
I'm went to a doctor in Germany, where they have socialized medicine. I didn't pay a dime to see a doctor who isn't my doctor and only waited 45 minutes at a walk-in clinic.
Maybe it's because I'm Canadian and I've always grown up with socialized medicine (okay, for a while I had to pay $44/month for basic health care, plus my benefits) but I really see nothing wrong with offering basic care to people who deserve it. I think it's pretty backwards that in a lot of areas the number one forecloser on people's homes is the hospital.
What's your source on these percentages? You get that it's premiums that will cost us, not necessarily just admin costs?
And I'm seeing someone who has to wait weeks, sometimes months to get into a doctor for something that could be damaged for the rest of her life. She's NOT getting the treatment she needs. Her doctors DON'T seem to care and keep giving her the run around. Some reason she thinks this is ok. It's not. She thinks that it has nothing to do with ya'lls system. It does. Shortage of doctors. She said it herself. THAT will happen here.
Basic care IS available. ERs do not refuse to see people. We, the taxpayers, pay for that. Now, we will be forced to pay even more because even if you don't go to the doctor, costs will still be incurred, via premiums.
Medical bills don't go on your credit if you set up a plan. So, I don't believe that for a second. If they went into foreclosure because of medical bills - it's their fault for not making arrangements with the hospital/doctor. They can't send you to collections if you are paying something. It doesn't have to be a lot. I was an unpaid intern and had a bunch of medical bills from an illness that stretched on for quite a while. I paid $5 a month until it was paid off, which took years.
In America, we have capitalism, not socialism. CEOs can pay themselves whatever they want. Their companies earned the money. They don't owe anyone anything. It doesn't have anything to do with denying insurance claims. Insurance companies deny claims - not CEOs. So, I'm confused on that statement.
Okay, my US percentage was skewed, but it's 1.3% in Canada. Keep in mind this is a relatively old publication, but I doubt that any earth shattering changes have been made since it was published: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa022033#t=articleResults
Plus, your premium is paying the salary of the CEO at the insurance company. If the insurance company has choice a) pay $20,000 for your procedure and cut their profits or b) deny your $20,000 procedure and keep their profit margin or target for the fiscal year or quarter, obviously option b is more attractive. Plus, most CEO's receive a bonus based upon the profitability (among other things) of the company. So, yes, indirectly the CEO is making money by denying your claim.
(And, a more updated comparison: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_and_American_health_care_systems_compared )
Regarding admin costs, yes, your premiums do go do admin costs. How else would the insurance company make money?
Sure, basic care is available, but at what cost? Why should someone have to leave the ER with any kind of bill? That right there just baffles me.
The main reason Canada has a shortage of doctors is because it's more attractive to work in the US. US doctors see patients and receive kickbacks from drug companies for prescribing xxx drug to a patient. This doesn't happen in Canada. We have stricter rules. However, a GP in Canada still makes a six-figure salary. I've never had an issue getting basic care in a city. Basic care in a small town can be different, but I know many, many people how live/d in small towns and never had an issue receiving adequate care. Just because one person has had a bad experience does not equal a bad experience for all.
We may just have to agree to disagree on this point though. From a fundamental standpoint, I believe that every person has a right to see a doctor and should not worry about losing a home if they wind up with cancer.
Yep... I agree... to disagree.
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