Health insurance.

[tommays]

Re: Health insurance.

my coworkers daughter just finished dental school it only cost around 500,000 dollars <br /><br />she should be payed off in time to retire .<br /><br />the only high end thing i really treat my self to is a FULL BLUE CROSS plan at work VS one one of the HMO plans they offer<br /><br />my kick in is now up to 197.50 a WEEK (10,750 a year) dam i could own a fine boat for that much money <br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Health insurance.

Originally posted by rolmops:<br /> Many people choose to go to South Africa,Egypt or Israel.In each of these countries there are extremely good hospitals staffed by either American or British trained personel.The prices are about a third or less of what is paid here. You can go for treatment, take a 2 week cruise on a luxury liner and come back with money in your pocket.

It difinitly tells you where one should be living!! <br /><br />MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! HAPPY Hanukkah!!!!

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Health insurance.

A friend of mine is an ER Doc. has been for twenty years. NEVER had a claim filed on himself or any of the Hospitals he's worked at. His quarterly Malpractice premiums are in the range of $28,000.00. That’s $112,000.00 a year!! Or just over $53.00 an hour to cover the cost of ins.<br /><br /> By comparison tommays pays just over $5.00 an hour for his health Ins.

 

[crab bait]

Re: Health insurance.

we just got a 2 buc an hour raise.. it all went to health welfare package..<br /><br />our health care was in direstraights.. <br /><br />when we get a raise we vote on where it goes.. there is 3 basic places the money could vote to go.. in pocket,in retirement, in health care.. an can be split up.. alittle in each..<br /><br />it all went to health care..<br /><br />for every hour worked,, 8 bucs goes to the health package..every overtime hour worked,, 12 bucs.. <br /><br />was 6 bucs before the raise..<br /><br />think that's high.. local 351 south jersey pays 13 dollars an hour.. an that was 2 years ago.. probably more now..

 

[tommays]

Re: Health insurance.

i have to say looking at it from the 5 dollar and hour standpoint makes it seem like a much better deal <br /><br /> and if i divide it buy the 4 people it covers its only 1.25 and hour <br /><br />now if they covered the good drugs and not the brand X it would probley be 300 a week <br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[txswinner]

Re: Health insurance.

JB, You remarks on cost are exactly those health care and insurance would like for us to believe. I also have insight on Health care. I am married to a wonderful nurse. She was transferred 2years ago (at a sizable raise) out of caring into auditing insurance charts for a large charity hospital.<br /><br />JB, Insurance companies only pay a very small amount of the bills. Yes along the line of medicare payments. EX: Recent audit was about $40,000 paid less than $6,000 by insurance co. This is the norm not the exception.<br /><br />Workers Compensation carriers pay on the Medicare schedule. Yep private companies get the payment schedule of Medicare. Why? It is PC to call it lobbying, I call it theft and fraud.<br /><br />Cost of medical school, not what we are lead to believe. Many government grants and during intern and residency students receive considerable stipends.<br /><br />I do not see myself as a socialist, and democracy is precious to me, but greed is rapidly driving the medical profession to no other choice but government control.<br /><br />The biggest growth of uninsured in our country is no longer the lower incomes (they have had no coverage for years) but those earning between $75,000 and $150,000. Scary huh.

 

[JB]

Re: Health insurance.

Well, I respect our opinions, txs, but. . . .<br /><br />Daughter#1 has been an NICU nurse for 26 years. Recently completed grad school and has become a practitioner. Her partner has been a respiratory therapist, then a RN for 28 years.<br /><br />Daughter #2 has been a Physical Therapist for 20 years and run two clinics. Her husband has been a nurse/USN corpsman and CRNA for 35 years.<br /><br />Daughter #3 has been a RN (ER and Geriatrics) for 19 years. Her husband has been a RN, then CRNA for the same 19 years.<br /><br />Former wife was a PTA for 20 years before she retired.<br /><br />I have been a patient for major problems as a group-insured, uninsured and medicare+medigap patient.<br /><br />I feel pretty confident in my experience and the input of the family to see many angles of the relationships among the professionals, insurance companies, government and the public.<br /><br />Everybody has at least one finger to point at the others as bad guys conspiring to get rich or get something for nothing at the finger pointer's expense.<br /><br />They are probably all right, and all wrong.<br /><br />One question only we old folks ask, and it is one the everyone should ask, is: <br /><br />Is it morally right to try to keep everyone alive, barring no expense, until we are all destitute, drooling, brain dead shadows sitting in the corner, waiting anxiously for God to finally over-rule the establishment and sometimes even our children?

 

[rolmops]

Re: Health insurance.

Jb,you just stated the reason why I still have my 38 special

 

[txswinner]

Re: Health insurance.

Now you done it Rol, euthanasia is supported as a personal right by left wing liberals. Right supports law opposing death by choice. You are a trouble maker. I have a .38 with a dum dum for my choice of beating the system.<br /><br />This remark was made in jest for the Christmas season and is not meant in any way to discredit the scumbagger spying on me by direction of the president.

 

[txswinner]

Re: Health insurance.

JB, I could not handle the RN work as it takes a true angel.<br /><br />As to the who is making the killing or greed issue, go to the nicest neighbors in your area (not just at the hideout) and see who lives there and then go to the Mercedes dealership and see who is buying, you get the point. I am not worried about the welfare of those with the two initials.

 

[JB]

Re: Health insurance.

Sorry, txs. <br /><br />I don't get the point at all, unless it is more of the "rich is evil" stuff that a few here are so fond of trumpeting.<br /><br />I am not proposing euthanasia or suicide, guys. I am asking if it is moral to just allow someone to die with dignity when their time is up, rather than draining their resources as well as insurance and/or medicare to satisfy the ethic that says we must keep them alive.<br /><br />Personally, I want the choice to refuse treatment when I am finished with life. I feel it is immoral to keep me alive against my will. If I am in pain, give me morphine. What am I gonna do, become an addict?

 

[rolmops]

Re: Health insurance.

For me it is a bit different.<br />Under no circumstance do I want to ruin my children,because I am becoming a drooling idiot.I love them too much to impose that upon them.Besides,I must admit that I am curious about that great void.

 

[txswinner]

Re: Health insurance.

rolmops, Go to a church tomorrow eve, sit back and listen to the children's voice, hear the joy that is being sung, listen to the baby's cry and I hope it will get you started on your curiousity trip to that great void. Hey Have a Merry Christmas and may you and your have the most happy New Year.<br /><br />JB, You too, kidding of course I wish you and yours only the Merriest of Christmas' and Happy New Year. God bless us all.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Health insurance.

Thanks for the idea,Txwinner.<br />I'll ask my rabbi what he thinks about your suggestion.<br />Have a merry christmas and a blessed new year.

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Health insurance.

Gettimg back to the cost of health care. Anyone here in the medical field, or know someone who is, and wishes to take a good open look at the world I have a few questions.<br />How much are you paying a month in student loans?<br /><br />How much do you pay a month in liability insurance? (that is thanks to the me attitude of lawsuits)<br /><br />How much do you pay a year in continuing education?<br /><br />How much do you pay your support staff? Billing staff? Janitorial staff? Receptionists? Nurses? Or for those working outside of their own offices how much of that hourly rate does the hospital or clinic take? <br /><br />How much do they pay for disposal of hazardous materials produced from their office?<br /><br />I agree that they get paid a lot of money, but think of this... high stress, high education, high liability....and they save lives? Maybe they should get paid more?<br /><br />Maybe this is not an example of The Man or The Establishment out to get us.<br /><br />Early in our marriage we had it good. For a short time we were making good money, had a very nice home, building a small business. Then my wife got sick and needed surgery. Hospital bills, doctor bills, clinic bills, radiology bills, they added up fast. No insurance, no government bennefits, and soon no money. This almost ruined us, we are still fighting out of that hole 14 years later. But I still have my wife and best friend by my side, so if they want more from me I will gladly give it. Expensive yes but a very low price to pay for my wifes life.

 

[demsvmejm]

Re: Health insurance.

DD that's a tough post to follow.<br /><br />JB, I take great exception to the assertion that malpractice litigation and malpractice insurance are justifiable expenses in the support of health-care costs. My brother was injured in a car accident. He was given a 95% chance of improvement with neck surgery. That was 7 years ago. Today he can barely transfer from his laz-boy to his wheelchair. He started having problems immediately after surgery. The surgeon (who is a hack and is known for it in the local medical community) refused to treat him further unless he was guaranteed payment. My brother served in the Army so he has enjoyed VA medical benefits. The VA hospital definitively diagnosed that the spinal cord was nicked during surgery. Either by the hack, or by a bone fragment that was not suctioned fast enough. My brother sought to sue for malpractice, but was told that the 1-year statute was expired. The hack got away with butchery because he refused to do anything, my brother’s auto insurance refused to pay for further treatment because the symptoms were not related to the car accident and the VA is so over-burdened that they couldn't treat him in time. The medical community protects their own ferociously. If they had integrity (and I'm not saying none of them do) and reported the hacks and quacks then maybe malpractice suits would drop. The system needs overhauling, but limiting awards is not the way. It will only hurt those who truly deserve compensation. <br />BTW, this same surgeon who operated on my brother was reported to the local hospital by a nurse when he refused to come in on call to treat an "open head wound" patient with brain matter exposed until half-time of the football game he was watching. He was an alumnus of one of the college teams playing in that game. The nurse was forced to leave the hospital and seek work elsewhere. She ended up having to travel over 60 miles one way to work in a hospital not affiliated with the local one. And the hack wasn't reprimanded at all.<br /><br />As for the stipends paid to the med-students, my wife’s best friend out of high school went to med school. During her residency(?) she was paid $3000.00 a month, in 1999. She was a student and she got paid that well? So much for the cost of med school.<br />And JB, I didn't take txs' comment to be rich=evil. I think what he meant was who are you going to see at the M-B dealership? More likely to be the doctor, the poor doctor.<br />Tommays, $500,000? Sounds slightly exaggerated. That included room and board too, right. No way it couldn't, but it's not fair to include it as she would have paid to eat and sleep even if she worked and WallyWorld.

 

[JB]

Re: Health insurance.

A sad tale, David, but you are reading things into my post that are not there. I made no good-guy/bad-guy assertions at all. I simply stated facts. <br /><br />Yes, health care professionals usually make a lot of money. Spend a few days with one (after they have done 7 years in school and more years in internship and residency) and you wont begrudge it to them, assuming you survive it. You will probably decide that they don't make enough money. <br /><br />If txs' point was that MDs often drive Mercedes it is no point at all. Around here they mostly drive SUVs and pickups. <br /><br />My point was to list just a few of the places the cost of health care goes besides into the pockets of the providers.<br /><br />Daughter #1's grad school was financed out of her own pocket and the pockets of the MDs she has worked with in NICU for 26 years. They wanted her to go to Med School so they could have her as a full colleague, but she declined and went to Nursing grad school instead. She got no stipend; she worked full time and went to school full time for 4 years. She declined Med School because she doesn't want to die young from overwork, over stress and trying to meet the public's expectation to be more perfect than God.<br /><br />I will pass no judgement on the neurosurgeon you talk about, having heard only the case for the plaintiff.

 

[Manipulator]

Re: Health insurance.

Doctors have tremendous overhead and have to charge lots of money to cover expenses. The insurance reimbursement is horrible for most of us. So the doctor charges 5K for eye surgery, he’s probably got paid maybe 2K after the insurance got done chopping his bill. After he pays his lease on his high-tech equipment, malpractice, building lease, office staff etc. he’s probably lucking to collect a few hundred bucks for his services. Do you ever look at your EOB’s (explanation of benefits) when you get them back? What the doctor charges and what he collects are two different things. Before managed care doctors made great money but nowadays things have changed. Now doctors have to see twice the patient load, which means more paperwork and longer hours in order to make what they use to. I live in a county that is the second litigious county in the United States. We have lost many doctors to the rising cost of malpractice insurance. I for one pay 3X more because I practice in this county. In my opinion it’s the insurance companies who are making all the money. Malpractice suits have declined over the years in my area yet insurance malpractice premiums continue to skyrocket. As far as higher deductibles, higher copays and higher premiums, it’s something that is here to stay. People will be paying more out of pocket and insurance companies will continue to make huge profits at our expense. I worked with an orthopedic surgeon for a few years. He came to the Midwest from California. Out there HMO’s have took over and he was lucky to make fifty cents on the dollar. Long story short, he moved back to California and no longer practices orthopedics. Now he is doing botox injections (all cash) and making a lot more money than he did as an orthopedist. That’s a shame as he is a very talented surgeon. Many doctors are starting to drop out of managed care plans and are starting to charge cash for services. They can charge less for services, as they don’t have hire more staff to deal with billing and collecting from insurance companies. With time I believe we will are going to see more and more of this. I read an article not too long ago about a medical group in New York that had done away with insurance and now sell year care plans. You pay one fee and have medical coverage through them year round.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Health insurance.

Too many hands in the pie!!! Doesn't take a neurosurgeon to figure it out!

 

[demsvmejm]

Re: Health insurance.

Originally posted by Boomyal:<br /> Too many hands in the pie!!! Doesn't take a neurosurgeon to figure it out!

For once we agree.....