E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Courtesy of Jay Bernard
Catherine Howard Lovazzano didn't realize she had stripped-down medical insurance until she got breast cancer at age 31. She still owes $10,000 in medical debt.
Eight years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the unusually young age of 31, Catherine Lovazzano is down to her last $10,000 of debt. “I am really looking forward to paying this off, now that I have a job with great health insurance again,” says Lovazzano, now 39 and working for Chrysler in San Francisco.
Lovazzano is part of the 26 percent of U.S. women who had trouble paying medical bills in the United States in 2009-2010, according to a report released by the non-profit Commonwealth Fund on Friday. That’s double the rate of women anywhere else surveyed -- the rate's 13 percent in Australia and just 4 percent of German women report trouble paying medical bills. But Commonwealth, which advocates for health reform, says the 2010 health reform law will slash these numbers when it starts to take full effect in 2014.
Lovazzano, like many young adult Americans, took out a no-frills health insurance plan when she left a paid job to become a freelance film producer nine years ago. She called her former employer’s insurer to continue coverage after her insurance ran out under COBRA – the law that requires employers to offer coverage to employees for a few months after they leave work. The insurer, Lovazzano said, told her she was young and healthy and needed only coverage for catastrophic events. “They basically sold me junk coverage,” Lovazzano said in a telephone interview.
Catastrophe did strike, in the form of breast cancer. But Lovazzano found out she wasn’t even close to being fully covered. “When I went into surgery they said, ‘You need to write us a check for $1,000 right now’ and I said ‘I don’t have $1,000.' I knew I was in trouble.”
Lovazzano estimates she racked up $200,000 in bills and she was on the hook for about $70,000 of it. It didn’t even occur to her to declare bankruptcy, to negotiate with the hospital and her doctors, or to simply walk away from the debt. “That’s not my style,” she said. “I come from a middle-class family. I have never been part of any welfare system.”
What’s ironic, Lovazzano says, is that had she been unemployed she would have been fully covered for her care by Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. Come 2014, if the health care law is not repealed as promised by Republican politicians, health insurance companies will no longer be allowed to sell stripped-down policies like the one Lovazzano got.
“Women, particularly those in their childbearing years, are uniquely at risk for being unable to afford the care they need, having trouble with medical bills, and having high out-of-pocket costs,” said Commonwealth Fund vice president Sara Collins.
The group focussed its report on women and did not look at medical debt among men because women are uniquely at risk, it says. Insurers charge women more than they charge men of the same age and health for the same policies, says Ruth Robertson, who wrote the report for Commonwealth. “We know that women use more health services than men. They also have lower incomes than men,” she told reporters. “Thirty-five million women were either uninsured or underinsured in 2009-2010 and the situation has been getting worse in the past decade.”
Commonwealth researchers compared the medical debt of U.S. women to women in 10 other countries -- Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Britain. They also used data on thousands of U.S. women from three surveys to show that U.S. women uniquely lack insurance coverage and face high medical bills compared to women in these other countries, which all offer universal health insurance and varying levels of privately funded care.
“The analysis finds that 18.7 million U.S women went without insurance in 2010, and a further 16.7 million were underinsured; that is, they had insurance but were at risk of high out-of-pocket costs relative to their income. Uninsured rates varied across the country. They were highest in the southern and western states; in Texas 30 percent of women were uninsured in 2009–10, compared with 5 percent in Massachusetts,” the report reads.
Other findings in the report:
- Twenty percent of U.S. women (18.7 million) ages 19-64 were uninsured in 2010, up from 15 percent (12.8 million) in 2000
- About 39 percent of women in the U.S. spent $1,000 or more on out-of-pocket medical costs over 2009-2010, compared to 24 percent in in Switzerland, 1 percent in Sweden, and none in Britain
- Twenty-six percent of women in the U.S. had medical bill problems, compared to 13 percent in Australia, 12 percent in France, and 4 percent in Germany
Last November, the same Commonwealth team reported that the number of underinsured U.S. adults rose by 80 percent between 2003 and 2010, from 16 million to 29 million. In 2009, a team at Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and Ohio University reported that medical bills caused 60 percent of personal bankruptcies in the United States, for men and women alike.
Lovazzano worries about her future, even with health reform. “I am branded,” she said. Currently, health insurance companies could cap her lifetime coverage or limit what they pay. “As a cancer survivor, that is always going to be a concern,” she said.
Lovazzano did get a taste of what health care looks like in one of the 10 other countries the Commonwealth Fund is always comparing the U.S. to. “I did end up going to grad school in England and they paid for all of my prescriptions through the National Health Service,” she said. “Even though I wasn’t a citizen, I was treated better than I was in my own country.”
More from Vitals:
Leave a Comment:
The rethugs better think twice about repealing the Affordable Care Act. The people (peasants) are getting restless and will not take much more of this crap.
When Big Government subsidizes a product or services, the price of those product and services goes up while the quality goes down.
1) Fannie/Freddie/FHA caused home prices to skyrocket, creating unaffordable housing, then a bubble crash
2) Guarantee student loan caused tuition to skyrocket, creating a class of debtors who are not even in the job market
3) Food stamp, welfare, unemployment benefit created the Leisure Social Class subsisting on taxpayer funded program
4) Big Government's mandated medical insurance will cause health cost to skyrocket, leading to wage and price control by the even Bigger Government that micro-manage the market.
Wow, so it was all the home buyers who caused the housing bubble and not sub-prime loans, predatory lending, lack of regulation credit default swaps, and good ole GREED after all.
Yes, it was home buyers. Have the common sense to take on a mortgage you can't afford instead of doing it just because you can get approved for it.
MSNBC puff piece for Obama Care.
I'll bet the percents and numbers were about the same for men as well. I'm not saying we don't need Obama Care, I actually think it's a very good thing and may put BHO up there with FDR, but don't insult our negligence by writing Democratic talking points.
BTW, Maggie Fox writes for the Huff Post, enough said.
After reading most the comments below, just amazing how many want to blame just one party, just one potus, etc etc.
When public servants are nearly the only ones getting good coverage, there is going to be a problem.
And, if you think we have a healthcare issue now, just wait nother 10-20 years. So very many boomers have lost their savings, homes, 401s. We're going to have a HUGE mess.
Locally, small town of only 5,500, we taxpayers pay over $2,600 a month, for each employee(114 of them) for their healthcare. Holey cow. Not to mention, we generally pay their co-pay also. Sweet huh.
Well Wall street here it is: If enough people die because they do not have any way to pay to live, those services will go down in price eventually. But with your money and attitude, I would suggest that you go down to the I-5 in San Diego and get off at the Federal Subsidized special exits provided for Daryl Issa's medical complex.....With your money you can get the best care in the world on almost no notice. Yep....Money talks and poor folks die. And if you think that the poor bugger who cannot get or hold a job for reasons like health, age, mental condition is living a leisure life under the overpasses of our highways....Yep, he is living high on the hog at 200 dollars a month. Say....give me your money....I will give you the 200 dollars....lets see you live the life of leasure. Darn if the Neo Cons who pay you to comment and give you the star do not not know better than to hire a mental midget like yourself. We need to tax these war, tax, and service dodgers who pay you....For sure there is a much better use from these "job creators" than to create lie factories with fools like yourself.
I changed "negligence" twice to be "intelligence"
Re-write:
MSNBC puff piece for Obama Care.
I'll bet the percents and numbers were about the same for men as well. I'm not saying we don't need Obama Care, I actually think it's a very good thing and may put BHO up there with FDR, but don't insult our intelligence by writing Democratic talking points.
BTW, Maggie Fox writes for the Huff Post, enough said.
C'mon ladies! Time to send a message this election that you're not going to be taken back to the fifties by the GOP and Romney.
Unite and organize to ensure the GOP gets voted out, and Romney never gets in!
If you think the Federal Government is going to run healthcare efficiently, you are delusional. Since Obamacare has been passed, health insurancwe rates have been skyrocketing. There are policies available that this woman could have used to prevent this. First, get a plan from an established carrier (Blue Cross Blue Sheild, United Health Care) with a high deductible ($5,000 for ex.) Then, get indemnity policies. they pay the policyholder directly, so you can use that money for whatever you need, medical bills, groceries, rent, etc. Some pay a lump sum, others for ongoing treatment. Carriers include Colonial AFLAC, Met Life, and others. You own those policies, and they are affordable.
There is always a solution in the marketplace. When the Govt. takes over, your options are few, if any.
The Federal Government is not running it, but republicans either don't get it. You are taking responsibility for yourself by BUYING YOUR OWN INSURANCE....the law is so that people who can afford it, buy it. The law DOES not tell you which insurance company to buy from, so all this talk about less competition is not true. Also, there is a program that's been working for years that the government runs, its call Medicare!
Excellent article. Overall, the media has done a very poor job of explaining the Affordable Care Act, or even reporting on the misinformation put out by opponents. We all know who I am talking about.
That's right, she should have used her crystal ball to see into the future that she would, against the odds, develop a catastrophic illness at a young age. How irresponsible of her to buy the wrong plan without consulting the stars. So there you have it, the inexperienced, naive and unintelligent people must be penalized!
Seems to me this lady got medical care and her life was saved and all she has to do is pay off the bill. What's the problem? What's your life worth?
The larger statistic is that about 63% of all bankruptcies are caused by unanticipated medical bills. Of those declaring bankruptcy, about 40% of them, like the girl in the article, had health insurance. This illustrates why the United States is 42nd in health care, down from 37th just four years ago.
Something people do not like to talk about is the fraudulent insurance business which is donating millions to the GOP in the hopes of getting AHCA repealed. Companies like AFLAC are responsible for a huge amount of the donations and will most likely go out of business if AHCA is repealed. And AFLAC is a pretty sordid story.
AFLAC is headquartered in Georgia. It came into existence the day laws in Georgia allowed scam health insurance to be sold there. But AFLAC had a problem --- it was illegal to be sold in 49 states and was only legal in Georgia as long as "friendly" (read as bribed) politicians were in power. So what did was a masterstroke of GOP politics and has been the model for such subsequent activities as anti-abortion legislative campaigns. They looked to see what country had the weakest consumer regulation and especially the country with the weakest insurance regulation. And they found it --- Japan!
This junk catastrophic insurance had never been sold in Japan and was still completely legal. AFLAC borrowed hugely and advertised massively in Japan and sold a lot of insurance policies. Then they used the profits to start campaigning in Alabama to make it legal there. AFLAC "legislative consultants" were actually paid by the Alabama taxpayer to write the legislation. Then they continued this approach until finally AFLAC insurance was legal in all fifty states. This one-state-at-a-time has become quite a GOP meme.
Does it have to happen to one of YOUR loved ones (or you) for you to understand why medical debt is a huge cause of personal bankruptcies? I have good insurance right now and have to undergo treatments daily for the first month, then it goes down little by little over the next year. Every day I will have to pay my $30 copay and if I see the doctor that day I add another $30. How would you like to pay an extra $1000/month for the next year to stay alive? God, I get SO sick of people who don't even try to understand our healthcare problems. For godssake get educated. No other industrialized country in the world has these problems, AND they pay half of our 18% GDP in costs.
A very sexist article. Not one word about mens health. Various types of cancer is in both sexes.
goodforgoodnesssake are you advocating the intelligent be penalized instead? Why? If there is be a problem with insurance policies and providers, wouldn`t it be better to reform them instead of saddling the tax payer with the bill? No I guess not, that would mean too much logic to both Liberals & GOP.
WallStFatCat says:
You ever hear of corn, wheat and other farm subsidies? Quality of the products is good...we have fed the world and costs have been controled.
As far as healthcare goes, there a little government program already in place...it's called Medicare and those that are on it will tell you that the program is great. BTY Medicare insists on quality care in hospitals, else the hospital payments are reduced. No non-government insurance does that. Finally, the Affordable Care Act reforms insurance and as I have noted above insurance does not control the quality of healthcare. In fact, often times commercial insurers inhibit the delivery of quality care by refusing coverage of key services.
No wonder they say the GOP has declared war on women. They are trying so hard to repeal the health care law, and they mostly do not support equal pay for equal work, and in both cases women suffer the most. Mitt never got back to us on whether he supports the Lily Ledbetter Act either. And now we find out from this article that women are charged more for their health insurance than men, while they are being paid less for the same work. Talk about being kept barefoot and pregnant..
I don't think anyone should be penalized - I think access to doctors should be affordable and available to all regardless of intelligence, wealth or favoritism.
Isn't that the system we have now? We all pay for those without. Under ACA the people will have to be more responsible for their own medical bills. Isn't that what the GOP said they wanted?
Personally I'd like to have seen a single payer plan go through as opposed to ACA - but at least it's a start.
"there is always a solution in the marketplace." Bull. Tell that to the hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps millions, who have been denied coverage or had to file for bankruptcy because of medical bills.
While the insurance company offered her a "Catastrophe" policy, was she FORCED to buy that policy? Was it the only one that she could get? Somehow I doubt it. Most companies want you to buy MORE insurance rather than a stripped down policy. I feel badly for her tough luck in getting breast cancer but you can't blame the insurance company for it. If she was intelligent enough to start her own business, she should have been intelligent enough to know what she was buying.
People are always ready to blame someone else for their bad choices. She bought a "No Frills" policy based on the fact that she was young and healthy and now complains that it doesn't cover all her bills when she get sick.
Remember that old adage. You get what you pay for.
WallStFatCat - that is such baloney. While those events did occur, logically one cannot conclude one caused the other. fail a logic class lately?
My reply to 'acharliehorse'-- "there is always a solution in the marketplace"--unless big business has bribed politicians to stack the deck! I believe in the free marketplace, but what we have today is a far cry to what our Founding Fathers envisioned.
Acharleyhorse -
I have had a policy with United Health Care for the last 6 years. My insurance rates did go up this year, a whole $7 per pay period. That works out to $182 per year. Hardly skyrocketing. Besides I'm more than happy to pay $7 more dollars so that my fellow americans don't have to choose between death and backrupcy. You should be ashamed to be so selfish.
Acharleyhorse
You refer to a $5,000 deductible . That is true for a hospital stay . People will have to pay that amount annually , or more , as they may find them self in the hospital from year to year .
But what is even more upsetting , is the annual deductible , for services beyond a doctors office visit .
Any testing ordered by the doctor . They want your annual deductible up front . Plus the co-pay .
For my wife and myself , that is $900.00 a year each . I've hear of people making less than I ,having much higher annual deductibles .
It is not hard to believe . People whom can't afford their annual deductibles just go home and die .
If you read this article and the comments . It's just a left wing brain washing . Trying to get people to vote for Obama . Spinning the Obama care , to look like it's the best thing they can have .
People need to go back and re-read this article and recognise the spin written in it .
Having insurance is better than not having insurance at all.
Republicans can criticize Obamacare all they want, but they have offered nothing to replace it with.
We can bet it won't cover 30 million like Obamacare does.
Lastly, I thought Republicans were the party of personal responsibility, yet they want to let those who don't want to pay for insurance off the hook, so the rest of us have to pay for them.
I have to seriously wonder if all you folks really think The affordable Health Care Act is really going to be the answers to all your prayers. It's going to be managed by the GOVERMENT. The same GOVERMENT that will not even use this Health Care. That is your FIRST RED FLAG. Understand this, if someone is gonna make you pay for something they won't even use, Uh-huh...I got some Ocean Front Property in Arizona, and if you'll buy that I'll throw in the Golden Gate for free. "Sheep, they loved to be sheered."
The actual proportion who give a medical reason for their bankruptcy filing is 31% not 63% like Chris quoted above. Still, 31% is a high amount.
The highest reason for filing bankruptcy is loss of job(s).
Sorry TommyLee but those in the congress will be subject to the same rules as everyone else: http://healthreform.kff.org/faq/will-congress-buy-their-health-insurance-in-new-exchanges.aspx
BTW the government is not going to manage anything. The government has mandated aspects of coverage that the insurer must provide and other rules that they must follow.
Obamacare Increases Costs of College Health Plans by as Much as 1,112%
At the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, the 2011-2012 school-year premium was $440 per student. Next year’s plan will cost between $1,300 and $1,600.
The more info that is released on this disaster, the more it becomes evident why Obama LIED about it being a tax. Good Grief!
www.forbes.com/sites/aroy/2012/06/05/obamac...
ObamaCare's Individual Mandate Will Raise, Not Lower Costs
Like so much of ObamaCare, the individual mandate does more harm than good. It’s a net loser – for American pocketbooks and the Constitution.
forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2012/04/30/...
It's not the answer to all our prayers , Single payer would have been closer and would have been an option if the party of no weren't a bunch of greedy racist self serving puppets.
Puppets = bastards in this case
Harley Chic, I attempted to follow the web links that you listed in support of your comments but they don't work.
I don't see why college costs would go up, they don't provide healthcare coverage and the students can now stay on their parents plan until they are 26.
Please repost the links.
Harley Chic, I attempted to follow the web links that you listed in support of your comments but they don't work.
I don't see why college costs would go up, they don't provide healthcare coverage and the students can now stay on their parents plan until they are 26.
Please repost the links.
I still do not understand why we don't just copy the system of the country that has the best health care. Oh wait, I forgot ... lobbyists for the insurance companies.
Improving health care isn't difficult if you have the backbone to stand up to the special interests.
where do you find this statistic, it's still medical reasons, job loss is still number two
This is from 2012 lawyers.com
1. Medical expenses.
As many as 62 percent of bankruptcies were caused by medical costs, according to a Harvard study.
2. Job loss
When the housing market crashed, many people employed in related sectors lost their jobs. Rose said he saw a surge in filings from construction workers and real estate industry employees. Those people are no longer filing for bankruptcy in such high numbers, Rose said. The labor market is improving, but unemployment in the U.S. still remains abnormally high. About 22 percent of bankruptcy filings are linked to a job loss.
3. Out-of-control spending
Some say shoppers who rack up huge credit card bills before heading to bankruptcy court are guilty of reckless spending and shouldn’t be able to wipe the slate clean, but Rose said he does not buy the frequent claim that irresponsible choices are at fault. More often, people with very tight budgets use plastic to pay for basics, like food, or to handle unexpected expenses, like car repair. When interest rates are high and incomes are low, the debt climbs fast. About 15 percent of bankruptcies fall into this category.
4. Divorce
Splitting up is spendy, and when former partners have to get by without each other’s financial support while paying legal fees, going from one household to two, and sometimes taking on other costs, it’s little wonder that divorce contributes to 8 percent of bankruptcy filings.
5. Unexpected disaster
It could be a hurricane, a death in the family or another nasty surprise – unexpected disasters underlie 7 percent of U.S. bankruptcies, and can especially cause problems for people with inadequate insurance.
The newer stats pretty much mirror the older 2007 stats sighted below.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, medical bills or medical bankruptcy is the number one cause of bankruptcy filings in the United States.
In their study, they cite that:
And here are the two MOST SHOCKING statistics they cite stating that MOST MEDICAL DEBTORS:
So, you think you’re smart, have a great job and are protected by medical insurance and immune from bankruptcy?
Statistics prove otherwise.
I have been waiting for this article! And those males who were not mentioned, should have been!
I retired as a hospice nurse, at the age of 65. Any money I had saved, in a 403b went down the drain, during the Wall Street debacle. I paid off my car and never had credit card debt. I wanted to refinance my home, to take advantage of the lower percentage rates. Too bad, the bank devalued my home, by twenty thousand because of the poor economy in Ohio and "joblessness." I pay 7% currently.
Then, I made the mistake of getting breast cancer. After a bilateral mastectomy, tests after tests; specialists, chemotherapy and radiation, I was able to amass eight thousand dollars in credit card debt!
My advice is, work until you drop dead. At least, you will not have the embarrassment, of being made to feel like, you are a "dead beat!" No pun intended. Over forty years of nursing and I feel shamed, for the debt I have accumulated.
Acharleyhorse you are full of it. My insurance premiums have gone up significantly every year but this year it only went up 4 dollars a month. A Friend who has had a heart attack (of which the insurance death panel insisted that he did not suffer) has had a premium decrease! OHHHHHHHH we can't have those poor insurance companies and their over paid CEOs spend 80 percent of the premiums they collect from the the people they are suppose to cover to go only to thier health care! Ohhhhh we can't give insurance to those with pre existing illnesses either. What a bunch of "Tal-i-ban-Repub-li-cans" whiners!
The penalty/tax will only be on those who can AFFORD INSURANCE BUT DO NOT HAVE IT. Why should I have to pay the medical bills of those who could afford insurance but do not carry it? Why should my premiums go up to cover the hospital costs of those who will not get insurance or pay thier medical bills when they skip on them? Why should they (those who do not carry insurance) hit me up in my property taxes for the county hospital?
Cry me a river.
mark taft's comment shows that he is a heartless piece of c***.
What's with all the censoring of posts ??? (collapse)
Just what more can women expect - breast cancer and insufficient EXPENSIVE "coverage". Religions and extremists dictating medical policy et al. And half the country hates ACA? Welcome to TUSA (TaliUnited States of America).
Suggestion to all women - withhold ALL wifely services and duties until WE ALL get fair and equal treatment.
And people wonder why the divorce rate is so high.
Fair and equal? Men was created in the glory of God women was created for men. We let you vote, drive and work which was a mistake. That's more than enough and you should be happy with it. Its a sin not to do your wifely duties.
Take our country back! Romney 2012!!!!
Take our country back to the dark ages!
Romney 2012!
FTFY.
To Rhazes: You must have been "hazed" in the past (if you even went to college) and resulted in your current brain damage with this idiotic post
Rhazes: Take your third leg, sit on it, and spin! You are one sick puppie!
Are you saying that all women should stop performing their duties until they get everything they want?
Don't children normally throw tantrums to get what they want too?
Isaiah 3:10-12 tells us that the signs of a decaying society will be that, "Children are your oppressors, and women will rule over you,"
Rhazes you were never hugged as a child were you?
Forgive us if we don't all have blind faith in a book that also says slavery is moral and women are lesser to men....
Leviticus 19:19 says "You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material."
What does that have to do with your quote? That the bible shouldn't be taken seriously.
Thank you for proving my point Some Guy. The words, "You shall keep My statutes," is a commandment that tells us its our duty to keep the physical and moral order of the world sacred. Letting women vote and rule over us is not how the world was intended to operate, just like how cattle and other animals shouldn't be breed with different types of animals. Its not natural for them to mix and its almost always men that are responsible for it.
Leviticus 19:19 is about the natural order and separation of things and how its out duty to keep it that way.
Take our Country back!! Romney 2012!!!
Rhazes, you sir, are to be commended.
I've never seen such artful trolling. I almost, almost believed that you believe what you're saying. Truly, it is awe-inspiring.
Have a good day, sir.
What a BS article. Medical bills may drive more women into debt. Can you get more general or vague than that? Is this supposed to elicit some justification for Obamacare? Why is it limiting these "medical bills" to women? Don't men also incur medical bills?
Talk about propaganda.
In this country, medical expenses are the #1 reason for people declaring bankruptcy.
The Affordable Care Act is a step in the right direction.
Absurdly, Republican governors are declaring that they will not expand Medicaid. These GOP obstructionists fail to realize (or do realize, but do not care) that a healthier population results in a widespread reduction in Medical Costs.
A healthier population is economically more productive.
Again and yesterday, for the 30th time, House Republicans voted against the ACA.
To circumvent the GOP's determination to let the sick, suffer and die, the federal government should set up a system, that will allow newly Medicaid eligible adults to sign up for the program.
Best, the article supports this country having a Single Payer system.
All Americans would be covered under a Single Payer plan.
What is the GOP's plan for Health Care for our citizens?
GOP = No Health Care for the Rest of Us!
Vote a Straight Democratic System!
Obama/Biden 2012!
It would seem some Republicans don't care if women's medical expenses puts them into debt.
I don't think the health care issues and expense are just one gender's problem. A man can have cancer or a heart attack just like a woman. The sad thing is that many try to be responsible and work and get insurance if they can. It's the ones that sit on their butts and expect everything handed to them that get Medicaid.
There are exceptions of course.
Jane, by not unnecessarily deriding your the sick and needy, you would be a true Patriot.
Do you know that Medicaid covers people who are sick, but did not work long enough to receive Medicare?
Do you know that there are many working adults with low incomes, receive Medicaid?
Do you know that because of their parent's low wages, many children receive Medicaid?
Do not be so quick to assume because of "laziness," is the reason that many people are suffering.
Jane, by not unnecessarily deriding the sick and needy, you might be a true Patriot.
Do you know that Medicaid covers people who are sick, but did not work long enough to receive Medicare?
Do you know that there are many working adults with low incomes, that must rely on Medicaid to receive health care?
Do you know that because of their parent's low wages, many children receive Medicaid?
Do not be so quick to assume that "laziness," is the reason that many of our citizens are suffering.
We need "Medicare for Everyone"
...I just LOVE how the old white guys get on here and wag their crusty finger in all the women's faces because they aren't allowed to act like the PIGS they were raised to be. i am all for Newt's moon colony! ship all their knuckle dragging butts off MY planet.
25 walker,
can you please explaine how the "affordable health care act" makes anything affordable.
so far all i have seen is a mandate to buy ins, nothing to control the cost of ins.
and with new surveys out showing that 80% of doctors want to retire now, that isnt going to make HC any more better or affordable.
lets say only 30% retire, that is still a huge number for a country that already doesnt have enough.
the problem isnt health care insurance, its the cost of getting to see a doctor, and that is a MALE and FEMALE problem!!!
if you think otherwise then you are a sexist bigot!
The Party of No does not care about women, minorities, the poor, the old, the young, the educated, and the Middle Class...only the rich.
Felonious, Outsourcing Romney, not only actively alienates Latinos and Blacks, but women too.
Therefore, this story means nothing to him.
The Party of NO does have a heatlh plan. They shouted it out during nomination debates...."Let them Die!" The party of No...... created a death panel among themselves...their plan is to let YOU die.
Repubs war on women ...a scary reality.
Patriot Jane is a classic example of "Christian" conservatives............Vote for Romney and get more of the same
Felonious Guns smuggling Obama has promised you a bill of goods, You can not add 30 million people to the insurance rolls without someone paying for it, Those 30 million people are the ones who can not afford insurance and are going to get it for free so you are not going to get and aditional funds, Further those under 26 still living at home are not required to purchase insurance because they not get covered under momey and daddys, Obamacare is thousands of pages of added hidden taxes, You can not just give stuff to people...someone has to pay for it...Oh wait I remember ...Tax the rich more...they must pay their fair share...Lol...facts straight from the government show the wealthy are paying their fair share and your fair share too,
Felonious Obama foreign exchange student, Felonious Obama US Security Secret leaker, Felonious Obama BundlerSolyndra Loan/bankruptcy restructuring, I can go with the felonious and at leat the ones about Obama are true and not outright lies like the ones coming from Obamas mouth...Obama Lies...and lies...and Lies...and Lies
Prior to the advent of medical insurance, medical cost was much lower. When people started getting insurance coverage through they're employer, it didn't take long for the medical community to start charging more. The same with prescriptions. Most for profit medical facilities overcharge and when they don't get the money, write it off on their taxes, subsequently we pay either way. Our current Gov't isn't helping control this upward spiral.
You can basically remove the word "women" and can replace it with (men, young adults, older adults, hispanics, whites, minorities, middle class, poor.....) and still make the statement true.
OMG you should check that statement about survey say's 80% of...yada,yada. Totally erroneous , but, still being spread as if it were gospel...sigh
"Wifely duties"?? What the hell are "wifely duties"? Do you mean sex? Is having sex a DUTY? You live on a strange planet.
"according to a report released by the non-profit Commonwealth Fund on Friday...Commonwealth, which advocates for health reform, says the 2010 health reform law will slash these numbers when it starts to take full effect in 2014."
A "report" created by an organization pushing Obamacare which focuses on dividing America by gender .... Is anyone surprised?
I bet people who consider sex a duty must not enjoy it.
Some Guy ~ you think doing whatever it takes to stay alive is throwing a tantrum? And wanting decent, affordable health care is childish?
If testicular cancer were as prevalent as breast cancer, anything a man wanted would be covered at 100%. . . .even aspirin or a can of soda.
Karma is real, SG. You better keep a good watch on your boys.
JayEll, oh no, not just sex (but that too).. a woman is expected to clean the entire house from basement to attic, walls, floors, windows and ceilings, buy and cook the food, clean and mend the clothes, be charming to guests, keep herself trim, fit and attractive, defer to, obey and back all her husband's decisions, and bear and raise as many children as her husband wants while doing all that. As is her duty.
But hey, in this new day and age, a lot of them are no longer required to bake the bread, cakes and pies.
Now that is PROGRESS!! LOL
This woman in the article is an idiot. The article explains it very clearly. She didn't get enough insurance to suit her needs. Had she been unemployed, like the article states, she would have been eligible for California's Medicaid plan. So what the article is saying that it is better to be on welfare than to pay your own way? That way you get free health insurance?
And democrats wonder why California's economy is in a hole?
Then they are blaming the insurance company for selling her stripped down insurance? Would you blame the car insurance company for the same type of policy? She got to pick her coverage. Get it, her CHOICE!
You want to make it fair; tell Congress to enact a policy allowing equal pay for both men and women. Yes, I know it has been brought to the floor before, but this time tell Obama to start with his own administration first.
Mr. Boomer must be a jewel.
First.. the insurance company told her because of her age she is young and healthy and that the plan they suggested was for catastrophic illness.. not only was it a stripped down policy but also not enough for a true catastrophe like her breast cancer. The ACA would have covered her illness.
Second. For those who do not understand the ACA.. it is coverage that people will pay premiums for however it is like the insurance that companies buy for their employees, which means, the more employees the more and cheaper the insurance is.. The pool of people that buy this insurance will have the advantage much like a business and be a part of that buying power getting coverage at a reduced price because of volume. This makes it affordable for everyone.
Women have been at risk, they do have more medical concerns than men and yet women are and have been forced to neglect their own health due to costs. Yearly pap smears.. (men don't get those).. infections, various types of cysts, just to name a few.. So yes, we have a problem in this country.
After reading the things people write and the different political ideas, it is perfectly clear to me that no matter what republicans do, no matter how much damage they cause, some people will go to their grave declaring that the republicans are right about everything they do, and will vote for them even knowing that the things republicans are doing will hurt them the most. Case-in-point, women voting for republicans that have declared war on women's healthcare. People who's sole income comes from SSI or Disability, voting for republicans that have stated publicly that they want to end these programs. Union people voting for republicans that want to kill unions, (Gov. Scott Walker comes to mind) I wonder, just what kind of damage and how bad does it have to get before die-hard republican voters wake-up and see the republicans for what they really are??
It seems like die-hard republican voters are on a suicide mission and are trying to drag the rest of us with them.
brain dead don't wake up. he he
If all you have seen is the mandate, OMG, then it is pretty safe to say that you have not taken the time nor made the effort to throroughly research the ACA. Therefore, your opinion is worthless. You have to know something about a subject before you form an opinion. And, I doubt very seriously that you have even a minimal comprehension of the way the individual mandate works.
PJam et al,
The CBO has been giving us the same numbers for the last two years. The major problem is it is not enough it needs to be a single payer system. What destroyed the US healthcare is market capitalism in 1970 US Healthcare costs stood at $356 per person the next highest was Switzerland at $344 in2008 we stood at $7,538 the next closest is Norway at $5,003 Switzerland is at $4,627. We have fallen to 41st in life expectancy from 18th and quality of care we ranked anywhere from #1 to #9 we now rank anywhere from 16th to 37th depending on the criteria. When we pretty much all paid into a non profit (Blue Cross, Blue Shield) and many carried a small supplemental coverage plan we were among the best in the world injecting profit as the over riding motive has destroyed our systems. Many things are best not run for profit but for the national good.
jkh
Ignorant comments
In 1970 I pay for my new car $ 2,000, now in 2012 I pay $ 40,000 for my last car. Thanks to Obama demanding to print more Dollars to the Fed's, very soon the value of the Dollar will be worthless. Socialism is destroying Europe , Obama will destroy America.
Ms. Lovazzano's first mistake was quitting her job to become a freelancer at a time when, evidently, she didn't have even $1000 set aside in an emergency fund. Her second mistake was skimping on her medical insurance. "They basically sold me junk coverage," she claims, as if they duped her into buying less coverage than she wanted. Sorry, I'm not buying it. Based on her lack of savings, I'd say it's more likely that she intentionally bought minimal coverage to save on the premiums. She gambled and lost.
My husband works for an insurance company, and we are offered only high deductible insurance. I easily spend 10K per year (I have met my family deductible for the last 5). Unfortunately, dental maxes out at 1500. and I refuse to walk around with missing teeth. Middle class people can easily lose their homes over this... while I know many impoverished who use the emergency room as their doctor's office. The system is just screwed up.
So 40-50K easily. I look at it as a BMW I never had.
onereallyfedupboomer wrote "Suggestion to all women - withhold ALL wifely services and duties until WE ALL get fair and equal treatment"
Women already use their sex to avoid paying their fair share.
How about asking women to choose higher incomes, mostly by working the same number of hours per week that men do, and pay their share of taxes? Likewise, women should pay higher insurance premiums to cover their higher use of medical services and higher FICA taxes to cover the additional five years that women live longer than men.
While my husband was in England on business he got sick, his co-workers who were employees at his England company told him he should try to drug store remedies first that they could not recommend their healthcare. So different stories from different people. I will still take our healthcare over Englands, Canada, or any other socialist countries.
Rhazes writes reply:
Written by ancient men 2000+ years ago to control a group of people - Christians - including women.

25 walker...
Just where in the ACA or HCR is their anything that controls cost? Perhaps the regulators have added something?
it is not just woman, it is men, and any person who can no longer afford health care.
where the hell was congress for the past 30+ years. they saw this coming and nothing i mean nothing, absolutely zilch was done, and they the gop & tea shysters have the audacity when a health care reform bill is passed (by them also) democratically done. to throw the wrench in a spoke wheel and now again want to destroy what all our people need health care !!!!!
the gop & tea-shyst parties are 100% fully nuts and psycho"s. why are we the people neglected affordable health care? when we the people pay for by the taxpayers for their cadillac plans that cover everything for them and fa milly in government, the senior citizens, the war vets and all their medical needs, and it goes on, every department in government. but they will not allow the american citizens the medical help needed!@#$%^&**(
it is morally and ethically wrong and if any one is a freeloader it is our congress !!!!! they are stealing your health care, it certainly not theirs is it !!!!!
i vote for obama at least he is trying for all americans. level playing field, not one radical side like the right wing fleecers!!!! they are true foxes in a fox hunt and have been for 30+ years !!!!
To be fair, congress did do something. They, as led by Ronald Reagan, deregulated the healthcare industry and allowed it to be for profit. What they did is create this problem.
Just when was the health care industry not allowed to be for profit -- dates please!
government provided health care is not substandard. american health care in comparison is inferior. you don't hear about the people who are given over doses of chemo and the patients who have the wrong kidney removed. and there is the florida hospital that the fed took over because they amputated the wrong legs of two patients. if americans really knew how many doctors here in this country are guilty of malpractice due to their alcoholism / drug use/ mental illnesses or just plain incompetence we'd never go to a doctor. because the cost of health care is higher here than anywhere else in the world we think we are getting superior health care. that is an erroneous assumption. we are getting the health care the insurance companies are willing to pay for from a poorly regulated hospital business who staff their hospitals with sleep deprived /over worked/ inadequately trained /poorly supervised interns and inexperienced residents because it is cost effective. ask them--the med students will agree. i'd rather get free sub-standard care (which it isn't in canada & uk) than private health care that i can't afford. just imagine arriving in the us (as you will find in uk) a sign announcing "if you are not a citizen of this country but are in need of health care it will be provided to you free of charge""---astounding------a country that believes all sick/ injured people deserve care. we've got a long way to go!
Republicans don't have a plan to replace Obamacare. Their lack of attention to women's issues is why women will vote for Obama.
Yes, Mitt if you are going to repeal Obamacare, what are you going to replace it with? Be specific, Mitt! Be a leader, or get out of the way.
Let's not forget Obamacare hasn't even been completely enacted yet. This entire mess started long before he came on board. At least he had the guts to fight the health industry - the Clinton's failed miserably at the same attempt (but hey, at least they can say they tried). The Republicans NEVER had an issue with health care until someone came in and tried to fix an unscrupulous industry that is now equated with the leading cause of bankruptcies in this country. Now, all of a sudden, Republicans seem to have all the answers, which of course are no answers or alternatives at all. Typical. Bush had 8 years to fix healthcare and did NOTHING!! He was too busy looking for those pesky weapons of mass destruction in that empty barn.
Don't fear Willard will geterdun! :)
Not only will women(or anyone) have cheaper healthcare in 2014 they will no longer have jobs :
U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011
"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.
Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.
By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.
Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.
CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.
As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.
Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.
As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.
CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."
http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3
MSNBC was too embarrassed/ashamed to cover the report after all of their brainless propagandizing for Obamacare.
P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.
If my insurance premiums only went up 9.4% a year I would be really, really happy. Double digits the last three years including 14% this year. That is with higher co-pay and higher deductables.
Name calling does not credibility to your argument. But there is something I would like to bring up to those of you who think that universal health care is just a democrat idea. Truman, as in Harry Truman was for it, and he was a republican. Go figure.
ksdemocrat...
that must explain why truman was FDR's VP. Please do little more research.
Under Obamacare, it won't be 26% of American women in debt. It will be 100% of the American people. The CBO has revised Obama's original cost estimate for the next decade. It went from $0.9 trillion to $2.6 trillion. It has been reported by Steven Moore, chief economist for the Wall Street Journal, that as much as 75% of this cost will be borne by the middle class.
If we can afford to kill other people in wars, then we should be able to save our own here at home.
I would damn sure rather go in debt helping people than killing people.
I would damn sure rather go in debt developing clean energy that killing the planet
I would damn sure rather go in debt exploring sane global population control than having the entire human race F itself to death along with this entire planet.
I don't see how any sane person could argue with these three points - so I expect insane persons to walk all over this post - BRING IT ON!
America can't "afford to kill other people in wars"such as Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen. America is insolvent due to its socialism policy at home that drives jobs and business out of the country.
America is the world's greatest debtor, borrowing from even the poorest nation and having China and Japan as lenders of nearly 3 trillion dollars.
America, rich in resources and over ten times the size of Japan, has 2 domestic brand auto companies (GM and Ford) and imports millions of vehicles. A little volcanic island has 9 auto companies (Toyota, Honda, Isusu, Subaru, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazada, Suzuki, Daihatsu) exporting vehicles around the world. Japan has a trade surplus while USA has the biggest trade deficit. America never mass produced using domestic factories the VCR, DVD, Plasma/LCD/LED screens, hard-drives, laptops, digital SLR, etc. America's textile, consumer goods manufacturing electronics are all but disappeared. American socialism at work. Blame China for all of the above is the answer, according to Big Government.
America's socialist Big Government can't "save our own here at home" if our lives were dependent on it. Just look back at the past financial meltdown, the repeated creation of a bubble economy, massive national debt, and the waging of perpetual foreign wars.
No Walls - American GREEED at work. Outsourcing manufacturing jobs like autos, electronics textiles, etc. to lower production cost equals more money in the pockets of Wall Street Fat Cats. That's not socialsim, it's capitalism.
What is the heck is a Cas Accountant? Sounds like a neo con saying that if we let more people die and suffer....folks like himself would have more money for themselves.....Same for public schools....Same for public fire depts.....how about same for police? Trouble is these fools feel they made a living without the whole of society allowing and making that living possible. This has been the religion of Regan who made greed and avarice a goal to be praised. The selling out of America has been the result.
One....Boomer: Go for it dude. I agree. Get the military back in this hemisphere. Stop flooding Germany and Korea with our military dollars. They don;t need it. Fire that CalTrans Secretary who gave the $1,4 billion bridge contract to China and put Americans to work on that project. We have lots of great opportunities, but between the elected idiots and the traitorous gubmint employees we see no opportunities developing.
What government program has operated at it's onset initial estimate...answer NONE. The ACA will be no different people...the government is inept at almost everything...except spending. Those of you that think it is awe inspiring Democrats that are gonna save us with the ACA is not in the real world. Socialism will fail here just as it is in Europe. The left wants us to turn into a welfare state and we are well on the way.
Unfortunately catastropic health events happen, did to during a job change and with no insurance, then bankruptcy. Was not in my control and things happen that out of a persons control...that is reality people...@!$%# happens. Nothing politicians can do to stop that, more government programs will solve every problem of today and tomorrow.
Stephen Moore is ultra-right wing and not a very good source. Try some other repub sound bite BS.
Cas Accountant is wrong, and spreading Republicans lies.
From politifact.com:
"The health care law could cost up to $2 trillion, "double what we were promised."" - Rated as False
"The health care law "imposes the largest tax increase in history on the middle class."" - Rated Pants on Fire Lie
"75 percent of the Obamacare tax falls on the middle class." - Rated as False
If you want the facts go to politifact.com
One Really Fed Up Boomer for President!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fat cat republicans are exploitive of anything that they can be exploitive of including domestic and foreign labor, small business (ever check the failure rate), and of the earth itself. In a sane world they would be convicted as criminals and/or treated as madmen and incarcerated.
The correct place to get your health care answers...listed below....Not from the rt wing hacks above spouting fox news rants.
www.healthcare.gov The government site....... www.healthcare.gov
Obamacare Increases Costs of College Health Plans by as Much as 1,112%
At the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, the 2011-2012 school-year premium was $440 per student. Next year’s plan will cost between $1,300 and $1,600.
The more info that is released on this disaster, the more it becomes evident why Obama LIED about it being a tax. Good Grief!
ObamaCare's Individual Mandate Will Raise, Not Lower Costs
Like so much of ObamaCare, the individual mandate does more harm than good. It’s a net loser – for American pocketbooks and the Constitution.
forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2012/04/30/...
Gee, Harley "chic", You forget one little thing.
Under the ACA, kids up to age 26 can stay under their parent's health care insurance.
And even if they don't do that, they can get their own health care insurance through the state plans.
Either way, they'd be a lot better off than having a $400 plan that barely would cover one day in the hospital due to the caps on it (which is why it's so cheap).
So, if the cost of something that won't be needed anymore is going up, who the hell cares ?
goodforgoodnesssake -"If we can afford to kill other people in wars, then we should be able to save our own here at home."
HaHa. You think we can afford to kill people? Have you seen Obama's annual budget deficits or the National Debt?
American taxpayers cannot afford either.
Hank, I had one of those "student plans" that I found worked really, really well. As a Kaiser patience that lost my job and went back to college I had a knee injury that Kaiser was only nursing. Medications, Anti-inflamatory meds, but the sports medicine doctor at the little student health center was able to correct my knee problem by using some injections. I was pain free from 2002 to 2011. 9 years of being pain free after suffering a year. Just saying that bigger insurance is not always better. Maybe having a doctor that really cared was the reason for the results and not having the doctor that spends as little amount of time with you as possible.
GoodforgoodnessSake:
America has not been a capitalist nation for nearly 50 years. Instead, a socialist government gradually and surreptiously replaced capitalism with socialism.
The destruction of the American economy began when the socialists legislate and micro-manage the free market economy. For example: The American government regulates the price of goods and labor. When it even controls the price of money, the interest rate, all goods and services are like wise under the control of government. In the former USSR, a commitee within the communist government established the price of goods and services as well as interest rate. In America, the Federal Reserve determines the price of money, the interest rate, rather than the free market.
The American government also dictates consumer behavior through numerous taxes, rebates, entitlement programs and loan guarantees. For example: farm subsidies, tax rebate to certain industries, unemployment insurance benefits, Food Stamps, Cash for Clunkers, bailouts, etc. The proposed Obamacare is just the most recent example. As America's socialist government becomes more intrusive and pervasive, the American people have lost important personal liberty as well as economic freedom. As a result, America is in decline as all socialist nations deteriorate over time. Socialist America is following the same trajectory as the former USSR.
Instead of admitting their brand of socialism has failed America, the socialists in DC issue propaganda that indicts capitalism. And unfortunately, most Americans failed to see the contradictions and merely regurgitate the same anti-capitalism slogans.
lets throw out for good these radical right wing numb nuts and the clown romppy. they are capital communist and you and i ordinary citizens have been con-jobbed long enough !!!!
Wow, what a meaningful argument. (sarcasm)
P.S.
You're supposed to use the term "extreme" to label your replacements, not "radical", didn't you get the DNC memo?
Most democrats are just spouting propaganda. Take Alain for instance. There is no argument in his post and people upped it by 16 already. Just goes to show you that democrats really have an infantile mind.
I don't see the republicans doing any good.. I see them blocking, filibustering, bad mouthing, trying to take away womens rights, the list goes on and on.. Tell us what good the Republicans have done in the last three years?
Partly it's about coverage, but mostly it's about cost. $200K for breast cancer treatment? Why do I get the feeling it would be $10K in Mexico and she'd get just as good care?
We bend over backwards as a society trying to pay these outrageous bills instead of concentrating on bringing them down. A national insurance plan with a single payer would go far in reducing costs.
Thinking logically are we?
AG99, do you receive your medical care in Mexico? For cancer? How's it working out for you? Sure, you can go there for such treatment, but will you get the genuine treatment? Or will they substitute apricot pits for real drugs?
Her total was $200k with her responsibility being $70k of it. I'll bet the Docs and hospital charged her $70k because she didn't have coverage for that portion. Those items on a full coverage med plan would have billed to the Ins co. for $15k or less. Docs and hospitals have a regular billing scheme to charge 5 to 20 times what they'd take from the Govt or Ins Co. when they think the patient will write the check themselves. There is now a new industry of retired ins co. Execs who can be hired by patients to negotiate thir hospital bills. These guys know what the Docs and Hospitals will take from institutional payers and they talk them down from the greedy billings. The hospitals think the patient will bust their hump to pay what;s billed not knowing they inflated it many times first. Many people do try to pay these not knowing they are being scammed. Some go into bankruptcy for charges the ins co. would cover for a small fraction - and the hospital would accept it.
Where do you get one of those?
I have a $2000 ER bill that I believe an insurance company would have been billed 10% of. The only care I received was a brief visit with a doctor, a blood test, and a prescription. When I had insurance 1.5 years ago, I got a bill for $1700 for a test. The insurance got it down to $150 and my portion was $13. If I had to pay out of pocket, I bet I would have been billed the entire amount.
Lovely; IF all you need is a test now and again you should try something other than an ER. ER is the most expensive way to go on the planet. Actually a $2,000ER bill is about on par with ER's everywhere. Whther private ins, Govt, or private pay, Going to an ER for something a physician can do in office is a sure fired way to multiply the costs many times. Try and stay out of ER's.
It's all by design. The uninsured or low income receive care in the er at hyper inflated prices. They have no alternative. They either pay the devil or have a lien slapped on any asset. If they can't pay the ridiculous charge the hospital can write off the extremely inflated charge to the tax payer at 100%. cha cing!
It is NOT the government's job to insure the entire nation, much less FORCE people to buy insurance. It is a travesty and unconstitutional - I don't care WHAT the SCOTUS says. Obamacare has already screwed our family over. We've had to change our insurance 3 times since this debacle was passed. Our rates have gone up over 32% in just 2 years. Our coverage has gotten less, our deductibles higher, our co-pays have increased and our prescription coverage is worse. I have an eye infection, and our new insurance won't cover anything but generic. So the eye drops I was prescribed cost $73!!! My doctor had to send in a new prescription - less effective drops that were only $14.99. They didn't work as well and now I need another bottle.
I agree that we do need some kind of insurance for the unemployed or emergency insurance for those who lose their jobs. But for the government to mandate insurance for everyone is wrong. I have friends who have paid thousands for insurance coverage every year and never used it. It should be a choice. And the costs are going up every day. There is no way this country can shoulder a $2 trillion dollar bill for mandatory insurance. Our great grandchildren will be paying for it and it will bankrupt our country. We will be like Greece in just 5-10 years.
Well, we could use the money that's being wasted in foreign wars.
Good luck to the GOP for now running on the platform of taking away insurance.
"It is a travesty and unconstitutional - I don't care WHAT the SCOTUS says."
Yeah, I'm sure you know the law and what is constitutional much better than the supreme court does.....LMAO.
We had No Problem spending Trillions on a Wrong War with Iraq, but I guess you draw the line when someone finaly addresses Affordable Healthcare for ALL Americans. It is time we got Health Insurance under control, or that will bancrupt us. I would worry more about your Great Grandchildren being sent off to another Wrong War to be maimed or killed for nothing. The Affordable Care Act will Save lives and families. Both parties say we need Healthcare Reform, fine. Lets do it.
The SCOTUS interprets the Constitution. I really don't care what your opinion is, you are NOT more familiar with what is really Constitutional than the SCOTUS or a Constitutional SCHOLAR.
If the government can force you to get vehicle insurance or pay a fine, then the government can force you to get health insurance or pay a fine. While you can "opt out" of car insurance by not driving, the ONLY way to opt out of health insurance is by DYING. If you are alive you will 100% need to use the healthcare system in your lifetime. Therefore, unless you decide to keep a legal document on your person stating that you are NEVER to be taken to the ER, regardless of how badly you are injured or how sick you are, you WILL use healthcare.
Well, JANE SMITH,
You better tell that to Obama because, even though the Supreme Court ruled that the mandate is a TAX (and would be UNCONSTITUTIONAL otherwise), he keeps insisting that it is NOT a TAX.
So, either the mandate is a tax and is LEGAL or it is a FINE and is ILLEGAL. Obama can't have it both ways, although he will LIE about it EITHER way.
As it is, Obama is on the hook for the LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES falling squarely on the backs of the middle class.
In the preamble of our constitution it clearly states that we have to provide for the general welfare of our citizens.
The health insurers are 3rd party and are only focused on profit and gamble with people's lives.
If we take out the intermediary AKA: insurance companies we would provide for the welfare of our citizenry.
We need a single payer national insurance program period... NO 3rd party system where they gamble with our lives!
That will bring down costs to procedures and overhead!
My insurance has gone up about 20,000 % from my first policy and most of it happened before Obama was a gleam in his father's eye. My first premium was about $5 per week. When I retired it was 58 times that amount per week. Almost all of that increase was due to unnecessary tests to protect doctors against malpractice lawsuits and pharmacological rip offs. So who do we have writing our health care laws? Lawyers in congress - conflict of interest? - Any hope of change ? The only thing Obama is attempting to do is to spread the criminal cost of health care over a broader base - a stop gap measure at best. The problem is we have too many stupid laws and too many stupid lawyers perpetuating legal fraud against we the people. So please put the blame where it should be on ourselves for allowing lawyers to control our every move-vote them out of office come November.
Health care insurance did not go up in the last years due to ACA, it has been rising for years. Does ACA address all ills and will it work perfect the first time, probably not. But it is a move in the right direction. And I shouldn't have to pay higher premiums because others do not have insurance and the hospitals need to cover costs with those with insurance.
OK then, when your uninsured friends get sick or injured they should be required to pay cash up front for any treatment. I think that's fair.
@Betty, let's get things straight. Insurance premiums have risen over 150% since 2000. My montly cost now is $936.00, $2500. ded. $6000.00 OFP. After 2003, this insurance went wild. So, explain to me what was the problem prior to 2003 and after. Greedy !ss #astards, will do any thing kill off the working class. Yes, it has come to the have and have nots. And guess what? I am joining the have nots and I will see you in line also. This crap started 30 years ago,long before President Obama was elected, it's just like a boil... coming to a head. See you in the have not line.
We in the US tend to be rather Schizophrenic about certain things. If we don't insist people cary coverage then we should not insist that hospitals provide services. Oh, you can pay for that compound facture now. I am sorry, we can't do anything for you.
@ Stryg - but there's that pesky thing called the Hippocratic Oath - you know, first do no harm.
Why does everyone seem to forget that the mandate is a GOP thing, not a Democrat thing?
It originated in a conservative GOP think tank. And it wasn't a tax. Period.
It was implemented by Romney in Massacheusetts. And it wasn't a tax. Period.
W put exactly the same mandate in his really bad Medicate Part D. And it wasn't a tax. Period.
It seems to me that the GOP lacks the cohones to man up and take responsibility for its own legislative initiative.
"I have friends who have paid thousands for insurance coverage every year and never used it"
Isn't that how insurance work, by definition? Many people pay in and hoping that you don' t have to use it. Insurance companies stays in business because they only have to pay out for some. That's how car insurance, fire insurance, life insurance, and other insurances, work. Insurance is basically a bet if you think about it.
This is exactly why I don't think health care is considered insurance because people with it are EXPECTED to use it to make it 'worth' it. Even worst, many only want to buy it when when they think they need it. It's like buying car insurance after you have an accident and expect the insurance company to pay for it. Does that make any business sense to you? This is why insurance companies support the mandate, it fits their business plan.
@ Betty - You sound like a spoiled little brat! MAYBE, just MAYBE the reason your premiums have gone up so much is because the insurance companies are using YOUR premium dollars to fight Obamacare, seeing as only a VERY small percentage actually goes to patient care anyhow. They are greedy, and you are paying for their greediness. HA! Just consider it a non-tax deductible donation to the Republican Party, because that is all it is. God forbid YOU can't have the NAME BRAND drugs that you so want without having to pay something out of pocket. Generic medications aren't good enough for you, all the while you sit back on your golden throne and think that just because someone can't afford the ridiculous and unnecessarily high premiums that they don't deserve care at all? Most of these people wouldn't complain about affordable generic medications, heck, they would simply like the opportunity to see the Dr. But that is another point many like you have made: "there aren't enough doctors to handle the influx of all the new patients". Hmm, let me see then, yeah, let's just let these people die, that way I don't need to wait in line at the doctor and be forced to miss my pedicure.
"Obama is on the hook for the LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES..."
Uh, no. As in 'pants on fire' wrong. See ""
Not only will women(or anyone) have cheaper healthcare in 2014 they will no longer have jobs :
U.S. will pay for half of all health care costs by 2020 - July 28, 2011
"Total health care spending is expected to nearly double to $4.6 trillion in 2020, from $2.6 trillion in 2010.
Health care spending per capita is forecast to increase to $13,708 in 2020 from $8,327 in 2010, the report said.
By 2020, nearly 30 million additional people are expected to have health insurance because of reform.
Over the 10-year period, the report showed that the biggest annual jump in health care spending will happen in 2014 when health reform is fully implemented.
CMS estimates that in 2014 about 23 million uninsured consumers will gain access to health insurance, mainly through government programs such as Medicaid and through the creation of federal and state-funded health insurance exchanges.
As a result, the government expects Medicaid spending to surge 20% in 2014 and private health insurance spending to increase 9.4%.
Norwalk said the estimated sharp surge in Medicaid spending just in one year, is very concerning given that states are already struggling with their budgets.
As millions more gain access to health insurance, the government expects spending on prescription drugs, physician and hospital services to increase as well.
CMS expects prescription drug spending to jump by 10.7% in 2014 and to account for 11% of national health spending by 2020. Spending on physician and clinical services is forecast to rise by 8.9% by 2014, representing 19% of overall health care spending."
http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/28/news/economy/healthcare_spending_forecast/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=hp_bn3
MSNBC was too embarrassed/ashamed to cover the report after all of their brainless propagandizing for Obamacare.
P.S. Keep in mind these are even the government released numbers, the reality will be much worse.
Betty Biddles states:
"It is NOT the government's job to insure the entire nation, much less FORCE people to buy insurance. It is a travesty and unconstitutional - I don't care WHAT the SCOTUS says." BUT..what you fail to realize is....all of us with health insurance are already paying for those who don't have it (and therefore cannot get regular preventative care to keep them health)...in taxes that pay for medicaid and higher health care costs, and thus higher cost for insurance.
GET OVER IT...we're all paying for it one way or another. It makes a hell of a lot more sense to me to have reforms in place that will keep us all healthier.
you know! you people and your money woes and paranoia's, and all your hypothetical money brainwash that is unproven,with nothing but greed money thoughts. are really possessed and have no morals and ethics. you are sick and need serious psychic help!!!!.
you all think like devils and pitch forks !! one sided only!!! get a life !!
man made money system does not and should not represent human worth and is not the all of this world !!!!
LOL...says they people who want to tax the rest of us more, I'm guessing you work for free...The rich are already paying their fair share and your fair share too...You are like the fools that killed and ate the oxen that used to plow their fields because they were just to lazy to plant after the oxen had done all the hard work.
A former co-worker's husband just dropped dead last week. They thought it was a heart attack, but the autopsy (he was in his 40's) showed it was leukemia. They did not have health insurance. He must have been feeling poorly but didn't go to the doctor's BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY. Now, he is dead, and his wife is left alone to raise their daughter. He was one of the 50,000 estimated people who die each year because they DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. I'm 48 and I don't have it, and I work 2 jobs. Whose idea was it to tie in your health insurance with your job? Is America the only country where this occurs?! And for those ass holes in the House who want to repeal the ACA, let's get working on taking away THEIR health care benefits that WE, the PEOPLE, pay for!!!!!! Give them a taste of what it is like to go through life without healthcare (although since most of them are wealthy, I doubt the impact would matter to them). I am tired of the wealthy controlling the lives of the rest of us.
With or without health insurance the survival rate for leukemia is not good.
Dave, that is about like saying if you are born you will die - Excrement happens - WTF is your point Jeanne has a number of very valid points - VERY!
Health insurance tied to employment began in WWII with the shortage of skilled workers. Employers began to offer it as an incentive, and it worked. Unfortunately it worked so well nobody wanted to sever it from employment - because there was nothing but (expensive) private insurance to replace it. So, more and more people got themselves stuck, tied to a job and employer they may loathe because they need health insurance. Look for increasing mobility as people realize they may be able to get/afford their own insurance under ACA health exchanges going forward - and leave those jobs behind.
Maybe 50,000 estimated people die each year because they DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE but very year, an estimated one hundred thousand Americans die from an infection they got in a hospital, just to put things in perspective.
The most valid point that jeane did not make was that this man who took on the responsibility of raising a family did not think to go to the Dr for a check up, You can not honestly tell me that there were not some things that he could not have done without to use the money for a checkup.
Loatinthepinebarrens.. you have never been poor have you? There are many Americans, right now, that are having to choose between paying the electric bill or buying food, to pay for the car so they can look for work or to pay for the mortgage. For many there just isn't enough money to cover it all.
You have never been poor.. you must not have ever gone without food for days just so your child could eat.
For some .. seeing the Doctor is a luxury, and one they cannot afford.
It appears Lost never missed a meal or wanted for any of life's essentials. When it comes down to food on the table, rent/mtg. paid, electric etc., one takes care of their families first. , then maybe if there is something left over, just maybe could afford Dr. visit.
I took my wife to the emergency room because she was in extreme pain, we told them we did not have insurance, the problem was kidney stones after 3 hours in the ER they did a CAT scan and when the results came back they told we could go home now and if there were any more problems to call or come back.
Diagnosis = Kidney Stones
Cost for diagnosis = $16,000
The CAT scan alone was $10,550.00
I was lucky, I realized that they did they CAT scan to protect themselves, and complained, they agreed and removed the charge
So insurance covered $130K out of $200K? Not great, but way better than if she hadn't had insurance at all as I'm pretty sure she didn't pay out $130,000 in premiums. If she had negotiated, she might have gotten it down to at least $50K. I'm not saying her situation and the state of healthcare in this country doesn't suck, because it does, but her policy was appropriate for her age (I'm more mad at her doctors for not discussing costs with her before surgery decisions were made - demanding $1000 just before surgery? - what is wrong with these people? When I was in the hospital we discussed insurance coverage and my costs before every major decision). It will be a nice benefit if the new health care bill causes these policies to be more equal, but until it does, people need to understand that any insurance won't cover everything (and that includes car, home and life insurance) and that no insurance decision can anticipate every future outcome. We have to do the best with the information we have and who would have expected her to get cancer at 31? Sometimes we get unlucky.
So, because she was "unlucky" she should suffer the collection calls, the harassment and the emotional battering of not being able to cover the treatment for breast cancer at an early age?
As someone who did not have health insurance until I was in my very late 20's, I have suffered those collection calls, the harassment, the damage to my credit report from having the bad luck to get SICK. Because I was diagnosed with several chronic health conditions (one before I turned 18) I became insurable ONLY if I was working full time for a company that offered health insurance. When I lost jobs due to the chronic health conditions (despite trying to work) and ran out of COBRA, I no longer could get the medications I NEED to manage my chronic health conditions. That happened when I was 36. Luckily, I met a man who fell in love with me despite my chronic health issues and married me AND I finally convinced the SSA what my doctors had been saying for over a year - that I am permanently DISABLED by the health issues. So I have health insurance through my husband's employer that is supplemented by Medicare.
In most hospitals, if you are uninsured and make below a certain level of income, you get an "adjustment" to your bill. If she had been uninsured she would have had to pay LESS than $70,000. But because she was being responsible she had to pay MORE. So she was PENALIZED for being responsible like the Republicans wanted her to be. She was PENALIZED for not being a "freeloader". Please tell me how that makes SENSE?
Your last paragraph doesn't make sense, because you are conflating lack of insurance covering all costs with low enough income to qualify for discounted coverage.
First, she was uninsured with respect to some of the costs of treating her cancer - the policy didn't cover all of the costs. So, your first premise is wrong. She did not have insurance that covered all costs associated with her illness.
Second, she would have gotten a discount if she was very poor (not simply for being uninsured).
Her problem is that she isn't poor enough for the discount and she was uninsured with respect to some of the costs of her treatment. Hence, she is not being responsible but she was a freeloader as to the uncovered costs.
She is not poor enough for state insurance or an adjustment, so she clearly could afford a policy that covered all of the costs for treatment of breast cancer. She chose not to purchase that policy. Now she wants somebody else to pay for the uncovered costs of her treatment because she was too cheap to pay for a better policy on the front end - one that she could have afforded because she is not poor.
All that means she is the free rider: one with the means to purchase insurance that covers all costs associated with an illness - but who chooses not to buy it - and then wants someone else to pay for the uncovered costs when they get sick.
Simple, huh?
If you read the article more carefully, you will find that your characterization of the woman as a "freeloader" is unfair. She paid the bill. It is also unfair to say she could clearly afford a better policy. She was advised by the COBRA people to purchase the specific policy that she purchased. I don't know if you have ever gotten a COBRA offering, but complete coverage for a young (usually minimal medical costs) family is about $2000 per month. I am going to theorize that full coverage for a young, single woman would also be prohibitively expensive. Either way, you're screwed. If you buy a full coverage policy you're going to be paying way more than you can probably afford. If you don't buy a full coverage policy you run the risk of incurring a mountain of medical debt.
According to the numbers, it costs $7000 per year, per capita for medical care in this country. That's about $3000 more than any other country in the world! Yet we rank 37th in quality of care. I don't see why anyone should pay top dollar for care or insurance when we are clearly not getting top quality care. Instead, we are being subjected to unnecessary tests, outrageous insurance costs (so the CEOs can walk away with $20 million per year compensation packages, and substandard care.
Why should anyone have to pay from 1/4 to 1/2 of their yearly income just to get medical insurance? I figure almost any ACA costs have got to be cheaper than that.
Exactly! Roughly $7-8K a year for a pretty, little blue card to carry in your wallet that will only cover 80% of what's "fair and customary" IF you're lucky and IF they don't deny your claims.
Yeah, sounds like a real sound investment!
factcheckero, you work for the government with a high paying job, with alll the free-b's that government employees enjoy or some insurance company that gives you free coverage
hey insurance companies used to gamble that they would beat the odds and take in more money than they paid out and as a rule it wasn't to bad for both parties, but now the insurance companies have become so greedy they even feed on each other and will do everything in their power not to pay the ones that pay premiums, insurance has become a joke and they are guilty of murder denying people coverage, the insurance companies as a whole are heartless. This president let the useless and corrupt insurance companies write most of the healthcare plan, they give a little and take a lot, greed is a terrible sickness and it seems politicians and insurance companies are a bunch of greedy low lifes. The citizens of this country deserve the exact same coverage as the coverage the president, the congress, and the supreme court enjoy, no more no less.
This president let the useless and corrupt insurance companies write most of the healthcare plan,
That's the only thing I disagree with in your post. The president didn't let the insurance companies to that; our Congress did. The president wanted single payer, but our representatives wouldn't allow that.
So Obama signed the bill into law, figuring that half a loaf...
many people don't know you can "negotiate" your hospital bill, Some of us are taught that if we make a bill then we pay that bill. I think some of you have turned into the shysters you call those that use medicare/medicaid.
Have you tried that? I have recently, good luck, they'd rather put a lean on your house first
underemployed, I didn't call her a freeloader ... in fact I said that she was penalized for NOT being a freeloader.
I had COBRA insurance when I lost a job due to disability. I borrowed money from my father to pay my COBRA premium, pay my doctors and pay for the medications I needed for chronic health conditions. Those same chronic health conditions meant that in order to get coverage after my COBRA ran out I had to go to "no-underwriting" insurance (pre-existing conditions and all that) and the premium was close to $2,000/mo for a single woman with no dependents. At the time I had JUST received my approval for disability based on my work history - after 18 MONTHS of fighting for it. I wasn't eligible for Medicare yet (that's 2 years and 6 months after your disabled date) and made less than HALF the $2,000/mo in Social Security Disability. However, I made "too much" to be eligible for Medicaid. So until I married my husband 4 months after my COBRA ended, I gradually stepped down off my medications because I couldn't afford to purchase them. I also didn't see a doctor during that time (I am still seeing a doctor every 3 months NOW - almost 7 years later).
I can really relate to what this "young lady" went through. I was not a freeloader EVER during my 43 years on this earth. I worked even after I should have stopped (when I lost a job due to disability the FIRST time) and I essentially "retired" early because my income is based 100% on my work and salary history. I would still work if I could.
I am currently going thru the same thing right now. I have a lump and a cyst/ The lump is one we are "re-visiting" from 2010. have no coverage. Cannot get medicaid. I have since lost my job and am working at 1/3 of what I used to make waiting tables. but its all I could fin so I took it to have something.
It s wrong for anyone who has worked everyday of their life- raised 3 kids and 4 grand kids to have to wait 4 months for any progress. much less Have to raise $300 for a biopsy (which I still cant afford) after the gov'mnt siphons off of us all the way they do and then miss manage what they get.
If you are diagnosed they will help you- but getting the screening and the answers you need has been one frustrating dead end after another.
You are right to bring more voice to this dilema
Negotiate every step of the way Tressia. The most they can do is say no. If you can get them to agree to a payment plan then that can be re-negotiated on a monthly basis. If you can eventually raise some funds, then you can make a settlement offer - sometimes, they'll take half. Try to get those monthly payments as low as possible, don't be afraid to ask for $10/month at first. A lot of docs/ med centers will rather take cash up front then battle with insurance companies and patients' missed co-pays and will often cut 40% off.
I've done this successfully for years. Best of luck to you.
Talk with them just as goodfor said. Even though I have insurance, my biopsy coverage is still $310. Insurance only took off $150, but that's better than nothing. They were more than happy to work with me. I only work seasonally in the summer, so I pay $50 this month and next, then down to $15 a month unless I find another job. My ultrasound was $194, and I can only send them $15 a month right now. It will take me a while to pay them all off, but they know my hardship and would rather get a small amount each month than nothing at all. I hope they work well with you like they have for me, and I hope all is well with you.
The Affordable Care Act did nothing to address the high cost of health care which is what the WHOLE COUNTRY needed. It did nothing to figure out why a nuclear stress test in which you run on a tread mill and have an MRI of your heart is $6,000 or a badly sprained ankle and an hour long trip to the emergency room is $3,000. It did nothing to figure out the real issues, it simply put a bandaid on a few issues at far too great an expense.
The biggest single cost adder in medical care are the huge number of tests the doctors have to make to protect themselves from malpractice ambulance chaser lawyers. In England they have a perfect cure - if a doctor is sued for malpractice and it is proven that he did all that was reasonable and expected the case is tossed as frivolous and the doctor can then counter sue the attorney bringing the charges up (the patient/can of meat/victim) is held harmless but the lawyer can be made to cover all expenses and punitive/loss of reputation.
Ask your doctor how much he has to pay for malpractice insurance - I have - OMG you have no idea - I do think they would be well advised to publish their malpractice rates so we can all see what we are paying for.
One doctor I had, with no claims against him after practicing 30 years without a claim (I was with him for all of those 30 years) $400,000 4 times per year. His net income working 80 hour work weeks was about $200k/yr. If your doctor is worth his salt he will level with you - they are as pissed about this situation as you are.
If doctors policed their own better, they would have lower malpractice costs. In the same way a small percentage of patients account for a huge amount of health care costs, a few bad apples in medical practice raise the rates for all. Every doctor knows who these guys are, the sloppy, the poor bedside manner, the sheerly incompetent. Yet they are seldom reported to the county/state medical associations, until a hospital is required to do so with an incident that is required to be reported to the state, or a lawsuit is filed. And in this country, a doctor can LOSE his/her license in one state for cause, and go next door or across country and be licensed to practice elsewhere. There is no national yanking of medical privileges. BTW most lawsuits never see a courtroom, not because they are all frivolous, but because the plaintiff may not have as deep pockets as the physician or his/her practice. My niece was seriously injured by an orthopedic surgeon who operated on the wrong part of her foot (he was drunk at the time, according to staff testimony - why they didn't call a halt to the proceedings when they realized it, I don't know.) Long story short, she ended up going to a specialist for a cadaver graft; her heel will never be entirely right, and to this day she cannot stand for lengthy periods because of the residual pain. She sued but eventually settled the morning the trial was scheduled to start. She uses the money for physical therapy and keeps some in reserve for future problems which are inevitable.
It never fails!
Every time MSDNC puts out one of these propaganda pieces citing a "study" by some "non-profit" organization, you only have to turn over the rock to find that filthy, disgusting toad, George Soros lurking there.
This time it is the Commonwealth Fund.
This group distributes Soros' money to other organizations such as the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (the largest and oldest organization of business and financial "journalists" in the country) to PAY them for writing in support of OBAMACARE.
The head of the Commonwealth Fund is one of Jimmy Carter's left-overs named Karen Davis and the group is heavily sprinkled with former staffers of other Soros propaganda outlets.
The group's 2009 annual report states:
"The Commonwealth Fund marshaled its resources this year to produce timely and rigorous work that helped lay the groundwork for the historic Affordable Care Act, signed by President Obama in March 2010."
In other words, they were BRIBING reporters and columnists to write puff pieces in order to influence the gullible.
THIS is what passes for "journalism" at NBC these days - paid propaganda masquerading as "news".
So, tell me, FOOLISHNESS, from which news service that is not propaganda masquerading as news did you get your info from? It wouldn't be a "news" (commentary and entertainment) source that is "fair and balanced", would it?
just wondering, as I haven't seen it on any major news channel/program.
"I haven't seen it on any major news channel/program."
And you still can't tell that it is worthless propaganda?
Nobody respectable journalist would associate their name with coverage of this "report".
She chose to purchase a policy that didn't cover her illness. If she wanted converage, she should have paid for a policy that included it. Insurance isn't a right, it is a personal decision you make about managing risk. She took the risk that she would not be afflicted by an excluded illness in exchange for a cheaper policy that excluded that illness.
This is like buying a cheaper homeowner's policy that excludes fire damage, then whining when your house burns down. Why should we feel bad for this lady? Being a grown up means taking responsibility for your decisions, good and bad. If she wanted coverage, she should have paid for it. Now she'll have to declare bankruptcy or negotiate a payment plan with the hospital, even if it isn't her "style."
When my brother lost his job a couple of years ago he could have continued his coverage through COBRA. AT $2,700 a month.
That's a fairly large chunk of change when you're unemployed, wouldn't you say?
So he bought a catastrophic coverage policy for "only" $875 a month. Recently he had to have foot surgery for a broken bone. He put out a little over $11,000 before his insurance was supposed to kick in. And his insurance company denied his claim because of a pre-existing condition. The pre-existing condition was that he had gout in that foot.
So buying the coverage you can afford doesn't help, and buying expensive coverage does you no good if they can find a reason to deny the claim.
Can you afford $15,000+ per year for insurance - if you can you are not being taxed enough!!!!!!!
Severed didn't you know being born is a "pre-existing condition"? I have often though about cancelling all my insurance and when Excrement happens declare bankruptcy and start over again. Perhaps if we all did this the rules will change.
I just have to ask this--some of you have commented about COBRA costing over $2000 a month--when my husband was between jobs, his COBRA was under $500 a month, and he is a cancer survivor, and a couple of other pre-existing conditions. I have my own insurance, so he only had himself to purchase COBRA for. Does it depend on where in the US a person lives and what the cost of living is in any particular area? We live in Bakersfield, CA. I'm just wondering about that high cost of insurance per month--it's outrageous being over 2000 a month!
The cost of COBRA is based on the cost of health insurance premiums to your employer, what they pay for your particular insurance policy. You pay in full what your employer is billed, plus a small administrative fee (1-2%). The cost of policies vary dependingon the insurer, what is covered (or not) by the policy, how many employees are under the plan, etc.
Mine was $500/month but this is a sick cynical joke when you are on unemployment at $375 wk and you have rent and food to pay for as well as keep up appearances for job hunting. Then I retired however my wife is too young for medicare so she is going barefoot for another year until her medicare kicks in. If she gets sick we declare bankruptcy - I have worked for 56 freaking years always done the right thing but enough is enough If MittMutt can pay taxes in the single percentage digits while I get taxed and fee'd to the tune of 55% Y'all can go to hell.
Lisa - I don't know how much where you live affects health insurance premiums, but I do know that your age makes a huge difference. Once you hit 50 and over it really does go up. My husband lost his job when he was when he was 49 and his COBRA premium was around $325.00 for pretty good insurance. Once he hit 50 it went up to just under $500.00. We were just able to afford the lower amount, but when it increased by almost $175.00 we had to drop it. It became a matter of do we eat or does he have insurance? I suppose we could have raised his deductible and out of pocket to lower the premium, but he has chronic health issues and the doctor visits get pretty expensive as I'm sure you know.
Thank you for responding to my question, Floretta, boomer, and ccd--my husband is 52 now and in his late 40's at the time. That would explain some of that. Boomer--I'm fed up with both Repubs and Demos--and I hope that you and your wife are able to stay healthy-- I also remember my husband saying that the medical insurance he has now doesn't cover as well as the coverage he had before.
Answers at www.healthcare.gov I hope you find all your answers at the site or are directed to someone who can answer questions for you.
Repubs have only one answer....let them die.
Obviously you did not do the right things or you would have saved for your retirement, Romney pays what the government says he has to pay and no way are you paying 55% in taxes that bull
Dems have one answer...Make them pay their fair share, except they are already paying their fair share and your share too.
If you want things in this life you have to work hard and pay for them, Nothing is owed to you by your government via taxation of others,.
Starsailing: I think we covered that on previous post that there are NO answers on that site.
As for you saying that Republicans should let people die is false. We just don't like the plan the President has to give. Let him try again.
people work all their lives.. maybe the job they have worked at didn't pay well. But they did the right things, paid for their home, raised the kids, paid the bills. You can't make "the right decision" if your income only allows you the basics. Many people only have the Basics if they even have that. Count yourself lucky if you have more than that. And yes.. People that have more than they can spend like Mitt Romney are out of touch, they have accountants that know how to move the money around and qualify the rich into tax cuts and rates that most of us would love to be eligible for.
It is controlled coverage that denies proper testing ,denies certain procedures and denies certain medications. The insurance policies have fine print that really cause problems because that's the name of their game.
Even with insurance you may not get access to the doctors or procedures you need. I had a total knee replacement in May. My doctor ordered outpatient physical therapy twice a week for 4 weeks. I was able to get an appointment only once a week for the first two weeks, then the next available appt was three weeks later. Since I am young and want to return back to work full-time I am paying out of pocket to see a physical therapist that is not covered by my insurance, but at least I am recovering.
Lisa, our insurance premiums is $478 per employee only. If you have a spouse, child or family plan it ican be over $1000. per month.
foolishness abounds
So Soros is involved in a conspiracy to slant the news but Rupert Murdoch (the guy who owns Fox) is not? Murdoch hacks illegally) into the phones of murdered children, the Royal Family, and anyone else who happens to catch the attention of the press, but he's a good guy? You want slanted news, go to Fox and listen to them spew their hatred of anything remotely unconservative, then tell me how Soros is bad. You conspiracy freaks are all alike. Anyone who disagrees with your political brand is slanting the news, but you feel free to lie, distort, and flat out fantasize about public events and you're a good angel? Grow up, there really is more than one side to a story, and your side isn't necessarily correct. Your news media continually tells the American people that they should be happy to allow the 1% to hoard every dime that they earn because that is "free enterprise". I call it unregulated thievery, fraud, exploitation and downright immorality.
Relax. Both sides have the same bogeymen. Soros = Koch brothers. And the slanted coverage. Fox = MSNBC.
Look at this though, just for fun: You say conservative media (distorted FOX) tells people to support the 1% and bashes anything unconservative. Fair enough.
Which news outlet informs your last sentence in opposition to FOX's position? And, are they as distorted as FOX, just in the other direction?
underemployed and factcheckero--both of you are correct--and I don't trust either side! Underemployed, what you call "free enterprise" I call "unbridled capitalism." To me, free enterprise operates quite differently than what we see today. Soros and the Koch brothers are just the flip sides of the same coin.
Lets see now job oportunites not that great, low pay, ex husbands that do not pay child support, women have a different set of health issues than men do, they have a higher level of stress these days just trying to survive. This political machine and these corrupt insurance companies are letting the citizens die because they are after one thing and that is money, large profits with no concern for the welfare of the good citizens that do the work to keep this country up and going. We do need a national healthcare system that everyone in this country should be on and the rich, powerful, politicians have to wait their turn in line just like the rest of us, you know take a number and wait your turn, I sure would like to see those fat cats get in line with the poor and the poor working class ha !
SO WOULD I!
Why are we the Hosed country hosing ourselves economically with med care? Many factors and parties to blame, basically can go a little to almost everyone: 1. due to loss of industrial production to China, etc. our business world only has medicine and loan/banking/brokering scams left to get rich from...did they think about it first, that losing our industrial backbone will dry up wealth availability in the long run or did they plan it that way as nonpatriotic me first folks? 2. Our excess of fast food and junk food consumption (probably many times more than any other country) plus other vices like smoking, boozing, drugs and being lazy (remember when there were no video or computer games nor cable tv about 40 years ago and how we spent our time outside in parks and ball fields growing up when not studying). 3. and the medical administration/MBA/MHA/insurance industry combining with the pharm and med equipment guys to run a Medical Industrial Complex that really doesn't have Public Health at the top of their lists.
Readers who are not familiar with First read would find it hard to understand some of the arguments that I have read here. Some are blaming the poor woman because she bought cheap insurance, some are (of course) blaming Obama, but I find not one argument against the insurance company.
This crap about ACA being a tax or not a tax is ridiculous. Ask the people of Massachusetts if the world has ended there because of the PENALTY. Last time I visited, all seemed well in the state. I thought the tea-party folks didn't like free-loaders????? I guess we have to ask the question "When is a free-loader not a free-loader? Could it be - when they belong to the tea-party? or maybe - when FOX says so.
Catherine bought the coverage that she could afford. I call that being a good citizen, don't you? So why all the nastiness?
Tell me: What is wrong about having college kids on parent's insurance until they are 26yrs old. Being able to get health insurance when you have a "pre-existing condition" or senior citizens getting free preventive care. What is wrong by making sure people who can't afford health insurance getting help.
Some of you people writing here should be ashamed of yourselves with your attitude of "I'm alright Jack, tough kaka about you". Just remember, what goes around comes around and one day you too will be grateful that someone in government had a heart.
For many of you republicans, the election is not about who is good for the country, it's all about winning. My side beat your side... na na na!! I think its time a lot of you grew up and sat down and thought seriously about what your prize will be if Romney actually became president. I have no idea where the hate for Obama comes from......... (actually yes I do... 24/7 FOX) but the truth is you being a bunch of losers is not the fault of the president.
Sweet Lady you are now my hero, after reading you I am sure that this world will become a better place we just need to find more like you and have them get the word out and the vote, these politicians understand the vote, bouycott anyone who advertises on the Fox News Network !!!
Just wait until all those who are not really poor find out what AFFORDABLE means. Way too many people like the lady in the story choose to take risks they should not. They either try to run without insurance or buy high deductible but don't save the money to cover the deductible. Too bad for them they now must live within their means and pay their fair share of their health care which they CAN afford but CHOOSE not to. We will soon see the screaming when people find out obama care for the middle class is not cheap. Only the poor who leach off the system already will see a benefit.
I know more than one person working as a contractor that could easily afford insurance and chose not to, then used the bankruptcy laws to bail out of the bill.
Ramboet, you've got my vote today.
Romboet you got mine as well - run for president will you!!!
Rambo..it's not hatred for Obozo, but his politics. Yes, he won in 2008. But it won't be that easy this time around. Mickey Mouse could have run and won that year. THIS time he has to take responsibility for his actions, or IN-actions. The economy. Jobs. The health care plan that 1/2 the country doesn't want.
These are HIS actions, and the November elections will tell whether the American public feels that he's done his job or not.
NOBama 2012
You got my vote as well. Too many people are quick to judge.
Check out the Health Connector site (Massachusetts health insurance) for an idea of how it can work. MA actually got this up and running in a year's time.
""
They make it easy to find affordable insurance and pay either electronically or by check. Other states should simply copy their site and use it as a template. They have bronze, silver and gold plans, allowing you to choose lower premiums but higher service costs or higher premiums and lower service costs (or the middle "silver" ground) and there are low and high programs within those; my example gave me a choice of 24 plans ranging from $1008 a month to $2508 - for a couple. The maximum OOP (out of pocket) cost is $2000 for an individual, $4000 for a family.
This example is for those with an annual income of over $45K; there is another, lower cost/subsidized selection for those with lower incomes.
OMG .. Floretta. that isn't affordable, thats highway robbery. A family that makes 45k a year before taxes I presume that is 3461 dollar a month before tax.. and you are paying at the low ens 1008 ... lets see, 3461-1008=2453 but we havent taken taxes out so for a good frame lets say for all taxes lets multiply by .83 that should get us in the ball park of after tax dollars. 45000 x .83=37500 now minus the "health premium" of 1008 and that leaves that family with 37500 divided by 13 =2873 minus the insurance 1008 = 1865 a month to live on.. tell me how that is working for you?
Gotta love these people whose panties are in a bunch over Fox News. MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and almost every major newspaper in this country is liberally biased. To deny it is a lie and every person in this country knows it. I don't think Fox News is the greatest, but at least it offers a different side of things. Have you seen Andrea Mitchell trying to talk down to John Sununu? She was rude, demeaning and unprofessional. He just laughed at her and gave her the facts and she couldn't do anything but stammer and try to force her opinion rather than be objective. Why do you think Obama puts down Fox - because they won't kowtow to him like the other networks! They aren't in his back pocket! Good grief - it's all so ridiculous. People in this country are tired of the liberal bias in news. Why do you think every Fox news show is killing in the ratings while Morning Joe, Chris Matthews and Wolf Blitzer are in the dumper? People are tired of bias!
it's the dumming down of America which was predicted.
Chris Matthews of MSNBC should be on Obama's campaign payroll...it's incredible what he gets away with, and not presenting another side. So biased. Like he is so brilliant that he has to tell us all how to think. I thought these news sites were duty-bound to report both sides.
Jennifer ... Fox News is no different spinning everything according to their biases and political ideology. The only difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans are EXTRAORDINARY liars, as opposed to Democrats stretching the truth a little every once in a while.
Actually ... Fox "News" is an ENTERTAINMENT channel and NOT a NEWS channel. Rupert (I'll hack into anybody's cell phone) Murdoch has ADMITTED that it's NOT a news channel. So if you go to Fox for NEWS then you're SOL because you're NOT going to get it.
I miss Walter Cronkite... I miss real reporters that told the unbiased news.
Stephen Moore is a known liar. Every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie and the policies he advocates in this country are ones that have failed over and over and over again.
Fact, I have worked and paid into SS since age 13. Almost 30 of those for a major company with group insurance. At 65, it became Medicare, and because of focusing my money toward post graduate education, care giving my parents for three years, I had no CD's, savings accounts, and there were no special plans. Heck initially, women were not allowed to join the pension plan as they would marry and leave the company. therefore it was an HMO for me. I kept switching until I found the quality of care I wanted.
At 80, breast cancer was discovered, unseen ever by mammograms. I had an out of network second opinion. My surgery was performed 10/11/11. I was referred to radiation, and offered a couple of options. I selected one where there was less chance of scarring lung and heart tissue. Costs were never discussed, and I expected the usual co-pay. The last treatment was 11/16/11 and for six months I believed all was OK. A five line bill was mailed 4/30/12, no single line defined, one of which was $3,000. Several calls later I found it was radiation co-pays. A single treatment ran between $22,000 up to $27,000. I was/am shocked and do not have $3,000. at all. My Social Security check is higher than being able to qualify for any State or Federal assistance, although it goes 100% for my mortgage. The Radiation treatment was 15 minutes long. With prepping etc. extend it to 30 minutes employee and machine time. How does that equate to $27,000? I am looking at an EOB, (explanation of benefits) I just received for an MRI post surgery. My HMO was billed $4,386.00!!! patient savings reads $4,245.69. Claims payment $231.41, co-pay $150.00. Where is the reality to this billing? Why is this disparity even allowed? Why do some hospital CEO's annual take home pay via perks and bonus reach up to 4 MILLION? Recently published statistics. Bottom line, at age 81, I am job hunting. I worked and paid all taxes for most of my life, am I really an "entitlement?" Left/right, socialist/tea party, religious/non-religist, gay/straight, whatever, stop name calling, fighting each other, needing to be right. Get together, cut out all the empire builders, medical feifdom's, and bureaucracies, just decide to work together, resolve health issues and understand what affordable means. It is not political, it is humane.
It defies logic and is a shame. How awful to have to worry and stress over the bill instead of concentrating on recovering. The disparity exists because we as Americans have let it get this way. When we realize that health insurance companies have only one thing in mind (and it ain't your health), we can start to walk away from this crooked system.
In today's America everyone is supposed to be responsible for themselves. People who can afford to do this win; people who can't, "Too bad for you; why should I pay for your problems?"
Read some of the posts here for examples.
Well said and absolutely unconscionable.
Teresa, get a lawyer, declare bankruptcy and enjoy the rest of your life at 81 there is no way in hell you should be subjected to this crap!!! Nor should ANYONE ELSE IN THE AMERICAN DREAM (sarcasm writ large)
Amen.....good luck .
Junk coverage? Blue Cross or some other premium health care coverage with a high deductible is what she probably bought. So she probably had a $5,000 deductible and after the deductible was met, they paid 70% of her medical bills. 70% to 80% coverage isn't considered "Junk" coverage; it is considered good coverage these days and the insurance companies are charging 200 a month for policies like these. I know because I pay the bills for the employee plan that my company offers and that junk coverage is costly my comp[any about $300 per person right now. She didn't think it was junk when she chose it, but unfortunately she was shopping for her insurance by price which is what all young people do. Who shops for health insurance by need at that age? She may say now that the agent told her she didn't need any better insurance but that's really all she was willing to pay for. The health care in this country stinks and the same great care should be available to everyone instead of only the rich and the poor. Middle class people struggle to pay their bills and they are the only ones who are concerned about it. Why should people go bankrupt over medical bills? Why should people not get the care they need because they can't afford it? Poor people get better care than the working poor and the under-insured. The situation is shameful! We need universal health care. Please vote for it before something bad happens to your family.
On another recent healthcare thread here one commenter posted that "we don't have the resources to provide healthcare for everyone, so we're always going to see some form of rationing. So why not make money the deciding factor? It's the easiest way."
I find that attitude frightening.
Funny, cuz the rest of the world manages to cover health insurance for all of their citizens, just fine - and it costs their government half of what we pay here. It's called universal single payer health care. Some countries have private insurers, others have only government paying the bill but they all follow the same rules and are not allowed to profit from citizens' illnesses.
I am fortunate enough to have insurance through my employer. The share of their cost that I pay has increased considerably and my deductible and out-of-pocket maximums have risen drastically...but I do have good coverage. I find it frightening and depressing that we as a country have allowed this issue to be aligned by political party instead of approached comprehensively and cooperatively.
I grew up in Canada so was used to a single payer, comprehensive program (don't get me started on the fact that 99% of US citizens do not understand the difference between single payer/socialist medicine) that did not restrict my access to primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, testing, etc. Health coverage just isn't/wasn't an issue. It is paid for via income taxes. Before you get all crazy about taxes, Canadians pay considerable less in property tax and post-secondary education costs a fraction of what we pay here...so overall the tax/expense burdern between the countires is pretty equivalent.
I have a persoanl example of the striking differences between the systems. I fell while in Canada on vacation and broke my leg in seven places. I required emergency transportation, hospitalization for a week, lengthly orthopedic surgery with implants, and nursing care. My total bill was under $25,000. Since I work for a sugery management company, I had them calculate what the charges would have been in the US...over $85,000! I received at least equal care.
The current state of US healthcare is unsustainable...we all know that. Instead of just making noise, those in positions to make change need to suck it up, think outside their small ideological boxes, and work together towards a comprehensive, affordable, universal approach. The ACA is a start. It isn't perfect...but can be made better with cooperation in Congress.
The trick isn't to have insurance available for everyone under the healthcare system we have now...it is disorganized, expensive, and selective. The solution is to demand that providers along the care continuum work togther to deliver affordable, effective, efficient, patient centered care that significantly rewards those who achieve quality and safety benchmarks and penalizes those who don't. ACA starts that process but will need tweaking as it is implemented.
Excellent post Cathy!
Tweaking may be an understatement...as with all government programs they start out being sold as affordable..which programs have worked out at the initial estimates of cost to the taxpayers....NONE..why would the ACA be any different....I doubt seriously it will.
Almost 20 years ago, in '93-'94 President Clinton put the task on Hillary Clinton to look into our medical industry and come back with a suggestion on how to fix it. She ended up understanding the medical industry and all of the payments schemes as good as anybody and she said the system was a collasal clusterphuck and it would take a gazillion dollars to fix.
So what did our Congress do? What they do best, NOTHING!
20 years later the problem is larger and more costly to correct.
She was excoriated for Hillarycare, slammed viciously - but she was right. It just took time to catch up.
"The Clinton health plan required each US citizen and permanent resident alien to become enrolled in a qualified health plan and forbade their disenrollment until covered by another plan. It listed minimum coverages and maximum annual out-of-pocket expenses for each plan. It proposed the establishment of corporate "regional alliances" of health providers to be subject to a fee-for-service schedule. People below a certain set income level were to pay nothing. The act listed funding to be sent to the states for the administration of this plan, beginning at $13.5 billion in 1993 and reaching $38.3 billion in 2003."
$38.3 billion - just think if we'd done this 20 years ago.