Crap. . . medical bills. . . crap

[mrrman]

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: episodic

Originally posted by: mcmilljb
First off, I don't think most people understand how medical care and insurance works together. Your insurance does cover costs, but you have the deductible which must be paid before they start paying(just like you do for car insurance). The good news is that you get reduced rates because they negotiate lower rates for you. The bad news is that it takes a while to hit the $500-1000 deductible. Plus you're paying your monthly premium. That's not a very fun. Then you're onto the coinsurance part which isn't much fun either. You're now paying typically 20%(comes from the 80/20) of all costs until you pay up to another typically $2000-3000. Luckily after that, you don't have to pay any more out of pocket until you reach the max of all your insurance. Plus you can have the required copays for office visits and other various clauses they put in. You just have to read what you're getting into before you start picking plans.

You should have at least your deductible saved up and set aside because most healthy people won't break that unless they get sick. A decent $120/month health plan is only a 5.76% "tax" on someone making $25k a year. I would like employers to be required to accept a document from insurance providers(as a form of proof) that allows them to use pre tax dollars to pay for their health insurance premiums. That right there would be an easy 15% discount for someone making $25k/year.

Plus most people just accept whatever rate or bill sent to them from the hopsital/facility. You need to see a detailed billing because hospitals will over charge you on any thing. They do this because they can. Fight back against outrageous charges. If it seems way too high(talking $1000's here), you may need to talk to a lawyer. A lawyer will not make you pay to glance over your potential case, if they do find another one. Be willing to negotiate with a doctor's office too if you think they charge too high a fee. That's what you have to do in a capitalist society. You can't always just accept the price given.

I picked $25k to show how someone not making a lot still has a chance to get insurance. I'm also curious about Canada's tax. What is the Canadian tax for health care? How much do you pay out of your pay check specifically for health insurance?

Where do you get a health plan for a hundred something?

I pay for employee + child and I spend 'almost' 500$ a month. It is the only option where I work, so thats it. . .

Well I was pointing more towards a single person (I'm single myself). So sorry if I got you confused by that. I'll go back and add that to my post to make it more clear.

When it comes to spouse, child and family plans, the terms can vary wildly depending on plans at different companies. I'm surprised 2 people would approach $500/month, but it can get high with children. I also don't know your premium, deductible, coinsurance and other details to really make a guess why you're paying that much.

As a CDN, I am paying $130 every 2 weeks that covers myself and my 2 boys for dental and medical. Yes i do agree we are taxed to death at 12% on after tax $$ when we buy goods. As a wise shopper and quite savy with the net, I buy all my electronics in the US at 1/2 the cost of buying them here and i do not pay any taxes on them. Ive also purchased 2 cars in the US within the last year saving me over $42K and only paying $5K in duties, so I actually saved $35k. My income is taxed 30% so with all the ways that I save $$...I am doing quite well. Going back to healthcare, my prescriptions cost me $1....yes $1 for anything and my dental is covered up to 80%. I have a regualr doctor but we have walk in clinics everywhere that do not cost anything...just like seeing my regualr doctor but without the appt.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: narzy

Originally posted by: glugglug

Originally posted by: narzy
US run health care, Anyone look at the VA lately?

This would probably be in a lot better shape if our gov't wasn't hell-bent on world domination.

I'm with you, I think it is idiotic to spend as much as we do on "defense." If we pumped the same amount in the education, health care, NASA, Sciences, and other social services we would be in far better shape. But as it stands now, we are more concerned with blowing people up.

http://wallstats.com/deathandtaxes/
only up to 2008 budget. total security spending is over 1.1 trillion, though that may include things like the FBI. SS, medicare/aid is over 1.2 trillion. not really sure which one to put veterans' benefits, as likely that could go either into defense or social services. there is also 343 billion for 'income security.' no idea what that is.

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: Modelworks
As flawed as our system in the USA is, remember that regardless of how much you owe or how poor you are , you will always get medical care if you need it. Some countries you may not be able to see a doctor even if you are dying.

That doesn't mean I like our system, I got billed for $125 for a bag of iv saline. Salt water the new oil !

Again bullsh1t.


Back up your claims. Now I know peoiple have died in the waiting room in the US and can get links for that.

Tape shows woman dying on NY Hospital waiting room floor

Those are rare occurrences. You cannot honestly say that hospitals all over the USA are letting people die for not paying.

I bet it happens more often than you think.

 

[Insomniator]

I don't understand how any system can really work given costs that are so high.

At some point down the line, care has to be paid for somehow in someway.

If it costs 1 million dollars a year to keep someone with cancer alive, the insurance company is expected to foot this bill for x amount of years just because it is life and death?

Then we complain insurance costs too much?

What should really happen, should the treatment cost less? Who is really getting all of this money?

I mean its not like auto insurance where there is a reasonable limit to how high costs are. No one accident costs 300 thousand dollars a year every year like some people cost in medical bills.

 

[Svnla]

This could be helpful for those of you who want to look/shop around = http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/

 

[WildHorse]

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[mshan]

Medical Billing Advocate Nora Johnson on Carmen Wong Ulrich's "On The Money": http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1033110809&play=1

 

[TwiceOver]

Wait for your EOB. My wife is having significant dental work done and she got done with a session and they said "That'll be $700" She walked out without paying because she is double covered by two dental insurances and knew they were BSing her. I hadn't received any EOB statements so I went to the Dentist and it turned out they were trying to bill us directly and for all the work that needs to be done (not just what has been done).