$220.00 to See Sarah Palin? WTF?

[Kootenanny]

I much prefer our health care system over what the Americans have.  But, ours is far from perfect.  For example, about 10 years ago I was on a hospital ethics panel, and one day we had a presentation from an ethicist from another hospital.  The main messages were how proud they were of putting a "Do Not Resuscitate" order on a patient's chart and making it stick despite strenuous objections from the patient, and how courageous they all were for doing it.  Their reasons were:  no chance of recovery to the point of leaving the hospital, refusal to quit smoking, and no dependents.  I was disgusted and said so, to the amazement of all the medical types on the committee.  Apparently they all thought it was just fine.

Well, at least the list of reasons didn't include "Inability to pay for hospital services due to lack of insurance," or worse, "Insurer refuses to pay for hospital services due to pre-existing condion: the patient had a cold once."  When you think about it, the American system has "death rationing," but it's based on financial status, the state of your health insurance, and the willingness of your insurer to pay for your treatment (there are people who are paid specifically to devise reasons to deny treatment to insured patients).

[Baz]

Well, at least the list of reasons didn't include "Inability to pay for hospital services due to lack of insurance," or worse, "Insurer refuses to pay for hospital services due to pre-existing condion: the patient had a cold once."  When you think about it, the American system has "death rationing," but it's based on financial status, the state of your health insurance, and the willingness of your insurer to pay for your treatment (there are people who are paid specifically to devise reasons to deny treatment to insured patients).

I have a Seattle friend who is in need to a second heart surgery who had his company insurance plan abandon him after the 1st one about 5 years ago.

He is now in the sad situation of loosing everything he owns to the nice hospital, or deciding to let nature take its course & hope for the best. Pretty sad to be 60 years old, & living on the street because some HMO needs to be profitable. He told me that he feels his only option is to go on welfare & become medicaid eligible. This is coming from a guy who has never expected anyone to look after him in his entire life.

[ice-cycle]

Must have thought she could see Russia from there?  



Well, okay the Ukraine is pretty close...

[Baz]

Must have thought she could see Russia from there?  



Well, okay the Ukraine is pretty close...

You know that's actually a giant communications antennae so we can report back to the homeland don't you?

Of course some think that this other piece of Alberta art is actually a sausage.  

[Kootenanny]

I have a Seattle friend who is in need to a second heart surgery who had his company insurance plan abandon him after the 1st one about 5 years ago.

He is now in the sad situation of loosing everything he owns to the nice hospital, or deciding to let nature take its course & hope for the best. Pretty sad to be 60 years old, & living on the street because some HMO needs to be profitable. He told me that he feels his only option is to go on welfare & become medicaid eligible. This is coming from a guy who has never expected anyone to look after him in his entire life.

Hmmm...but anyone who voted for the plan to prevent just this scenario, is a "Communist"--actually, worse, a "Stalinist."  So goes the logic in American politics...

[Thunderbox]

She would have to be naked and ready and willing.

[Doc Bacon]

With all references to our (Canadian) socialized medicine aside, please consider that the $1trillion American health care bill will extend health care to under 10 million people - and that all the money to pay for the expansion of government must be raised by increasing taxes and borrowing more money from the Chinese.

As in-debt as the Americans are, it seems prudent to remind them that, should you find yourself in a deep hole, the first thing to do is to STOP DIGGING.

[Kootenanny]

...the $1trillion American health care bill will extend health care to under 10 million people...

Hmmm...I wonder about those numbers.  Of course, it's impossible for anyone to get realistic numbers, since everyone has a different estimate (and a different axe to grind).

I was under the impression that the new health care bill was as much about improving access to health care for the 250 million Americans who are insured, as in extending it to the those who aren't.  That's my main concern about US-style private, for-profit health care...I don't want someone combing through my medical history for the express purpose of finding some way to deny me the coverage I've been paying premiums for.

[Doc Bacon]

250 million uninsured Americans?  That's even more than Pelosi claimed.  Most promoters of expanded coverage used 40 million, which included 10-15 million illegals plus an estimated 15-20 million who are between jobs and opted not to insure, or who were young and healthy and who opted not to insure.  The bottom of the range, given the factors above, is about 4 million chronically uninsured.

[Kootenanny]

250 million uninsured Americans?  That's even more than Pelosi claimed.

No, 250 million who ARE insured.  Since the US population is a bit over 300 million, that leaves a few more than 50 million uninsured.

The point I was making is that even American citizens who ARE insured often run into problems.  The American health system is a private, for-profit system.  Their profit is the difference between how much they receive in the form of premiums and how much they dole out in the form of claim settlements.  Of course, private industry wants to increase profits; one way of doing this is to reduce the amount paid out as claims, which means that any claim denied is more profit for the insurance company.  To this end, these companies spend a fair bit of effort to discover reasons they can "legally" deny claims; as I understand it, Obama's health care bill will force the insurance companies to pay on legitimate claims, and supposedly end this practice of denying claims for irrelevant reasons.

[Baz]

Kootenany:

I have an ex coworker who moved to the US and agrees with your statement. He told me that while he received prompt and good treatment, it was always a fight when the bill came. (This might of been his provider) His claims he tells me were almost always a fight, and he paid dearly for parts of the bill that were not covered. He could not of imagined having a family member with a chronic problem.

He said he would not trade systems.