Wasnt George the one who was completely against universal health care? It will be interresting to see what he thinks after this is all over
Printable View
Wasnt George the one who was completely against universal health care? It will be interresting to see what he thinks after this is all over
Bruce - I get what you're saying, but my experience with Dave's 2 1/2 year treatment, 18 day hospital stay, and ultimate Hospice care, was the same as George's. Absolute professional and premium care. Thankfully Dave had good insurance, so I didn't have to wonder "what if."
I also have a friend with severe medical issues, who retired from the Oklahoma City Police Department and moved to Florida. Because he is out-of-network (poor planning all around) there are high deductibles and by all the time the paperwork is processed, the insurer is slow to pay the local facilities. While neither he nor his wife have ever been denied service or treatment, they relate that they are "known" as slow payers and they feel they get less than prompt service when it comes to scheduling follow-up appointments, etc.
There have been a couple of recent cases in the news where insurance companies actually denied potentially life-saving treatment and gave in and approved the procedures when the patent's family brought media attention to the situation.
There was also a Florida hospital that recently discharged an illegal immigrant and even chartered a plane and flew him back to Honduras [?] or some such after providing several million dollars of non-covered, non-insured, never ever going to be reimbursed care.
So on the upper levels there's certainly decisions made based on dollars and cents, but I can't imagine any doctor, resident, nurse or staff on the floor giving or denying care because of a patient's ability to pay. As mentioned above, generally they don't know the ability or non-ability to pay.
What the answer is, I don't know. I don't think there's one single right answer either.
As for me, I'm grateful for the care that Dave received. I'll never know if it was because he had good insurance or not, but I'm grateful for it regardless. I'm also grateful that I'm currently insured, because one that that was very apparent during Dave's illness is that the last thing that you need when you are hurt or fighting for your life is to be worried about medical bills... :(
- M
I am very glad to hear that people feel like they are getting good care and that money does not appear to be playing a role.
However, I stand by my understanding that hospitals quite commonly get pre-authorizations before providing non-emergency care. In fact I believe many insurance plans require that non-emergency care by pre-authorized.
Keep in mind that this process is, from the perspective of the patient and family, likely to be a somewhat subtle thing to pick up. It is not every step in the treatment process that needs to be pre-authorized, but rather overall "procedures," which include many individual elements. The doctors and other medical staff are also likely to be familiar with what things need pre-authorization and what can be considered routine part of the overall procedure or within the usual discretion allowed by the insurance company.
A classic example this, that many of us will have at least heard about, is how many days of hospital stay are allowed for a given condition, such as a routine birth.
Best wishes for a fast and complete recovery.
Bad luck about the accident and good luck on the recovery.
It sounds like, from the link you supplied, the hospital you are in is an excellent one (religious, non-profit) and it would be swell if they were all like that, but the message from the president and ceo of the facility starts off withand then covers the rest of the page with denials that they are not like that, which I have no doubt are true. But I don't think your hospital represents the norm for hospitals nationwide.Quote:
"Over the past two years, much has been written on the lack of ethical principles employed by many of the nation’s largest for-profit businesses, particularly as it relates to financial reporting. Indeed, it seems not a day goes by where one isn’t reminded of just how pervasive, egregious and immoral these acts of commission were, damaging not only the lives of their employees and shareholders but also the communities in which they resided.
Generally speaking, it is true that most organizations (that is to say, for-profit organizations) have as a central tenet a responsibility to maximize the wealth of their respective shareholders."
I've been hit by a car before; young kid, running across the street, broken leg. It's not fun. The first facility I was taken to wouldn't treat me until they got ahold of my parents, and then once they found out my insurance situation (none) they shipped me off to County General.
County General was a real life lesson. The emergency room was so full, that they parked my stretcher in the hallway, and pulled a little curtain around it. I was still sitting there about 12 hours after my accident, without ever having been examined. I asked the nurse when someone was going to have a chance to get around to me and her response changed the way I thought about life forever.
She said something to the effect of 'I know it's hard for you to wait. You're hurt and you're scared. But there are people just a few feet away from you who are dying, and they need our attention now more than you. We will help you as soon as we possibly can.'
I have to say, that the whole experience made me grow up rather quickly. One day, I was a 13 yo kid without a care in the world, the next day, I knew how precious life was, and, even given my circumstances, how fortunate I was compared to many, many others around me.
I hope the same for you George, that you learn how precious life is.
Good luck, George!
I know it's stressful on you and everyone around you. Hang in there!
I believe I have always said:Quote:
Originally Posted by TimH
Health care is important, but that other items - food and shelter seem to be more important to provide. Most people chose food and shelter before health care.
I have also said that the proposals seem to provide too little for the poor. And cost too much for the rich.
I have offered a number of changes I would be in favor of relative to health care and who pays.
I have always been embarrassed that my HSA insurance is free considering my tax situation.
I have been most in favor of transportable health care plans and better tax breaks for those paying for health insurance.
And as I said I was very lucky that health insurance was more or less free for me.
Have I changed my position? Yes. I think it is more important to change the system. No. I don't like any of the proposed changes.
----
I thank everyone for their kind words.
Glad you are still with us, George - bike (of any type ) vs. drunken auto never is good. Happened to two of my friends, both still here but rather badly beaten up.. Get well soon.
There's a huge difference between the amount of the "bill", and the amount Medicare actually pays. Medicare is usually the lowest paying reimburser of all third party payers. The true cost may have been as little as a tenth of the bill.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saltiguy
Godspeed on your recovery.
I had a little accident a little while back - nothing like yours, but a shock, a scare, a pain in the neck still.
Quote:
Originally Posted by High C
Actually, the figure of $12,000 is the figure I got from Medicare. I even called them out of curiosity, and they told me that amount was approved.
Let's talk numbers.Quote:
Originally Posted by High C
Medicare negogiates a maximum allowable charge for a specific procedure and pays 80% of that.
If you have a procedure that Medicare allows a $100 charge for, you may be billed for $20
If the max allowed is $50, you may be billed for $10.
Some of the docs my mom saw ate her part. I'm told this is illegal. I don't know, and I wasn't about to complain.
One of the popular negations for people who are paying cash for medical services is to offer to pay the Medicare rate.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saltiguy
My daughter says that the Medicae rates are posted ojn line.
John for a long time I have had you on ignore. I have changed that now.Quote:
Originally Posted by John Smith
Had my treatment been out of network my cost would have been capped at $23K plus noncovered costs. I have about $5000 of noncovered costs now - ramp to my house, linens for my hospital bed, leg supports for my wheel chair ... And of course, there is the lost income for the 4 hours a day my wife spends assisting me rather than working.
Yes, I see the benefits of universal health care, but I really don't like selling point of the rich paying for it. (No, I am not one of the rich.)
---
Even if heath care was free there is a lot of stress and lost time for any major health care problem.
I have about $5K of non-covered expenses - ramp to my house and such.
My daughter flew in - $1000 plus 5 days of lost work.
My wife or one of my daughters was in the hospital with me around the clock at first and down to a few hours a day towards the end. Of course, they brought food in for me - oriental food from Pei Wei, and pizza. Now I am at home my wife says it is like having a newborn around. Lots of lost work time just aheard of the October 15 tax deadline.
These costs are typical of any sudden health problem. Fortuantely, I had three people who could support each other as they were providing support for me. Fortunately, I have the financial resources that my family could tend to me rather than work.
Anyone who wants to solve the health care problem has to address the other related costs also.
I'm not positive this is necessarily true - I understand that in Canada at least, Auto insurance gets billed for medical costs caused by the Insurer's autos.Quote:
Originally Posted by John Smith
That's not the amount actually paid to the provider, not even close. That was the pie in the sky rate that NO ONE pays. At Medicare's low reimbursement rates, $12,000 will get you 10 days in a rehab unit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saltiguy
I recently had a chunk of my intestine removed, six days in the hospital. Hospital bill (not the surgeon's) was arouind $60,000. Medicare paid a bit over $8,000, I had to pay $1,000. I suppose if I didn't have any insurance I'd have been expected to pay the whole $60,000. This kind of billing stinks.
Let me know what you think a few years down the road; George. Cause the tiny bang in cost you just took will look like a love tap in 5 years. hope you get better soon you now know some of the hell i have been dealing with and its not anything i would wish on anyone.
How is prison health care for pre-existing conditions?
Dan
Don't believe he needs to know. Just a fine apparently.Quote:
Originally Posted by huisjen
I just feel that Karma isn't done with him yet.
you guys sure aren't done with him yet...
I recall him posting here and essentially denying the charge. He said we would see how the police and prosecutor were persecuting him once all the facts were revealed. And then, after dragging this out for well over a year he pleads guilty? We have the need to talk this out.
Didn't he say he'd never be found guilty? It might be a fine dog hair that he's splitting, but, I guess he wasn't found guilty... he admitted he was guilty instead.
"...We have the need to talk this out..."
____________________________________
No. We don't.