Health Insurance changes: Will get worse....

[Navy Chief]

Due to healthcare insurance changes, I had to make a drastic change. Tricare (who administrates healthcare insurance for active duty and retired vets) is dropping Prime coverage for anyone living further than 40 miles from a military facility. So, I either drive at least 1 1/2 hours north to Sarasota for a new doctor, and retain my Prime coverage; or I pay a LOT more to have reduced healthcare coverage in the area where I live, here in Fort Myers. So.....up to Sarasota I went, late last week, and signed up with a new doctor. Then, when I need to be seen for specialists, he will provide referrals to them down here.

Hmm, is this the "lower cost" healthcare we were all promised?

Yeah, right.

NC

[Naismith]

You sure do have an intricate and bureaucratic system south of the 49th.

[Navy Chief]

You sure do have an intricate and bureaucratic system south of the 49th.

Oh yes, things are most complicated and quite confusing. And with the U.S. Govt becoming more involved with healthcare, things will become a HUGE nightmare, and very expensive. Note: I left out the adjective "efficient".

NC

[Dumonceau]

Which is why most civilized countries have general, non-privatized health care. Which is what we have over here. It costs hardly next to nothing and we do not have to pay the ridiculous fees for anything health care you people have to.

Health care should never be in the hands of insurance companies, but controlled by the people who are elected by the people, the state. The exact same people we have chosen to serve.

Dumonceau
3rd Para, Para-Cdo. Rgt. ret.

[Daveroo]

i may get in trouble for this...but right now..the insurance companies are in a panic due to the upcoming changes.ok..Obama care as so many call it...im not going to try to say what will happen after its accually implemented..but like the news reports said just the otherday..the GOP has now made 38 attempts to have it overturned and have failed eachtime....when is it time to stop fighting?..my doctor told me the other when we were talking..( he and i are also personal friends away from the office)we were just BSing mostly about world war two..but he suddenly told me he is worried about his future income...he is a "independant" doctor of a large conglomeration of hospilats ,clinics and drs offices here in norcal...he didnt go into details..but he admited to me he wont beale to charge the prices he does now because the government has said its excessive...like 15 bucks for a wooden stick to depress a persons tongue isnt high doc..sheesh..he whined and sniveled at me for an hour about his practice and the supporting insurance companies are going to be hurt by the new health care laws....when i said to him...dude...i owe you 120 bucks from last year..and even though yer a freind..i cant come see you until i pay 50 dollar min payment....just because you refuse to take medical..then i added..maybe you should buy a chevy or ford and turn in the range rover and mercedes the wife drives (shes a doctor too)save a bit of money..and not charge so much......he wasnt happy...but bottomline to me..the insurance companies know the new health care plans are going to hurt them....for another example...my brother inlaw just had his hip replaced two weeks ago last friday...they charged him $6000.00 USD for room matanince and house keeping....for the four days he was in that room..no one ever swept or did any cleaning of any kind..and he was laying there with an open wound for two days..the room should have been spotless..but it was filthy...my sister took more than 30 pictures of the floors,,the condition of the bathroom ect...6 grand for something they did not do...they also charged him a flat fee of $30 dollars a day for a "Liquid refreshment fee"....when asked what that ment....it was his water piture for his sipping water...they charged 5.00 bucks a peice for cotton balls as well..i could go on...but this is what the new laws will stop once the insurance companies are delt wth....or as they should be...

[Navy Chief]

I knew when I started this topic that it would open up a bag of worms. But the immense changes in healthcare costs, along with reduction of services - is a major issue in this country.

Besides everything else gone wrong in this country, I firmly believe this will ruin our nation. This will be the last straw.

A previous poster mentioned that socialistic healthcare is cheap. Yes, but at what cost? High taxes is usually the cost, and if our current administration has its way, our taxes will definitely head upwards.

I am moving to Costa Rica next year. They DO have socialist healthcare, but with no military to support, there's a lot more money to pour into the system. I plan to retain my U.S. health insurance for now. But it probably won't be worth the cost much longer.


NC

[Kiwikat]

A previous poster mentioned that socialistic healthcare is cheap. Yes, but at what cost? High taxes is usually the cost, and if our current administration has its way, our taxes will definitely head upwards.

Our taxes are actually quite low compared to other countries, not to mention we don't have a VAT equivalent. I would pay more taxes if it meant I didn't have to line the pockets of insurance executives. I am sure no matter how it is implemented someone will be getting rich, though. :mixedsmi:

[SSI01]

There's one thing I've never been able to understand, though - it happens every time one of us goes to the dr for some sort of care - you get the insurance co's statement back, and find out the dr billed the insurance co a TREMENDOUS amount for what they did - the insurance co says, "This amount here is what our insured's plan pays, and that's all you're going to get from us," and the dr settles for that - less our deductible, of course. Why couldn't the dr charge the lesser amount to begin with? When you see things like this, you can see how the bill seems to be "padded."

[glh]

There's one thing I've never been able to understand, though - it happens every time one of us goes to the dr for some sort of care - you get the insurance co's statement back, and find out the dr billed the insurance co a TREMENDOUS amount for what they did - the insurance co says, "This amount here is what our insured's plan pays, and that's all you're going to get from us," and the dr settles for that - less our deductible, of course. Why couldn't the dr charge the lesser amount to begin with? When you see things like this, you can see how the bill seems to be "padded."

Let me enlighten you.

When you and yours first go into the hospital and/or the doctor's office for any treatment, the FIRST thing they ask and check is "Who's your insurance company ??" If you answer "I don't have any, I'm/We're self-insured", then your going to sign some form(s) that you agree to be responsible for and pay any and all billed charges for treatment to you and yours. And that's where you get the inflated billing -- $10 for an aspirin tablet, $2,000/day to clean the room (whether it was done or not -- see Daveroo's post). You're paying the full INFLATED price to cover office overhead, past mistakes and OUTRAGEOUS profit margins to maintain the providers lifestyle -- to basically make up for what they CANNOT get from the insurance companies and people who skip out on them.

Did you incur all of these charges ?? Who knows -- how can you tell what was done if you were under anesthesia ??

Were you the correct patient to be billed ?? Again, who knows ??

But you AGREED to pay all the billed charges and if you don't, it gets referred to collection agency(s) and their lawyers and your life is about to become a living hell. MAYBE you can cut some form of deal/discount if you walk in with the cash in hand within 5-10 days --you can try.

But you're stuck now in medical hell until you pay up. And if you have insurance/Medicare/medicaid, you get the same inflated billing (never know -- just in case) until the insurance company says "This is the amount a provider in our network contracted for this service and this is all that is going to be paid". And (one good thing) YOU CANNOT be "balance billed" by providers in your network -- at least in mine (UnitedHealthCare) you cannot.

[glh]

I knew when I started this topic that it would open up a bag of worms. But the immense changes in healthcare costs, along with reduction of services - is a major issue in this country.

Besides everything else gone wrong in this country, I firmly believe this will ruin our nation. This will be the last straw.

A previous poster mentioned that socialistic healthcare is cheap. Yes, but at what cost? High taxes is usually the cost, and if our current administration has its way, our taxes will definitely head upwards.

I am moving to Costa Rica next year. They DO have socialist healthcare, but with no military to support, there's a lot more money to pour into the system. I plan to retain my U.S. health insurance for now. But it probably won't be worth the cost much longer.


NC



Yes, a single-payer system in any country in which each and every LEGAL citizen is enrolled obviously has to be supported in some manner. Some form of taxation to pay for the services rendered by the system would be ONE logical alternative way to pay for the system. There are pros and cons to this form of system -- just like there are for any other (you'll never have a PERFECT one). But I can tell you that one of the investment clubs that holds meetings which I attend has Canadian "snowbird" members AND I have NEVER heard one of them state that they would swap the medical system they have for the mess we have in the USA. Never.

I'm 67 now and have been eligible for Medicare since age 65. I am enrolled in a UnitedHealtCare AARP Medicare Advantage HMO plan. I pay them $104.90 per month for my insurance -- which is my Medicare premium and is just paid to them. I have no copay to see my primary care doctor and a $35 copay to see specialists in my network. There are copays for services rendered in my network (For example, I recently had a lower-back MRI done and my copay was $80) but my out-of-pocket payments in any given year is capped at $4,250.

But this is NOT available to anyone not eligible for Medicare. If your not 65, too bad. You get to pay hundreds of dollars per month for insurance. I have several friends in their late 50s/early 60s that pay outlandish premiums for coverage.

My personal opinion is to open up Medicare to ALL LEGAL U.S. citizens on a VOLUNTARY basis. Private insurance companies would be forced to compete for their current and new members with an EFFICIENT single-payer system, which needs any and all restrictions to negotiate with medical and drug companies removed from it.

This would furnish the opportunity for all U.S. citizens to enroll from birth into a competitive system to lower the payments for all. Premiums and allowances could be made for persons less than 18 years old and could be means tested based on income. But the MAJORITY would be enrolled for a predetermined Medicare premium payment which would now be lowered by 30-50% due to the vast increase in membership resulting in lower costs for everyone in the system. The insurance companies would not like the competition and lower premiums but ........

[SPman]

In any decent civilised country that cares anything at all about their citizens, free healthcare should be a given. Profit motive has no part in healthcare - I consider the requirement for health insurance anathema!. Health, and essential services - power, water sewage, etc should all be paid for from taxes! These are not items that should be milked for a profit by wealthy individuals or corporates!

[Navy Chief]

In any decent civilised country that cares anything at all about their citizens, free healthcare should be a given. Profit motive has no part in healthcare - I consider the requirement for health insurance anathema!. Health, and essential services - power, water sewage, etc should all be paid for from taxes! These are not items that should be milked for a profit by wealthy individuals or corporates!

Free healthcare a "given"? Free healthcare is not a right. But I suppose it will be by the time this govt. has its way. The U.S. more socialistic all the time. It is NOT good. NC

[sbp]

Hey Chief,

Not only is our TriCare in a decreasing mode but now the administration wants to redo the COLA formula, downward of course, for retired military and SS folk's. It's called, "chained COLA". I've about had it with our present government, too. Costa Rica is looking better all the time.

Good luck to us all.....:salute:......

sbp

[gaucho_59]

Free healthcare a "given"? Free healthcare is not a right. But I suppose it will be by the time this govt. has its way. The U.S. more socialistic all the time. It is NOT good. NC

I know if might be hard on some folks, but I am a retired Army medical officer and have not had any of these problems.... Retired in Italy and lived in both Germany and Italy the last 25 years without problems...got providers in both countries GRATIS... courtesy of the US Army... came to San Diego and got care at Balboa Navy Medical Center for 1 year without problems... bought a house in the desert near Palm Springs and got a provider without problems (minor thing... got to pay a yearly 1900 bucks... my choice... I can get a provider who does not practice "boutique medicine" at no cost... like my wife does) and get my drugs free from Scripps with sometimes a little co-pay.... or at RITEAid (pay sometimes 40 bucks)...Man an Army career was my best investment... I am 75 years old... been retired since 1982... HOW COME I'VE MISSED OUT ON ALL THESE DOOMSDAY PREDICTIONS????????????

[Navy Chief]

I know if might be hard on some folks, but I am a retired Army medical officer and have not had any of these problems.... Retired in Italy and lived in both Germany and Italy the last 25 years without problems...got providers in both countries GRATIS... courtesy of the US Army... came to San Diego and got care at Balboa Navy Medical Center for 1 year without problems... bought a house in the desert near Palm Springs and got a provider without problems (minor thing... got to pay a yearly 1900 bucks... my choice... I can get a provider who does not practice "boutique medicine" at no cost... like my wife does) and get my drugs free from Scripps with sometimes a little co-pay.... or at RITEAid (pay sometimes 40 bucks)...Man an Army career was my best investment... I am 75 years old... been retired since 1982... HOW COME I'VE MISSED OUT ON ALL THESE DOOMSDAY PREDICTIONS????????????

Sir,

You have been quite fortunate! All I can say is that problems for veterans (with costs of healthcare) are on the rise. I made the decision to acquire a new doctor in advance of this Oct. 1st deadline (set by Tricare). At least in my area, there are not many Tricare Prime providers, so when the change takes place, there'll be a mass onslaught of vets, the availabilities will diminish. In addition, I visited the local VA clinic, hoping to get seen there. Not a chance. Brand new facility too, but unless you have a disability, it's impossible to get seen there. Waste of time. NC

[Dumonceau]

I would like to say a couple of things here, not wanting to annoy or rile up people:



Health care is a universal human right.
If everyone contributes to the system no one gets left out
If the system is controlled by the government (not owned), then we the people control the system
It is sick and twisted that some people (insurance, banks and doctors) should get rich on other people's ailments
people who have served their countries and made sacrifices for freedom, their country and their compatriots should get that health care free of charge automatically.


Those are my beliefs on the subject. They have nothing to do with socialism, it is just plain common sense and a sense of justice.

I appologize if I have offended people by saying that. But IMHO, the solidarity during the cold war days that was present in society are no more. Nowadays it is just hardline capitalism ,and individualism where the masses pay for the high life of those in power. That is not what I have served my country for.

I served my country and my people for the greater good, not for a couple of power and money hungry individuals who think they have the right to squeeze out society and who believe they have the right to control our beliefs and our countries.

In short, I believe in the Universal Rights of Human Kind. We are all equal and should be treated equal.

[Navy Chief]

I would like to say a couple of things here, not wanting to annoy or rile up people:



Health care is a universal human right.


I definitely disagree with you on that one. If healthcare is a universal right, then I guess housing is too? What about free cars, clothing, food? Where does it end?

NC

[Willy]

There's been only one Tricare Prime provider in this area and I was told that I don't have any option to stay on Tricare Prime when it phases out of this area as I don't live within 40 miles of a military base. Not a happy camper with it at all.

[Navy Chief]

There's been only one Tricare Prime provider in this area and I was told that I don't have any option to stay on Tricare Prime when it phases out of this area as I don't live within 40 miles of a military base. Not a happy camper with it at all.

Well, I don't either. But apparently Sarasota is within the range of Tampa where Macdill is located, so it qualifies. Granted, I have to drive 1 1/2 hours.

Tricare Standard is not a good plan, and definitely more expensive. NC

[Panther_99FS]

Sir,

You have been quite fortunate!

Compared to most of the planet, you have been quite fortunate too...:mixedsmi:

[Navy Chief]

Compared to most of the planet, you have been quite fortunate too...:mixedsmi:

Perhaps, but comparing us to other nations is not the issue. The issue is the drastic overhaul of a healthcare system that (although in need of improvements for certain) did NOT require impacting the entirety of the U.S. populace. There is a segment of our population that needed coverage, but even though the healthcare system wasn't perfect - it was NOT broken. The economic impact of all these changes (the totality of which - now becoming apparent) is horrific. At a time when our economy was already fragile, this promises to push us over the edge.

And, as I had originally posted, I thought this was supposed to REDUCE our costs?

Not a good situation for this country. NC

[CWOJackson]

Perhaps, but comparing us to other nations is not the issue. The issue is the drastic overhaul of a healthcare system that (although in need of improvements for certain) did NOT require impacting the entirety of the U.S. populace. There is a segment of our population that needed coverage, but even though the healthcare system wasn't perfect - it was NOT broken. The economic impact of all these changes (the totality of which - now becoming apparent) is horrific. At a time when our economy was already fragile, this promises to push us over the edge.

And, as I had originally posted, I thought this was supposed to REDUCE our costs?

Not a good situation for this country. NC

And unfortunately, it now appears by the governments own estimates, there will still be something like 30 million people not covered even under the new program; not really a dramatic increase in overall coverage.

[Terry]

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/c9.0.403.403/p403x403/63547_638977082798415_660914194_n.jpg

[Navy Chief]

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/c9.0.403.403/p403x403/63547_638977082798415_660914194_n.jpg

Love it!