Beauty

[suzyQ3]

On 3/27/2015 lovestoteach said:

My mother once said..."This health insurance stuff is bad news." I was young, she was a thinker, so I asked why? She said "because we lose the ability as patients to dictate our wishes for medical care through where we take our dollars." I think I can see now where she was "coming from."

The question is this: what can we as consumers of health care now do to correct some of the practices we don't like? Maybe there is no answer for this question.

You have some choice in where you take your dollars. But remember, most people have health insurance through their workplace. And most often you are limited to a few choices.

[suzyQ3]

On 3/27/2015 kitty60 said:

I would just like to know the true cost of health care. I pay my own premium on high deductible and don't use insurance often. I have to have a test done next week and when scheduling she was trying to figure out so the insurance would pay. In the end I said it really didn't matter as I will have to pay as I (fortunately) never meet my deductible. She then told me the insurance cost but if they could arrange to set my up as a CASH customer it would be less! Still working on this. I guess it's not as easy as it sounds.

kitty, there's been a ton of press about this very issue over the years. It's like some shadowy number game that changes on a dime. Just another reason that I'd like to see our healthcare divorced from the insurance business.

[Stray]

All insurance from employers has increased since ACA; it has nothing to do with advanced age, illness or burden just a fact of life and there are no answers ....we do have the best doctors, treatments centers, technology...but it is our system that is broken....if you can't access it, you can't use it ....managed care was the first threat to care as we knew it

[kzeks]

On 3/26/2015 Reba055 said:

On 3/26/2015 Gooday said:

On 3/26/2015 Tinkrbl44 said:

On 3/26/2015 Reba055 said: Sorry, but once again the government had to jump in to "fix" a problem, and created a nightmare. How could anyone have foreseen that happening! The bottom line is the majority of Americans had access to affordable health insurance through their employer or with Medicare or Medicaid. If they would have gotten off their a$$es and went after insurance fraud and abuse of the loopholes in the system, and corruption at for profit hospitals and clinics, they could have provided a means for those who fell through the cracks access to affordable healthcare. Of course our employer provided insurance rates are going to increase and our out of pocket expenses are going to increase. That is if you were lucky enough to have not lost your employer insurance as many employers cut employee hours so they didn't have to proved full time benefits. Who did those in favor of this craziness think was going to pay for it? The tooth fairy? And now we are left with the fallout....all the while I'll bet those abusing and defrauding the system haven't missed a beat. How about getting out there and enforcing what you already have laws in place for before you create more. What a joke.

Sorry, but that is NOT correct, and NOT the entire story ...... For MILLIONS of Americans, there wasn't affordable health insurance ...... or they just weren't insurable.

Not all employers offered health insurance benefits, and for those that did, many didn't pay for much of it.

Example ..... Eight years ago, I found a great, reasonable health insurance policy for myself for $317 a month ....... in the following 2 1/2 years, the premium jumped intermittently to $779 a month ..... at which time I cancelled it.

So many people are anxious to blame this all on the ACA, but these insurance/coverage/doctor problems have been around for more than a decade!

I do not blame the ACA for all the problems in the health care system. However, there is a trickle down effect and enough blame from the top all the way down to the scum sukking lobbyists for the insurance companies. Do you remember when an executive dispensation was given to the members of congress and the senate, allowing them to keep their previous coverage? Not to get political but, Ted Cruz is getting all kinds of heat for signing up for the ACA. His wife took a leave from her job and so he signed up stating it's the law, like it or not.

I said it years ago ~ either go all the way with a one payer system or put a price cap on premiums. Again, if there were a flat or fair tax, we wouldn't be having a conversation of the middle and upper class footing the bill for all.

So now everyone can pay $779 a month or pay a more reasonable premium and have higher deductibles and copays. I'm sorry, there are exceptions and I acknowledged that but life is hard. Some of the same people who can't pay for insurance are carrying cell phones, iPads, designer purses, have cable, and are driving newer vehicles. Just like there are no jobs but some people feel too entitled to work for a lower wage. Some well educated people are working in lower paying jobs due to the health benefits. It's a free country. Change jobs. Move. If you are younger (or even not so young) and able, work 2 or three jobs. I and many others have done that in the past. Too many people today are content to make bad choices and then expect to sit at home and let the government, i.e., taxpayers foot the bill. If the government and politicians weren't so worried about trying to please voters and every interest group and get off their lazy butts, they could put an end to all this massive fraud and misuse of government funds. That's what has caused health care costs to sky rocket. People who are legitimately sick or disabled should receive help. We should take care of our seniors. I'm tired of able bodied people depending on the government to provide for them. Remember all the stink about deporting illegal immigrants. Who will do manual labor? We can't find anyone willing to work in the fields. Really?? How about all those able bodied folks that can't find a job? Don't wanna do hard labor? Fine, no govt assistance. I'm sorry, I'm compassionate, but this has gotten crazy. The abuse and misuse of government funds that is allowed to go on while our sick and elderly and military vets suffer makes me sick. And if anyone doesn't like what I have to say about that I don't care. It's time to stop all this PC c.r.a.p and get real. Get educated and get a good job. If not, you are not entitled to live like those who have. And btw, I understand economic hardships and things happen. I'm not saying people should not be helped, but relying on the govt to foot the bill should not be a way of life!

[kzeks]

I am trying to post a chart that is not readable..

But the people who get assistance are... Whites, then

Hispanics, then Blacks, Asians.... Last are Native Hawaiians

and other Pacific Islanders

[chi5925]

On 3/26/2015 Tinkrbl44 said:

Uh, people ....... This ISN'T about the ACA.

I read the OP's comments twice, and her MD is opting out of ALL PPO insurances, because of the insurance companies' actions and delays. That's not Obamacare.

I also agree with the other poster that said $1600 a MONTH to insure two people is BEYOND STUPID ...... and not being able to opt out? Yikes!

If it were me, I'd call the State Consumer Affair regulators and lodge a complaint!

The OP's husband is in a union and that's what his union charges. The union has to charge them that much so union leaders can maintain their homes on Star Island in Miami.

Never mess with the Teamsters -- only they know what states Jimmy Hoffa's body parts are buried in......

[suzyQ3]

On 3/27/2015 Kzeks said:

On 3/26/2015 Reba055 said:

On 3/26/2015 Gooday said:

On 3/26/2015 Tinkrbl44 said:

On 3/26/2015 Reba055 said: Sorry, but once again the government had to jump in to "fix" a problem, and created a nightmare. How could anyone have foreseen that happening! The bottom line is the majority of Americans had access to affordable health insurance through their employer or with Medicare or Medicaid. If they would have gotten off their a$$es and went after insurance fraud and abuse of the loopholes in the system, and corruption at for profit hospitals and clinics, they could have provided a means for those who fell through the cracks access to affordable healthcare. Of course our employer provided insurance rates are going to increase and our out of pocket expenses are going to increase. That is if you were lucky enough to have not lost your employer insurance as many employers cut employee hours so they didn't have to proved full time benefits. Who did those in favor of this craziness think was going to pay for it? The tooth fairy? And now we are left with the fallout....all the while I'll bet those abusing and defrauding the system haven't missed a beat. How about getting out there and enforcing what you already have laws in place for before you create more. What a joke.

Sorry, but that is NOT correct, and NOT the entire story ...... For MILLIONS of Americans, there wasn't affordable health insurance ...... or they just weren't insurable.

Not all employers offered health insurance benefits, and for those that did, many didn't pay for much of it.

Example ..... Eight years ago, I found a great, reasonable health insurance policy for myself for $317 a month ....... in the following 2 1/2 years, the premium jumped intermittently to $779 a month ..... at which time I cancelled it.

So many people are anxious to blame this all on the ACA, but these insurance/coverage/doctor problems have been around for more than a decade!

I do not blame the ACA for all the problems in the health care system. However, there is a trickle down effect and enough blame from the top all the way down to the scum sukking lobbyists for the insurance companies. Do you remember when an executive dispensation was given to the members of congress and the senate, allowing them to keep their previous coverage? Not to get political but, Ted Cruz is getting all kinds of heat for signing up for the ACA. His wife took a leave from her job and so he signed up stating it's the law, like it or not.

I said it years ago ~ either go all the way with a one payer system or put a price cap on premiums. Again, if there were a flat or fair tax, we wouldn't be having a conversation of the middle and upper class footing the bill for all.

So now everyone can pay $779 a month or pay a more reasonable premium and have higher deductibles and copays. I'm sorry, there are exceptions and I acknowledged that but life is hard. Some of the same people who can't pay for insurance are carrying cell phones, iPads, designer purses, have cable, and are driving newer vehicles. Just like there are no jobs but some people feel too entitled to work for a lower wage. Some well educated people are working in lower paying jobs due to the health benefits. It's a free country. Change jobs. Move. If you are younger (or even not so young) and able, work 2 or three jobs. I and many others have done that in the past. Too many people today are content to make bad choices and then expect to sit at home and let the government, i.e., taxpayers foot the bill. If the government and politicians weren't so worried about trying to please voters and every interest group and get off their lazy butts, they could put an end to all this massive fraud and misuse of government funds. That's what has caused health care costs to sky rocket. People who are legitimately sick or disabled should receive help. We should take care of our seniors. I'm tired of able bodied people depending on the government to provide for them. Remember all the stink about deporting illegal immigrants. Who will do manual labor? We can't find anyone willing to work in the fields. Really?? How about all those able bodied folks that can't find a job? Don't wanna do hard labor? Fine, no govt assistance. I'm sorry, I'm compassionate, but this has gotten crazy. The abuse and misuse of government funds that is allowed to go on while our sick and elderly and military vets suffer makes me sick. And if anyone doesn't like what I have to say about that I don't care. It's time to stop all this PC c.r.a.p and get real. Get educated and get a good job. If not, you are not entitled to live like those who have. And btw, I understand economic hardships and things happen. I'm not saying people should not be helped, but relying on the govt to foot the bill should not be a way of life!

Pulling the "welfare card" (remember, the Welfare Queen was not a real person) when it comes to the health of our citizens is nothing more than a red herring.

You make it all sound so easy. And it probably is for most of us. But there are families in need NOW for health care they can rely on. Otherwise, they go without care and especially without preventive care. That is not only a black mark on our country but dangerous for all of us.

Maybe they didn't have the upbringing most of us did. Maybe they couldn't afford college. Yes, of course, some do pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but that's a kind of myth that unfortunately some use to demean those in dire straits or just plain not making ends meet.

Compassion means looking beyond stereotypes. Also, please understand that income-based exemptions are quite strict.

[NYC Susan]

On 3/27/2015 suzyQ3 said:

On 3/27/2015 Kzeks said:

On 3/26/2015 Reba055 said:

On 3/26/2015 Gooday said:

On 3/26/2015 Tinkrbl44 said:

On 3/26/2015 Reba055 said: Sorry, but once again the government had to jump in to "fix" a problem, and created a nightmare. How could anyone have foreseen that happening! The bottom line is the majority of Americans had access to affordable health insurance through their employer or with Medicare or Medicaid. If they would have gotten off their a$$es and went after insurance fraud and abuse of the loopholes in the system, and corruption at for profit hospitals and clinics, they could have provided a means for those who fell through the cracks access to affordable healthcare. Of course our employer provided insurance rates are going to increase and our out of pocket expenses are going to increase. That is if you were lucky enough to have not lost your employer insurance as many employers cut employee hours so they didn't have to proved full time benefits. Who did those in favor of this craziness think was going to pay for it? The tooth fairy? And now we are left with the fallout....all the while I'll bet those abusing and defrauding the system haven't missed a beat. How about getting out there and enforcing what you already have laws in place for before you create more. What a joke.

Sorry, but that is NOT correct, and NOT the entire story ...... For MILLIONS of Americans, there wasn't affordable health insurance ...... or they just weren't insurable.

Not all employers offered health insurance benefits, and for those that did, many didn't pay for much of it.

Example ..... Eight years ago, I found a great, reasonable health insurance policy for myself for $317 a month ....... in the following 2 1/2 years, the premium jumped intermittently to $779 a month ..... at which time I cancelled it.

So many people are anxious to blame this all on the ACA, but these insurance/coverage/doctor problems have been around for more than a decade!

I do not blame the ACA for all the problems in the health care system. However, there is a trickle down effect and enough blame from the top all the way down to the scum sukking lobbyists for the insurance companies. Do you remember when an executive dispensation was given to the members of congress and the senate, allowing them to keep their previous coverage? Not to get political but, Ted Cruz is getting all kinds of heat for signing up for the ACA. His wife took a leave from her job and so he signed up stating it's the law, like it or not.

I said it years ago ~ either go all the way with a one payer system or put a price cap on premiums. Again, if there were a flat or fair tax, we wouldn't be having a conversation of the middle and upper class footing the bill for all.

So now everyone can pay $779 a month or pay a more reasonable premium and have higher deductibles and copays. I'm sorry, there are exceptions and I acknowledged that but life is hard. Some of the same people who can't pay for insurance are carrying cell phones, iPads, designer purses, have cable, and are driving newer vehicles. Just like there are no jobs but some people feel too entitled to work for a lower wage. Some well educated people are working in lower paying jobs due to the health benefits. It's a free country. Change jobs. Move. If you are younger (or even not so young) and able, work 2 or three jobs. I and many others have done that in the past. Too many people today are content to make bad choices and then expect to sit at home and let the government, i.e., taxpayers foot the bill. If the government and politicians weren't so worried about trying to please voters and every interest group and get off their lazy butts, they could put an end to all this massive fraud and misuse of government funds. That's what has caused health care costs to sky rocket. People who are legitimately sick or disabled should receive help. We should take care of our seniors. I'm tired of able bodied people depending on the government to provide for them. Remember all the stink about deporting illegal immigrants. Who will do manual labor? We can't find anyone willing to work in the fields. Really?? How about all those able bodied folks that can't find a job? Don't wanna do hard labor? Fine, no govt assistance. I'm sorry, I'm compassionate, but this has gotten crazy. The abuse and misuse of government funds that is allowed to go on while our sick and elderly and military vets suffer makes me sick. And if anyone doesn't like what I have to say about that I don't care. It's time to stop all this PC c.r.a.p and get real. Get educated and get a good job. If not, you are not entitled to live like those who have. And btw, I understand economic hardships and things happen. I'm not saying people should not be helped, but relying on the govt to foot the bill should not be a way of life!

Pulling the "welfare card" (remember, the Welfare Queen was not a real person) when it comes to the health of our citizens is nothing more than a red herring.

You make it all sound so easy. And it probably is for most of us. But there are families in need NOW for health care they can rely on. Otherwise, they go without care and especially without preventive care. That is not only a black mark on our country but dangerous for all of us.

Maybe they didn't have the upbringing most of us did. Maybe they couldn't afford college. Yes, of course, some do pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but that's a kind of myth that unfortunately some use to demean those in dire straits or just plain not making ends meet.

Compassion means looking beyond stereotypes. Also, please understand that income-based exemptions are quite strict.

You're absolutely correct in everything you said!

[SeaRae]

I worked for a large insurance company that handles some Medicare for the government, and they had huge amounts of paperwork that were required, from doctors and hospitals, just to make a claim, and then even more paperwork for appeals of claims. Needless to say, all the paperwork and run-around, that professional healthcare orgs, hosps, and doctors receive, is awful. And the claim clerks, were expected to have a certain percent of claims approved, and a certain number of claims denied. It was an eye-opening experience, and a sad one.

[stevieb]

On 3/26/2015 BLH said:

On 3/26/2015 brandiwine said:

On 3/26/2015 traveler said:

Ahh, a bash ACA thread.

I don't see it as a bash, it's reality. I know of many small community docs that don't have time or staff to deal with all the paperwork and payment delays. They have decided to go to a cash only practice. I was in a small community out of state when I found myself in a local ER. I have Kaiser insurance and they accepted it no questions asked. It took Kaiser 5 months to pay the doc. I was calling them weekly to get them to pay. I was in my Kaiser pharmacy a few weeks ago and a young couple was trying to get their meds and they were told there was a "mix up" with their coverage. It appeared the Colorado connect for health had deleted 10's of thousands of people from their list. A computer glitch yet again. These problems are nationwide. In my opinion this is one of the biggest mistakes in history.

It is a bash. I work for a doctor in a small rural community and we love the ACA. We are making more money because more people have insurance. As a matter of fact we get our money faster then before also. No complaints here!

So from the perspective of the doctor's office in which you work, it's been an advantage. Could it be that all patients and potential patients aren't having as successful an experience? Citing problems or concerns doesn't make it a bash... With or without the ACA, health care and procuring it can be a frustrating experience.