Re: Obamacare Questions

Billy wrote:
In article <h5s1vr$7as$2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
"W. Baker" <wbaker@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Kurt <kurtwheeling1965@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
: >
: > In ten or twenty years time there WILL be a public health-care system
: > in place in the USA; it seems such a pity that so many will die or
: > live in misery and pain before it finally arrives.

: Well said. Yes, I do agree. It should already be in place...people are
: suffering now.

: Kurt

many are suffering now. I summer in a rural Upstate, NY area and many, with incomes too high for Medicade are suffering either with high costs for self-pain health insurance, or no health inaurance. Most loca employers outide of schools,or hospitals pay for health insurance. Most people work sevral jobs adn couples several jobs each to earn a living and may have to pay out more than $1,000 a month for health care, which they cannot afford, so do without. Others, with pre-existing conditions can't get it for love or money. This is a real, nationwide problem that needs to be a ddressed with either partially subsidised private or public health insurance. That is what makes many of us want to see this health plan proceed and pass.

If you think health care is not rationed here, then you are crazy. It is rationed by money or income. Peole who become very ill may well lose their health insurance currently, or if they no longer can work because of their serious health condition, also loose their health insurance adn have to spend down and even go into bankruptcy to pay for care. tht is sthe main cause of personal bankruptcy in the US. A good bout of caner and all can be lost. I guess you could call it a payor die system.

Wendy

Illness and medical bills caused half of the 1,458,000 personal bankruptcies in 2001, according to a study published by the journal Health Affairs.
The study estimates that medical bankruptcies affect about 2 million Americans annually -- counting debtors and their dependents, including about 700,000 children.
Surprisingly, most of those bankrupted by illness had health insurance. More than three-quarters were insured at the start of the bankrupting illness. However, 38 percent had lost coverage at least temporarily by the time they filed for bankruptcy.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/bankruptcy_study.html


Exactly! My mom just had a breast biopsy--benign thankfully. Before the procedure, the hospital wanted payment for her part up front. Her insurance covers 90%, but the upfront payment for her 10% was $524. That amount in and of itself would be a struggle for many people. However, I shudder to think what 10% of the cost of her treatment would have been had she had cancer.

And she's fortunate to have that coverage at all. Blue Cross Blue Shield denied her for a pre-existing condition--chronic fatigue syndrome--despite the fact that she was covered under the Cobra laws. Fortunately an agent helped straighten things out, but needless to say, her insurance isn't with BC/BS.

Best regards,
Michelle C., T2, no meds
.

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