Universal Healthcare how does it work?

dilbone said:
It's an analogy....

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I got that. The analogy doesn't match my experience or the reason for high health costs in the US is what I'm trying to say.

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dilbone said:
It's an analogy....

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And a poor one. Car's are optional, society is comprised of people, without people there is no point. Given that wealth is produced on the back of people, perhaps some of that wealth could take care of the people themselves.
 
Sav0r said:
And a poor one. Car's are optional, society is comprised of people, without people there is no point. Given that wealth is produced on the back of people, perhaps some of that wealth could take care of the people themselves.
Very well said.

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"From everything I've heard about socialized medicine it's great until you have something serious going on and need several specialists and progressive treatments".

It is not the case down under! If you are really sick and need emergency/ serious treatment then you will most likely end up in the public hospital funded by the 2% contribution!! But if you want to be in a private room and choose your doctor then you need the private insurance. If it is life threatening you will get the treatment you need with the public system, but there are no frills, it is basic treatment and some out of pockets expenses. The important point is that you will not be denied treatment due to your ability to pay.

For conditions that are not life threatening, like joint replacement you would have to wait more that a year before your number came up to be treated in the public system. If you pay for private insurance then your treatment will be much quicker in the private system.

I believe the UK system is similar, but hope someone can verify?

Pharmaceuticals (drugs) are also subsidized to make them affordable in AU. They must be first approved by the PBS (Government) and then drugs that would cost you 1000's will then cost 10's of dollars.

As stated in an earlier post, the costs are huge and what appears to be the missing link is understanding what are the real costs verses what the health companies charge?????? Most of the drug companies appear to follow the ethos that if they have a life saving treatment then they can charge whatever they like, without any real justification of costs. The Daraprim issue last year was a typical example where the ownership of a drug changed and the cost jumped overnight from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill, due to an executive decision!!!! This is the elephant in the room!!!!!
 
teazer said:
I don't think so. It's not in their interest to do so.

How T.F. do we manage to spend 10 times as much as Russia? Does anyone have a breakdown of what makes up that 600 + billion dollars, so we can see what it looks like after some of those other things are pulled out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States gives a breakdown but sheds no light on the make up. There are a few right wing media reports that lack facts or figures, but nothing so far.


Here is a site that supplies some info.

https://www.newsbud.com/2017/05/18/newsbud-exclusive-report-a-distillation-of-dod-funding-priorities-for-april-2017/
 
Lord have mercy....nobody said cars are people....the point is that insurance isn't supposed to cover every nickel and dime thing....sheesh

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farmer92 said:
Just out of curiosity,

What does health insurance cost you folks in the US on a yearly basis?
My wife and I both are insured through our employers. Since ACA, many employers don't cover spouses when that spouse can get coverage through their own employer. She has herself and our two kids on her policy @ about $260 per month. I pay $178 per month for mine. I'm a teacher and the wife is a hospital administrator. The rest is covered by our employers. My department chair is covering her whole family- herself, husband, two kids through our school @ nearly $700 per month. We have no co-pays, but the wife has a $4000 deductible.
 
Mr Bernzo said:
I don't think your reason for high health care costs in the USA is the expectation of what isurance should cover. It think it's a product of the current system. Health care costs in comparable western nations are much lower.

Don't be scared of universal health care. It won't hurt you!

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I do believe what it covers is part of the problem...along with the big issues of huge insurance company profits, huge pharmaceutical profits, and huge hospital/care provider profits....it's a mess.

I'm not afraid of a universal not for profit system...I'm afraid of our government running it. The US government has proven itself time and time again that it can't be trusted to do much of anything well....especially when the very people instituting the "new system" have already been paid off by the companies running the old system. It's a sad state we're in. However I still stand by my previous statement that "insurance" isn't what we think it is or think it should be.

Maybe when or if things ever get reigned in here in the states a system will cover "everything" but I don't think that's smart or the original intent of health insurance.

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dilbone said:
I do believe what it covers is part of the problem...along with the big issues of huge insurance company profits, huge pharmaceutical profits, and huge hospital/care provider profits....it's a mess.

I'm not afraid of a universal not for profit system...I'm afraid of our government running it. The US government has proven itself time and time again that it can't be trusted to do much of anything well....especially when the very people instituting the "new system" have already been paid off by the companies running the old system. It's a sad state we're in. However I still stand by my previous statement that "insurance" isn't what we think it is or think it should be.

Maybe when or if things ever get reigned in here in the states a system will cover "everything" but I don't think that's smart or the original intent of health insurance.

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The data says that the UK has the most efficient health care system, if you look at what they get and the cost to deliver. The UK system is totally government run!!!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Health_Service_(England)
You are correct the US system is by far the most expensive, and you all hate it.
Lets hope out of this crisis lessons are leant from other countries and some real reforms can be made.
 

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Whatever system the US adopts after this point, ALL politicians should be forced to get the same coverage. No more special health coverage unless they pay for it out of their own pocket.

This should hold true for retirement plans as well.
 
dilbone said:
I do believe what it covers is part of the problem...along with the big issues of huge insurance company profits, huge pharmaceutical profits, and huge hospital/care provider profits....it's a mess.

I'm not afraid of a universal not for profit system...I'm afraid of our government running it. The US government has proven itself time and time again that it can't be trusted to do much of anything well....especially when the very people instituting the "new system" have already been paid off by the companies running the old system. It's a sad state we're in. However I still stand by my previous statement that "insurance" isn't what we think it is or think it should be.

Maybe when or if things ever get reigned in here in the states a system will cover "everything" but I don't think that's smart or the original intent of health insurance.

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Point taken and understood. Here is Aus dental, chiro, physio etc are not covered. You can get your own private insurance to cover this if you want to or you just pay your own hard earned.
The system is not perfect, but at least every one can hospital care when they need it.

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teazer said:
I don't think so. It's not in their interest to do so.

How T.F. do we manage to spend 10 times as much as Russia? Does anyone have a breakdown of what makes up that 600 + billion dollars, so we can see what it looks like after some of those other things are pulled out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States gives a breakdown but sheds no light on the make up. There are a few right wing media reports that lack facts or figures, but nothing so far.
Well, one can say its their way of winning the cold war.. they have 540 billions you dont, to spend on better things.
 
rachel and i have good private policies that have risen huge in the last few years

the premiums are close to 900 for both of us monthly

and the "family" yearly copay has risen to 12k per year

on the other hand when i am in canada i am covered for zip
 
I was in the hospital for four days, for four broken ribs. The cost was $10,000 per day plus. A pain pill was $95 and the nurse to give it to me $120 labor. If you have good insurance, the hospital staff are all over you like a plague of Locust. Good morning...$100, breakfast?...$100...lousy cable service?...$400. The price for services and products were criminal obscene. The insurance companies, seem to be in cahoots not hearing any protest, at least not publicly.

Next time I get hurt, I'm booking a luxury cruise and let the ship's doctor take care of the problem. Can you imagine the service at ten grand a day?!
 
Scooter trash said:
I was in the hospital for four days, for four broken ribs. The cost was $10,000 per day plus. A pain pill was $95 and the nurse to give it to me $120 labor. If you have good insurance, the hospital staff are all over you like a plague of Locust. Good morning...$100, breakfast?...$100...lousy cable service?...$400. The price for services and products were criminal obscene. The insurance companies, seem to be in cahoots not hearing any protest, at least not publicly.

Next time I get hurt, I'm booking a luxury cruise and let the ship's doctor take care of the problem. Can you imagine the service at ten grand a day?!



Speechless
 
I had two elbow surgeries in 2009/2010. $150K a pop. I didn't pay a penny. Granted, on the downside of that, my fastball went from 94-96 to it hurts to throw, and I somehow ended up in the motorsickle business.
 
Got a sweet scar out of them, though.
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dilbone said:
Lord have mercy....nobody said cars are people....the point is that insurance isn't supposed to cover every nickel and dime thing....sheesh

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If you want to admit that the comparison is a poor one I can probably just let it go. But if you want to be a pedant about it, insurance is there to insure whatever is spelled out in the terms of the policy. It has no inherent purpose or directive. It's a tool of and for people, and it can be argued that in the case of healthcare, insurance is a pretty piss poor tool for the job. Hence the discussion that is occurring.
 
J-Rod10 said:
I had two elbow surgeries in 2009/2010. $150K a pop. I didn't pay a penny. Granted, on the downside of that, my fastball went from 94-96 to it hurts to throw, and I somehow ended up in the motorsickle business.

Totally understand why you guys are so pissed!!!!!
My father had 2 knees done here in Australia and he had private health cover and his out of pocket (cash payment) was about $3,000. There is a trend here for people that do not have private health cover and do not want to wait for the public system. They are going to Thailand for surgery and have a holiday at a beach resort during recovery! You could certainly live it up for US$300K in Thailand.
 
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