Health Care in the U.S. [split topic]

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Just now, NikLR said:

Didn't have an issue with that in my locale.  Beyond the dr who actually did my c-section, my hospital experience was great.  Private birth room, private room aftercare for 3 days and then home visits by an RN.  In BC and Alberta you can pay extra for private rooms always (or have insurance that covers it.)  

Ontario you pay extra for everything 

[FloridaMinsk 88]

3 minutes ago, Transborderwife said:

Ontario you pay extra for everything 

 

My buddy said he paid like $10 for a private room when they had their daughter.  

 

Just crazy 

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Just now, FloridaMinsk said:

 

My buddy said he paid like $10 for a private room when they had their daughter.  

 

Just crazy 

My insurance covered semi private, but you got upgraded to a private for a c section anyway.  The normal prices were about $250/night.  

[FloridaMinsk 88]

1 minute ago, Transborderwife said:

My insurance covered semi private, but you got upgraded to a private for a c section anyway.  The normal prices were about $250/night.  

 

Interesting.   I almost moved to Ontario about 10 years ago to work with my friend.    

 

[David&Femke 91]

10 hours ago, FloridaMinsk said:

 

Everyone has access to healthcare.   It just comes down to how much they are willing to pay.    You pay for the level of quality you desire.   The exact same thing we do when we choose a restaurant.    Some prefer fine dining, some prefer fast food.   Then some like to go to Applebee's.     The result is everyone has access to a restaurant they can afford.   No reason why healthcare can't be the same.   

 

 

I dont think there are a lot of people who prefer 2nd grade or no healthcare. And just because they like to go to a better docter does not mean that the extra mony that cost is sudenly available to them. 

When you talk about something like a ####### job or other correction that are just a preferance not a need to your health I agree with you. But when it comes down  to sustaining someones live or a good quallety of living, that should be available to everyone.

America is a rich country poeple drive around in cars that can pay for someones chemo, not wanting to pay for other people there wellbeeing is selfish because there is plenty mony between the citezens to enshure basic needs for everyone

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

3 hours ago, Transborderwife said:

Really?  When my daughter had to have special attention on Medicad in the hospital she got the exact same level of care as other babies in the nicu

 

I haven't read the rest of this thread, but similar situation here.  Actually, they considered my son to be extraordinarily disabled upon his birth and nicu stay because he was having seizures and the state of Minnesota paid for his NICU directly from a fund they have set up to cover such events.  The insurance (which would have been medicaid) bumped the bill to them.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

I actually wouldn't have a problem with paying more towards our kids health insurance, we can afford it, but the way our government works, doctors can not ask for additional money over the medicaid negotiated rate.  What we can't afford is plans on the private market for them.  We pay part of our own plans at the moment and even that feels like a bargain.

 

I also wouldn't mind if insurance companies, especially those being paid through medicaid and medicare, charging people more for preventable issues - like lung cancer treatment if they have been a smoker for years, treatments for things related to their obesity like type II diabetes management, injuries that come from high risk activities, etc.   Even just offsetting a fraction of those costs would be helpful.  At the same time as a nation with some many people receiving government subsidized healthcare, through tax subsidies, federal employment, medicaid, and medicare, we would be very wise to invest money into mandatory programs for people receiving those services directed towards their fitness and health.  I wouldn't be opposed to dropping people all together for smoking or high levels of obesity.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

23 minutes ago, N-o-l-a said:

I actually wouldn't have a problem with paying more towards our kids health insurance, we can afford it, but the way our government works, doctors can not ask for additional money over the medicaid negotiated rate.  What we can't afford is plans on the private market for them.  We pay part of our own plans at the moment and even that feels like a bargain.

 

I also wouldn't mind if insurance companies, especially those being paid through medicaid and medicare, charging people more for preventable issues - like lung cancer treatment if they have been a smoker for years, treatments for things related to their obesity like type II diabetes management, injuries that come from high risk activities, etc.   Even just offsetting a fraction of those costs would be helpful.  At the same time as a nation with some many people receiving government subsidized healthcare, through tax subsidies, federal employment, medicaid, and medicare, we would be very wise to invest money into mandatory programs for people receiving those services directed towards their fitness and health.  I wouldn't be opposed to dropping people all together for smoking or high levels of obesity.

Diabetes is a tough one.  Even in Canada not everything is covered insurance wise for syringes and insulin.  The pump is a godsend for many.

 

even with extreme weight loss (more than 70lbs) I still managed to develop borderline type II.  My doctor believes it had more to do with my gestational than anything as I was already had hypoglycemia issues and this just makes things worse.  Diet and exercise helps, but it may never fully heal me.

[TBoneTX 43,004]

Administrative action has been applied to two members' accounts for uncivil, attacking posting behavior.  Please disagree without being disagreeable.

 

VJ Moderation

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

17 minutes ago, Transborderwife said:

Diabetes is a tough one.  Even in Canada not everything is covered insurance wise for syringes and insulin.  The pump is a godsend for many.

 

even with extreme weight loss (more than 70lbs) I still managed to develop borderline type II.  My doctor believes it had more to do with my gestational than anything as I was already had hypoglycemia issues and this just makes things worse.  Diet and exercise helps, but it may never fully heal me.

 

I'm insulin resistant but not diabetic which is an odd thing, but mine is completely controllable by being a healthy weight and moderate exercising at least 150 minutes a week.  I have an uncle who died from Type I before medical care for diabetes really advanced.  Obviously a policy like that would be difficult to implement, but you could for example say that you won't cover it until the person is no longer obese or give them a certain period of time to bring their weight down before you cut off the funding.  We just as a country spend an extraordinary amount of money on preventable healthcare expenses.  It is upsetting.  

 

I think there would have to be some grandfathering as well.  If someone quit smoking 20 years ago, that is a different case to a new smoker after policy changes.

 

They'd never do any of this of course because people will stomp their feet and scream discrimination.  

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Just now, N-o-l-a said:

 

I'm insulin resistant but not diabetic which is an odd thing, but mine is completely controllable by being a healthy weight and moderate exercising at least 150 minutes a week.  I have an uncle who died from Type I before medical care for diabetes really advanced.  Obviously a policy like that would be difficult to implement, but you could for example say that you won't cover it until the person is no longer obese or give them a certain period of time to bring their weight down before you cut off the funding.  We just as a country spend an extraordinary amount of money on preventable healthcare expenses.  It is upsetting.  

 

I think there would have to be some grandfathering as well.  If someone quit smoking 20 years ago, that is a different case to a new smoker after policy changes.

 

They'd never do any of this of course because people will stomp their feet and scream discrimination.  

In regards to obesity, I believe that doctors should be able to prescribe personal training and/or gym membership to a certain extent until their patients are healthy.  Or perhaps prescribe help of a dietician that would be covered by insurance.  I've seen many people when I worked in the fitness industry who wanted to get started but didn't know how and/or couldn't afford it.  It's a much better solution than surgery.  I really wish that Canada wouldn't cover it except for extreme cases.  I've known too many people get gastric and live to regret it.

 

healthy foods are definitely too expensive.  If one is on food stamps I don't really have an issue with becoming more like WIC.  Say 30% for fruit and veggies, 40% for meats, 30% other foods or some sort of formula like that.  Let them buy what they want, but come up with a way to purchase healthier foods 

[trudi 1,317]

7 hours ago, FloridaMinsk said:

 

Breast implants are covered by the NHS in the U.K.   

 

State of the art cancer treatments are not a necessity either.   There are a wide variety of treatment options with varying costs.    Hence why it's a commodity.  You can choose what you can afford.    

 

6 hours ago, FloridaMinsk said:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2364692/Josie-Cunningham-5-000-breast-implants-NHS-wants-YOU-pay-remove-them.htm

 

As you were crowing about how we should have single payer.   This is what happens when go to single payer.   

 

Besides lets not forget that the U.K. Is going broke over paying for the NHS.    And they even have a private insurance market as well.    

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2918003/NHS-forced-abandon-free-healthcare-says-Britain-s-doctor-warns-service-needs-radical-change.html

Do you trawl the internet looking for the most unreliable news source?

The daily mail is not known as the Daily Fail for nothing...

The UK's health system is a long way from perfect and is rapidly becoming two tier, however, no one goes without treatment unless that is their choice.

 

I don't know what the answer to the current situation in the US is but it does seem to be biased in favour of the affluent.

 

I was unlucky enough to get Lymes Disease last year, my out of pocket charges have almost reached $6000 and my husband is a state employee he has good insurance, for someone in a less fortunate financial position that cost would be the cause of huge stress

[Russ&Caro 1,548]

17 hours ago, trudi said:

 

Do you trawl the internet looking for the most unreliable news source?

The daily mail is not known as the Daily Fail for nothing...

The UK's health system is a long way from perfect and is rapidly becoming two tier, however, no one goes without treatment unless that is their choice.

 

I don't know what the answer to the current situation in the US is but it does seem to be biased in favour of the affluent.

 

I was unlucky enough to get Lymes Disease last year, my out of pocket charges have almost reached $6000 and my husband is a state employee he has good insurance, for someone in a less fortunate financial position that cost would be the cause of huge stress

 

My thoughts and prayers are with you as you deal with Lymes disease. Most people don't know what it is but from what I know of it, it's not an easy thing to live with. I hope you get all the medical care you need in dealing with this.

[trudi 1,317]

1 hour ago, Russ&Caro said:

 

My thoughts and prayers are with you as you deal with Lymes disease. Most people don't know what it is but from what I know of it, it's not an easy thing to live with. I hope you get all the medical care you need in dealing with this.

 

Thank you, I was lucky and have only minor long term issues (largely due to my husbands tenacity in insisting it was Lymes ) :flowers:

 

It was a baptism of fire into the US health system though!

Edited February 8, 2017 by trudi

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

3 hours ago, trudi said:

 

Thank you, I was lucky and have only minor long term issues (largely due to my husbands tenacity in insisting it was Lymes ) :flowers:

 

It was a baptism of fire into the US health system though!

 

I'm glad that you got treatment.  The one doctor who would actually treat me for lyme and not just shove arthritis pills on me only took cash patients, but she saved my life.