Like millions of Americans in this country, I work for a low salary ($8 an hour) with no health insurance. My husband has been out of work for some time, because his muscles were fatiguing and giving him such pain that he literally could not do his job as a mechanic any more. Like me, he had no health care coverage. Today he was diagnosed with myasthinia gravis, and given a prescription for medicine which, at the first dosage, relieved his symptoms. We went to a non-profit health foundation clinic rather than follow the for-profit route, so we would be able to afford the tests and everything.
Don't get me wrong about making money. I'm all for companies making a profit. But there are some areas where I think it would be better if non-profits dominated, and health care is one of them. A non-profit health care foundation is dedicated to keeping people healthy and helping them when they get sick. A for-profit company has less of an incentive for doing either one, as even paying for a weight-loss program cuts into the bottom line. Deciding if a person gets needed tests or even treatment is not decided by doctors under the current system, but by insurance companies, which, to me, is backwards. That is why I'm in favor of easing insurance companies out of the health care business. Human life is too precious to be under the control of insurance accountants rather than doctors.
The only way out is to stop buying into this "need" of having to have insurance.. Saving our own money to take care of ourselves and having free clinics to help. Find out how much your Dr. really cares about you when you say, "I don't have health insurance, will you still help me?"
Lets stop letting "Insurance Companies" dictate who gets help and who doesn't!! I am with Ayesha on this one.Let freedom ring people... Wake up and say I'm not going to pay anymore for something I can't control!
Debbie Lewis
Insurance companies are a large part of the problem. It's disgusting, but they deny claims to maximize profit. They now have lobbying power, so you hear Hillary (Eva Peron) talk about universal Health INSURANCE, not Health Care.
We should look at how other countries do it, and pick the best way, but Insurance isn't the answer - except for the insurance companies!
US Marine vet Vietnam 4/68 - 8/69 5th District, NJ
A good starting point would be to allow the public to walk into a hospital and be admitted and receive diagnosis without having insurance or be charged in anyway. This would take care of minor illnesses and injuries. If the diagnosis was major illness or major surgery, then they would have to use insurance or personal funds. If a specialist was required, make the first visit for further diagnosis free of charge. Future visits and treatment would require insurance or personal funds. This would be my idea of "Basic health care" which all citizens should have access to regardless of employment or income. Basic drugs which are for limited use and are a cure should be cheap. Drugs that require large amounts of research and development, and are required to be taken on a long term basis (years) would require insurance or personal funds. Maybe there could be a credit company that would finance the costs involved with paying for drugs, allowing the users to pay for the drugs over time, without needing insurance just to cover their drugs. Make it a nonprofit company with credit cards only for medical needs. Interest rates would be very low, only high enough to cover operational expenses, never to be sold off to investors.
Everyone talks about "free" medicine. Nothing is free, the taxpayer will foot the bill for "free" medicine.
The problem is not with insurance cos or drug companies it is the third party pay system. The ones that have insurance don't worry about cost because they are not paying. The ones without insurance get hit on the head to make up for all the "free" medical care. The insurance cos jack up premiums because of the lawsuits generated by malpractice claims. The cost of medical care also rises because lawyers go after the deep pockets such as hospitals and insurance cos.
It is easy to solve the problem change law to make lawyers pay court and lawyer fees when they file frivalous lawsuits.
Change tax law so employers do not have a tax write off for health plans.
Give tax credits or deductions for a person medical care and health insurance from the first dollar and not from 7 1/2 % of income as it is now.
Subsidize all Americans, on a sliding scale, not just low income.
Give a tax free bonus to taxpayers that reduce their health costs. This would encourage saving money on medical bills.
We do not need a new system we just need to cut government out of old system. The market will do the rest.
What good is the best health care system on earth if only the rich can afford it. Blame insurance, blame the government, blame prescription drug companies, blame everyone and everything. There is more than enough blame to go around. Here is how I see it:
Stop being so litigious. Not to say there isn't good reason sometimes, but we sue for every little issue if we think there is a big payoff in the end. Lawyers are more than happy to take your case because they know it is cheaper and easier for the insurance companies to settle than fight. The insurance companies know they can just raise their rates to recover all losses. They have a captive customer. Win or lose, everyone picks up the tab in increased insurance rates for liability insurance for Doctors and health insurance for individuals. The winners are lawyers (thickest section of any phone book). The losers are all of us paying health insurance and everyone who can no longer afford health care.
Doctors and Hospitals need to stop charging outrageous rates for care when you don't have insurance. Look at an insurance reconcilliation some time. You get charged $150 for a service that insurance companies will pay $8 for after your $25 co-pay. If I could pay $33 for an office visit, I wouldn't need to pay insurance to cover office visits. All I would need is catastrophic coverage.
One big reason insurance keeps climbing is because more people are unable to pay for it, but they still get sick. They go to emergency rooms (the most expensive method of care) and the hospital has to care for them. They have to charge more to cover that expense. The paying customers are diminishing, so those that can pay, pay more.
It will collapse if something isn't done, but federalizing isn't an answer. A national non-profit health insurance plan might work. Not a government agency, but with government oversight. Make it available to all as an option to for-profit companies. Choice remains for those that can afford to choose, care is available for those that can't afford choice and nobody shows up in the ER for the flu.
Tort reform in the form of recovery of Defendant costs and court costs for frivolous law suits from the law firm that brings them, not the client. This recovery of costs would be left at the discretion of the judge, but lawyers would be a bit more careful about taking on cases that have merit, instead of the legal blackmail they currently enjoy. Real cases with real merit would still be heard and resolved.
Just my thoughts.