My local USA hospitals won't even talk to you without insurance. The refused to quote me on my own. As of 18 mos ago, I had to have cochlear implants put in. Out of work the whole time. There is now a cool quarter million $$$ buried in my skull.
Did you know that the medical industry is exempt from RICO? If anyone else did what they did, they would be risking jail time like the Mob.
Regarding medical expenses in the US: The US pays almost 2x as much per capita than anyone else and it is *NOT* because of the uninsured. Go to the SEC and find out the truth -- it all goes to "administrative overhead" AKA executive salaries. Blue Cross alone has an overhead over 40% That is just the insurance. Now figure the drug companies, with double and triple-digit price hikes in the last 2 years. And of course the hospital execs.
The cost of overhead in Medicare? Single digits.
The reason why universal healthcare works in places like Europeis because they don't allow that kind of skimming.
I hope and *pray* the US goes to Medicare for all, even if they double my medicare taxes it would still save me over 10 grand per year in insurance premiums.
I mean, why the hell don't people just do the math?? I thought this was news for nerds?? The reason why healthcare in the US is so expensive is because it is *for profit* instead of *at cost*.
Medicare is not universal healthcare. It is far from it. Medicare beneficiaries still have to purchase private insurance to cover the many things that Medicare doesn't, or in some places, to even get medical care, since only about half of doctors will even see medicare patients anymore.
Medicare beneficiaries still have to purchase private insurance to cover the many things that Medicare doesn't
No, they can purchase private insurance to cover the co-insurance for stuff in Medicare Part B. It's still covered by Medicare, just not at 100%.
TL:DR version of Medicare: Medicare Part A: Everything in a hospital. Covered 100%. Medicare Part B: Everything not in a hospital. Covered 80%. Medicare Part C: First Republican attempt at privatization, it's an HMO. Coverage is as complicated as an HMO. Medicare Part D: "Hmm...expensive drugs are making people talk about single-payer again. Let's slap together so
Then make it universal. Eliminate all the separate parts, roll it all into one program and everybody gets it from birth. I mean, the richest country on the planet can't afford it, but everyone else does? The us ranks 37th worldwide in healthcare outcomes among the OECD countries. Explain that.
At the time, I made too much to qualify for Obamacare. (15/hr full time) I chose to go with private insurance instead. It makes no difference because either choice bankrupted me.
We cannot command nature except by obeying her.
-- Sir Francis Bacon
Shady but legal (Score:5, Informative)
My local USA hospitals won't even talk to you without insurance. The refused to quote me on my own. As of 18 mos ago, I had to have cochlear implants put in. Out of work the whole time. There is now a cool quarter million $$$ buried in my skull.
Did you know that the medical industry is exempt from RICO? If anyone else did what they did, they would be risking jail time like the Mob.
Regarding medical expenses in the US: The US pays almost 2x as much per capita than anyone else and it is *NOT* because of the uninsured. Go to the SEC and find out the truth -- it all goes to "administrative overhead" AKA executive salaries. Blue Cross alone has an overhead over 40% That is just the insurance. Now figure the drug companies, with double and triple-digit price hikes in the last 2 years. And of course the hospital execs.
The cost of overhead in Medicare? Single digits.
The reason why universal healthcare works in places like Europeis because they don't allow that kind of skimming.
I hope and *pray* the US goes to Medicare for all, even if they double my medicare taxes it would still save me over 10 grand per year in insurance premiums.
I mean, why the hell don't people just do the math?? I thought this was news for nerds?? The reason why healthcare in the US is so expensive is because it is *for profit* instead of *at cost*.
Re: (Score:1)
Medicare is not universal healthcare. It is far from it. Medicare beneficiaries still have to purchase private insurance to cover the many things that Medicare doesn't, or in some places, to even get medical care, since only about half of doctors will even see medicare patients anymore.
Re: (Score:3)
Medicare beneficiaries still have to purchase private insurance to cover the many things that Medicare doesn't
No, they can purchase private insurance to cover the co-insurance for stuff in Medicare Part B. It's still covered by Medicare, just not at 100%.
TL:DR version of Medicare:
Medicare Part A: Everything in a hospital. Covered 100%.
Medicare Part B: Everything not in a hospital. Covered 80%.
Medicare Part C: First Republican attempt at privatization, it's an HMO. Coverage is as complicated as an HMO.
Medicare Part D: "Hmm...expensive drugs are making people talk about single-payer again. Let's slap together so
Re: (Score:1)
Then make it universal. Eliminate all the separate parts, roll it all into one program and everybody gets it from birth. I mean, the richest country on the planet can't afford it, but everyone else does? The us ranks 37th worldwide in healthcare outcomes among the OECD countries. Explain that.
Re: (Score:1)
At the time, I made too much to qualify for Obamacare. (15/hr full time) I chose to go with private insurance instead. It makes no difference because either choice bankrupted me.