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resedit wrote:

Insurance premiums are rising because we've hit the point where improvements in medical technology is very expensive.

I've already given an example.
Back in the 60's and 70's, rattlesnake antivenin was made from horses. The very small percentage of the population that was allergic often died as a result. Now treatment for a rattlesnake bite is much more expensive because the syrum is made using a different process including sheep, so that reactions to horse antivenin is less likely to result in fatality.

Not only is each vile more expensive, but a very high percentage of vials expire before they are used and must be thrown away.
It's a huge increase in cost but it is necessary to save a few lives.

Whenever you have increase in cost, you have higher profit margins. That happens in every market. Even your market. Legal costs have gone up resulting in higher legal fees resulting in higher profit margins for legal firms.

This means something.....

Farmerkev wrote:

Pariah wrote:

mo' ron wrote:

Yep.

Nationwide ,medicare is one if the highest rated health plans you can have.

That's the thing. The blind assumption that no government pan could ever work.
To the true believers the fact that Medicare does a pretty good job of serving it's clients and has an administrative overhead of just 1%, is utterly beside the point, they must be bad because it's a government program.
Facts that do not support the articles of faith on the right are ignored.

Careful on the overhead part.
I'm still trying off and on to track down the truth but I've seen it argued that using the percentage is misleading because medicare pays more per person (elderly take more medical care than the young) on average than the typical private plan.

You know what, I'll rescind my comment bashing Medicare.  It does work.

I'll admit that I don't have access to the statistics right now.  I'm speaking purely from personal experience, and thus I cannot see myself as unbiased.  I can't see a user of medicare as unbiased, either.  While I don't appreciate being forced through taxes to pay for other people's medical care while I have to pay for my own family's insurance, I'm sure they're just as happy to receive their medical care without any financial obligation on their own part.  How is it legal that since I am above the maximum income level for Medicare, that I should owe the hospital thousands for my daughter's birth, but yet my wife's unemployed friend received a completely free ride with superior care?  I would have actually come out better financially by quitting my job.  And then, why should anybody on Medicare voluntarily leave that service by taking a job that would make them no longer qualified to participate?  These are the problems I see with it.

sturner wrote:

Farmerkev wrote:

Pariah wrote:

That's the thing. The blind assumption that no government pan could ever work.
To the true believers the fact that Medicare does a pretty good job of serving it's clients and has an administrative overhead of just 1%, is utterly beside the point, they must be bad because it's a government program.
Facts that do not support the articles of faith on the right are ignored.

Careful on the overhead part.
I'm still trying off and on to track down the truth but I've seen it argued that using the percentage is misleading because medicare pays more per person (elderly take more medical care than the young) on average than the typical private plan.

The typical private plan doesn't cater to elderly. They drop the sick, and the elderly aren't working, which is where most private plans find their clientele.

umm, that's what I said and the point behind admin costs as a % doesn't really tell you anything.

Medicare beneficiaries do pay. If you haven't worked in the US long enough, Part A is very expensive. Seniors get the premium for Part B deducted automatically from their SS checks. That's not including gap insurance or plan premiums if you elect to have your benefits administered through a private insurer.  There's quite a bit Medicare doesn't cover. It wasn't designed to be a comprehensive plan.

I only go to the doctor when necessary

Do routine visits count as 'necessary'?

You'd also better remember every single potential ailment you ever had and mention it on your application for private insurance. If not, they'll dig it up and find it, then drop you - even if it's unrelated. High-deductible plans aren't great for people with chronic conditions like diabetes.

robco wrote:

You'd also better remember every single potential ailment you ever had and mention it on your application for private insurance. If not, they'll dig it up and find it, then drop you - even if it's unrelated. High-deductible plans aren't great for people with chronic conditions like diabetes.

Hell of a system you have there, boys! Way better than single-payer. Just dripping with all that choice!

Say, Kev, is the choice inherent in the American health care system worth the price being paid?

It's not the governments responsibility when someone gets in over their head by buying a house they can not afford and thus have a large mortgage.

Some people here made cracks about my purchase of a manufactured home.
It has it's flaws, but it is more house than I need, and the mortgage is affordable.

The dick size contest people have with who can buy the biggest house in the most pricey neighborhood is sheer stupidity.

Illinois state government and university employees might have to fork over more money when going to the dentist. Some dentists are fed up with having to wait six months or more to be paid under the state's insurance program.

Instead of playing the waiting game with the state's dental insurance, more dentists are asking patients to pay up front.  That impacts state government  and university workers. Greg Johnson with the Illinois Dental Society says some might request the entire bill be paid or a large portion.   

JOHNSON: It's really going to be on a practice to practice basis and the relationship the dental office has with their patients and how much that is of the population of their entire practice.

There are no estimates on the number of dentists who are asking for upfront payments. Patients on the hook for their dental bills would then have to wait for the insurance firm to reimburse them. The state blames delays on a lack of money. Illinois also recently began charging government retirees a premium for dental coverage.

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Conte … ioID=36580

I don't see the current system as good for business either.

Recently the Insurer we use decided they wanted to raise our premiums 23%.


This is of course impossible for the employees to afford, so then our management and HR department had to spend hundreds of hours finding and negotiating with a new insurer.

I've goy a buddy that works for AIG. We'd kid him about the company's problems and he'd assure us that he's in the Insurance part of the company and they are doing just fine.
Of course they are. They are robbing people blind.

A collegue of mine has family coverage through her husband's company. They pay $800+ per month. The company kicks in another $800+. Insurer is getting $1600+ per month to cover a family of three.

Good thing the insurance companies have all that extra cash to pump into these protests and funnel into the campaigns of the anti-reform crowd.

Farmerkev wrote:

They work wonderfully for me as a private individual.

As they did for me for a while as well. Thankfully we had the ability to save or pay the deductible if needed, but the point being not everyone can. I can't generalize my situation or yours and claim it should apply to everyone else.

resedit wrote:

It's not the governments responsibility when someone gets in over their head by buying a house they can not afford and thus have a large mortgage.

Some people here made cracks about my purchase of a manufactured home.
It has it's flaws, but it is more house than I need, and the mortgage is affordable.

The dick size contest people have with who can buy the biggest house in the most pricey neighborhood is sheer stupidity.

I agree. Many of those people are getting what they deserve. I'm not talking about them.

I'm talking about the many people without mortgages. I'm talking about those who work hard at their jobs, but still don't make enough to cover rent, food, clothing, etc. and pay health care premiums plus contribute to an HSA. There are quite a few working poor and their numbers are growing. Wages for ordinary folk stagnated a lot under the Bush administration.

These types of policies where people provide mostly for themselves work only when you have a strong, thriving working class. I agree that ideally people would pay for their own health care. They'd pay to send their kids to whatever school they want. We'd pay for a lot of things we currently receive as gubmint services - the libertarian ideal. But that isn't reality.

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Anyhoo, can anyone explain to me the value insurance companies add to the system? What important product or service are they providing? And why does faith in the corporate, free-market system continually trump any sort of humanity or morality? Why do so many people, many who claim to be christian, choose profits over people?

I would have been unable to purchase a house without the tax credit.