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Health Insurance  (Expert Forum)
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SiCKO Pre-Screenings June 23
This forum is for questions and support regarding health insurance issues such as Medicare, Medicaid, Long-term health insurance, COBRA, insurance portability.

SiCKO Pre-Screenings June 23

by barn babe, Jun 21, 2007 08:39PM
Michael Moore's documentat, SiCKO, about the miserable state of the U.S. health care system, will begin pre-screenings June 23.  The film opens nationwide on June 29.  

You can go to michaelmoore dot com for information about screenings this Friday in your area.
Member Comments (14)

by PlateletGal, Jun 23, 2007 07:14PM
To: barn babe

I saw previews on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah's interview with Mr. Moore himself. I guess the Bush administration has been investigating Mr. Moore because he decided to take some 9/11 HEROES who were denied healthcare and/or disability to CUBA for some adequate healthcare.

I can't wait to see it. Thanks, barn babe !


by barn babe, Jun 24, 2007 10:56AM
Talk about embarrassing. When folks in the U.S. need to go to Cuba to get adequate care. It's unbelievable. I'm ashamed to be an Amerikan these days.

I didn't attend the screening here in San Francisco,  but I plan to see it this Friday when it opens. Let's hope it spurs our legislators to take some action towards single payer health insurance.

by InsureBob, Jun 24, 2007 07:12PM
Oh, just so you know, Baby Noors treatment and care, which escalated to several hundred thousand dollars, was picked up by the taxpayers of this country, not Cuba.

You want "someone else" to come up with a single payer system.

You want "someone else" to pay for the system.

At what point do you take responsibility for your health care?  What part would you be willing to "share" in the cost?

These posts all seem to end with a question from me to you:  What are some suggestions on how to fix the system.  If you are going to suggest a single payer system, you must raise taxes.  The more services you offer, the higher the tax rate.  Please let me know what percentage you would feel comfortable with, and what you would offer?


By the way, have you looked up the word Myrmidon yet?

by InsureBob, Jun 24, 2007 07:12PM
If you were to Google, "Centers of Excellence in Health Care", how many facilities would there be, outside the USA?

Now, I do believe it is deplorable how the military treats their employees, as it pertains to healthcare.  But, let me ask you a question.  When Baby Noor was sent from Iraq, where did they send her, to get treatment and surgery?  Was it in Cuba?  Canada? Switzerland?  No. It was here, in the United States.

If you truly want a single payer health care system, who should pay for it, and how much, in a tax hike, would you recommend?  Or, do you expect those in Research and Development, Education of new procedures, and clinical trials to work for free?

If I were to find three people who were treated in a rotten manner by their landlord, and put it on tape, would that mean that all landlords, or owners of rental properties are that way.  Mr. Moore has made a rather "healthy" career off those he claims to help.  Yet, he has offered no suggestions as to how to solve the problem.  It's easy to play victim.  Not so easy to come up with the answers.

Please don't be mirmadons.

by PlateletGal, Jun 27, 2007 12:54PM
To: InsureBob

Nice try, Bob. Americans are duped into paying more money (and we are talking a significant amount) for drugs and/or health care.

Oh and you know how many Americans are flying to India for hip replacements ? Why do they go to India instead of having their surgery here in the U.S. ? Because they have a new surgery in India and it takes only 3 days to recover. In addition, its only $5,000 for the surgery.

Hasta la pasta !  = )

by ea_poe, Jun 27, 2007 02:43PM
To: InsuranceBob
I haven't seen Sicko (not even sure if it is out just yet) but, you have to admit there's a lot a fat and bureaucracy that can be trimmed from our existing system. It's far from efficient on any end, from the hospitals, to insurance claims, to prescription drugs, to even drug research & development (and even approval). It's a massive massive industry, that has just sort of built on itself for decades, adding layers of problems. It needs to be overhauled. Who knows, maybe just doing that, will make it affordable enough that we don't need universal.

As a side note, there's also an expectation issue in the US. I have a friend who's big in the insurance industry and knows it very well.  This is going to sound cold, just warning you, but it makes logical sense. He explained to me the big difference in the US and the rest of the world, which is why our insurance is much more expensive is the expectation that ANYTHING should be done to save a life. If an 80 year old has a life threatening issue, Americans expect, at any cost, that the hospital should do what they can to preserve that life. In Europe in particular, the insurance industry takes life expectancy into account with insurance. They wouldn't prevent the hospital from helping this case, but they sure wouldn't cover it (or all of it) since the cost is extremely high for someone who has already lived 80 years. Taking this to the entire macro level, typically procedures are more complicated and costly the older you get, just that change has a big cost impact on insurance costs.

As I said, a "cold" way of looking at it. Not sure I agree philosophically, but it makes sense economically.

by PlateletGal, Jun 27, 2007 02:56PM
To: ea_poe

I'm not so sure that is how it works in Europe. I'll have to ask my husband about that --- he's European. I know the hospitals in his country are awesome and physicians' even come to your house when you are sick. It reminds me of the joke, "what happened when a U.S. physician paid a home visit to his patient?" A: "The patient died of shock !"

by ea_poe, Jun 27, 2007 04:30PM
To: PlateletGal
This is less about the hospitals and more about what the insurance covers. One of the ways they supposedly keep the costs down is they take a "practical" look at life expectancy from the procedure, what the downstream life of the patient will be (ie. will they live for 60 years or 60 months) and the cost of the procedure. They tend to not cover very expensive procedures for seniors for example. The flip side is, seniors can get the basic insurance for everything else (like their medications and day to day stuff) because it keeps the overall cost down.

by PlateletGal, Jun 29, 2007 12:29PM
To: ea_poe ea_poe

I forgot to talk to my husband last night, but I do know that Europeans have longer life spans.

by InsureBob, Jun 29, 2007 07:20PM
You did a wonderful job of avoiding every question I posed.  And you did it, while at the same time, talking about how the big health insurance companies "dupe" us.

I will admit, there is plenty of blame to go around, between the pharmaceutical companies and the insurance companies, but you still have not provided me with a clear, economical, phased-in way to lower our costs, while keeping the quality high.

And you never will.

As I stated earlier, you want the insurance companies to pay for everything, and you want someone else to pay the tab.  Free healthcare.  Sounds good.  

Won't ever happen.  

Keep tugging at the hearststrings, though.  That's a great way to avoid the facts and economics of it.  

Europeans have a longer life span because they have a better educational system, and spend less time sitting in front of the TV, or riding in their cars.  If there's anything we should copy from the Europeans, it's their educational system, which has a direct correlation to their healthcare.

Except for dental.  For some reason, Europeans don't keep their teeth in good repair.

Looked up Myrmidon yet?

by PlateletGal, Jun 29, 2007 07:29PM

You know what is interesting ? Americans pay already just as much if not more than what Europeans pay in healthcare.

by PlateletGal, Jun 29, 2007 07:34PM
To: InsureBob

Who the heck are you talking to ?

Keeping making $$$$$$$$$$$$$ and denying those claims, Bob !

by InsureBob, Jun 30, 2007 07:35PM
Prove it.  Show me factual content that I can look up.
Also, show me where you got the information that more and more Americans are flying to India for hip replacement surgery.

What I do know for a fact is that Long Term care coverage is less expensive in India than here.  I know of an elderly Indian couple who moved there this past spring, for just that very reason.  It's because they treat is as more of a communal living style, that we won't adopt here.

Obviously you are very bitter and need to vent.  This forum is your outlet.  If this is what gets you through the day, bless you.

by PlateletGal, Jul 01, 2007 01:29PM
To: InsureBob

This isn't a political forum, but I have done my research and I already stated that my husband is European. I read the World Health Organization reports as well and I know where the U.S. is listed. Besides, I'm a patient and I've also worked in the medical field.

I've never been called bitter before; because I'm not. But I do know the facts and I do understand the primary agendas of insurance companies and how our health care industry is failing and how we need a better system.

Good Day !


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