Something a little different

[flmagi]

Let’s try something a little different.
A simple yes or no answer please. We might find we agree with a lot more issues if we leave the people factor out.  Yes, some answers are not an easy yes or no, but we can discuss the ideas behind the answers later. Feel free to add some questions to the list, I’m sure I’ve left off some important ones. But leave the blame factor out please.

1.Insurance needs to be more affordable?
2.Insurance Companies need more regulations (must except pre-existing, not drop sick people)?
3.More competition in insurance industry needed, so as to reduce prices?
4.Medical care should be for only those that can afford it (insurance or self pay)?
5.Illegal Aliens should have health care?
6.Illegal Aliens seeking Medical help should be turned over to Immigration authorities?
7.People should have full control over decisions concerning their health and body?
8.Borders need to be locked down?
9.Legal immigration needs to be suspended until illegals  already here are dealt with?
10.Amnesty for some law abiding illegal aliens, in country for over 5 years?
11.All Americans should be able to get a career education (college or other) even if they can’t afford it?
12.Continue war on terror outside U.S. borders?
13.Tighten Security in U.S.?
14.Pull troops out of Iraq?
15.Pull troops out of Afghanistan?
16.Put more money into U.S. Military?
17.Tax System (IRS) needs to be revamped ?
18.Tax loop-holes for big Businesses need to be closed?
19.Separation of Church and State?
20.Churches should pay taxes?
21.Fraud in the Welfare System needs tightening and revamping?
22.Waste in Medicare and Medicaid  needs to be dealt with?
23.Americans should be able to vote on more issues?
24.Gays should be allowed to marry  and have all the privileges of the non-gay?
25.The Government should try to stir the economy by creating new jobs?  

[RJ233]

I look at all my medical bills. Why wouldn't I? I can say I never have had to request a complete print out of the treatment and costs, they send them to me. We are suppose to check it to make sure the charges are for what we got, nothing is added in that wasn't. That helps to protect fraudulent charges.

The insurance companies don't make the bills, the drs and hospitals do. The insurance company, including medicare contract with the places that accept it and  pay according to their agreement. You also have a co-pay on medicare before it starts covering.

If a dr is concerned enough for a treatment to request tests because he fears malpractice then, I'm concerned enough to get it. If it is useless, then we can always say no. I have one dr that does not want to test. I was under constant treatment for a year, when 1 test could have solved the problem. My husband and I got bronchitis one year. He sounded much worse than I did. He was sent for x-rays. The dr was not really concerned with mine, but ordered an x-ray anyway. He called me that night to let me know I had pneumonia right over my heart! My husband was ok.

Sometimes things are eliminated by tests. All things are not what they seem. The insurance company or medicare look at charges and who is doing the charge. If they request a bunch of tests for no reason they will know. The labs do the test results, so unless it is a colonoscopy or another invasive test, the dr is not going to make any money on it. I went to a dermatologist for hair loss, no help, though she had a blood test done. A different dr that I saw for a different reason, saw my lack of hair. He requested the blood test I had done, put me on some meds, but it did not work well, so he ran another test, then when he saw the results, he sent me to another dr. I went to a thyroid dr, found I had hypothyroidism and needed medication. 2 lumps have been found and I have had ultra sounds and a biopsy. So, I would much rather have the test. Thank God, they have not shown any sign of cancer. I don't like getting poked, or stuck any better than anyone else, in fact, I hate it. If it shortens treatment or finds the source of the problem, then I do it. All tests don't show up some of the problems. I had an MRI that showed nothing wrong with my back, though my dr knew something was wrong. So, he did a dye test, it was rough, but he found the problem, and I get treatment for it. It can't be fixed but he does help me with the pain. I know my drs, and I ask questions because I want to know what is what.

I cannot say I have had one single test that has not been to my benefit. I consider myself as being informed and having choices.

[teko]

My sister is on Medicare and gets awesome medical care. I got a newsflash for you. Your insurance companies are regulating your care now. And if you do not understand what people are talking about when they say waste, check out some of the itemized bills you have sitting around. Or have you bothered to request one. A band aid is charged out at 3.00,each etc.  How many tests did they do unnecessarily just to avoid a lawsuit possibility, etc. Come on people you cannot be that naive.

[peggy64]

That is an excellant point. My heavens, the government is not surviving on its own, how in the world, are they going to make a healthcare system survive?


I posted this elsewhere but it is a very good point.

"I was just reading anothers post about going to the VA hospital.

Now there is just another fine example of just how excellent our  healthcare system is going to be when the government runs it. "

[RJ233]

All the fraud in Medicare treatment, running tests, etc., just doesn't make sense. Have you ever looked at the charges and what Medicare pays. They pay next to nothing and the drs and hospitals take a loss. There is no way a dr or hospital could survive on what they pay. It would make the dr and hospital lose more money. Most drs do like to make sure what they are looking at before they give treatment. I just can't see any profit coming from that. Now, putting more visits than the patient made would give a profit, after a few years. That is why hospitals said they won't survive on a gov health care.

[ILADVOCATE]

I should note the only reason I put that illegal immigrants seeking medical care should not be turned over to the authorities is because that would make them afraid to seek medical care and with the potential of epidemics (I would agree the swine flu will not be that much of a problem but West Nile virus may have come from mosquitos that were on a plane that came to the United States and there will other communicable diseases as well that are controlled in the United States that came to the United States) it could impact on other people. In the past on Ellis Island all immigrants were screened for a wide variety of what were then untreated diseases that were highly communicable and if they were found deported which in many ways was unreasonable and broke up families. Now unlike then all of them are treatable but they need to be identified. The real difficulty with sealing the borders is that immigrants come here illegally by boat or other means so it is very difficult to stop it entirely. I do however believe there should be greater prevention of terrorism but some terrorists such as John Walker lived in the United States so this specific form of hatred unfortunately seems to draw fanatics from all backgrounds.

[ILADVOCATE]

1.Insurance needs to be more affordable?  Y
2.Insurance Companies need more regulations (must except pre-existing, not drop sick people)?   Y
3.More competition in insurance industry needed, so as to reduce prices? Y
4.Medical care should be for only those that can afford it (insurance or self pay)? N
5.Illegal Aliens should have health care? N
6.Illegal Aliens seeking Medical help should be turned over to Immigration authorities? N
7.People should have full control over decisions concerning their health and body? Y
8.Borders need to be locked down? Y
9.Legal immigration needs to be suspended until illegals  already here are dealt with? N
10.Amnesty for some law abiding illegal aliens, in country for over 5 years? Y
11.All Americans should be able to get a career education (college or other) even if they can’t afford it? Y
12.Continue war on terror outside U.S. borders? Y
13.Tighten Security in U.S.? Y
14.Pull troops out of Iraq? Y
15.Pull troops out of Afghanistan? Y
16.Put more money into U.S. Military? N
17.Tax System (IRS) needs to be revamped ? Y
18.Tax loop-holes for big Businesses need to be closed? Y
19.Separation of Church and State? Y
20.Churches should pay taxes? Y
21.Fraud in the Welfare System needs tightening and revamping? Y
22.Waste in Medicare and Medicaid  needs to be dealt with? Y
23.Americans should be able to vote on more issues? Y
24.Gays should be allowed to marry  and have all the privileges of the non-gay? Y
25.The Government should try to stir the economy by creating new jobs?   Y

[margypops]

I am sorry that I even answered your rubbish and put those numbers up there ...LOL I am done .........

[margypops]

Here are my No;"s  #5
                             #6
                             #9
                              #11
                              #20

[allaboutmary]

1.Insurance needs to be more affordable? y
2.Insurance Companies need more regulations (must except pre-existing, not drop sick people)? y
3.More competition in insurance industry needed, so as to reduce prices? y
4.Medical care should be for only those that can afford it (insurance or self pay)? you mean the way it is now. lol  no no no
5.Illegal Aliens should have health care? no
6.Illegal Aliens seeking Medical help should be turned over to Immigration authorities? yes, after any life saving procedures are taken care of. Even I couldn't let someone die illegal or not.
7.People should have full control over decisions concerning their health and body? y
8.Borders need to be locked down? y
9.Legal immigration needs to be suspended until illegals  already here are dealt with? no
10.Amnesty for some law abiding illegal aliens, in country for over 5 years? y
11.All Americans should be able to get a career education (college or other) even if they can’t afford it? yes
12.Continue war on terror outside U.S. borders? of course
13.Tighten Security in U.S.? yes
14.Pull troops out of Iraq? yes
15.Pull troops out of Afghanistan? no
16.Put more money into U.S. Military? within reason for the war in Afganastan
17.Tax System (IRS) needs to be revamped ? yep
18.Tax loop-holes for big Businesses need to be closed? you betcha
19.Separation of Church and State? yep
20.Churches should pay taxes? yep
21.Fraud in the Welfare System needs tightening and revamping? yes
22.Waste in Medicare and Medicaid  needs to be dealt with? yes
23.Americans should be able to vote on more issues? yes
24.Gays should be allowed to marry  and have all the privileges of the non-gay? yes
25.The Government should try to stir the economy by creating new jobs?yes please

[iam1butterfly]

1.Yes
2.Yes
3.Yes
4.No
5.? they shouldn't be able to get it... but, how do you deny someone whose dying?
6.No... I don't like the idea of someone denying themselves or their children vital health care for fear of being identified.
7.Yes
8.Yes... but, an impossible task to uphold outside of border check points
9.Yes
10.No
11.Yes
12.yes
13.yes
14.yes
15.yes
16.No
17.Yes
18.Yes
19.Yes
17.Yes
18.Yes
19.Yes
20.Yes
21.Yes
22.yes
23.Yes
24.Yes
25.Yes

[teko]

My answers are same as yours. Yes, that does simplify things. We must also remember that when you have insurance and you go for medical care, you pay a percent of care after the write off given to the medical provider. For instance, if you have an 80-20 plan you would pay 20 percent after the discount was taken.  If someone goes for medical care and does not have insurance, they are billed the total amount without the discount.  In other words if the bill is 25.000 the uninsured pays 25.000 while someone with insurance pays the 20%. When the uninsured cannot pay, they ruin their credit.

I believe that anyone who is not under their parents policy should carry insurance and if they get sick, yes treat them of course but yes, I think there should be a fine. In order to make this possible and affordable the insurance companies need an option to build a big enuff pool that it is affordable for all. This in my opinion helps all of us and helps to keep the cost down.

Personally, I favor a single payor system that is not related to our employment. The way it is if you lose your job, you lose your insurance and then based on pre existing, they refuse you coverage. Then you are no longer part of a big pool and therefore cannot afford the premiums the insurance company wants to charge. They got ya! Hook, line and sinker..... IMO

[flmagi]

HERE'S MY ANSWERS, ALTHOUGH WOULD SURLY NEED MORE CLARIFICATION.
1.Insurance needs to be more affordable?  Y
2.Insurance Companies need more regulations (must except pre-existing, not drop sick people)?   Y
3.More competition in insurance industry needed, so as to reduce prices? Y
4.Medical care should be for only those that can afford it (insurance or self pay)? N
5.Illegal Aliens should have health care? N
6.Illegal Aliens seeking Medical help should be turned over to Immigration authorities? Y
7.People should have full control over decisions concerning their health and body? Y
8.Borders need to be locked down? Y
9.Legal immigration needs to be suspended until illegals  already here are dealt with? Y
10.Amnesty for some law abiding illegal aliens, in country for over 5 years? Y
11.All Americans should be able to get a career education (college or other) even if they can’t afford it? Y
12.Continue war on terror outside U.S. borders? Y
13.Tighten Security in U.S.? Y
14.Pull troops out of Iraq? Y
15.Pull troops out of Afghanistan? Y
16.Put more money into U.S. Military? N
17.Tax System (IRS) needs to be revamped ? Y
18.Tax loop-holes for big Businesses need to be closed? Y
19.Separation of Church and State? Y
20.Churches should pay taxes? Y
21.Fraud in the Welfare System needs tightening and revamping? Y
22.Waste in Medicare and Medicaid  needs to be dealt with? Y
23.Americans should be able to vote on more issues? Y
24.Gays should be allowed to marry  and have all the privileges of the non-gay? Y
25.The Government should try to stir the economy by creating new jobs?   Y