![]() |
|
Arts & Entertainment Give meaning to your life or distract you from it for a while |
View Poll Results: Have you seen Sicko? | |||
Yes. |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 | 16.67% |
No. |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
11 | 61.11% |
Never will. |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
4 | 22.22% |
Voters: 18. You may not vote on this poll |
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
![]() |
#16 |
I think this line's mostly filler.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DC
Posts: 13,575
|
That's what I'm wondering. Insurance is supposed to work when the majority of subscribers never need it, so there are large sums available for the few who do. Is that model valid for healthcare? HMOs are forcing it into the model by discouraging or preventing payouts. If they did pay claims, would it work?
__________________
_________________ |...............| We live in the nick of times. | Len 17, Wid 3 | |_______________| [pics] |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#17 |
Looking forward to open mic night.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 5,148
|
I'm also inclined to think, unless proven otherwise, that corporations are set up as one entity, and that one body is socio-pathic.
Maybe something as important as life or death never should have been put in the hands of a socio-pathic corporation (even though the individuals working there are harmless and just doing their job). Their job is to take your money! Any way possible! Quickly! Do we really want them to make the major decisions about our life and death too? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#18 |
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
|
How is it that prosecuting a war is so important it requires state funding (ie, the army) yet healthcare is left to the profit model?
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#19 |
Banned - Self Imposed
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,847
|
If they pay, they don't make as much money - thats what they think they are there for. If they go into direct competition, then some companies will only take the much lower risk clients leaving many uninsured or paying more.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#20 |
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
|
Y'know I think the market is good for driving clinical development along, but it fails miserably at delivering healthcare as it is needed by patients.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#21 |
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,012
|
HM, there are lots of forms of insurance that are profitable. I think the biggest problem with health insurance is the loss of competition due to health insurance being a standard employment benefit. I can't reasonably change providers even if I'm unhappy with them, because my employer (my husband's employer, whatever) chooses the plan. And their main concern is cost; employee satisfaction is somewhere in there but definitely not as important.
In my ideal health care system, 2 major changes need to occur: 1.) No more employer-provided benefits. Everyone pays for their own insurance (salaries are raised accordingly to reflect this change), and they are free to shop around among providers. 2.) Catastrophic coverage becomes the norm. The insurance model in general is designed to cover disasters, not generally subsidize everything so you pay a $15 copay on your $35 prescription. No other type of insurance does this--my auto insurance doesn't have me pay a copay on my oil changes, they just cover the unexpected $2000 wreck. And auto insurance is competitive and profitable for the providers. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#22 |
erika
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: "the high up north"
Posts: 6,127
|
As a member of Tricare (the military insurance company, the closest thing we have to socialized medicine), under my father, I'll have to say... I dont think I trust the government with our insurance. They do great in Britain, France... prettymuch everywhere except here, but I dont know if we can do it. Too much bureaucracy, too much bullshit.
But there's no better solution, I don't think. The current system sure as hell's broke.
__________________
not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#23 |
I think this line's mostly filler.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DC
Posts: 13,575
|
Yes, but they are against events that are unlikely. What are the chances that someone in your family will be hospitalized at some point?
__________________
_________________ |...............| We live in the nick of times. | Len 17, Wid 3 | |_______________| [pics] |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#24 |
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,012
|
The chances are pretty good. But that doesn't matter. The amount spent on them is likely to be less than the total amount of (somebody's) hospital care I pay for (one way or another) over my lifetime. You can't just pretend medical care is cheaper than it is. Someone's always paying for it.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#25 |
I think this line's mostly filler.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DC
Posts: 13,575
|
No, that's the problem. HMO's aren't paying for it. They are denying claims in order to maximize profits - perhaps even to be profitable at all.
If the primary goal is profit, is there a way to organize things so an emergent goal is to pay all valid claims? They seem antithetical to me.
__________________
_________________ |...............| We live in the nick of times. | Len 17, Wid 3 | |_______________| [pics] |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#26 |
Goon Squad Leader
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 27,063
|
How do insurance companies make money on life insurance? Not much uncertainty there.
I know I'll never pay in more than I get out (I guess, maybe I'm wrong. But it seems like a million dollar policy would far exceed my total payments. I don't know, actually, I don't have a million dollar policy anyway.)
__________________
Be Just and Fear Not. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#27 | ||
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,012
|
Quote:
Quote:
When I said "someone's always paying for it," I meant that there's no way around the fact that healthcare is expensive--even when it's subsidized by the government, "we" are still paying for it in taxes. People have to get used to the idea that health insurance costs about a thousand dollars a month, and just because their employers are paying that cost now doesn't mean it's not coming out of their salary in the end. |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#28 | |
™
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 27,717
|
Quote:
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#29 |
Radical Centrist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Cottage of Prussia
Posts: 31,423
|
When I had no insurance, docs would routinely change their invoice to charge me less, such as turning a standard examination to a minor consultation.
The ER had no similar consideration though. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#30 |
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,012
|
Yep, if insurance weren't such an overblown scam, a regular doctor's visit wouldn't cost $300 in the first place. Maybe it would still cost too much for some people to consider preventative medicine worth it, I don't know. But I figure those types of people wouldn't listen when their doctor told them they had to change their diet/exercise more/stop drinking anyway...
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
|
|