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Old 28-06-2013, 11:00   #91
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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The British health system covers more people, with better outcomes, at a significantly lower per person cost than the US system. Not the economy of competition that is supposed to arise out of capitalism.
But they do have age cutoffs and looong waits.

My friends dad, after several years came to the US for his cataract surgery. In and out.

Don't want to start comparing but know lots of counter arguments including that "better outcomes" stuff.

Will not do it though.
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Old 28-06-2013, 11:15   #92
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

That's the problem here. Medicare patients that "paid into" the system when working paid for around 1/2 or 1/3 of the care they now will demand/ consume.

Remember the "keep your government hands off my medicare" cries when the ACA was being passed?

There simply is not enough money to give everyone all the care they want at the prices the hospitals want to charge so they can sustain there 6 and 7 figure salaries.

There has been plenty of rationing to date with insurance cherry picking and wage earners paying for current medicare patients care whilst they run the risk of bankruptcy if they have an accident.

A simple "market based" approach would be to change the law that requires hospitals to treat all comers. Either way that or ACA single payer with rationing will be the eventual result.
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Old 28-06-2013, 11:28   #93
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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I cried reading the pleas on this forum

Need Help Paying Bills, Debt, and Mortgage • Index page
I didn't click on that link before, and I didn't cry - I pride myself on being a heartless b#stard .....and I rarely get angry - but FFS ......and at the risk of diverting this thread even further, I thank Christ neither me nor family have lived under a regime like that - and I say that as Atheist......
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Old 28-06-2013, 13:26   #94
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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...... but know lots of counter arguments including that "better outcomes" stuff.
Will not do it though.
Basic measures like maternal and infant mortality, and avg life expectancy are pretty simple numbers to compare. They are not all due to health care, but its a significant component. The other telling number is the percent of bankruptcy that are health care related.
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Old 28-06-2013, 13:29   #95
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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...
A simple "market based" approach would be to change the law that requires hospitals to treat all comers.....
The cost issue is that uninsured people don't get basic health care and then end up using the ER as a last ditch support. Hospitals are required to accept patients into the ER and to stabilize them. They aren't required to give the months of treatment that many need or non-emergency surgery..
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Old 28-06-2013, 13:39   #96
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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If you don't mind sharing, how much is that costing you? is that plan really for being in the US?
We are fulltime cruisers. We still maintain legal residence in our last state, Washington. The policy we have is a BlueShield policy with high deductible. When we left 3 years ago it was about $400/month for two of us. It is now up to about $600. The post Obamacare calculator shows ours going to about $400/month with a smaller deductible.
I looked at the International, stay out of the US for 6 months a year policies. They were cheaper, but have onerous per-existing condition clauses. A pre-exisiting condition being anything you saw a doc for or should have seen a doc for. If you state it on the application then you get an exclusion for some period. But after that period the insurance has a very low annual cap on the condition. I have no way to judge how tightly this is enforced, but it seems you could have had high blood pressure and then have anything cardiac limited to a max of $5,000 a year -- essential useless.
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Old 28-06-2013, 13:42   #97
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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Thanks for all the input. The third world countries no problem but this time around we will spend most of our time in the EU countries and the Med and I'm not sure about the costs there.
Thanks
Cheaper than the US but not as cheap as third world. My friend needed stitches for her foot at an emergency room in Germany and it was about $200.
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Old 28-06-2013, 15:41   #98
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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how about more true stories of Americans cruising about what they are doing/paying for health care, and less ranting about the system?
I'm not out cruising yet but this thread helped me develop a plan;
As long as I can afford a catastrophic policy with a high deductible, in the off chance I develop a disease that would force me home for treatment. I can combine that with self insurance (pay cash for dental work, minor ailments, etc. in more affordable countries along the way), buy a minimum policy to repatriate me if need be, and I should be good to go right?

My only other choices would be to marry a citizen of a foreign country, an American politician, government worker, or US military member Who'd thought that Americans would ever desire to be catalog brides
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Old 28-06-2013, 16:11   #99
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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It's sick isn't it?

Only because one illness/admission could wipe all other savings out in a blink.

Did you read that Time article? Pretty clear there.

Tough choices that the wife and I have to agree on.
And even with insurance it can wipe out any savings that you have. If we had a government run health insurance program (as the TIME article pointed out is more efficient) we'd be able to to divert a significant portion of that $24,000 a year toward retirement savings, (or blowing it on materialistic wants that feed the economy ) and not end up a burden on society. Not driving ourselves into personal bankruptcy.
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Old 28-06-2013, 16:16   #100
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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Originally Posted by Boatguy30 View Post
That's the problem here. Medicare patients that "paid into" the system when working paid for around 1/2 or 1/3 of the care they now will demand/ consume.

Remember the "keep your government hands off my medicare" cries when the ACA was being passed?

There simply is not enough money to give everyone all the care they want at the prices the hospitals want to charge so they can sustain there 6 and 7 figure salaries.

There has been plenty of rationing to date with insurance cherry picking and wage earners paying for current medicare patients care whilst they run the risk of bankruptcy if they have an accident.

A simple "market based" approach would be to change the law that requires hospitals to treat all comers. Either way that or ACA single payer with rationing will be the eventual result.
Yep.

Right after (or in the middle of) the next great depression.
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Old 28-06-2013, 16:17   #101
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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Originally Posted by Therapy View Post
It's sick isn't it?

Only because one illness/admission could wipe all other savings out in a blink.

Did you read that Time article? Pretty clear there.

Tough choices that the wife and I have to agree on.
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Originally Posted by Therapy View Post
But they do have age cutoffs and looong waits.

My friends dad, after several years came to the US for his cataract surgery. In and out.

Don't want to start comparing but know lots of counter arguments including that "better outcomes" stuff.

Will not do it though.
But if he went to Mexico for the surgery instead of USA he would've spent way less for that surgery. Medical tourism is really taking off! Who would pay American prices in today's economy is it would be lass expensive else where?
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Old 28-06-2013, 16:19   #102
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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Originally Posted by Paul L View Post
Basic measures like maternal and infant mortality, and avg life expectancy are pretty simple numbers to compare. They are not all due to health care, but its a significant component. The other telling number is the percent of bankruptcy that are health care related.
There are few "simple Numbers" in statistical comparisons.

But, I toldja I am not goin to git inta dat.
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Old 28-06-2013, 16:26   #103
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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Originally Posted by Paul L View Post
The cost issue is that uninsured people don't get basic health care and then end up using the ER as a last ditch support. Hospitals are required to accept patients into the ER and to stabilize them. They aren't required to give the months of treatment that many need or non-emergency surgery..
And many get it, ignore it, and end up using the ER. Lots of that. Lots.

Almost all can get it. They just need to sign up.

Hell, the Govt. (my dollars at work yet again) even have TV ads now for those that are illiterate.
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Old 28-06-2013, 16:32   #104
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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Originally Posted by Gadagirl View Post
And even with insurance it can wipe out any savings that you have. If we had a government run health insurance program (as the TIME article pointed out is more efficient) we'd be able to to divert a significant portion of that $24,000 a year toward retirement savings, (or blowing it on materialistic wants that feed the economy ) and not end up a burden on society. Not driving ourselves into personal bankruptcy.
Darn right, except, for me, I disagree with some of his numbers. But one would have to take away the rights to lobby. One of our freedoms right?

It is quite a quagmire.
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Old 28-06-2013, 16:39   #105
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Re: Health insurance for Americans

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I didn't click on that link before, and I didn't cry - I pride myself on being a heartless b#stard .....and I rarely get angry - but FFS ......and at the risk of diverting this thread even further, I thank Christ neither me nor family have lived under a regime like that - and I say that as Atheist......
It's absolutely dire. A broken arm could potentially leave you homeless. The collection agencies will garnish your wages to get their "profits" without a care as to how you should pay for food, gas, electric, rent, or mortgage. They will sue and drain your retirement savings. I'm thinking having a bankruptcy lawyer on retention for advice should be standard for aging and retirement planning. Another cost that most can't afford or navigate. Sad
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