Part 1 * Grace Marie Turner says that people will lose their health insurance every time they change or lose a job. This is only partially true. Most of the time someone changes a job, the new job will pick them up. And, of course COBRA is available between job (though extremely expensive) for up to 18 months. So, anyone wealthy enough to pay for health insurance will be able to keep it as long as they (or their spouse) has a job with health insurance within a year and a half.
* I'm very sympathetic to the shame that Vicki may feel about admitting that she doesn't have insurance -- but that's redirection. In fact, her doctors are not treating her differently without insurance, except that they may charge her less for their services.
* Most states do not require you to sell your house to declare bankruptcy, and you may still qualify for Medicaid, even with the house (this may vary on a state-by-state basis, since each state has their own Medicaid program.
* The entire segment on their marriage is completely irrelevant. Again, I'm sympathetic, but this is a big issue, and there's a lot better ways to spend your prime-time TV time on the issue than this.
Part 2
* A claims denial rate of 3% is insufficient data to truly understand what health insurance companies are up to. Certainly, the bulk of routine doctor's visits are covered (or semi-covered). Even if someone was turned down for a $30 visit to their GP, they're unlikely to address it in the public media. The issue is more about serious illness (like cancer).
* Most people who have insurance may be satisfied with their coverage, but that is likely because they are not fighting with any serious issues.
* The story about the growth in Kent's thigh is so awful -- the insurance company (who is both biased and in the public eye) manages to find some kind of proof of prior knowledge about the condition. So, therefore, Stossel demonizes him as deserving to have his claims denied
* I don't know how Stossel can say that patients don't know how much it costs. Every health insurance or HMO plan I've ever been on has required a co-pay from me. Often those co-pays are completely arbitrary. I was charged $300 to see a specialist, because his office happened to be physically located in a hospital. If he'd been located in an office building, the co-pay would've been $30. On the other hand, the last time I was uninsured and I had to go get a prescription written, the doctor was extremely aware of how much a doctor's visit cost in that office.
* The whole idea of "grocery" insurance is insulting. The fact is, both insureds and doctors work hard to save money. Every insurance company has a "formulary" of drugs which are covered. Doctors will specifically prescribe what is on the formulary in order to help save money, even if another medicine might be more effective. And, of course, insurance companies have worked hard to encourage consumers to buy generics of medications at the pharmacy (the place where the consumer is most likely to be able to conserve, financially). Again, interviewing the head of Whole Foods is a complete waste of time in this article.
Part 3
* It's true that European and Canadian systems are flawed with long wait times. This has a big impact on two groups of people: A. those who are wealthy enough that they would've carried health insurance in the US, but not wealthy enough to leave the country for care -- they are forced to wait. B. those who are poor or underemployed enough that they wound't have had insurance (but also wealthy enough to not qualify for Medicaid) -- they have a chance at care they never would've gotten. And, of course, you can see this just as easily in the US. Consider the fact that the sleep clinic at the university hospital (which sees patients with and without health insurance) has a 13 month waiting list, but the sleep clinic at Lovelace (which sees nearly only patients with Lovelace insurance) has only a 3 month wait list.
* Federal-pay health insurance is no more complex than the post office. If patients can choose their own doctors, and the method of payment is the only real change, then there's no reason to think the federal government couldn't handle the simple task of writing the check. They manage that every day.
* It is true that profit-seeking drug companies have produced fabulous new medications. They've also orphaned ones that were too expensive to produce or had too small a market. They've realized, too, that the weight-loss industry is where consumers will pony up hard cash for their medications without looking too closely at the effectiveness
* Profit drives some kinds of innovation, but, in fact, I think most economic studies will show that the innovators are almost never the ones who profit. The profit is nearly always made with the next level -- the ones who refine and develop what innovators have already created.
* All those famous foreign dignitaries who came to the US for their health care -- none of them came with insurance. They are all wealthy enough to choose to go anywhere. For the average person, that's not something that they can do, even if they live next door to the Mayo Clinic.
* I would be happier if Dick Cheney were lying down with his eyes closed. Again -- I think he's paying out of his own pocket, not with health insurance for his fabulous health care.
Part 5
* If it's true that people with high deductible health insurance plans keep themselves in better condition, then why don't more independant insurance companies offer it to individuals?
Part 6
* Yes, I would love to have a doctor give me his cell phone number
* I'm not convinced that the clinics in Wal-Mart are so great. I got poor eye exams there every time.
* I believe that the cheap generics of common drugs available at all pharmacies only came into existence at the insistence of the federal government
* The final dig at Michael Moore just reinforces what I've said -- there's plenty of money to be made in the weight loss industry. And, I'm certain Michael Moore didn't use health insurance to pay for it.
Part 1
* Grace Marie Turner says that people will lose their health insurance every time they change or lose a job. This is only partially true. Most of the time someone changes a job, the new job will pick them up. And, of course COBRA is available between job (though extremely expensive) for up to 18 months. So, anyone wealthy enough to pay for health insurance will be able to keep it as long as they (or their spouse) has a job with health insurance within a year and a half.
* I'm very sympathetic to the shame that Vicki may feel about admitting that she doesn't have insurance -- but that's redirection. In fact, her doctors are not treating her differently without insurance, except that they may charge her less for their services.
* Most states do not require you to sell your house to declare bankruptcy, and you may still qualify for Medicaid, even with the house (this may vary on a state-by-state basis, since each state has their own Medicaid program.
* The entire segment on their marriage is completely irrelevant. Again, I'm sympathetic, but this is a big issue, and there's a lot better ways to spend your prime-time TV time on the issue than this.
Part 2
* A claims denial rate of 3% is insufficient data to truly understand what health insurance companies are up to. Certainly, the bulk of routine doctor's visits are covered (or semi-covered). Even if someone was turned down for a $30 visit to their GP, they're unlikely to address it in the public media. The issue is more about serious illness (like cancer).
* Most people who have insurance may be satisfied with their coverage, but that is likely because they are not fighting with any serious issues.
* The story about the growth in Kent's thigh is so awful -- the insurance company (who is both biased and in the public eye) manages to find some kind of proof of prior knowledge about the condition. So, therefore, Stossel demonizes him as deserving to have his claims denied
* I don't know how Stossel can say that patients don't know how much it costs. Every health insurance or HMO plan I've ever been on has required a co-pay from me. Often those co-pays are completely arbitrary. I was charged $300 to see a specialist, because his office happened to be physically located in a hospital. If he'd been located in an office building, the co-pay would've been $30. On the other hand, the last time I was uninsured and I had to go get a prescription written, the doctor was extremely aware of how much a doctor's visit cost in that office.
* The whole idea of "grocery" insurance is insulting. The fact is, both insureds and doctors work hard to save money. Every insurance company has a "formulary" of drugs which are covered. Doctors will specifically prescribe what is on the formulary in order to help save money, even if another medicine might be more effective. And, of course, insurance companies have worked hard to encourage consumers to buy generics of medications at the pharmacy (the place where the consumer is most likely to be able to conserve, financially). Again, interviewing the head of Whole Foods is a complete waste of time in this article.
Part 3
* It's true that European and Canadian systems are flawed with long wait times. This has a big impact on two groups of people:
A. those who are wealthy enough that they would've carried health insurance in the US, but not wealthy enough to leave the country for care -- they are forced to wait.
B. those who are poor or underemployed enough that they wound't have had insurance (but also wealthy enough to not qualify for Medicaid) -- they have a chance at care they never would've gotten.
And, of course, you can see this just as easily in the US. Consider the fact that the sleep clinic at the university hospital (which sees patients with and without health insurance) has a 13 month waiting list, but the sleep clinic at Lovelace (which sees nearly only patients with Lovelace insurance) has only a 3 month wait list.
Reply
* Federal-pay health insurance is no more complex than the post office. If patients can choose their own doctors, and the method of payment is the only real change, then there's no reason to think the federal government couldn't handle the simple task of writing the check. They manage that every day.
* It is true that profit-seeking drug companies have produced fabulous new medications. They've also orphaned ones that were too expensive to produce or had too small a market. They've realized, too, that the weight-loss industry is where consumers will pony up hard cash for their medications without looking too closely at the effectiveness
* Profit drives some kinds of innovation, but, in fact, I think most economic studies will show that the innovators are almost never the ones who profit. The profit is nearly always made with the next level -- the ones who refine and develop what innovators have already created.
* All those famous foreign dignitaries who came to the US for their health care -- none of them came with insurance. They are all wealthy enough to choose to go anywhere. For the average person, that's not something that they can do, even if they live next door to the Mayo Clinic.
* I would be happier if Dick Cheney were lying down with his eyes closed. Again -- I think he's paying out of his own pocket, not with health insurance for his fabulous health care.
Part 5
* If it's true that people with high deductible health insurance plans keep themselves in better condition, then why don't more independant insurance companies offer it to individuals?
Part 6
* Yes, I would love to have a doctor give me his cell phone number
* I'm not convinced that the clinics in Wal-Mart are so great. I got poor eye exams there every time.
* I believe that the cheap generics of common drugs available at all pharmacies only came into existence at the insistence of the federal government
* The final dig at Michael Moore just reinforces what I've said -- there's plenty of money to be made in the weight loss industry. And, I'm certain Michael Moore didn't use health insurance to pay for it.
Reply
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