AG wrote
I would have let this slide by with no comment from me,
but this whole
bit of stupidity on Capital Hill has me quite perturbed,
as I discover
that I spent $19,000 last year on health care for four
healthy
individuals and ZERO contribution from any insurance.
The
debate in Washington is highly disingenuous on both sides.
The
discussion is about "Access to Health Insurance", when the
discussion
should be about "Access to Health Care". When the discussion
is about
insurance and not care, you know that every politician in
Washington,
regardless of party, is bought and sold by the insurance
companies and
the health industry mafia.
And the entire cash-cow of
insurance lobbiests revolves around Schumer
and Pelosi, so they are as
even as evil as Trump and Ryan in this.
And that $19,000 didn't even
include $5000 for hearing aids!
AG (24000 reasons to be ticked)
Schnozz
...............................................................................
How
different things are elsewhere.
I gave up on paying for health
insurance more than 10 years ago as the premium kept getting steeper and
steeper as I approached 70 yo. For better or worse, I decided to rely on
the public health system
When I get sick enough to visit a Dr, I pay
something like $40 NZ for the visit. Prescription drugs are often free
for 'normal' maladies; maybe you could have to pay $20.
Maggie and I
support our local St Johns' ambulance and then if we need them I think
(not sure) there's no extra fee if an ambulance is needed.
What can
happen if I get something serious may be illustrated by the example of
our neighbour who is a bit older than me.
He visited his Dr with a
bloated bowel and the Dr told him he was constipated and to use the
toilet more. Didn't work.
This Dr is not too many years out of med
school, by the way. 2nd visit when Cyril was in quite a lot of pain and
looked distinctly pregnant; similar advice.
Not long after Cyril was in
a very bad way and in an emergency was seen by another Dr in the Medical
Centre who sent him immediately to the local small hospital. They took
one decent look at him and sent him to the main regional hospital 200
miles away in Dunedin (ambulance trip).
Turned out he had a twisted
bowel and by this time was near death.
3 or more operations later and he
has a non-functional rectum ( the whole deal nearly rectum for good !!)
and has a colostomy whereby all his bowel movements go into a disposable
bag.
He is now back home and very weak, but steadily gaining strength.
Today he was even out in the fine weather and doing some pruning in the
garden.
He had a close call. There was NO CHARGE for the surgeries and
hospital time. That's all covered under our public health system.
The
young Dr can't be sued as we have a no-fault Accident Compensation
system which, broadly speaking, covers these things. No expensive
litigation here on such matters.
I hope like hell he learns to diagnose
better. I need to choose a new Dr soon as my former excellent Dr has
moved to another centre.
This guy, and an associate of his will be
excluded from the pool I choose from.
The system is not
perfect.
People needing hip etc replacements (for example) are assessed
and placed on a waiting list (there's a protocol for all this) and when
their condition is severe enough they will be operated on.
I will
possibly need one or more operations for cataracts. If i want to wait it
out when severe I will be put on a waiting list.
Alternatively I could
pay for it to be done in a public hospital (Dunedin in this case, which
is also a teaching hospital attached to the University) and there'd be
little delay.
Each eye is likely to cost approx $4,000. Hips cost about
$12,000. Each.
Oh, and by the way, it looks as though we "may" be able
to get into our rebuilt home this weekend.
Our insurance pays for only
$20,000 worth of alternative housing which amounts to 57 weeks.
We will
have to find the money for the rest in the insurance company continue to
decline our case; it will total about 14 weeks worth or about $4,900 if
my arithmetic is correct.
Cheers, Brian
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