This is so true. Some medicines are priced so high that most people couldn't afford them without insurance. It is all one big scam. Big Pharm manipulates prices to keep them high forcing people to demand prescription coverage in their insurance which then drives up the cost of the insurance.

Another problem is that there are just too many people between my dollars and my doctor. If I was going to pay a guy $20 to mow my lawn I would hire him, he would mow my lawn and I would hand him cash. There is really nobody between him and my money. If it were run like the healthcare system I would have lawn mowing insurance and pay a monthly premium of $40 then I would hire a guy to mow my lawn, I would give him a $5 co-pay and he would bill my insurance $60. Will all of these people wanting to get paid in between he and I, the price is bound to go up.

kane, check this out. https://www.pcip.gov/

Yep,
Mine now says what the Doc prescribed to you, well we want you to try these others first...

So now, the Insurance company is the Doctor???

Your doctors are Doctor Pelosi and Doctor Reid with Doctor Obama as head surgeon. :1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

The govt. and the insurance companies know what's best for you...resistance is futile.

Thanks, checking it out.

I have asthma. I have pretty much given up on getting any kind of affordable coverage that will cover asthma related stuff.

My mom had to go through this with some depression meds. After trying different things she found a med that worked great. The insurance company would only pay for it if she tried at least two others from a list they provided because they felt these worked just as good and cost lest.

Luckily, she had already tried one on that list so she had to spend 60 days trying another. When it didn't work as well then and only then would they pay for the med her doctor prescribed.

Another reason to keep pushing my siggy!!!

DTI Cash pays 100% of all my healthcare costs.. including my wife and two kids :thumbsup

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/3...ospital001.jpg


A good friend is a contractor specializing in large water projects, lakes, hotel atrium waterfalls etc. Above is a shot of one he was putting in front of the University of Kentucky Hospital. You don't want to know what it cost.

My old neighbor is a retired heart surgeon with a 1,200 acre horse farm valued at around 20 million.

An ex girlfriend has a masters in health administration and works in an office park with 3 five story office buildings full of administrative staff for the UK medical center. Her entire building was for processing insurance claims.

And people want to know why medical care costs so much ?..


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1912: Former President Theodore Roosevelt champions national health insurance as he unsuccessfully tries to ride his progressive Bull Moose Party back to the White House.

1929: Baylor Hospital in Texas originates group health insurance. Dallas teachers pay 50 cents a month to cover up to 21 days of hospital care per year.

1935: President Franklin D. Roosevelt favors creating national health insurance amid the Great Depression but decides to push for Social Security first.

1942: Roosevelt establishes wage and price controls during World War II. Businesses can't attract workers with higher pay so they compete through added benefits, including health insurance, which grows into a workplace perk.

1945: President Harry Truman calls on Congress to create a national insurance program for those who pay voluntary fees. The American Medical Association denounces the idea as "socialized medicine" and it goes nowhere.

1960: John F. Kennedy makes health care a major campaign issue but as president can't get a plan for the elderly through Congress.

1965: President Lyndon B. Johnson's legendary arm-twisting and a Congress dominated by his fellow Democrats lead to creation of two landmark government health programs: Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor.

1974: President Richard Nixon wants to require employers to cover their workers and create federal subsidies to help everyone else buy private insurance. The Watergate scandal intervenes.

1976: President Jimmy Carter pushes a mandatory national health plan, but economic recession helps push it aside.

1986: President Ronald Reagan signs COBRA, a requirement that employers let former workers stay on the company health plan for 18 months after leaving a job, with workers bearing the cost.

1988: Congress expands Medicare by adding a prescription drug benefit and catastrophic care coverage. It doesn't last long. Barraged by protests from older Americans upset about paying a tax to finance the additional coverage, Congress repeals the law the next year.

1993: President Bill Clinton puts first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in charge of developing what becomes a 1,300-page plan for universal coverage. It requires businesses to cover their workers and mandates that everyone have health insurance. The plan meets Republican opposition, divides Democrats and comes under a firestorm of lobbying from businesses and the health care industry. It dies in the Senate.

1997: Clinton signs bipartisan legislation creating a state-federal program to provide coverage for millions of children in families of modest means whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid.

2003: President George W. Bush persuades Congress to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare in a major expansion of the program for older people.

2008: Hillary Rodham Clinton promotes a sweeping health care plan in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. She loses to Obama, who campaigns on a less comprehensive plan.

2009: Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress spend an intense year ironing out legislation to mandate that everyone have coverage or pay a fine; require most companies to cover their workers; require insurance companies to accept all comers, regardless of any pre-existing conditions; and assist people who can't afford insurance

2010: The American Medical Association and other big groups of health professionals lend their weight to the effort to extend coverage to more than 30 million uninsured people. Opponents scorn it as "Obamacare" and a government takeover of medicine. With no Republican support, Congress passes the measure. Obama signs it into law on March 23.

2012: The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, upholds the law, including its much-disputed mandate that almost all people in the U.S. have health coverage or pay a fine. The law's ultimate fate remains unclear, however, with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and GOP lawmakers promising to repeal it if they carry the November elections.



http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501705_1...reform-effort/

1970's (Nixon)

President Richard Nixon renames prepaid group health care plans as health maintenance organizations (HMOs), with legislation that provides federal endorsement, certification, and assistance.

Healthcare costs are escalating rapidly, partially due to unexpectedly high Medicare expenditures, rapid inflation in the economy, expansion of hospital expenses and profits, and changes in medical care including greater use of technology, medications, and conservative approaches to treatment. American medicine is now seen as in crisis.

President Nixon's plan for national health insurance rejected by liberals & labor unions, but his "War on Cancer" centralizes research at the NIH.

The number of women entering the medical profession rises dramatically. In 1970, 9% of medical students are women; by the end of the decade, the proportion exceeds 25%.

World Health Organization declares smallpox eradicated.

1980's Reagan

Corporations begin to integrate the hospital system (previously a decentralized structure), enter many other healthcare-related businesses, and consolidate control. Overall, there is a shift toward privatization and corporatization of healthcare.

Under President Reagan, Medicare shifts to payment by diagnosis (DRG) instead of by treatment. Private plans quickly follow suit.

Growing complaints by insurance companies that the traditional fee-for-service method of payment to doctors is being exploited.

"Capitation" payments to doctors become more common.

http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/history.htm

It really amazes me the number of people online these days talking about how we need a "revolution" in America.

No, we don't need to resort to violence, we just need to stop voting like idiots. A new party with a signed platform to reform campaigns, put term limits in for all govt offices, etc would address a lot of this "for profit" public service.

We could take the post office and turn it over to Fed Ex then take the tens of billions we save and use it to give every American the federal health insurance program. I don't see any politicians suggesting this, however.

well unfortunately who ever, the Ones I had to "TRY" before they would cover a cheaper one, had such a bad and very common side affect, I think I almost died.

I asked my doctor why the cheaper one is not covered. He said just because it Appears cheaper to us, we do not know what kick backs are going on in the background...

I'm paying $398 a month because I had hepatitis in 1973, my liver is fine. no issues at all

actually the usps could run at a profit, but is hamstrung by congress requiring it to prepay its pension program 50 years out into the future, i.e., they have to estimate # of employees out to 2063 this year and pay into an account 100% of all those employees' pension plan dollars.

congress then takes that money and fritters it away on other things.

I was in the hospital for 4 days due to an allergic reaction to antibiotics... no surgeries at all.. the hospital bills was $50k and change. the ins discount brought the bill to 10K and change, my portion was 5.6k and change

hummm.... think that's why the US is referred to as a 'military industrial complex'?

Hell! 4 days cost 50k? :helpme

i was in er a few weeks ago while in las vegas. the pa comes into the room and says they want/need to do a fancy electro test on my gut, i can't remember which one, anyway, in a state of stupor asked him why they need to do it, he pretty much glared right back at me and said "SO YOU DON'T DIE."

i was like fuck, hmm, ok, how much??? he didn't know and harumphed off to find out, came back after a while and said $3k, i just got the bill, that procedure alone was $9k.

on th ebill it's called a ct abd pelvis w/con $9,162

I'm paying just under $800 a month for me, my wife, and teenage daughter.

I haven't been in the hospital or had any reason to go to the doctor since 2002 when I had a car accident. (didn't have insurance at that time...started having it afterwards lol)

So for 11 years I've been paying for insurance. I did have 4 of us on it...but one of my daughters is grown up and gone.

With 4 of us it was around $600 a month.

Now with "ObamaCare" it has risen the last 3 years to almost $800 a month for the three of us.
That's almost $9,600 per year for insurance.
And of course we have a $3,000 deductible that we have to pay before the insurance pays anything.

So each year...we have to be sick enough to spend 3 grand at the doctor before we see any benefits from putting in $9,600 a year into the insurance companies pockets.

Thank you Pres. Obama, thank you... :(

Weird double post

I started paying for my own med ins for my wife and I in 2000. Its gone up every year since I got it. I change plans and deductibles to keep the cost in check but before Obama was twinkle in anyone's eyes. They have raised my rates every year and like yourself in 10 yrs ive been to the doctor maybe 12 times in all those years.Since the president, senate and congress had no balls, we now have this bastardized version of romneycare bullshit. It should of been medicare for all. They were going to be hated anyway should have gone all in.
Also to the guy about the post office, the post office doesn't cost us the tax payer anything.

Tony, I still say we really shouldn't NEED the govt. or insurance.

Insurance should be for "just in case" of a catastrophe.

Our govt. should be stopping the Big Pharma and Big Medical corporations from price gouging us in the US.

Then the majority of us could PAY for our routine doctor visits and prescription medications and only use health insurance for something major (the way it's supposed to work).

We don't need them, but we need them?

Exactly. Yet so many direct their anger toward the government, thinking profit-driven corporations are the solution, when it's those profit-driven corporations that are corrupting the government.

Exactly. It's a bloated, overly complex system. Single payer is the answer.

These goddamn HMOs do nothing but handle our money, and decide what they will and won't pay for with it. They raise the premiums because they can, and since profit is their motive they do it frequently. Then people curse Obama for being a "socialist".

Right. Cuz if they can push your mom onto a lower cost anti-depressant, they make more money. And if she kills herself while they're fucking around with her meds, that works out perfectly - she was a loss for the company anyway. Ain't for-profit healthcare awesome?

Thank goodness we don't have that evil "socialized" medicine.

http://newsjunkiepost.com/wp-content...eath-panel.png

What's your point?

You don't understand what I'm saying?

Let me slow down for ya:
We DON'T need the govt. interfering when we go to the doctor.

Everyone was able to pay for it themselves until the govt. started up HMO's and the prices have steadily increased every time they've come up with a new program.

I'm old enough to have seen it happen with my own eyes. Each new govt. involvement that was supposed to make our health care more affordable and "better"....the price has went up and we are told that we are low on the totem pole of countries as far as quality of our medical care is concerned.

How many times do we have to get burnt before we all open our eyes and realize that we're being ripped off?
Or do YOU think that we should continue to have these OUTRAGEOUS price gouging costs that no other country has and be forced to buy health insurance for everything from the common cold to birth control to stubbing your toe? :(

GrantMercury...as long as our govt. insists on being the "World Police" and spending so much money on "defense" (OFFENSE is more like it)...we will NEVER be able to pay for "Single Pay" (free) healthcare.

If all those other countries spent money on the military like we do (because of greedy assholes in Washington D.C.) , they wouldn't be able to afford "free" healthcare either. :(

So, are you suggesting Obama isn't left enough, and that he should have found a way to push the for-profit corporations that raise your premiums at will out of the picture? What exactly did you want him to do with our FUBAR system?

Commie. :1orglaugh

http://lusipurr.com/wp-content/uploa...nacePoster.jpg

Nope, Baby Jesus has no power to do anything. The Congress are the ones who could do it.

Obama's main contribution was having a "behind closed doors" with Big Pharma right off the bat and promising them that he would NOT mess with the Gravy Train.

That was when I first regretted voting for him in 2008...he had promised to reform health care and NOT do anything in secret (matter of fact he promised on the campaign trail to televise the whole process on CSPAN).

Hey GrantM, forget about defending Obama or blaming the republicans. It's the fault of BOTH parties. Period.

We need a fresh no party line look at a lot of things in this country. Your beloved dem's are as fucked up as the rep's you hate so much. The constant party vs party bullshit allows nothing to get accomplished.


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Or maybe "each new corporate involvement in our government"...

It's the corporations that have worked to bring us to where we are. Health insurance companies (which have healed and cured 0 people), are making a fortune. Their luxurious corporate offices and exorbitant CEO pay will tell you all you need to know. We don't need them. They're parasites.

I agree...but it takes TWO to tango. And if the Federal govt. didn't go along with it the corporations would have no power.

At least the corporations have reasons for what they do....the real PARASITES are the govt. sucking off of them and us.

Corporations aren't voted in to office to work on behalf of the people...POLITICIANS are.

I largely agree. Our military spending is insane. It's mindboggling what we could afford otherwise.

But I disagree that we can't pay for it now. Cuz we're already paying for it. Single payer would not be "free". Just imagine sending your current premium payment to an entity that doesn't need expensive corporate offices, exorbitant executive salaries, advertising, and payouts to shareholders.

Medicare has far lower overhead than BC/BS, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, etc. Let everyone buy in.

The insurance my mom used to have wouldn't let her get 90 day supplies of her medicine. One day I was talking the pharmacist that she used and asked if he knew why that was. He told me, "It may sound morbid, but the insurance doesn't do it because they don't want her to die 30 days into a 90 day supply. They see it as a waste of money so they only do 30 day supplies.

So, who are you upset with, exactly? Obama? Congress? Avaricious corporations that are always about the bottom line and have no problems manipulating legislation to take in more money?

You don't like the government. You don't like Big Pharma. What do you want? I really don't know.

Maybe you're right...but I think the real way is to STOP THE PRICE GOUGING.

And that's something the Federal Govt. has done in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical and Medical industries.

The Feds could put an end to it now...but they won't.

As I said earlier...none of us should be using "insurance" to pay for everyday doctor visits and picking up a prescription. So premiums shouldn't even be an issue. They should be VERY low because people aren't using it for stubbing their toes.

We're being ripped off by those corporations and the Federal govt. (party affiliation doesn't matter)

Dude, I don't love the Dems, but they suck less than the GOP. A third party won't work. It always splits the vote, and winning elections takes money, so any candidate that doesn't take money can't win.

The parties are not the same, and most of the people who claim they are just want an excuse to tune out.

It's a corrupt system, but it's what we've got. I used to be a Green Party member. I loved their platform. But it's just a pipe dream in this political reality.

My feeling is we need to take charge of the less-shitty party (Dems). Get active, and keep an eye on what your lawmakers are doing, and let them know how you feel. They DO pay attention when their constituents speak up - if enough do it. There IS power in a vote. And a phonecall. And a letter. And a petition. Why is DC so fucked up? Because most people don't pay attention. They don't give a fuck. And that makes lobbyists very happy.