USA Health

[Guest guest]

Morning all,

 

My goodness, all this heat!  Here in Australia all people employed pay 3%

(deducted by their employers) for Medicare.  As I am self-employed it comes when

I pay my tax.  This covers you for all Doctors (unless they don't bulk-bill and

mine doesn't) and hospital needs.  No ifs, buts, or maybes.  However (there's

always a however) if it is an elective item of surgery you go on a waiting (and

waiting, and waiting) list until there is a surgeon available as well as a

hospital bed.  Emergency or critical you go straight through.  Insurance is

discussed much later.

 

When I needed my gall-bladder removed it was considered elective with an 18

month wait.  I have private health insurance, but I had to wait 3 months as I

had a badly infected liver and that had to subside.  From memory it cost me

$1000.00 in expenses.  Now it would cost me less as there are a number of

hospitals who charge directly to the health fund.

 

I go to the Fund facilities for my dentist (root canal cost me $67.00 and 3

visits) and next door to the Optician.  These are all top-rate practioners.  All

medicare coverage is billed back to the Government and I pay for the extras,

usually very little.

 

I compare this to my children living in the States.  My grandaughter caught her

finger in the car door, and even though both parents have health cover it cost

them $1000.00 for hospital treatment.  Here $0.

 

Here, and in any country with Government subsidised health cover, there are some

restrictions on which brand of pharmaceutical they pay for and I consider that

reasonable.  The pharmaceutical companies work for greed (that is over and above

profit), not for greater benefit of the average member of society; therefore

someone has to cover the costs.

 

For all my health needs I go to my GP and find out what is wrong (after I've

tried to fix the problem and not suceeded) and then get my prescription or go

home and make a potion.  They're getting used to that.

 

Ah, the cost of my Health Cover $98.00 per month.  My dental bill (if I had to

pay upfront) would be more than 6 months subscriptions. 

 

If I was on an aged pension I'd pay even less.

 

Accept universal health cover as it is the only way those without the ability to

pay can be told that they are worth saving.

 

Regards

 

Merinda

 

Don't burn your bridges until you have built a pontoon

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

On 3/25/2010 8:48 PM, Merinda wrote:

>

> For all my health needs I go to my GP and find out what is wrong (after I've

tried to fix the problem and not suceeded) and then get my prescription or go

home and make a potion. They're getting used to that.

>

> Ah, the cost of my Health Cover $98.00 per month. My dental bill (if I had to

pay upfront) would be more than 6 months subscriptions.

>

> If I was on an aged pension I'd pay even less.

>

> Accept universal health cover as it is the only way those without the ability

to pay can be told that they are worth saving.

>

 

Hi Merinda, Folks....

 

The universal cover plans in Oz, Canada and the UK are proof that it can

be done, more or less effectively...The program in Oz, sounds like

Health Care Heaven....And several friends I have there have commented

essentially the same as Merinda...

 

In fact, when I explain how things work here, it's almost inconceivable

to them...There's almost an intellectual disconnect...

 

This thing that is passing in the US, is structured entirely differently

than say, Oz or the UK.......And the devil is in the details...

 

A number of the major structural parts of those plans, are absent in the

US plan...

 

Single Payer, Negotiation with Big Pharma on pricing for drugs and med

devices**, and a Public Option were all shot dead during the US

legislative process...There was a lot of " back room " activity with our

legislators...

 

In addition, Medicare (retired and disabled folks) is slated for $460

billion in cuts as part of the financing transfers to make this

float...This, when the largest demographic ever (the Baby Boomers), is

moving into the program...

 

Medicare treatments will be going from " safe and effective " to " safe,

effective *and* a cost-benefit analysis " basis for approval....

 

I agree with you Merinda, but it's going to take a major reform of our

" reform " to make anything even remotely similar to Oz's program here...

 

I hope for the best, for all....

 

Care....

 

 

--

Gary W. Bourbonais

L'Hermite Aromatique

A.J.P. (GIA)

http://www.facebook.com/Le.Hermite

 

 

** A recent personal experience....I am a Stroke Survivor....One of the

affects I have is drop foot....Essentially, without a brace, I trip over

my own toes....There is an electronic device, called a Walkaide, that

can help overcome that....A Stroker friend in the UK looked up the

price, in the UK....400 Brit Pounds (about $600)....Price in the

US....$4000+...

[Guest guest]

For a while I had my own business but had to go back to the corporate world due

to health care costs. My health insurance was $749 / month. Any prescriptions

were out of pocket. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 but was unable to

treat it until 2002 (when I went back into the corporate world)because I could

not afford the medications while being self-employed. By that time, I already

had complications: neuropathy (damaged nerves in the hands and feet) and vision

decline. These are permanent.

 

For dentistry, I had a filling fall out of a tooth. I had to have a crown put

in. It cost over $1000.

 

With my current insurance, I pay @$200 per month in premiums, I pay another

$2000 in deductibles and then there are the co-pays - $25 - $150 for doctor

visits and prescriptions, amount varies according to the type of doctor and cost

of prescription. Last year the costs for dental and medical were about 15% of

my pre-tax salary. And I consider myself extremely lucky to have that

insurance.

 

Cynthia

[Guest guest]

This all goes back to social class distinction on steroids and those who have it

often good in life feel they somehow are superior and others simply are a bother

and in some cases I've seen literal disdain from nice 'ladies' in social

situations who have learned to embarrass those who are middle class (those of

you lucky to be middle class) 'why dahlin, what a CHAHMUN little frock yo

wearin!' and if you are sick you are a pariah and a blight to those who have

plenty. They do not want to SEE YOU. This is not about health care any more.

Can you all see that or is it just me who sees it that way. If medicare had been

privatized we would ALL have lost our butts. McCain wanted to do that.

 

We are on the looming edge of a snowball that has begun and its now no longer

about health care....its a wanted and a long prepared for opportunity for that

final event that may very well destroy this country as we know it and there are

politicians who no longer show any honor at all to include open ridicule of our

President when he speaks. Its appalling. I urge you each to write to all of your

elected officials whether you voted for them or not......write to MSNBC and for

Gods sake leave fox news junkies to the Enquirer for their info and let your

voice be heard. We can disagree but we neednt be so hatefilled and disagreeable.

Let people who talk to you in line at the market who assume you are in the same

mindset as they when they are making such dreadful scary remarks that they do

not represent you . I do. In a away it is a civil war. My family is not speaking

to me because I voted for change.

 

You all know the definition of insanity......doing the same thing over and over

again and expecting a different result. We left soldiers under equipped in

Afghanistan and sent in a real army in Iraq. Our Pres was elected for what he is

trying to do now and lest we forget McCains 'the fundementals of this nation are

sound' and two hour later the market crashed. I will always believe cheney, bush

knew this was coming and hoping it would not happen until AFTER Obama was in

office. John Boyner and his side kick Cantor didn't mind standing on the steps

for the first stimulus, salon tanned and quivering lip, hats in hand for the

money....you know, the one the big bankers gave themselves a bonus with.....and

the pork is on Obama???????

 

I've watched pharmaceutical companies waste millions of dollars wooing Doctors

and their familes and friends with nice Bahama seminars. I know a lady whose

sole job in the pharmaceutical company is to go a few months ahead of a major

health seminar with an expense account, a full staff simply to set up parties,

gifts, etc to make deals with the invited and I've seen drugs prescribed go up

in the percentage of prescribing as high as 500%. and I personally know doctors

who get kick backs for every script they write depending on the med and as a

human guinea pig, it did affect my diabetes.........Neurontin is one of those

cases of sudden rises os scripts. Abilify and Seroquel are now being used for

sleep and will KILL your pancrease and if you are not psychotic be ready for

some really bad acid trips. . I've pulled off drugs that were killing people

because of drug interactions of seemingly not harmful medications.......until

they were mixed

together....many died in nursing homes and it was not addressed until the

younger died then they looked and saw what clearly could have been caught had

they simply not chalked those deaths to 'age'......and I'm getting to that

'age' where that is the FIRST thing I'm told.......I was not OLD when I was

disabled.....a doctor disabled me, the diabetes is secondary. The 'death panel'

has been here for years, they are called 'nursing homes'. I thought those who

served in past wars who are now politicians would carry themselves with more

honor and its obvious where this will end up . Why can't people just get thru a

term and vote out who they dont like and get over it and in the mean

time......actually look at the healthcare and the lack of ethics with the Drug

companies and Insurance companies....I'm not sure if they are bedmates or one is

the pimp and the other the ho.

 

I've written my state officials and I've written to the highest office. I've

written to Rachel Maddow and not sure if it was coincidence but I referred to

the republican party's scare tactics as little boys with flash lites in their

forts telling spooky stories in the dark and that nite she used a flash lite

under her chin........I still have that email and I kinda hope I somehow

affected that but probably not.

 

My doctor is angry because he now has to type prescriptions. Pharmacists and

their techs are SOOOOOO relieved. More errors are in the writing and now its

clear....we no longer have to guess and I hear 'that damned govt interference is

responsible for this'......GOOD.......thats what i want to hear...they did

something that will change things for the better......thats the POINT.

Maybe I wasted my time. But if you are not part of the solution you are part of

the problem and if there was ever a dire need for those on the opposing side to

hear this message IT IS NOW WHILE WE MAY have a chance at a more peaceful

resolution but there are those who are literally provoking those who are of an

apocalyptic nature who are more than willing to bear arms and harm good people.

I can't stand by and say nothing.

 

The point of having a govt is to avoid complete and total chaos and anarchy and

our Constitution is being butchered and whored piece by piece by people with

personal agendas. We are in the middle of two wars. I lost someone I love very

much on mothers day at the age of 21. I'd known him since he was five. We were

lied to and sold that war . Imagine walking into your new job with that on your

desk and a slew of other issues that were hidden from the public? Palin couldn't

hack a full term as Gov. and at that she had to have hubby in the office in

meetings..I'm guessing to explain to her what just was said.......

 

At the end of the day......'he who dies with the most toys........still

dies'.....

 

Life could be so much easier. Its simple. The greedy want to hoard as much as

they can and dont give a hoot about you or that mother who is torn between

medicaide and work......if she goes to work she loses healthcare for her

kids.....depends on how much she makes and if you dont think five bucks can the

the magic number of ' yes' or 'no' think again. I've been there. Years ago.

 

Those of you who are younger? Your life will pass very quickly. I dont think of

my self past a certain age until I look in the mirror. You wont either. And as I

held my child when she 'dropped the robe' it occurred to me.......how long is 24

years? Snap your fingers right now because thats about how fast that time went

by. We didn't want this for our children and we wanted what was rightfully ours,

all those years of work the govt didn't mind tapping a nice hunk of our

paychecks for.....so now are we dead weight?

 

If you can't get behind this at least consider a little less harshly and look at

your family and friends and think of what they would do if you didn't have

ins.If it could happen to me? It can happen to you. I was the one who always

read the paper and those horrific things we see were 'other people'......now I

AM 'the other people'. I dont like this club very much. I used to have a

beautiful big home and lived amongst doctors and lawyers and I would catch

myself when I began to 'forget' that I grew up dirt poor. I was so ashamed of it

I simply acted as if I had never lived that way. Life for poor children is not

safe. And I almost forgot so I got a good reckoning when I was shown that at any

time all I have can be taken away in an instant. I pity those supporting the fat

cats who are leading this insanity against any improvement. They are actually

helping those very people do themselves in too!

 

You dont have to be religious to know right from wrong and that those are common

sense ways for life to run smoothly but whats unleashed is now simply cloaked in

the healthcare issue......they dont give a damn if you have it or not and those

who do have hit squads out after them.......OH, the Hitler likening.....I find

it odd they would use Hitler who hated anyone not pure blonde blue eyed aryan

tho he himself was not.....we have a bi-racial president, he is white

too......Hitler wouldnt shake the hand of any olympian of color. Biden is also

of Irish /catholic descent, his mother was a Finnegan and our families knew each

other. I didn't......thats a big no no for those neo nazis, skin heads, racists

and I do believe we have some Jewish members of our Govt as well .......um thats

like three strikes and they are out on the likening to anything connected to

Hitler off the bat......however......it IS in line with the KKK and I'm sad to

say I live where

there are still members and they are active. No, its not about healthcare

anymore and had the other party had the answers then why wait until they lost

the election to offer it up? OH......yeah, because they lost and a guy with a

funny name and different skin tone and the audicity to believe that thru

diplomacy he would get the two parties together. Well I did learn one thing...I

know what the Rep's stand for. I'll never vote for one again. I have to wonder

if my local Senator had run for that office and won.......if people are afraid

of Obama....imagine a native american in office......watch the paranoia then! My

kids are both irish and indian. One serves her country proudly. In fact every

generation of my family from the time they came from ireland to this nation has

served honorably. At least those who are paranoid can all rest one magical day

of the year when Barrack Obama becomes 'Barry O'Bama' on St. Paddy's day.

 

No, its not about healthcare anymore.....its a clear line in the stand and I

dont stand on it or ride the fence. Help for my countrymen, healthcare for all

and I bid prosperity for everyone . But do take a stand before its too late and

I'm not so sure that it isn't. I just never thought I would see people who

supposedly run our country behave as if they are in romper room learning how to

play nice.

 

cynthia, I do appreciate your story and sharing such intimate details. You pay a

lot of money for not much and the way i understand it, if the proper reforms can

be in place and you have a deductable to be met....80-85% of that deductable had

better go directly to ACTIVE MEDICAL CARE or the Insurance company owes YOU the

difference and not the CEO's bonus. I hope things just grow so well for you that

you have that soft place to fall . I lay awake at nite and I worry.

 

selkiepeople

 

 

 

 

 

cynconn <cynconn

 

Fri, March 26, 2010 11:29:16 AM

Re: USA Health

 

For a while I had my own business but had to go back to the corporate world due

to health care costs. My health insurance was $749 / month. Any prescriptions

were out of pocket. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 but was unable to

treat it until 2002 (when I went back into the corporate world)because I could

not afford the medications while being self-employed. By that time, I already

had complications: neuropathy (damaged nerves in the hands and feet) and vision

decline. These are permanent.

 

For dentistry, I had a filling fall out of a tooth. I had to have a crown put

in. It cost over $1000.

 

With my current insurance, I pay @$200 per month in premiums, I pay another

$2000 in deductibles and then there are the co-pays - $25 - $150 for doctor

visits and prescriptions, amount varies according to the type of doctor and cost

of prescription. Last year the costs for dental and medical were about 15% of

my pre-tax salary. And I consider myself extremely lucky to have that

insurance.

 

Cynthia

[Guest guest]

With my moderator hat firmly on, I'm stepping in here after speaking with

another mod, and just want to remind members:

 

1. Don't start attacking a politician here. Name calling attacks always lead to

flame wars. Don't even bother to praise politicians. It's useless either way,

because you'll just rile up the other side.

 

2. Talk about the issues and how they effect you, vent if needed, get your

knickers in a twist. That's what we're here for - official twisted-knicker

listeners, 'cause after a while of tension, they have to loosen a little bit ;-)

 

All my best,

http://NaturalPerfumers.com

http://PerfumeClasses.com

 

, Selkie <earthmotheressentials wrote:

 

>snipped all the " naming of names "

[Guest guest]

Merinda, I love that Australia has dental care included

in the system! It makes no sense at all to leave it out.

Unfortunately that is the case in Canada.