Health Care Reform

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WiseOne
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by WiseOne » Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:11 am

If it's a straight up switch to Medicare, the care wouldn't look any different from the viewpoint of a patient than it does now. The differences would be in the insurance premiums you pay and the bills you get afterwards. It's sort of like what will happen when you turn 65. You won't suddenly start getting "bad care". In fact, here's two problems you have now that will immediately go away: 1) no more in-network vs out of network headaches, and 2) your doctor says "before we can do this <procedure/test/med>, we have to get prior authorization from your insurance company."

There are a lot of details missing to be sure, like what's going to happen to Medicaid (currently 1/3 of NYS's budget, and a linchpin of the medical education system.) Sounds like the bills's sponsors are severely underestimating the complexity of what they've taken on. Kinda knew that, but I still like the idea and it could work if done right.
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Xan
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by Xan » Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:20 am

Okay... Except I don't have any of those problems now, because I'm paying for everything myself rather than through insurance. So when it's "free", it doesn't do anything except get more expensive, right?
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Kriegsspiel
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by Kriegsspiel » Wed Mar 06, 2019 6:08 pm

I think when a Democrat is starting from the position of "you can't have your own insurance, neener neener comrade!" it would be fun to see someone call their bluff. Really get wild with the Overton Windows.

"Fine. We accept. On one condition...

We release panthers, into every city, to cull the weak. None of those juveniles either. Adult predators. Also gun sales will be frozen from now until 3 weeks after The Releasing."
You there, Ephialtes. May you live forever.
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Dieter
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by Dieter » Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:15 pm

MangoMan wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 4:30 pm
WiseOne wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 7:54 am

Medicare for all seriously needs to happen....
Be careful what you wish for. You should talk to some Canadians before thinking that this is a good idea. Loooong waits to see specialists and have surgery are the norm there.
Long waits to see medical folks here in the US as well.
WiseOne
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by WiseOne » Thu Mar 07, 2019 6:40 am

Xan wrote:
Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:20 am
Okay... Except I don't have any of those problems now, because I'm paying for everything myself rather than through insurance. So when it's "free", it doesn't do anything except get more expensive, right?
If you're self-paying I assume you're talking about routine office visits and labs - but realize you're still paying for the insurance-imposed bureaucratic structure that surrounds these visits nows. Definitely agree that putting these outside the purview of insurance would reduce their costs and end up improving services. Having just one insurance agency with a simple billing structure to deal with, though, would be way better than the mess we have now and would also reduce costs - just not by as much.

Interestingly, the rapidly expanding world of telemedicine is pretty close to the self-pay utopia you're thinking of. Visits are in the $40-50 range and you pay for extra time if you're the type who just has to talk for 45 minutes nonstop, no need to deal with waiting rooms and getting to the office, and services are springing up everywhere. Watch for these to replace the phone calls that are the bane of every office practice's existence.
jacksonM
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by jacksonM » Thu Mar 07, 2019 9:29 am

Dieter wrote:
Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:15 pm
MangoMan wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 4:30 pm
WiseOne wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 7:54 am

Medicare for all seriously needs to happen....
Be careful what you wish for. You should talk to some Canadians before thinking that this is a good idea. Loooong waits to see specialists and have surgery are the norm there.
Long waits to see medical folks here in the US as well.
I have a lot of Canadian friends and have visited there many times. When asked about their health care system, I've yet to hear one person complain about it. Actually, most of them seem to be proud of the fact that their system is so much better than ours.
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InsuranceGuy
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by InsuranceGuy » Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:54 am

[deleted]
Last edited by InsuranceGuy on Mon Mar 08, 2021 6:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Kbg
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by Kbg » Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:19 am

Totally cool with above recommendations...and while we are taking things out, no limited liability corporations are allowed to engage in providing medical services.
jacksonM
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Re: Health Care Reform

Post by jacksonM » Wed Mar 13, 2019 12:58 pm

InsuranceGuy wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:54 am
WiseOne wrote:
Thu Mar 07, 2019 6:40 am
If you're self-paying I assume you're talking about routine office visits and labs - but realize you're still paying for the insurance-imposed bureaucratic structure that surrounds these visits nows. Definitely agree that putting these outside the purview of insurance would reduce their costs and end up improving services. Having just one insurance agency with a simple billing structure to deal with, though, would be way better than the mess we have now and would also reduce costs - just not by as much.
Insurance-imposed bureaucratic costs are way lower than government-imposed costs. Please review the billing structure of Medicare/Medicaid if you think somehow they are winning. Better yet compare your benefits to government benefits and then visit your local DMV or Post Office to observe who we are spending these spectacular benefits on. I personally don't understand how we can trust a government to be efficient who has so consistently failed to perform as such.
One of my daughters and one of my grandsons are currently making their living off of the "Insurance-imposed bureaucratic costs" of private health insurance. They both handle pre-authorizations for services on the phone. My daughter has even become a supervisor and is making some decent money for the first time in her life.

So obviously I can't help but wonder what the impact of "Medicare for all" is going to have on their careers and how they handled this economic disruption in Canada when they transitioned to a government run system. Lots of people will be similarly affected, including my wife who is a licensed medical technologist working in a lab. Unlike my daughter and grandson, there will still be a need for people to do her job but there is no guarantee it will be her. Fortunately, I've been trying to talk her into retiring any way.

I tend to think all three of their jobs will eventually be eliminated any way however, if not by the government, then by automation so it's anybody's guess which will come first.
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