More children lack health care

[plazul]

Government reports released yesterday show that median household income is down and the number of children without health insurance has risen drastically.

Emergency rooms across the country are burdened with delivering primary care to the uninsured, many of them children. Using ERs for primary care is driving up health care costs as treatment for non emergency conditions at the emergency room is exponentially higher than a visit to a doctor's office. Often, the ailments that emergency medicine physicians see in uninsured children could have been prevented by early treatment. Many deaths could also be prevented if uninsured children had access to a primary care physician and regular examinations.

This type of delivery system is not sustainable, and having tens of millions of uninsured children is unacceptable and shameful. But those children have no voice and they have no political power so the politicians will continue posture on the health care question and not do anything about it.

[Tombstone]

This is a big big problem. I cover our family with private medical insurance. Our monthly premiums are over $600.00 per month. And that is with a $7,500 deductible each! Needless to say, this situation hits home.

It's easy to see why many people who are not covered at work don't have insurance. For some people, it is more than their rent or house payments - and they just don't have the money.

Originally Posted by plazul

Government reports released yesterday show that median household income is down and the number of children without health insurance has risen drastically.

Emergency rooms across the country are burdened with delivering primary care to the uninsured, many of them children. Using ERs for primary care is driving up health care costs as treatment for non emergency conditions at the emergency room is exponentially higher than a visit to a doctor's office. Often, the ailments that emergency medicine physicians see in uninsured children could have been prevented by early treatment. Many deaths could also be prevented if uninsured children had access to a primary care physician and regular examinations.

This type of delivery system is not sustainable, and having tens of millions of uninsured children is unacceptable and shameful. But those children have no voice and they have no political power so the politicians will continue posture on the health care question and not do anything about it.

[plazul]

People who have to buy their own insurance are paying much more than members of group plans. And of course, the other factor in your premium costs is paying the freight for the uninsured and under insured.

We spend so much more than other developed countries on health care. Those who oppose a government contract system don't realize that they're already paying for national health care, but it's the most inefficient system we could have.

[Tombstone]

Yes, but the group plans are highly subsidized by the employer. So if you are a small to medium employer, it kills you! You have to end up cutting and cutting benefits to your workers.

The current state of health insurance and "benefits" in California is roughly this:

Add 38 - 50% of your employee's annual salary to cover all the premiums and fees.

Therefore, if I have a person working for me making $65,000 per year, it is actually costing me (the employer) about $92,000 after we pay for premiums, taxes, and other sundry stuff. The health care portion is by far the greatest portion of this.

I don't disagree with your contentions below though. Everyone keeps jacking up their prices to cover the uncovered. Ridiculous.

Originally Posted by plazul

People who have to buy their own insurance are paying much more than members of group plans. And of course, the other factor in your premium costs is paying the freight for the uninsured and under insured.

We spend so much more than other developed countries on health care. Those who oppose a government contract system don't realize that they're already paying for national health care, but it's the most inefficient system we could have.

[plazul]

Minnesota has the lowest rate of uninsured and the highest percentage of people with health insurance. But Minnesota's employers are buckling under the weight of employee benefit costs and many are having to reduce or eliminate employee coverage.

The current system is bad for business, bad for families, and bad for America. Let employers and employees contribute to a government contract plan and see how it improves our economy and our national health.

[Paula]

we pay our own health insurance as well, with-out it, if you need medical care, you are looked at as not human, here take this and don't come back, because you can't pay the bill. you need to have at least the card to be considered treatable? we are so busy working, that our main health issues are stress, bad backs, and high blood pressure.

children need to grow with proper medical care, there should be some standards in this area. we take care of the old? why not?

[Bill Sikes]

I don't understand this... is medical insurance to cover the possibility of the
need for treatment absolutely required? If so, what about people who can't
pay, or make a mistake with the paperwork?

[Paula]

it doesn't matter if you need medical care or not, its all a big gamble, if you have real good insurance, you may go through procedures you don't even need. The person who has health insurance, and (IF YOU PAY YOURSELF) you need to make good decisions when it comes to doctors, doctors can make you sick, and cause many problems for you. medications get you sick, then you need more medications and on & on, we are on our own in this world, no-one cares, take control of you own life, no-one else will. health care, just a big game..take care.

[gmc]

This is really alien. i live in a country where health care isn't free-you pay for it all your life but at the point you need it you don't have to pay. It's not perfect but there is a basic assumption that everybody is entitled to health care as the need arises irrespective of their wealth or otherwise.

[Peg]

I work with mostly senior citizens. It is sad how many of them cannot afford the medicines they need. Almost on a daily basis I see them choose between medicine that will help keep them alive, or medicines that will help ease their pains. I see them wondering if they are making the right choice to stay alive when they are in constant pain. Our government spends billions of dollars helping people in other countries while our people dreadfully lack health care.