Poll - BTS v Bryn Mawr regarding health care - US posters only

[guppy]

I voted no..the rich can afford top of line care..the poor get better care than the middleclass. the backbone of our economy..and the highest percentage of uninsured..medical care is more about money and profits now..not so much the morality of good deeds and do no harm..nurses are overworkd and understaffed..quality of one on one patient care is low...in my humble opinion..

[nvalleyvee]

I just have 1 thing to say about health care in America.

When I got cancer.......I had NO insurance. I paid over $60,000.00 to live. I kept asking why when I pay cash do I pay MORE for care than if I had insurance.

If I had health care insurance the insurance company would have only paid $30,000.00 for me and I would have paid $5,000.00 out of pocket.

This is what REALLY BOTHERS ME!!!!! Go freaking figure!!!!!!

[WonderWendy3]

sore subject with me....in some places I've lived, if you didn't have insurance you were scum, and others, you were a patient and treated the same as the people that did have insurance.

I believe that my baby would be alive right now if I had insurance!

[chonsigirl]

Our system is not the best-and I'm saying this on a day when they slammed a $68,000 already won in court suit against my husband for his medical bills. (with no legal notice until after the fact) With two insurances, their treatment of him after his illness is shameful-if they don't expect you to live, you are a drain on the insurance system and their profits. You receive substandard care, and feel horrid everytime you go to a doctor visit....they just shake their head, like, why are you still here bothering us?

[Lon]

Originally Posted by nvalleyvee

I just have 1 thing to say about health care in America.

When I got cancer.......I had NO insurance. I paid over $60,000.00 to live. I kept asking why when I pay cash do I pay MORE for care than if I had insurance.

If I had health care insurance the insurance company would have only paid $30,000.00 for me and I would have paid $5,000.00 out of pocket.

This is what REALLY BOTHERS ME!!!!! Go freaking figure!!!!!!

This is not unusual. PPO's (Preferred Provider Organization) typically negotiate a lower price for their insureds, however, that's only true if the insured uses a PPO doctor, hospital or facility. In the case of my wife's recent mastectomy and breast reconstruction, the surgeon was not a part of the PPO, but the hospital and everyone else was. Bottom line----even though I had insurance we had to pay a total of $18,500 out of pocket with the majority of the $134,000 TOTAL COST being paid by insurance. I am not complaining as I knew this ahead of time and was able to get the best surgeon in the USA for her particular procedure. People without insurance really subsidize those that have it by being billed a larger amount. What's the answer??? Make sure you have some kind of insurance.

[AussiePam]

I was with an American citizen when he collapsed - double pneumonia. We were in upstate New York. He had no insurance. The very decent paramedics had to do some fast thinking to calculate which hospitals in the area might be prepared to receive him. To an Australian, that was amazing, just for starters. Then, once at a possible hospital, we had to go through all kinds of administrative stuff with the accounts people, before he was even seen. After that, finally a very kind doctor agreed to treat him, out of the goodness of her heart, saying he could pay her whatever he could manage, eventually when he was able. He got good treatment and survived. Years later he is still being hounded by various other givers of incidental treatments...

In another thread, an American raised the issue of the "right" to good treatment and the right not to be driven into bankruptcy if a citizen has been unable to afford health insurance, or has a job which doesn't have adequate insurance as part of the package.

Whatever one thinks about "rights", it's my view that in a civilised, western, ultra wealthy country, a citizen has a reasonable expectation of being protected and looked after, in bad times.

[RedGlitter]

Then, once at a possible hospital, we had to go through all kinds of administrative stuff with the accounts people, before he was even seen.

Nothing's changed in 40 years. When I was a child I had trouble breathing once and my parents rushed me to the hosp. The nurse in charge insisted papers had to be filled out before I'd be seen. I was becoming blue. My dad threw his wallet on the counter and told the nurse to "take what the hell you want, I just got paid- get her a !@$*&@ doctor NOW!!" I was seen immediately, but now? They probably would have carted off my dad.

We still owe an absurd amount for treatments given to my mom in her last year. Seriously, every time an intern stuck his head in the door and asked "How's Mrs. Williams" that was considered a consultation. You non-US people probably think I'm exaggerating but sadly, I am not.

They sent one doctor in to see my Mom in her last few days because she had chest pain. It turned out she had fluid around her heart and it needed to be drained. This doctor came in and failed to address my mom at all, only spoke to me and my dad. Said a bunch of medical gobblydegook, spun around and split out the door. All my poor mom heard was "tap her heart." God. So I ran out the door and stopped him and made him explain to me in plain English what he had just said. Then I went back in and calmed down my mom and explained to her in real language what they wanted to do. Medical staff, generally doctors, often put their compassion somewhere else when they're at work.

I have spent a good part of my time in doctor clinics and hospitals; I've taken care of loved ones since I was about fourteen. I have learned that you NEVER leave your loved one alone in any hospital for any length of time. You must be their eyes, ears and mind while they often cannot. I am grateful for any worthy help given from medical staff, but that doesn't mean I trust them with all I have. When I'm sitting with someone in hospital, I am their guard dog. I am there to protect them, to guard against any human mistakes or poor attitudes that may come forth. And a lot of mistakes and poor attitudes have been caught. I'm fortunate that I can do this. It's not easy and many people can't just up and leave their work or kids or situation to do it. So who looks after their people?

[watermark]

I don't know if US has the best health care system. I don't think healthcare anywhere is that great when dealing with masses of people who need it. All healthcare has problems.

Socialized medicine, I've heard, creates long lines at doctors offices and emergency rooms. I've seen long lines in hospitals around my area of the US as well and most of these guys that go to hospitals when sick do not have insurance, the basic reason they end up at hospitals instead of a family doctor. Many times people have not had adequate care up to the point they went to the hospital and would die if not seen at that moment. Sometimes people end up at hospitals because their kid has asthma attack, diabetes event, strep throat, etc...and they have no choice. This is bad healthcare management in my estimation.

US healthcare is not preventative enough. I doubt any doctor college in this nation trains doctors to use best preventative medicine, and I'm not talking about just westernized prevention. The best preventative medicine imho does not come from western medicine ideas but mostly from ancient cultures and natural/alternative means and just common sense that entails individuals taking more responsibility for their own health. So many people think it's someone else's task to take care of their diet, metabolism, flexibility and agility training. Come on, even I would never expect anyone to run to my rescue if I come down with smoking related illness. People really need to take care of themselves. Doctors are not magicians.

The thing is when you want the best doctors for surgery or diagnosis or whatever, why should anyone have to wonder if the doctor they are going to isn't just that, the best? Any doctor that manages to get through medical school and has the stomach for the job and takes their job seriously ought to be a good one. Why do I even have to question this?? Now that isn't right.

Erin

[AussiePam]

I'm backing off out of this after just one more comment, not being an American. I do however think Watermark has made an excellent point. I have seen and been close to several instances where something minor - which remained untreated because of lack of insurance and fear of the cost of seeing a doctor - has escalated into something life threateningly major. My friend's double pneumonia is just one example.

[Patsy Warnick]

RED
I completely understand your point - with my husbands condition, first a triple by-pass and then one year later cancer.
I never left his side - l slept in his room - I couldn't afford to miss a Doctors visit - I watched all IV's & meds. I was his advocate.
During all this I did catch several mistakes/errors
Drs ordered tests - over looked his file - my husband can't have iodine..
IV - check the IV and it didn't match his name or hospital number, the IV belonged to another patient..

WaterMark - One would think/expect in this Western modern, high tech day you could count on the best care - But does one get the best care ? Does one get a competent Doctor? Its scary

With all my husbands medical conditions - theres alot of side affects, yes, I ran him to emergency several time - Paperwork first - they got the Rath of Patsy..
So the fastest way to be seen by a Doctor is to call 911..
Call 911 - paperwork later

Patsy