Health care vs Emergancy care

People abuse the system as it is because it’s convenient for them to do it.
They will continue abusing the system when it’s changed!

We pay for health care already but under the new plan rather than paying an insurance company and its bureaucracy, we will pay a government bureaucracy that will have the power to set the prices they pay the provider.

As your lower their reimbursement rates, physicians will begin to take shortcuts to insure profitability, like having an RN see patients.
Lower them enough and you’ll be seen by a janitor.
Sooner or later you’ll start seeing babies born on the sidewalk.

Rob

 

1. Before I had insurance, I would make an appointment (at the clinic - I stayed away from the Emergency room as much as possible) and after, they would send me a bill. If it was more than I could pay, I would call the clinics business person and explain the situation. I would tell them what I could afford to pay each week, every two weeks, or month (whatever applied) and almost all the time, it was just fine as long as I made the payments I said I would make on time. Many people today are just unwilling to do that.

2. In most cases, preventive health care will reduce health care costs for everyone.

3. Agree.

 

1) This is really dependent on the clinic. Most of the clinics in my experience have not been so flexible. I'm seeing more and more policies that require a $100 deposit at the front desk before you can even see the physician if you are uninsured. Some clinics are able to work with some people, but if you have the choice between a relatively sure thing with insurance vs. the high risk of bad debt, it's an easy choice.

2) Very true.

3) I'm a big fan of advanced practice nurses. Also, I'm glad to see the rise in physician's assistants. Sometimes I go to the local clinic at the Walgreens store to see the nurse practitioner because it's easier and quicker just to get a minor sinus infection or something treated there without having to schedule an appointment. This saves me time, and it has the potential to save money, as the average visit there is billed at around 60 dollars, as compared to $100+ at the doctor's office. I end up paying the same co-pay with my insurance, but I see no need to go to a doctor for minor cases that can easily be treated with an APN or PA.

 

One of my relatives is good at making deals. She can usually get a cut in medical bills by paying CASH.

 

Sure, you can get a discount doing that. Of course, if a patient has insurance, there will be a built-in discount due to negotiated rates with the insurance company.

For those that have insurance benefits: look at your EOBs. It's almost criminal how significant the difference is between allowable charges and the charges initially billed. It makes a high deductible health plan almost pay for itself in discounts alone.

 

>Of course, if a patient has insurance, there will be a built-in discount due to negotiated rates with the insurance company.

But the people who don't have the insurance don't get the negotiated rate. They get a padded rate.

A friend who is a retired MD gets a fancy pill at a local clinic once a month. They send him a bill for $1000 and he ignores it. It is followed up with a bill for $100 which is marked "paid." We suspect that the $1000 is carried on the books as part of the clinic's charity contribution. (don't ask, don't tell <G>)

 

See?...See? For a measley $100.00 a month the entitled get to have a pill that makes them smarter, sexier, richer, better in conversations with pretty girls, able to get 'the' shot on the 14 point buck, catch nothing but bass that are over 6 lbs., and hang out with that 'most interesting man in the world' guy that drinks that horrible beer.
(Ouch!!!) My tongue got bit putting it in my cheek like that!!:laugh:

 

Not sure about where you live but here a doctor won't see you unless you have insurance. I guess too many people promise to pay and then don't. Only place I know that will just "bill you" is the emergency rooms.

So this is one point of reform, we as tax payers can save a lot of loot if the people go to primary care with insurance instead of emergency rooms where we the tax payers and insured pick up the expensive tab.

One of the things I see the GOP don't want to admit, we the tax payers will pay for the uninsured health care one way or the other. We can pay the reduced rates for primary care or we can pay the expensive emergency room rates but either way WE will pay. That is why I am in favor of the public option for the uninsured, I think we'll save a lot giving a person blood pressure pills instead of rehabbing and supporting them after a stroke. Or keeping someones diabetes in check with insulin instead of paying for dialysis, amputations/rahab, social security etc... Or even seeing a young mother get prenatal care instead of supporting the sick child all the days of their life.

 

I normally see a PA at my doctors office. I think you have a great idea of we can get more of them in the system. It could shave a bit off the total cost.

 

Quick! Go to the ER and see the LPN on the QT PDQ before the GOP and the DNC make you RSVP LMNOP.... Just stick your tongue in alphabet soup. It's faster and doesn't require an act of congress.

Oh, and you could shave $1000 off your ER visit if you would practice preventative health care measures like "Hey, don't bite your own tongue!" Just a thought.

 

OK, how about....

 

Aren't you aware that insurance companies set the prices they will pay doctors under our current system. I know two doctors who retired early because they couldn't make a decent salary any more because of the squeeze the insurance companies were putting on them. I know a third who is seriously considering quitting. By the way, a single payer system (government run) is not on the table in the health care proposals being discussed. Listen to the president tonight and learn the truth about the health care proposal.

 

I agree with both of you. I've known several people who were caught up in this situation who had similar experiences. Those here that talk about "free health care" for welfare cheats don't know what they're talking about.

 

More specifically it is the government run insurance program - Medicare/Medicaid - that is driving doctors out of the business.

Most doctors won't accept such patients.

 

Well, this is an odd turn.

He said that what he does is he goes to a clinic and then works out a payment plan.

Why would you ever agree with that? Paying on a payment plan is not FREE.