Health Insurance As A Topic We Can All Agree Is Broken

yuppa posted a thread that was about the never ending battles that Im guilty of myself here in ATS.
So instead of politics , trans beer cans or 2A arguments, Im posting a thread about the complete mess that our healthcare system is .

Im going to put my ideas & experience on insurance & healthcare in America in this opener.
Im not going to mention political parties as better or worse or ideals that cause jabs in their digs towards other members.
I apologise to any & all for arguing.
Im sick of sectarian politics in ATS , which Ive done my fair share here as well .
I figured insurance & healthcare is something we all deal with one way or another.

Now I understand that there is a large political debate in regards to National Healthcare vs Employer/Private Insurance.
I have an opinion on this matter and I want to hear from any & all on their personnel experiences & ideas of how healthcare can be improved for all Americans.
Please use grace & leave one sided politics out of this thread , because there are few innocent politicians pertaining to our healthcare mess in America . I hope we can all accept a degree of truth in that ?

We should all be able to learn & grow by discussing healthcare as a societal issue that is very costly on us people & Country in many ways.

Im retired & have had Union insurance that was self funded by a trades Union outside of the public sector.
We negotiate against businesses & industry, not the American public.
Our insurance is very expensive & comes out of our total pay package as negotiated for .
It is very good insurance, but over the last 10 years our insurance has become so expensive that it takes most our yearly raises to keep it potent, thus leaving less & less on the pay check .

Im happy to have insurance & Im not complaining , but Union insurance is no where near as good as it was
Im sure private insurance is the exact same .

Now American workers & tax payers are already providing socialised medicine to the poor & people who find their way into America as an immigrant legally or illegally . I believe in a neutral manner that most all politicians on both sides want cheap labor pouring into America from other poor Countries for all their gains.

So if all us working middle class people paying taxes are paying for socialised medicine for the poor , immigrants & medicare recipients . I would say half of America is paying for socialised medicine for the other half as we’ll paying for private or part of an employer provided health insurance as well for themselves.

Now most all of us with insurance are paying higher & higher deductibles as we run into less coverage in a receding manner as we go forward.
I believe that at a basic human right We all deserve to socially help each other provide basic healthcare for each other under civility .
Now I refuse to vote , but I pester both Democratic & Republicans via emails to support National Healthcare.
As I see it , the working person paying for his own insurance & paying for a huge bottomless pit of free healthcare to the poor/immigrants should be able to have access to the same socialised healthcare they are paying for ?
I don’t know 🤷‍♂️ I know there many hot button issues the whole media is pouring out to scream about , but our current healthcare system is going to sink 80% or more of us imo .
I believe this to be a great bipartisan chance for agreement. Now we all , me included let all the controlled opposition on both sides get to us until we are fighting over what is on a beer can instead of our dumpster fire that is Healthcare in America.
Ill behave and I hope you do as well .
Im sorry for fighting , now lets share our wows as members in regard to our health & it’s future.

Thanks

I am old enough to remember going to a Doctor appointment for $30.. Then insurance came along and that same Doctor's visit jumped to $60, $70, and over $99 because they figured out how to milk the cash cow.

When I retired (several year ago) I was offered insurance for $536 a month; I was still healthy with no previous aliments .

I do not spend $536 a year on doctor's visits here as I go and see a Doctor for less than $6 and $20 if I need a shot..I get my teeth cleaned every 3 to 4 months for $25 ... The best thing I can say is do not participate in the scam they call American health care. Unfortunately they are starting to sing the praises and benefits of health care insurance for visitors and residents so IMO it will be just a few years before this system is messed up too. .

a reply to: Whiskermegistus

Yup, healthcare is broken, and it's all part of the long-range plan. It's one of the benefits of living below poverty level, along with energy, daycare, advanced education, energy and housing assistance.

The perks for part time employment and living below poverty level are quite rewarding for the less incentivized among us; it's the replacement for the multi-generational welfare families.

P.S. If you thought this would be a safe, less controversial/volatile subject you thought wrong.

originally posted by: 727Sky
I am old enough to remember going to a Doctor appointment for $30.. Then insurance came along and that same Doctor's visit jumped to $60, $70, and over $99 because they figured out how to milk the cash cow.

When I retired (several year ago) I was offered insurance for $536 a month; I was still healthy with no previous aliments .

I do not spend $536 a year on doctor's visits here as I go and see a Doctor for less than $6 and $20 if I need a shot..I get my teeth cleaned every 3 to 4 months for $25 ... The best thing I can say is do not participate in the scam they call American health care. Unfortunately they are starting to sing the praises and benefits of health care insurance for visitors and residents so IMO it will be just a few years before this system is messed up too. .

So you pay your healthcare bills out of your pocket if I understand correctly ?
Im assuming you are on medicare ?
I hope you have good health for many years .
Thanks for the sharing your experiences.

I was very very sick with a horrible cold thing that decided to settle in the sinus. I had green coming out of my eyes due to the pressure. I called the advice nurse to get an appointment. They would not set one up for me. It didn't matter that it had gone from an annoying cold to me thinking my teeth were gonna fall out of my head due to pressure. It didn't matter I had a low grade fever for 5 days. I had so much pressure built up in the sinus that I could not lay down without severe pain . IT DIS NOT SEEM TO MATTER THAT I have told them that I have had burst ear drums due to this in the past. They told me that if I felt it was going to happen I should go to urgent care when they open. I had called them a second time when my eyes were glued shut and face visibly deformed due to swelling. This is after a week and a half after being sick. I had that fun dark green discharge that looked swirly. They told me to take Sudaphedrine. I found the last box at the store by my house. And started taking it. By recommendation of my grandmother I started using a saline nose rinse. About a week later I was able to breathe.
It's awful when you know you have illness that is beyond what it should be and would help with antibiotics. They would not even make an appointment for me to have even a phone appointment with my doctor.
I pay for the good Kaiser plan so when I am sick I can get help. It took a week for the advice nurse when I called the second time to tell me how to care for myself with this issue.
They take my money and when I needed help It was not avalable to me. They had no problem doing the routeen exams though. I do not understand how the drug stores were out of all but 1 box of 24 hour sudaphed. That's for a different thread though.
I am not sure if a good solution. The industry has been established so long its hard to see how it could work. I do not want government insurance. I would also like to not have to take my employers insurance.... right now it is what it is for me.

originally posted by: nugget1
a reply to: Whiskermegistus

Yup, healthcare is broken, and it's all part of the long-range plan. It's one of the benefits of living below poverty level, along with energy, daycare, advanced education, energy and housing assistance.

The perks for part time employment and living below poverty level are quite rewarding for the less incentivized among us; it's the replacement for the multi-generational welfare families.

P.S. If you thought this would be a safe, less controversial/volatile subject you thought wrong.

Thanks for caring & contributing . I would prefer you seek civility going forward.
Peace ☮️

I'm surprised American Healthcare is such a low priority for Americans.

news.gallup.com... says only 2% of Americans see it as their #1 care in life.

Maybe you have to get really sick before having strong emotions about "healthcare" in America, one way or the other?

originally posted by: cre8chaos
I was very very sick with a horrible cold thing that decided to settle in the sinus. I had green coming out of my eyes due to the pressure. I called the advice nurse to get an appointment. They would not set one up for me. It didn't matter that it had gone from an annoying cold to me thinking my teeth were gonna fall out of my head due to pressure. It didn't matter I had a low grade fever for 5 days. I had so much pressure built up in the sinus that I could not lay down without severe pain . IT DIS NOT SEEM TO MATTER THAT I have told them that I have had burst ear drums due to this in the past. They told me that if I felt it was going to happen I should go to urgent care when they open. I had called them a second time when my eyes were glued shut and face visibly deformed due to swelling. This is after a week and a half after being sick. I had that fun dark green discharge that looked swirly. They told me to take Sudaphedrine. I found the last box at the store by my house. And started taking it. By recommendation of my grandmother I started using a saline nose rinse. About a week later I was able to breathe.
It's awful when you know you have illness that is beyond what it should be and would help with antibiotics. They would not even make an appointment for me to have even a phone appointment with my doctor.
I pay for the good Kaiser plan so when I am sick I can get help. It took a week for the advice nurse when I called the second time to tell me how to care for myself with this issue.
They take my money and when I needed help It was not avalable to me. They had no problem doing the routeen exams though. I do not understand how the drug stores were out of all but 1 box of 24 hour sudaphed. That's for a different thread though.
I am not sure if a good solution. The industry has been established so long its hard to see how it could work. I do not want government insurance. I would also like to not have to take my employers insurance.... right now it is what it is for me.

Could you not go to a 50$ walk in clinic that doesn’t need insurance ?
If it was a money issue , I hope things get better for you.
Can you explain what a Kaiser Plan is ?
Be good .

a reply to: cre8chaos

Where you're located (San Francisco area) is going through hell, which is causing medical services to deteriorate also. In most parts of the country, the doctor would see you quickly, with those acute symptoms.

originally posted by: carewemust
I'm surprised American Healthcare is such a low priority for Americans.

news.gallup.com... says only 2% of Americans see it as their #1 care in life.

Maybe you have to get really sick before having strong emotions about "healthcare" in America, one way or the other?

Well all of us , me included get swept up in the weekly political battle plans cooked up by both parties as our bridles & bits.
I wish all Americans demand from their favorite politicians that our Healthcare be fixed for All .
It is not a D v R imo , because neither side wants to lose that dangling carrot of opposition or favour in the voting public.
It is barbaric that working people are going broke paying for their own insurance & other’s free emergency room visits via hospital write offs for the uninsured. All hospitals get big tax returns for their charity work that is payed by tax payers .
People with insurance run into emergency treatment problems, because there are so many immigrants & poor using the emergency room as their basic healthcare instead of being for emergencies imo.
This program can’t keep going & all of Washington is to blame imo across both aisles.

originally posted by: nugget1
a reply to: Whiskermegistus

Yup, healthcare is broken, and it's all part of the long-range plan. It's one of the benefits of living below poverty level, along with energy, daycare, advanced education, energy and housing assistance.

The perks for part time employment and living below poverty level are quite rewarding for the less incentivized among us; it's the replacement for the multi-generational welfare families.

P.S. If you thought this would be a safe, less controversial/volatile subject you thought wrong.

It is not quite a "perk" of being low income. I work a very basic job that is "minimum wage" I put minimum wage in quotes because I actually make $10 dollars an hour more than minimum wage, federal (and my state's) minimum wage is 7.25 and I make 17.25 an hour and that puts me at a little over $35,000 a year BEFORE taxes.

The US poverty guidelines say that for a single person, poverty level is $12,880 a year. US poverty guideline

The bottom line is that I work full time making almost 3x the federal poverty guidelines and I cannot get any breaks on healthcare. I don't qualify for Medicaid or whatever, I guess because my state didn't expand it? I don't even know. I don't qualify for any "low income" assistance at all. Even the "marketplace" plans want me to pay over $400 a month. My employer wants $80 a week for the insurance they provide which is terrible unless you have a major event because the deductible is $7500.

Do I feel gypped because I work super hard and make very little and qualify for absolutely no assistance. No Medicaid, no food stamps, no nothing? A little bit, since I know that I would qualify for all that if I had only been irresponsible and pumped out a bunch of kids I couldn't afford. Because I also know that the only way to qualify for this stuff (at least in my state) is if you have dependent children.

Do we penalize the children for the poor decisions of the parents?

So is it just doctors there is a problem with?
Everyone else can make all they like, doctors…nope.

Who else doesn’t deserve a free market?

They do.

Market value is a thing.
Market value has been inflated due to insurance.

You know this.

originally posted by: Antimony

originally posted by: nugget1
a reply to: Whiskermegistus

Yup, healthcare is broken, and it's all part of the long-range plan. It's one of the benefits of living below poverty level, along with energy, daycare, advanced education, energy and housing assistance.

The perks for part time employment and living below poverty level are quite rewarding for the less incentivized among us; it's the replacement for the multi-generational welfare families.

P.S. If you thought this would be a safe, less controversial/volatile subject you thought wrong.

It is not quite a "perk" of being low income. I work a very basic job that is "minimum wage" I put minimum wage in quotes because I actually make $10 dollars an hour more than minimum wage, federal (and my state's) minimum wage is 7.25 and I make 17.25 an hour and that puts me at a little over $35,000 a year BEFORE taxes.

The US poverty guidelines say that for a single person, poverty level is $12,880 a year. US poverty guideline

The bottom line is that I work full time making almost 3x the federal poverty guidelines and I cannot get any breaks on healthcare. I don't qualify for Medicaid or whatever, I guess because my state didn't expand it? I don't even know. I don't qualify for any "low income" assistance at all. Even the "marketplace" plans want me to pay over $400 a month. My employer wants $80 a week for the insurance they provide which is terrible unless you have a major event because the deductible is $7500.

Do I feel gypped because I work super hard and make very little and qualify for absolutely no assistance. No Medicaid, no food stamps, no nothing? A little bit, since I know that I would qualify for all that if I had only been irresponsible and pumped out a bunch of kids I couldn't afford. Because I also know that the only way to qualify for this stuff (at least in my state) is if you have dependent children.

Do we penalize the children for the poor decisions of the parents?

Your story is the norm in America & is experienced by millions.
I hope things get better for you . Seek a Union job if you can .

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme
They do.

Market value is a thing.
Market value has been inflated due to insurance.

You know this.

Absolutely it is !

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme
They do.

Market value is a thing.
Market value has been inflated due to insurance.

You know this.

What other jobs would you simply like to pay less for?

I was working full time line cook $9 bux an hour
trying to work up into assistant manager / hopefully GM
some day and be the man with the clip board in the office counting
the cash drinking a lemonade in the AC while the line cooks did their thing..

Anyways, I still was not able to afford my own place to live along with
all the other bills. Obama care how great (did not vote for it but did check it out)
$765 A MONTH without a $5k deductible.. which I would be better off keeping
that 5 grand and pay to see the dr. twice a year and dentist twice.. I would think?

I do not know.. Ended up getting a neurological disorder

I now live in a luxury apartment rent controlled 975sqft..
Medicare backed by medicaid full insurance.
Food card money, spousal assistance my wife rly loves that
although she does care for me.. Electric, water, gas, and internet bill
assistance.
Hell wish it would of happen a decade ago.. I enjoy retirement..

OBAMA care was a huge scam... !!
The insurance industry HUGE SCAM!!

You have to work to get social security so I do not look at
it as welfare anymore than we look at granny and ol man frank
who get their check.

We can not give this away to all the millions of illegals
to kill off me and grandma

# them !!!!

If you give away medicaid and medicare for all
THE MOST OLD POOR VULNERABLE SICK DISABLED
will suffer..

These libs have no heart.. because it is just on their #ing sleeve


Guess who's food card money they will cut in half for
pedro's gorda burritos or AHMEDS non pork goat balls
grannys, black peoples who are mostly on it, disabled people,
mentally ill people..
the libs are all bark no bite do not believe them !!

a reply to: Whiskermegistus

So you pay your healthcare bills out of your pocket if I understand correctly ?
Im assuming you are on medicare ?
I hope you have good health for many years .
Thanks for the sharing your experiences.

Medicare does not pay for those of us overseas even though I pay for it out of my Social Security. A couple of years ago 12/2019 I got COVID ... I was treated for pneumonia and received several I.V.s of vitamins and no telling what else.?. I was back playing golf in 8 days (not very well but I was fully recuperated in about 15 days).. Total cost for a private room ($30 a night) and everything to include the room was right at $370 for a 4 night 5 day stay. I have not gotten a COVID jab so about 4 months ago I tested positive.. I had a runny nose and felt tired. 5 days later I was back playing golf. A friend of mine from Australia is 4 jabbed and got COVID last month... He still ain't doing well as far as strength... To say he is pissed is an understatement as he sees me teeing off and enjoying life with my friends..

Yep everyone is different so call me lucky for not getting the shots and being anti AMA as I say, the greatest care they could offer killed a wife of mine and tried to charge the insurance company $265,000 for 3 days of treatments, test, and hospital stay. Insurance settled for $90,000 which was still obscene IMO. I shudder to think what would have happened if it had just been me fighting their over charges. They were charging $35 a night for a T.V. which was mounted on the wall in her room as another example of a stupid rip off !.

Back in the early 2000s a small bag of Kemo $3750, the chair to sit in as they hooked the bag of Kemo to the port on her chest $175.... I do not remember if they charged for the nurse to connect the Kemo bag to her port but they probably did..

So if I were in the states I would go to Mexico or any place other than an American for profit hospital or just sit and die on my own out of spite !! I joke not..!

It is a health care insurance. It is okay I guess..... I was afraid to take off time from work. My boss had not even 2 days before I got sick informed us that our sick hours were to be cut to a three week limit in 2024 and that if she saw an upic in people calling in sick, We would be written up. Well I have been sick 3 days aside from when I had covid and was told I had to stay in my room. FOR FEAR OF BEING WEITTEN UP, I went to work and did not ask for time. I had heard her griping a week before that to someone that she was at work sick and did not think it was nessasary for people to stay home because they had a headache when she was there with a fever. I was not about to get written up. Like I said I am never sick. I just wore a mask for a few weeks. I was suppose to be protecting the kids. They were the ones who got me sick!

a reply to: carewemust

Yes I am in SF bay. This place is a hole. Imma get out of here as soon as I finish my edu.ma.cation. (don't worry I do not let the Teacher school indoctrinate me.)