US Health Insurance Crisis: Waiting Times & Costs

[Andy]

Origionally Posted By Kerrie
andy, in america, the health insurance "crisis" is getting to the point that the doctor/nurses will check your health insurance thoroughly to make sure you have coverage. in an emergency, you will be treated, however if you do not have the insurance, expect a bill that can put you into debt. my salary puts me in the middle class and i get taxed heavily, to the point of asking myself "is my career worth it?". i know many people who make so much less, but get more of their money.

To avoid straying to far off topic in the tax thread i thought i should start this thread, so do you have to wait very long in the US to receive treatment in emergencies, and do you have along waiting list for operations? How much money do you pay for health insurance?

 

[selfAdjoint]

If you don't have an insurer, and they will want to contact that insurer, the cost will go on your credit card, i.e. a direct cost to you. And you will be dunned ad infinitum until you pay up or arrange some plan for repayment. Nobody except insurers (or Medicare) is paying all those doctors, nurses, aides, and technicians.

 

[franznietzsche]

Basically in this country, if you don't have insurance you had better not get sick. I've heard of some people paying as much as $400 a month for family health insurance, through their employer. And of course then there are the grocery store clerks who until recently in california had completely free health insurance and politicians, of course.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

so do you have to wait very long in the US to receive treatment in emergencies, and do you have along waiting list for operations? How much money do you pay for health insurance?

No one can be denied immediate emergency medical attention. No matter the state of insurance or other coverage, hospitals are obligated to respond to anything life threatening.

Judging by the experience of family members and depending on the situation, operations may be performed almost immediately but they are usually scheduled 6 - 10 weeks in advance for non-emergencies.

Insurance can cost between $100-$400 per person per month. We also have a social safety net for the poor or otherwise uninsured but in this case the care is limited.

Our system definitely falls short in many areas. For example, many of our elderly cannot afford the medications that they require. Medicare programs only cover part of the costs.

I believe that we face a fundamental crisis in medicine: We simply cannot afford our technology. In part at least high tech medicine has run the system broke. Many of our older folks that have had two or even three heart bypass surgeries may have medical bills that exceed their lifetime income. How can this continue? How can we pay for this; especially in light of an aging baby boom generation?

 

[selfAdjoint]

A number of European government health programs cost lest per person than the US system, and cover everybody. Opponents of federal health care tend to pick the weakest, most politicized, underfunded programs and say "There! Do you want that kind of a loser program?" But the Europeans refute that way of thinking. we should ask a French mandarin from l'X to come over and explain things to us.

 

[Kerrie]

Basically in this country, if you don't have insurance you had better not get sick. I've heard of some people paying as much as $400 a month for family health insurance, through their employer. And of course then there are the grocery store clerks who until recently in california had completely free health insurance and politicians, of course.

through my employer: $550 a month for me (31 years old) and my two young healthy children. i opted out and purchase my own health insurance at less then half the cost, however, i pay a lot out of pocket costs. just 5 years ago our health industry was much more sufficient for what you paid.

there are health care programs that help the supremely poor. ie: a single mother with three children. i think that all children in this country should have free health, dental, and vision insurance.

i love america, however our capitalism is cutting into the very well being of our citizens.