Medical Treatment in USA

[hollydolly]

Many of the disabled and poor get Medicaid. There is transportation available to them by Medicaid. In emergency situations no one is turned down.

But would they call something like a sprain in an old or poor person.. an emergency Ruthanne?..I'm sorry I'm only trying to learn it just seems so complicated to me.. thanks all for answering my questions.. We're so lucky here, and I hope none of you believe president trump telling you our hospitals are like Beirut..LOL...we may have long waits to see consultants and hospital emergency rooms are shutting down at a rate of knots but we do get the best treatment at source ..

 

[Trade]

I like my insurance. It doesn't cover my wife and I quite as good as we would be covered in someplace like Canada or the PPO UK. But for the US it's pretty good. Now. Let's see how much it costs.

$135.50 each for Medicare part B. That's $271 a month. Then $776 a month to BCBS for the PPO plan that I had at work cover most of the 20% that Medicare doesn't cover and our prescription drugs. So that's $271 + 776 = $1,047 a month. I consider myself lucky to get away that cheap. But of course that's because the government heavily subsidizes our Medicare. If we had to pay the full freight of Medicare it would be $437 a month for each of us just for Part A.
https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/part-a-costs
In addition the $135.50 that we pay for part B only represents 1/4 of the total cost. So that would be another
$ 406.50 each. So let's add all this up.

$1047 a month that I pay.

Plus $974 a month for Part A coverage for both of us.

Plus $813 a month for 3/4 of part B.

That comes to a grand total of $2,834 a month for the two of us, $1,787 (or 63%) of which is paid by the government. $1047 (or 37%) of which I pay.

$2,834 a month = $34008 a year for Medical insurance for two old geezers. Plus co-pays and deductibles, which as I said before, are not too bad.

 

[Ruthanne]

But would they call something like a sparian in a an old or poor person.. an emergency Ruthanne?..I'm sorry I'm only trying to learn it just seems so complicated to me.. thanks all for answering my questions.. We're so lucky here, and I hope none of you believe president trump telling you our hopsitals are like Beirut..LOL

If they go to emergency services for a sprain whoever they are are not turned down at an ER service. Many older than 65, too, get Medicare and Medicaid depending on just how poor they are. Medicare pays 80% and the insured pays the 20% through an insurer. Vision, dental are usually included with those plans as well as with Medicaid.

 

[hollydolly]

OMG !!! $34,000 per year?... I never even paid that in mortgage payments..

Now if you were to come and live over here you would be $34,000 a year better off

 

[Trade]

But would they call something like a sprain in an old or poor person.. an emergency Ruthanne?..I'm sorry I'm only trying to learn it just seems so complicated to me.. thanks all for answering my questions.. We're so lucky here, and I hope none of you believe president trump telling you our hospitals are like Beirut..LOL...we may have long waits to see consultants and hospital emergency rooms are shutting down at a rate of knots but we do get the best treatment at source ..

There are many many lies being told over here about your system and Canada's by those intrests that want to maintain the status quo in order to continue to rake in the big bucks.

 

[hollydolly]

There are many many lies being told over here about your system and Canada's by those intrests that want to maintain the status quo in order to continue to rake in the big bucks.

Yes I've been told about that and read some too...

 

[Trade]

OMG !!! $34,000 per year?... I never even paid that in mortgage payments..

Now if you were to come and live over here you would be $34,000 better off

Now remember, since my wife and I have medicare the government is footing 63% of the bill. So thank the God I don't believe in for Medicare.

 

[Trade]

Many of the disabled and poor get Medicaid. There is transportation available to them by Medicaid. In emergency situations no one is turned down.

Sure no one is turned down at the ER. But every ER I have ever been two has a big prominently displayed sign that reads "Payment is expected in full at the time service is delivered". What the subtcxt of that signs means is

"If you don't have good insurance or are rich, or both, we really don't want you here, but since we have to we will give you the minimum treatment we can get away with and shove you out the door and tell you to follow up with your regular doctor or a specialist, neither of which you can afford you neer do well you". We might even write you a prescription which you will not be able to afford to fill.

 

[hollydolly]

Well, I'm very happy that we have the sytem we have , that's for sure, it may need improving in many ways, but at least I'm never in danger of going bankrupt over a medical bill, thank you Lord!!

I absolutely don't want to be dissing a system I know very little about, I'm just very interested in how it all works, and thanks for the explanations.. but I'm just happy I'm not in that situation.. and I hope all of you are covered in one way or another to get the medical help you need when you really need it..

 

[C'est Moi]

They already run Medicare, VA and put in place requirements for Medicaid.

And those are such a rousing success, particularly the VA.

 

[Trade]

And those are such a rousing success, particularly the VA.

I don't know about the VA and thank the God I don't believe in that I am not at the mercy of Medicaid, but I loves me my Medicare. And if you have it, I'll bet you love it too.

 

[Trade]

I absolutely don't want to be dissing a system I know very little about,

No problem. I happy to take up the slack for you on that.

 

[AnnieA]

And those are such a rousing success, particularly the VA.

Exactly my thoughts reading through the thread. If we ever do move to a universal system, the employees should be contract, not federal.

 

[Trade]

Oh, and one more thing. If you don't have insurance the hospitals here will bill you anywhere from 3-5 times what they have negociated with the insurance companies for the same services. I still haven't figured out why they do this. They know these poor schmucks can't pay it. I guess it's just to stress them out and scare them into never coming back.

For example, when I had my stent put in the initial bill was $47,000. My insurance paid $12000. I paid nothing. But if I had been uninsured I would have been billed the whole $47,000.

Similar situation when my wife had her hip replacement. The initial bill was $72,000. Insurance paid $24,000. I had to pay $3,000 for a total of $27,000. That's because she wasn't on Medicare yet. But if we had been uninsured we would have been billed the whole $72,000.

 

[AnnieA]

UK. NHS...…… is mainly funded by taxation 80% -- the rest is funded by national stamp we pay when working .. it makes me shudder when I read about the hospital care in America ……...unless you go private and pay for a operation / and private ward ..in the UK. ALL prescription are free as well at 65 onwards ..

Nothing is free. US patients pay a portion for your free meds:

(edited to say ...Not 'you' specifically. Big Pharma throws the most money at the US government out of all industries, and they pretty much fund their often biased research out of the wallets of Americans.)

Americans pay prices for prescription drugs that are two to six times the rest of the world, despite having personal incomes that are on par with many developed countries.

Why do Americans pay more for drugs?


.

 

[Trade]

Nothing is free. US patients pay a portion for your free meds:

Americans pay prices for prescription drugs that are two to six times the rest of the world, despite having personal incomes that are on par with many developed countries.


Why do Americans pay more for drugs?


.

I don't buy that argument for a minute. If they were not making what they consider a decent profit at the prices they sell to Canada and the UK, they wouldn't sell them. They are just gouging us because our government lets them get away with it.

 

[AnnieA]

I don't buy that argument for a minute. If they were not making what they consider a decent profit at the prices they sell to Canada and the UK, they wouldn't sell them. They are just gouging us because our government lets them get away with it.

I was editing my post #40 to reflect that as you were posting your response!

 

[Patio Life]

Oh, and one more thing. If you don't have insurance the hospitals here will bill you anywhere from 3-5 times what they have negociated with the insurance companies for the same services. I still haven't figured out why they do this. They know these poor schmucks can't pay it. I guess it's just to stress them out and scare them into never coming back.

For example, when I had my stent put in the initial bill was $47,000. My insurance paid $12000. I paid nothing. But if I had been uninsured I would have been billed the whole $47,000.

Similar situation when my wife had her hip replacement. The initial bill was $72,000. Insurance paid $24,000. I had to pay $3,000 for a total of $27,000. That's because she wasn't on Medicare yet. But if we had been uninsured we would have been billed the whole $72,000.

I think it has something to do with having a taxable loss. There are some insane loopholes for businesses to make money but pay no taxes.

 

[Trade]

I think it has something to do with having a taxable loss. There are some insane loopholes for businesses to make money but pay no taxes.

I know. It's ridiculous, in addition to being mean and immoral. They should not be allowed to charge an uninsured patient any more than an insured one. It's bad enough having to recover from an illness or injury. But then to have to face a bill there is no way that you can pay and subsequently be turned over to a collection agency and mercilessly hounded. God how I hate our health care system!

 

[Lc jones]

I suppose the Canadians who cross the border for various treatment. Frankly, I don't care whether they'd trade systems with us. I don't want our government running the health care system.

I agree 100%

 

[Lc jones]

OMG !!! $34,000 per year?... I never even paid that in mortgage payments..

Now if you were to come and live over here you would be $34,000 a year better off
[/

 

[Lc jones]

I wouldn’t want the government running anything they can’t even walk my dog forget it

Well, I'm very happy that we have the sytem we have , that's for sure, it may need improving in many ways, but at least I'm never in danger of going bankrupt over a medical bill, thank you Lord!!

I absolutely don't want to be dissing a system I know very little about, I'm just very interested in how it all works, and thanks for the explanations.. but I'm just happy I'm not in that situation.. and I hope all of you are covered in one way or another to get the medical help you need when you really need it..

I am completely covered and my government is not involved with my healthcare which is fabulous They do such a terrible job with everything else I don’t want them involved with my families life-and-death decisions God forbid

 

[Trade]

I'm going to take a break from this thread.

I'm getting too worked up. Gotta watch my blood pressure. Fortunately I have good insurance and was able to refill my blood pressure medication today for just $14 for a 90 day supply.

 

[911]

I agreeing with Trade. One of the biggest complaints that I have had with our healthcare system is that doctors and hospitals will bill the patient at top rate, while discounting to patients with insurance. I have spoken with many people over the years who feel they are being royally screwed by the docs and hospitals.

I remember investigating a car-truck accident on the turnpike in the early 2000’s. I had to go to the hospital to interview the driver of the automobile. Even though it saved his life, he gave me a bunch of crap because I had him airlifted, which cost him $22,000 to go 14 miles. When his insurance company agreed to pay it, then he called me and apologized.

I was told by a Geneticist who works for Pfizer that Americans pay about 2/3 of how much it costs to bring a drug to market. The reason being why we pay the brunt of these costs is that the cost involved to bring a drug to market is included in the price we pay at the pharmacy. And, the reason why we pay more for our drugs than other countries is because, for example, take the U.K. They have one and only one administrator making the purchase for everyone covered by the NHS. So, with only one contractor to deal with and they are buying for
approximately 55 million people, they get really good prices. Here in the states, we have several administrators because we have several insurance companies, each negotiating prices for their company. It’s just like Walmart compared to a grocery store chain. A grocery store chain may be buying coffee for 30 stores, so they buy 30 cases of coffee. Walmart has 4700 stores, which means they buy their coffee by the truckload. Who do you think gets the better price?

We have very good doctors and hospitals. No complaints there, but it’s the costs that are out of line. The sad fact is; is that this is something that can be corrected, but thanks to the drug company’s many Lobbyists, it hasn’t happened.

 

[chic]

Are you kidding?

The last time I had to call an ambulance for my wife the bill came to somehwhere between $400 and $500 for a three mile to the hospital. And that was about 7 or 8 years ago. I'm sure it's more by now. Fortunately I had good insurance which covered it. When I got my kidney stone I called my daughter to come and take me to the ER. Sure my insurance would have covered an ambulance but I didn't want to reward those extortionists again.

As it stands now I would not call an ambulance for myself or a family member unless it's a matter of life or death. Anything less and it will be "get in the car".

Once when I sprained my ankle on an icy curb I had to pay $1,000 for an ambulance to the nearest ER a few blocks away. When my mom slipped and fell and hit her head she refused an ambulance due to the cost (she learned from my experience), and I had to drive her to our local hospital's ER. This March our hospital's ER closed. The ER of a hospital in a neighboring city is also going to close. Welcome to health care in America, which, unless you are a billionaire is just about non existent. Don't get sick here.