Hospitals say free care has high cost

This is why healthcare reform is needed. People complain about the potiential cost of the President's plan and make no mention of the high costs the current system is already trying to absorb. Premiums may actually go down if reform is achieved.

Healthcare Professional wrote:

This is why healthcare reform is needed. People complain about the potiential cost of the President's plan and make no mention of the high costs the current system is already trying to absorb. Premiums may actually go down if reform is achieved.

only one problem...there will still be 20,000,000 to 30,000,000 unisured pateints coming to the er....

then what?

I look at the VA hospital model. Costs to patients have been rising for them, haven't they?

quality? has gone down...

And will I actually be able to keep the insurance plan I have now if we go to a nationalized healthcare plan... it's a good one and I'd like to keep it and in all seriousness I doubt that I would.

Obama care will be the worst thing to happen to this country since this moron was elected. The government can't run anything (Amtrak, Post Office, etc). If you think costs are high now, just wait until the dummocrats get their hands on it.

Something must change with health care. Costs are too high.

My share of my employer's HDHP went up 30% this year. I am now paying $350.00 per month ($4200.00/yr) for a basic family health plan.

Why shouldn't those who are unable to pay have to make the same tough decisions I do? I have to choose what healthcare is available to me based on out of pocket expenses and co-pays, why shouldn't they? I, for one, am tired of paying for medical treatment that those who don't pay for insurance get for free!

High Premium Payer wrote:

Why shouldn't those who are unable to pay have to make the same tough decisions I do? I have to choose what healthcare is available to me based on out of pocket expenses and co-pays, why shouldn't they? I, for one, am tired of paying for medical treatment that those who don't pay for insurance get for free!

That's why we need a health insurance mandate. Just like with a car, somebody who is uninsured ends up hurting you financially if they run into you.

I have to laugh at this whole "Obamacare" nonsense. Time and time again people are trying to distort it to sound like a government takeover but it's not. If you like your current health plan, then keep it. Nothing will change for you. If you don't like whatever you have or are uninsured, then you can buy into a plan of your choice, whether that be private insurance or one offered by the government. More competition can only help since right now the market for health insurance is anything but free.

why don't we try a little TORT REFORM and then I am certain that health care cost would not be so damn expensive. Ever heard any of the politicians/lawyers say that we need to limit or prevent the BS lawsuits brought on to physicians because the ELECTIVE procedure they had performed did not turn out exactly like they wanted it to and it had nothing to do with anything malicious/careless by the physician. Procedures has RISKS and your physician explains this to you BEFORE the procedure and you sign the form explaining the risks and benefits.

So maybe, just maybe we should consider tort reform before we start increasing taxes and limiting your healthcare choices.

blah, blah, blah...
status quo...money, money, money all about the money.
i bet Canada and Europe is laughing at us everyday because we can't
get our health care system straight while they enjoy the free health care; (check out Michael Moore documentary).
America is behind on everything because of GREED, AND PERSONAL GAIN!!
if Canada and Europe can afford to look after its people for free, why can't we?

if anybody can answer that, please do so.

I get dogged for a small co pay and I see people with jobs that can pay something over time walk away free of any bills or collections and I have excellant insurance. It's not fair. Say your insurance pays $9,000 the hospital still wants $300 in co pay and they hound you till they get it.
Yet somebody that makes a decent wage tells the hospital they don't have insurance they get it all free and clear .... The rest of us pay it.

Just think what this will be like under health for ALL! Without more medical staff, more hispital facilities, better doctor mix, family practice-specialist, we are all in for a system that will not work.

Anonymous wrote:

<quoted text>
That's why we need a health insurance mandate. Just like with a car, somebody who is uninsured ends up hurting you financially if they run into you.
I have to laugh at this whole "Obamacare" nonsense. Time and time again people are trying to distort it to sound like a government takeover but it's not. If you like your current health plan, then keep it. Nothing will change for you. If you don't like whatever you have or are uninsured, then you can buy into a plan of your choice, whether that be private insurance or one offered by the government. More competition can only help since right now the market for health insurance is anything but free.

Page 16 of the proposed plan: Under the header of "Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage," the "Limitation On New Enrollment" section of the bill clearly states:

"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

rcho wrote:

blah, blah, blah...
i bet Canada and Europe is laughing at us everyday because we can't
get our health care system straight while they enjoy the free health care; (check out Michael Moore documentary).

People in Canada usually die or travel to the US to get critical healthcare. England in particular is severely rationing care. Europe and Canada have a good health care and that is you pay out of pocket to get private care or you die waiting in line.

In a lot of ways it works in that they kill off the poor and desperately sick. It does save a lot of money that way.

Mother of two wrote:

<quoted text>
"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.
So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

Also if your life circumstance changes like adding a baby, getting a divorce, having a kid grow up and move out of the house, YOU WILL BE FORCED INTO A GOVERNMENT PLAN.

Want to find out what's going on? Watch the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore. Compare what's going on here in the U.S. with all the good that's happening in Canada, France, and yes, even in Cuba! Our system needs a total revamping -- and, if we play our cards riight, maybe even be able to enjoy doctor home visits as they do in France. Obama, whether you voted for him or not, needs the citizens of this great country to get behind him and insist that insurance companies not be permitted to run our healthcare program.

We've been sold a bill of goods with regard to "socialized" medicine. I don't care what label they put on it, healthcare should be offered to everyone (which is not the case here in the US) and no one should have to lose their life's savings because of a catastrophic illness. Think you're immune because you have health care coverage? Think again. One catastrophic event could (and most likely would) wipe out everything you've been led to believe is for your retirement years.

Watch the movie -- you'll be as mad at "us" as I am.

If I understand this, these hospitals pay no taxes but have complain about paying out 5% of their operating costs to the poor?
Has anyone considered the cost of attorneys on the health care system? Best estimates are that our "right to sue" directly or indirectly costs somewhere between 30% and 50% of the health care budget.
It is remarkable that President Obama continues to ask the people who are doing the work to sacrifice yet he continues to refuse to limit the atrocities of the American bar.

One Treatment For ALL wrote:

Want to find out what's going on? Watch the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore. Compare what's going on here in the U.S. with all the good that's happening in Canada, France, and yes, even in Cuba! Our system needs a total revamping -- and, if we play our cards riight, maybe even be able to enjoy doctor home visits as they do in France. Obama, whether you voted for him or not, needs the citizens of this great country to get behind him and insist that insurance companies not be permitted to run our healthcare program.
We've been sold a bill of goods with regard to "socialized" medicine. I don't care what label they put on it, healthcare should be offered to everyone (which is not the case here in the US) and no one should have to lose their life's savings because of a catastrophic illness. Think you're immune because you have health care coverage? Think again. One catastrophic event could (and most likely would) wipe out everything you've been led to believe is for your retirement years.
Watch the movie -- you'll be as mad at "us" as I am.

amen to that.
than we can put to rest all this nonsense dicussion about health care.
watch Michael Moore documentary peope.
i'm mad as hell after i saw it.

Dr Eichel - I agree with you 100%! President Obama needs to get this issue on his radar as well.

Senior Mike wrote:

Just think what this will be like under health for ALL! Without more medical staff, more hispital facilities, better doctor mix, family practice-specialist, we are all in for a system that will not work.

Mike,

all of what you said is the root of this whole mess. too many doctors, too many hospitals, too many clinics run by the same hospital, don't you get it?
This create an almost "fast food restaurant" style type of competition.
have you ever see one street (Broad St. in Columbus for example) with about ten clinics located two to three blocks away from each other?

tom the traveler wrote:

<quoted text>
People in Canada usually die or travel to the US to get critical healthcare. England in particular is severely rationing care. Europe and Canada have a good health care and that is you pay out of pocket to get private care or you die waiting in line.
In a lot of ways it works in that they kill off the poor and desperately sick. It does save a lot of money that way.

Tom,

The last i check, Europe population is more than double the U.S, about 830 Million compare to us at around 300 million. now you do the math, what are they doing right (government) that we're not?
to get free health care, even a doctor home visit, even cab money to go back home from a pharmacy, or a clinc if you don't have any money.
how can they afford to do this and we can't?