Any day now the U S Supreme Court will hand down their decision declaring all or parts of "Obamacare" to be unconstitutional or allowing it to stand as-is. Regardless of the ruling, about 1/2 of the people are going to be unhappy. Me?....I'm somewhere right in the middle. I don't think the system we have now is working well enough to remain unchallenged, but I don't have an alternative to offer, either. If you don't have insurance or can't get it, you know how dire the situation is. If you're one of the lucky few who have insurance AND deep enough pockets that would enable you to absorb any after-insurance expenses, you obviously don't see the problem, but you should never forget.....things can change in a hurry.
I have a friend who at age 61 had double-bypass surgery. He had insurance and could easily handle the co-pay, but the next year he was laid off his upper management job of 25+ years, with his termination package giving him just one more year of company insurance after that. (His deep suspicion was his company wanted him gone due to his health liability.) With his medical and family history he couldn't buy health insurance on the open market. He bought into a state "last-resort" policy, but that soon proved unaffordable so he went "naked" until Medicare kicked in at age 65. Every ache and pain sent him into panic mode. He never thought he'd find himself in that position.
On the other hand I don't have confidence in our government to manage much of anything efficiently. The Obamacare bill is...what...2,700 pages long? Can anyone really, REALLY understand it? I know the UK, Canada, Australia, and some others have universal government-run programs that seem to have a lot of good points, but they also have some well-documented problems, too, such as the fact they're breaking the bank.
Then there's the matter of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986. This law requires almost all hospitals to treat anyone walking in seeking medical attention. It was meant to cover true emergencies, but now is being used to treat colds, the flu, etc. Hospitals and doctors have billions of dollars in un-collectable write-offs. Did you know that >60% of bankruptcies are due to medical bills people can't pay? And that 78% of those are by people who had insurance but couldn't pay for all those things not covered by their insurance? And besides the obvious hit to doctors and hospitals, bankruptcy is a drain on our economy in a bigger sense, too. Those who have gone through it find it difficult or impossible to buy a house, a car....pretty much anything that requires credit. These are potential big-ticket consumers who will NOT be helping grow our economy.
Just some thoughts for you to consider. IMO, regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, SOMETHING needs to be done about healthcare in America. I wish there was a simple answer.
S
Very fair analysis.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the majority of people like the provisions in Obamacare when informed about them but dislike the idea of the individual mandate more. Too bad. I know someone who can easily afford healthcare for himself and his family but he chooses to spend his money on expensive boats, cars and vacation homes, and when he gets sick he just goes to the emergency room and lets taxpayers pay his bill. You're right; there is no easy solution.
ReplyDeleteI can remember the last few years when we were waiting to reach Medicare age and worrying about our health. Thankfully my heart problems and pacemaker implant waited.
ReplyDeleteI once worked with a guy who used the emergency room (and company paid health insurance) for every runny nose. I resented his attitude.
Scott, Sounds like I'm like the rest. Our rates got so high through BCBS that we just couldn't afford it any longer. My family MD has a plan where I pay him $1200 a year and that covers all office visits and lab work. We've been with him for over 15 years and he likes us. My wife's meds are expensive and no generic available so Dr. K. loads her down with months of samples. All my meds are generic and pretty cheap at Costco. I keep hearing rumors about a plan through the HBA but that seems to be a pipe dream. No other reason to be a member of HBA so I'm not. Maybe if it comes to pass I'll rejoin the HBA. So for now, wifey is 4 years away from MC and I'm 5 years away (I married an older woman). I only hope MC is still there in 5 years. My wife had to go to the ER earlier this year due to an allergic reaction. The hospital and doctor's was only a couple of hundred bucks. The Plano FD ambulance to transport her there was $700.00. Holy Mackerel! Next time I'll trough her into the back of the buggy and take her myself. JK
ReplyDeleteSteve/Bruce...we're all in the same boat. Things can't go on like this as every year a few more companies drop coverage, a lot more people have to do without...it's a giant snowball rolling downhill.
ReplyDeleteJerry...Like I said, there are no easy answers. All I know is what we're doing now isn't working for too many people, and more people who ARE covered now may not be next year, or the year after.
While I agree that a government managed plan can be bogged down by and fraught with inefficiencies, I believe that the fact that health insurance is tied to your job will hurt the competitive edge of American businesses.
ReplyDeleteCanada is not exactly known for inexpensive labor, but a few years ago a call center decided against a Buffalo, NY, location and chose to build across the border, even though Buffalo has a well-educated labor force and desperately needed the jobs that were going to pay around $12/hour. The business decided it would be cheaper in Canada, even at $15/hour wages - because it wouldn't have to worry about health care costs.
And I've had co-workers who elected not to participate in the company-sponsored health care plan, instead blowing the money on motorcycles or whatever. What's wrong with making health insurance coverage being mandatory? Car insurance is...(I know people skip having that, too, but that's another topic).
You're right Peeper...insurance won't work if you're only covering the oldest and most infirm. You have to include the young and healthy, too, for the numbers to work. The difference between health and car insurance is that if you don't choose to drive, you aren't required to buy insurance. But you can't opt out of breathing. That's the basis of the constitutional challenge.
ReplyDeleteS
I hate to even think about it. I am diabetic and my insurance is through the roof. No one wants to cover me, even though I have never had any problems. I never get sick, ever, yet struggle to be covered.
ReplyDeleteSigh...
Hi Whip....You're not alone. Your story could be told a million times over. I hope we can find a real solution for us all.
ReplyDelete