The Lack of Affordable Healthcare in the US

[Skarekrow]

It's not bad enough. If it were, we'd get our change immediately.

More of us have to suffer.

I have thought about that often myself.
What will it take before REAL change takes place?

I feel we are getting there though...with the Boomers retiring it's going to drastically effect the healthcare load here in the US.
Though many of them are the ones responsible for the mess we have now...but remember, they pretty much are the most self-centered and entitled age group still with us (and they have the nerve to talk shit about Millenials.).
They want their cake and to eat it too...I feel that combined with the younger generations being priced out of healthcare more and more...that may join together.
Example...I am in the hospital as we speak....I will be here at least two more days of not more...have had two ultrasounds, blood work for days, and I've had one of two surgeries that are not elected.
I'm already considering filing for bankruptcy...just for medical bills.
It's like there is someone standing in my hospital room asking me to write a new IOU every 5 minutes...sigh.
Though they cannot garnish Disabilty payments...I had one bill collector before me who was trying to take me to court - I told him...remove to fees associated with all the legal lawyers and court filing fees amd I will work out a payment for the orgional amount...nope...we can't do that Sir....so I said I can't pay you then it's a financial hardship, and I know you cannot take my Disabilty monies from me - take my offer or go suck an egg.
They never contacted me again and that was a year ago...lol.
But still...that fucks up your credit...though so does bankruptcy...idk...I'm going to try and get things written off if I can....I honestly shouldn't be stressing about how to pay for two emergency surgeries and the hospital stay to boot while I'm in the hospital.
I know Medicare charges something like $400 per day just as a base fee just to be admitted ....I'm looking at 4-5 days probably...then you add in the hospital charges...the fee for the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, surgical supplies, ect. and you got yourself a hell of a bill waiting for you...waiting for me...ugh.
If only I had made it to surgery at the surgical center....but the MF'ers made me wait for ten days while shit continued to get worse....now I have damn pancreatitis...all yesterday and last night it felt like a knife or 3 twisting in my gut...just could not wait....my lipase in my liver was 8000+ yesterday, 5000 today...thank goodness it's coming down...(the high end of the normal scale is 51) but it could have all been avoided, including the medical bills I expect to accrue now, if they had just done the surgery last week...and they could've got me in but chose not to.
So the already pricy out patient surgery is now inpatient at the fucking hospital....not sure how many times this will multiply my bill.
People in the US can't afford their meds, or take half the dose they are supposed to due to the costs that just keep inflating without popping.
It's really quite frustrating.
Healthcare, education, public safety, incarceration....should NEVER be tied to profit margins...not ever in any circumstances.
Medical debt is still the number one reason for personal bankruptcy filings in the US....that is pathetic, disgusting, and no different than war profiteering.
I should be focusing on getting well....but now I'm stressed AF about what my bill is going to be and how exactly I'm supposed to pay for that...fucking money thiefs!
Not to mention the unnecessary extra cost I am liable for now because they made me wait so long...assholes.
Now Captain Douche-bag (Trump), has done all he can to destroy the patient protections and sabotaged the ACA...which wasn't great to start, but it was a step in the right direction.
It's gonna be a challenge for sure to dissolve the insurance companies who have made the citizens into cash cows with no regard for humanity or even just doing the right thing.
I still have faith though that things will change drastically hopefully in my lifetime...lol.
Cheers!

 

[sprinkles]

It's not bad enough. If it were, we'd get our change immediately.

More of us have to suffer.

Bad enough for whom?

Those with the most power are also the most insulated from the problem.

 

[Skarekrow]

*sigh*

A new study shows that Americans are still spending more on health care every year, even though the frequency of care is going down.


​

 

[Skarekrow]

So...not sure what my recent hospital stay will cost me...kind of frightening to think of what the bill might be.
Two surgical procedures...an ER visit...then 5 days as an inpatient.
My only consolation is that the Medicare plan I have has a yearly max out of pocket expense of $4,900 (which was $6,700 last year - ahhh!), then supposedly I pay nothing beyond that...but there are ways around that they find.
It’s getting to be absolutely out of control here in the US.
I am better off insurance-wise than some.
Still...already paying off medical bills from previous BS...I had a year left on a $7000 bill I have been paying for 3 years...now I feel back to square one almost...(le sigh).
I don’t understand how people continue to put up with this shit year after year as prices rise year after year...all while our great “leaders” (with their free gold-star healthcare) fight to yank funding, cut all they can from it, remove patient protections (financial or otherwise) and fight against any kind of minimum wage raises for the general public (all as many employers are cutting benefits for their employees to survive on, thus making them responsible for more and more of the bottom line).
People pay more for childcare than they do for rent or their mortgage, then when you subtract the so-called “health insurance” for their paychecks and it’s no wonder that the majority of Americans are in some kind of medical debt.

Done with my ramble...
Take care!

 

[Skarekrow]

 

[Misty]

Nothing says “pro-life” like bankrupting the elderly, disabled, and poor (8 million children)....you know, just like Jesus would do.

Agreed, and I'm Christian. I think the following verse is in utter unison with the point that you're making here. Trump is scary.
Matthew 25:40-45King James Version (KJV)
40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

 

[Misty]

Amen. In Holland everyone has it. It is the law.. mandtory. Everyone here who makes a large sum of money per year pays 40% taxes, so that our system is set to cover those who work hard and make less. Every citizen earning below X per year gets what is called *Zorgtoeslag*.. aka about 80 euros a month to use for health insurance. Considering most full coverage premiums here are set around 95 to ( 115€ For the tricked out shite ins.. ) Then all we have to pay is 10 bucks a month for full health care. The rich and middle class are brought closer together and the socio-economic disparity is far less broad than it is in the States. I'm American, I've seen both ways, and as far as health care goes, most of Europe has the idea. Shame that Trump doesn't see past the tip of his rich nose all the way down to see alllll the "working poor". That term makes my skin crawl.

 

[acd]

Amen. In Holland everyone has it. It is the law.. mandtory. Everyone here who makes a large sum of money per year pays 40% taxes, so that our system is set to cover those who work hard and make less. Every citizen earning below X per year gets what is called *Zorgtoeslag*.. aka about 80 euros a month to use for health insurance. Considering most full coverage premiums here are set around 95 to ( 115€ For the tricked out shite ins.. ) Then all we have to pay is 10 bucks a month for full health care. The rich and middle class are brought closer together and the socio-economic disparity is far less broad than it is in the States. I'm American, I've seen both ways, and as far as health care goes, most of Europe has the idea. Shame that Trump doesn't see past the tip of his rich nose all the way down to see alllll the "working poor". That term makes my skin crawl.

In the past, Trump has supported universal healthcare. Last year he also said the Australian system was better than ours. But his handlers quickly had to remind him that the GOP forbids universal healthcare. Now he is against it.

 

[Misty]

In the past, Trump has supported universal healthcare. Last year he also said the Australian system was better than ours. But his handlers quickly had to remind him that the GOP forbids universal healthcare. Now he is against it.

That's crazy.

 

[Skarekrow]

Agreed, and I'm Christian. I think the following verse is in utter unison with the point that you're making here. Trump is scary.
Matthew 25:40-45King James Version (KJV)
40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Agreed!
(good quote)
I just don’t get the blatant hypocrisy from the evangelical “Christian” groups sometimes...it’s infuriating.
They wanna be pro-life, but yank funding from early childcare and healthcare not to mention prenatal care for the poor.
They protest abortion but I don’t see anyone clearing out the kids in the foster care system.
The poor, the sick, disabled, the most vulnerable and those addicted are demonized as being a drain on society so they are left to fend for themselves and die.
We have infant mortality rates that rival third world countries, and a huge number of starving or food insecure children in the US.
The systems we currently have in place are set up to make as much money and profits as possible with little to no regard for human life...money is clearly far more important to people than taking care of those who truly need care and help.
Just speaking of healthcare here, but it crosses over into so many other areas of society - like how we turn our backs to those seeking safety and asylum for themselves or their children when they come to us as refugees.
We bomb the shit out of countries and then add them to a list of countries we don’t allow to immigrate or even fly here.
I could go on and on, but I will spare you and everyone...lol.
Money has superseded the word of God in America...then they make up BS reasons why it is justified when it never will be.
Weekend warriors for Christ go to church on Sunday and then forget the rest of the week how to act like an empathetic or even sympathetic HUMAN being.
*sigh*

Thanks for the comment!
Hope you are well!
Much love!

 

[Skarekrow]

In the past, Trump has supported universal healthcare. Last year he also said the Australian system was better than ours. But his handlers quickly had to remind him that the GOP forbids universal healthcare. Now he is against it.

Yep.
More lies.
I find it amazing how all his daily lies are ignored or are twisted around to try and justify the disgusting lack of humanity.
“If we help people, they will just take advantage and never learn to fend for themselves”
“You have to teach a man to fish!”

You can’t teach anyone to fish if they are starving to death or dying of treatable diseases because they are priced out of the market.

 

[infinite dreams]

Yep.
More lies.
I find it amazing how all his daily lies are ignored or are twisted around to try and justify the disgusting lack of humanity.
“If we help people, they will just take advantage and never learn to fend for themselves”
“You have to teach a man to fish!”

You can’t teach anyone to fish if they are starving to death or dying of treatable diseases because they are priced out of the market.

I saw someone earlier today refer to this as a "post-facts" society. I couldn't agree more. So few people care about the actual truth anymore. Whatever fits their agenda (preferably pre-packaged so that they don't have to engage any original thought at all) is a welcomed substitute for factual information.

I've already said it enough times in this thread but I'll repeat in case anyone missed it - the idea of the United States of America, of all the world's developed countries, not having universal healthcare is a joke of cosmic proportions. Of all places we are probably most able to easily afford it. The problem is that people with the power to change it are also in the greatest position to profit from its absence, and thus have no incentive to fight for it. Besides the fact they don't give a fuck about the less fortunate; that goes without saying.

 

[Misty]

Agreed!
(good quote)
I just don’t get the blatant hypocrisy from the evangelical “Christian” groups sometimes...it’s infuriating.
They wanna be pro-life, but yank funding from early childcare and healthcare not to mention prenatal care for the poor.
They protest abortion but I don’t see anyone clearing out the kids in the foster care system.
The poor, the sick, disabled, the most vulnerable and those addicted are demonized as being a drain on society so they are left to fend for themselves and die.
We have infant mortality rates that rival third world countries, and a huge number of starving or food insecure children in the US.
The systems we currently have in place are set up to make as much money and profits as possible with little to no regard for human life...money is clearly far more important to people than taking care of those who truly need care and help.
Just speaking of healthcare here, but it crosses over into so many other areas of society - like how we turn out backs to those seeking safety and asylum for themselves or their children when they come to us as refugees.
We bomb the shit out of countries and then add them to a list of countries we don’t allow to immigrate or even fly here.
I could go on and on, but I will spare you and everyone...lol.
Money has superseded the word of God in America...then they make up BS reasons why it is justified when it never will be.
Weekend warriors for Christ go to church on Sunday and then forget the rest of the week how to act like an empathetic or even sympathetic HUMAN being.
*sigh*

Thanks for the comment!
Hope you are well!
Much love!

Agree with every word. It's infuriating. True faithful should care for the poor Mon thru sat too. Don't get me riled up about big brother, Skarekrow. I am dealing with the IND right now myself for my new registrations and I think gov telling ppl how to live, where to live, and locking poor innocent people in horrid countries out of here or there because they don't meet the "criteria" is as good as murdering them, themselves. This convo is making me want to go to a rally / riot.. 0.0

 

[infinite dreams]

Agree with every word. It's infuriating. True faithful should care for the poor Mon thru sat too. Don't get me riled up about big brother, Skarekrow. I am dealing with the IND right now myself for my new registrations and I think gov telling ppl how to live, where to live, and locking poor innocent people in horrid countries out of here or there because they don't meet the "criteria" is as good as murdering them, themselves. This convo is making me want to go to a rally / riot.. 0.0

I'm not religious myself but I live in an area where a lot of people are, and I can affirm that the state of so-called "Christianity" in the US right now is utterly appalling. Virtually nothing in common with the teachings of Jesus.

 

[Skarekrow]

I saw someone earlier today refer to this as a "post-facts" society. I couldn't agree more. So few people care about the actual truth anymore. Whatever fits their agenda (preferably pre-packaged so that they don't have to engage any original thought at all) is a welcomed substitute for factual information.

I've already said it enough times in this thread but I'll repeat in case anyone missed it - the idea of the United States of America, of all the world's developed countries, not having universal healthcare is a joke of cosmic proportions. Of all places we are probably most able to easily afford it. The problem is that people with the power to change it are also in the greatest position to profit from its absence, and thus have no incentive to fight for it. Besides the fact they don't give a fuck about the less fortunate; that goes without saying.

For sure.
I agree with you 100%.

I’ve said it too but I will again - we pay the most in the world, yet receive some of the worst care in the world.
People here equate the high price of things with quality, when that is so incredibly far from factual.
The price of medications here?
Insane.
Literally insane.

Healthcare, education, war, public safety, incarceration, etc., should never in any circumstance be tied to making higher profits or capitalist ventures.
The conflict of interest clearly screws (or kills) millions of people while only a very elite few profit from it.
It’s disgusting and morally wrong.
There is no justification that isn’t also a big pile of BS.

 

[acd]

I'm open to hearing Republican plans to make healthcare affordable and more available to all. Have not been impressed with any of their plans for repeal and replace of ACA this past year. But so far, all their ideas concern jacking prices up for the sick and elderly; pricing those who need healthcare most out of the market and then gutting essential benefits. They act like they don't understand how health insurance works. The young and healthy will always subsidize the costs of the old and sick. That's how insurance works. Those who don't use it make it possible for those who do to collect.

Does anyone really want to go back to being denied coverage for pre-existing conditions? To even more costly high risk pool premiums and the extra long wait lists to actually begin coverage if you were unfortunate enough to have a pre-existing condition? To life time caps? May sound like the risk is worth it to some until you or your child or spouse is stricken with an illness.

I also think it is utterly pathetic that we have reps wanting to pass legislation to make it legal to import drugs from countries like Canada so that consumers can pay less for drugs..... Drugs that are already manufactured here in the states! We should be regulating drug costs-- especially life saving or life sustaining medications, imo.

 

[infinite dreams]

Healthcare, education, war, public safety, incarceration, etc., should never in any circumstance be tied to making higher profits or capitalist ventures.
The conflict of interest clearly screws (or kills) millions of people while only a very elite few profit from it.
It’s disgusting and morally wrong.
There is no justification that isn’t also big pile of BS.

Ah yes, let the "free market" handle all that. Pffffft!

 

[Misty]

I'm not religious myself but I live in an area where a lot of people are, and I can affirm that the state of so-called "Christianity" in the US right now is utterly appalling. Virtually nothing in common with the teachings of Jesus.

That makes me so sad.. Wow. Hard to hear. :confused1:

 

[acd]

I saw someone earlier today refer to this as a "post-facts" society. I couldn't agree more. So few people care about the actual truth anymore. Whatever fits their agenda (preferably pre-packaged so that they don't have to engage any original thought at all) is a welcomed substitute for factual information.

I've already said it enough times in this thread but I'll repeat in case anyone missed it - the idea of the United States of America, of all the world's developed countries, not having universal healthcare is a joke of cosmic proportions. Of all places we are probably most able to easily afford it. The problem is that people with the power to change it are also in the greatest position to profit from its absence, and thus have no incentive to fight for it. Besides the fact they don't give a fuck about the less fortunate; that goes without saying.

Reminded me of this Onion piece:

Fearful Americans Stockpiling Facts Before Federal Gov't Comes for Them

Americans are also not largely a cooperative bunch. We're comprised of hard asses who left their homelands under some sort of persecution or desperation and fought like hell to make lives for themselves. So it's deeply ingrained in our culture through the generations that everyone should be able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. I remember reading in middle school that Europe implemented their social programs after WWII because they understood that poor economic and social conditions led to the rise of Hitler and Mussolini.

 

[Skarekrow]

I'm open to hearing Republican plans to make healthcare affordable and more available to all. Have not been impressed with any of their plans for repeal and replace of ACA this past year. But so far, all their ideas concern jacking prices up for the sick and elderly; pricing those who need healthcare most out of the market and then gutting essential benefits. They act like they don't understand how health insurance works. The young and healthy will always subsidize the costs of the old and sick. That's how insurance works. Those who don't use it make it possible for those who do to collect.

Does anyone really want to go back to being denied coverage for pre-existing conditions? To even more costly high risk pool premiums and the extra long wait lists to actually begin coverage if you were unfortunate enough to have a pre-existing condition? To life time caps? May sound like the risk is worth it until you or your child or spouse is stricken with an illness.

I also think it is utterly pathetic that we have reps wanting to pass legislation to make it legal to import drugs from countries like Canada so that consumers can pay less for drugs..... Drugs that are already manufactured here in the states! We should be regulating drug costs-- especially life saving or live sustaining medications, imo.

The GOP had 8 damn years plus 8 more before that to “fix” healthcare and what do they come up with?
Throw millions and millions off to die.
16 years!
Go back to the old ways of denying coverage and benefits to those who need it the most.
All in the name of ever rising profits.
Their whole “plan” was to blow up the ACA and watch people flounder and die.
Moronic sociopaths.
Hey guess what? We can cure Hep C....but you have to finance the price of a small house to pay for it!
So instead of curing people right now who are suffering and dying, spreading it to more people...they withhold it, it’s not cost effective.
Even drugs that have been around for half a century are now unaffordable to a large group of people...that’s just beyond wrong.
There is a special place in Hell (if there was one) for them.
Their plan was to go back to business before the ACA...the insurance and drug lobby made sure of that.
We could easily cover every man, woman, and child...but we don’t.
There is no excuse...people like Paul Ryan claim to be the party of “family values” and “Fiscal responsibility"?
Fuck that liar.

Ah yes, let the "free market" handle all that. Pffffft!

Yeah...”free” market.
Let’s see what happens when we yank away their corporate welfare and tax breaks/loopholes that only they enjoy and see what happens then to the “free” market.