Curious on US health insurance
#61
Re: Curious on US health insurance
Here is a comparison of the NHS and Kaiser Healthcare in California
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC64512/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC64512/
This is likely why I like Kaiser, which I've had both in San Diego and now PNW. It feels like the NHS in that I may have limited 'choice' but they are efficient and I love the lack of paperwork. Essentially if I walk into one of their buildings I pay $20 regardless of what happens.
#62
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
"In many ways Kaiser Permanente is like the NHS, providing a similar range of services for a population equivalent to that of a small country."
This is likely why I like Kaiser, which I've had both in San Diego and now PNW. It feels like the NHS in that I may have limited 'choice' but they are efficient and I love the lack of paperwork. Essentially if I walk into one of their buildings I pay $20 regardless of what happens.
This is likely why I like Kaiser, which I've had both in San Diego and now PNW. It feels like the NHS in that I may have limited 'choice' but they are efficient and I love the lack of paperwork. Essentially if I walk into one of their buildings I pay $20 regardless of what happens.
#63
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
"In many ways Kaiser Permanente is like the NHS, providing a similar range of services for a population equivalent to that of a small country."
This is likely why I like Kaiser, which I've had both in San Diego and now PNW. It feels like the NHS in that I may have limited 'choice' but they are efficient and I love the lack of paperwork. Essentially if I walk into one of their buildings I pay $20 regardless of what happens.
This is likely why I like Kaiser, which I've had both in San Diego and now PNW. It feels like the NHS in that I may have limited 'choice' but they are efficient and I love the lack of paperwork. Essentially if I walk into one of their buildings I pay $20 regardless of what happens.
#64
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
HMO’s are an excellent system that emphasizes health versus procedures. They have an incentive to keep people healthy and the set up is better suited to achieve that than regular health insurance. The fact that the US spends about twice what other first world countries spend on healthcare with poorer results seems lost on our politicians.
"In many ways Kaiser Permanente is like the NHS, providing a similar range of services for a population equivalent to that of a small country."
This is likely why I like Kaiser, which I've had both in San Diego and now PNW. It feels like the NHS in that I may have limited 'choice' but they are efficient and I love the lack of paperwork. Essentially if I walk into one of their buildings I pay $20 regardless of what happens.
This is likely why I like Kaiser, which I've had both in San Diego and now PNW. It feels like the NHS in that I may have limited 'choice' but they are efficient and I love the lack of paperwork. Essentially if I walk into one of their buildings I pay $20 regardless of what happens.
I would gladly in Canada pay small monthly premiums and co-payments to have a system more like Kaiser, because Kaiser is superior to any provinces healthcare anywhere I lived in Canada.
Plus being salaried doctors, they are not paid per patient which meant less rushed doctor visits, and less of the assembly line feel much of Canada has with 10 minute appointments with a doctor half out the door, but pay doctors per patient, and they need to maxmize patients per hour.
I have no complaints about Kaiser, and really if all healthcare in the US were regional versions of Kaiser, people would probably be happier over all.
Also while US is often thought of as having nothing but for profit corporations, there are a quite a lot of non-profit health organizations offering insurance, hospitalcare, healthcare, Sharp and Scripps in San Diego are 2 largest in that region and both are not for profit healthcare organizations.
But when I had Aetna insurance they were horrendous, I would never want that style of US healthcare, but Kaiser, I really never had an issue with Kaiser, and being able to self refer to many specialists was nice, and saved a lot of time.
If Canada built a system based on Kaiser even if there were small premiums and co-pays, I would be happy, I would rather pay small amounts and have access to the care I need than to have some healthcare covered, but a slew of things not covered and have no access at all.
#65
Re: Curious on US health insurance
A long time friend who lives in a rural area of Illinois on the Wisconsin border has a long distance from a hospital. To compensate for that, for $65 annually, they are enrolled in AirVac which will take them to a major hospital if the need arises. She had to use it three times in the past and the last time was in September when she caught Covid and her blood pressured dropped and her oxygen count was at 65. There is no deductible and other than the premium no charges incurred.
Last edited by Rete; Oct 9th 2021 at 9:48 pm.
#66
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
A long time friend who lives in a rural area of Illinois on the Wisconsin border has a long distance from a hospital. To compensate for that, for $65 annually, they are enrolled in AirVac which will take them to a major hospital if the need arises. She had to use it three times in the past and the last time was in September when she caught Covid and her blood pressured dropped and her oxygen count was at 65. There is no deductible and other than the premium no charges incurred.
#67
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
Treatment aside, we have found Kaiser the extreme opposite of the NHS. Dealing with their billing has been the most stressful experience that we have had in the US, far worse than with any other healthcare provider that we have had. So we switched to another provider.
However, their treatment was good.
However, their treatment was good.
#68
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
I would caution though on spending when comparing countries, but there is doubt the US spends more, just when comparing a country like Canada, sure we spend less per person, but we cover less things, a good HMO plan will cover a lot more healthcare needs than the healthcare system will in Canada, so it's easy to spend less when you cover less at the same time, so don't use Canada as en example because while we spend less, we cover less.
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/pub...al-perspective
#69
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
They are subject to medical underwriting, which may lead to either higher premiums or being deemed uninsurable. A lot of people don't seem to be aware of this "gotcha". And this underwriting also applies if you try to change your supplemental plan, with a few exceptions such as relocating to an area the plan doesn't cover or the plan ceasing to exist. So decisions you take when you originally sign up for Medicare can actually affect you decades down the road, if you live that long.
#70
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
They are subject to medical underwriting, which may lead to either higher premiums or being deemed uninsurable. A lot of people don't seem to be aware of this "gotcha". And this underwriting also applies if you try to change your supplemental plan, with a few exceptions such as relocating to an area the plan doesn't cover or the plan ceasing to exist. So decisions you take when you originally sign up for Medicare can actually affect you decades down the road, if you live that long.
This year, I thought about switching to original Medicare, and United Healthcare offered me reasonable rates on all the Medicare Supplement alternatives. I decided not to make the change in the end
#71
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#72
Re: Curious on US health insurance
HMO’s are an excellent system that emphasizes health versus procedures. They have an incentive to keep people healthy and the set up is better suited to achieve that than regular health insurance. The fact that the US spends about twice what other first world countries spend on healthcare with poorer results seems lost on our politicians.
#73
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
Personally, I would only take an HMO if it were the only healthcare policy I could get. I much prefer my PPO plan where I can see any doctor within my network with having to get a referral by my primary doctor. The PM works with me on preventive care so I don't understand where you say an HMO is better.
But like anything in life, what works for one, may not work for another, HMO's were also always the lower cost option at my employers, where PPO were quite a lot more expensive, so there was the too for me.
#74
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Re: Curious on US health insurance
Single payer system's are not as good as they seem at first, at least the way Canada does it, sure if I have a heart attack or stroke there will be little to not out of pocket payment, but you know I'd rather have a compregensive healthcare system and HMO's and PPO's do provide that typically, the only problem is the monthly cost, if we could find a way to lower the costs, but somehow keep the same level of access, things would be pretty good in the US.
Mental health for example, Canada its basically prescriptions, you can't really get therapy or psychological services, but US health insurance (medicaid too) covers it, they have to treat mental health more or less at parity, a single payer system doesn't have to do that.
The problem Canada did is they didn't permit private healthcare so largely not covered or covered with little inbetween options, closest is extended health, but it it meant to top up not povide coverage, as in you pay and they might cover $300 out of the year.
I would not reccomend the US switching from the system in place now to what Canada has, look towards countries with better universal systems that have more than one option, and don't leave out a massive amount of healthcare needs, heck my US healthcare always covered dental and vision too, something we don't get in Canada really, some exceptions for vision in some provinces, in my only the young and old and get vision.
Mental health for example, Canada its basically prescriptions, you can't really get therapy or psychological services, but US health insurance (medicaid too) covers it, they have to treat mental health more or less at parity, a single payer system doesn't have to do that.
The problem Canada did is they didn't permit private healthcare so largely not covered or covered with little inbetween options, closest is extended health, but it it meant to top up not povide coverage, as in you pay and they might cover $300 out of the year.
I would not reccomend the US switching from the system in place now to what Canada has, look towards countries with better universal systems that have more than one option, and don't leave out a massive amount of healthcare needs, heck my US healthcare always covered dental and vision too, something we don't get in Canada really, some exceptions for vision in some provinces, in my only the young and old and get vision.