elfman

can somebody please forward me the "everyone pile on Chartreuse" memo that I must have missed?
Ta

fatbrit

It was just a short paragraph tucked between the announcement of the new 5-year plan and the fraternal greetings to Comrade Castro in this week's news sheet.

scrubbedexpat091

Insurance is regulated at the state level, I place the blame onto the states for not having sufficient laws on the books to prevent this.

scrubbedexpat091

"The phrase Drinking the Kool-Aid means to become a firm believer in something, to accept an argument or philosophy wholeheartedly or blindly."

The phrase did arise from Jim Jones cult and is widely used in the US and really has nothing to do with a black president, and it was used during Bush years as well.

Giantaxe

Yep, that's what most polls show. I guess many people just don't realize that they are likely one serious illness away from financial ruin - those kind of things always happen to "someone else". Plus, the level of ignorance is pretty high. Talking to co-workers - all pretty smart people - a few weeks ago, very few understood that if they went on long term disability their company health insurance would end and after 18 months of Cobra coverage they'd likely be in deep shit.

cpe111

Why should we have to have laws enacted to ensure that people are treated fairly and equitably? The fact that you are making that statement shows that the insurance companies are not the right mechanism for delivery of healthcare funding.

Laws are created and worded to try and cover foreseeable circumstances. Companies employ lawyers and accountants, often at great expense) to enable a company to get away with whatever they can with the framework of the existing legislation, not to ensure the company policies are developed to act in the spirit of what was written.

CelticRover

......and also to draft legislation beforehand to best maximize their profits. As stated before, campaign contributions from lobbyists representing the insurance industry, hopelessly compromise our politicians in doing what is best for the American people, especially where healthcare is concerned.

Giantaxe

I'm not even sure about the "especially" part. There are any number of other deep-pocketed industries where lobbying $$$ ensure favourable legislation. Two examples that directly affect consumers would be banks (and the billions they are allowed to earn from "junk" fees etc) and the real-estate industry (where, in many states, legalized lack of competition keeps commissions far higher than anywhere else in the industrialized world).

CelticRover

I certainly agree with all of that. It was stated for the restricted purpose of this thread.

scrubbedexpat091

Because insurance companies are private companies and unless forced to cover something they are not going to do it if it is going to be more risk of a claim.

Goal of insurance companies is to not pay out, hence why some things they are forced to cover and are regulated in many if not all states to an extent.

Since it seems their is only a small number of states where this happens, shows that other states must have something on the books that prevents it from happening.

scrubbedexpat091

Even in a universal system a long term disability can result in financial ruin if you can't work, only benefit is it wont be from healthcare costs but from reduced income.

All I know if no matter what system a country has, people will not be happy wth it.

Songbird

Well I for one (and my DH) would be ecstatic if we had the good old NHS (or similiar) here in the US. As it is, we have been (and will continue to be) paddling up sh*t creek without a paddle if health care provision ( or rather the lack thereof) doesn't undergo some major reforms.

I'm tired worrying about getting ill or having an accident, it dominates my whole life here in the US. I can't get health insurance because I have a pre-existing condition (cancer). I haven't been able to get a job to enable me to get coverage (despite my qualifications) because the state refused to provide an aide worker to look after my DH while I worked (he's quadriplegic). We have just been told after almost two years struggling that that is incorrect and he is entitled to cover however, if I get a job that takes our income one dime over the poverty level income guidelines then we lose that cover and we are back to where we started from. To add insult to injury, spouses (in this state anyways) are not entitled to any form of carers allowance ( in sickness and in health is literally applied) hence I'm actually saving the state somewhere in the region of $3,500 plus a month by providing a service they would otherwise have to give. The sick irony of this is I can take my over-qualified arse to Walmart and stock shelves for $9 an hour and pay them xx amount to participate in their staff health insurance scheme while the state pays for a nurse and an aide to look after DH at approx 3 times the wage I would be getting. Of course, those carers are not going to be there 24/7 like I am and when I get done 'working for my health coverage' then I still have DH to take care of as well.

Yes I know our situation is not the norm for most people and we do have special circumstances however be that as it is I'm still sans health insurance with no solution in sight. Right now ANY reform that affords me a glimmer of hope of being able to get health cover is welcomed.