Health Care, Part 2

From comments: "JustThinking said...
Donna - just curious. I agree that everyone has a right to high quality healthcare and I believe it is our responsibility as a society to see that care is provided on an equal basis to all. Now the sticky part - how do we pay for it? What is "low income"? Can everyone be low income? How long? Forever? Should we have a sliding scale fee based on income? How much should a doctor earn? A hospital? A insurance company? How much should an "average income" pay to support the care of all? A "high income"? A "low income"? Should some not pay at all? What solutions do you envision? ""

I believe that everyone should have a possibility of equal access to health care. I don't know that "high quality" is possible, but I know at least some quality is.

The start to that should be that ALL doctors and hospitals should be required to accept all insurance, Medicaid and Medicare. Whether you have Blue Cross or Medicaid you should be able to see the same quality doctors. This would also spread out the burden of the low reimbursement rates to all practitioners - rather than have the "low income, crappy doctor" clinics that we see now.

I VERY, VERY, VERY strongly believe that your access to health care/insurance should have ZERO to do with your employer. Who ever started that should be shot. :) By law my employer can't have any access to my health records, so why are they footing the bill for my access to that same healthcare? Will/Are people discriminated against in the workplace because they may utilize a lot of health care dollars and make the company's premiums rise? I believe they are and will be more and more as costs rise.

If my company knew my husband was going to rack up well over $100K in bills per year, would they have hired me?

I think people should work for an income. From that income should be taken federal taxes, state taxes and Social Security. Our "benefits" of insurance should not exist. However, salaries should rise for those who currently have insurance as part of their package. (Which would be an issue...) Say for example I make $20K a year and my employer pays $5K towards insurance. I should then see a salary of $25K.

From our incomes, where ever they come from, we should be able to buy in to health care at an affordable rate. Or, we should be able to pay a reasonable amount for a reasonable service. It shouldn't cost $350 for a 3 minute MD appointment for the doc to tell you that you have a rash.... It shouldn't cost $16,000 for a 20 minute ultrasound... KWIM? Also, cash payers and people with insurance shouldn't be expected to cover for every Tom, Dick and Harry that doesn't have coverage or pay...

Likewise, just because I have an HMO and a $5 co-pay I shouldn't be bothering that MD to tell me I have a rash. I should be trying cortizone cream or something and using the skills of the MD when I HAVE to - not WANT to. When people have to pay for that service, I think they will think twice about it!
How many of us get new glasses when we "can" through our plans? Whether or not we need them? I know I am guilty of that. Wanting a new look and all. But, when it costs me $100+ for them I start to decide if I "need" them.

I read with interest the article posted on Frugal Living about the MD who says that most medical treatments are not based on science and many, while expensive, don't do much for the patient. I think there is merrit to that. I think people are WAY to attached to finding a pill to solve every problem they have. Why not use the wisky for a cough like they did in the olden days?

And, why make you see an MD for every pill you might truly need? Why not a system like in Europe where you can ask your pharmacist and make more drugs available over the counter for the people who need them? I can't really see people abusing cholestorol medication, KWIM?

As for income of a physician or hospital, I think those should be realtive to their training and the work they do. I have no qualms about a physician who makes a lot of money - because they are highly skilled. However, I have a problem with some people paying, via insurance or privately, for all of the people. My appointment shouldn't cost tons of cash to make up for those who don't pay.

Low income versus high income is a good point. We don't want people with a high income getting great service and those with low income getting shitty service. Some plan where it balances based on your income would be nice.

Donna's Thoughts on US Health Care

I can't help but think that one of biggest challenges facing us here in the US today is our health care system. As a family we have had access through Kaiser, Blue Cross, MediCal and Medicare (for Willie) at various times.

While working for Kaiser we had access to their HMO system of providers and facilities. Though when we first started with them there was a lot of negative press about Kaiser, we almost always without fail had good service. Yes, we did have some bad as well from time to time. I think most of that was caused by customer service issues with staff and physicians rather than with the HMO model itself.

Now we have access through Blue Cross. It has cost us more than Kaiser, but it has all-in-all been pretty easy to deal with and find providers for. Thankfully my employer pays for much of our policy because we would never be able to afford the $1000+ each month out-of-pocket just for the premium.

MediCal was an interesting experience. Growing up we always had health insurance. Once we moved to Siskiyou County we found ourselves, for only about a year, needing the help of MediCal. I have to say that time was very eye-opening for us!

Here in our county we only have a couple of providers that will accept MediCal. Because MediCal doesn't pay the providers well the providers are forced to book more appointment and treat more patients to make their living. I saw a doctor who I would not trust with my pet chicken... I have never felt more like I was being treated like the common street-animal than during that time. One of the "reforms" I would like to see is that all providers be required to accept both MediCal and Medicare. You should NOT have to go to a crappy clinic or a crappy doctor just because you have low-income!!!

Willie also has Medicare. It has seriously saved our butts for those times he has been in the hospital or needed medical equipment of some sort or another.

When you have good insurance you don't really think much about those who don't. I think this is one of the biggest hurdles to health care reform in our country - our elected officials and those in corporate power - have (and can afford) the best insurance. Why work to change it?

Why? For me that answer is clear - you shouldn't have to die or have serious lack of basic medical care because you are lower income. It just plain isn't right.

Thank You Rinty, You Motivated Me!

I started blogging about frugal living as an alternative to writing a newsletter or taking the time to finally get that book that's in my head down on paper. I don't know why but I do seem to be a pretty boring blogger. I've noticed it and someone recently pointed out that the blog seemed to be kinda bland. THANK YOU Rinty! You gave me a slight kick-in-the-butt at just the right time. I will make much more of an effort to blog from the heart and to blog the way I wanted to from the start.

For a long while I have wanted to be a writer. I have wanted to make a living doing something I can do alone, without the office politics and crap of working with other people day in and day out, and doing that which I love. Writing is a hard thing to get income doing, even freelance, but I finally decided it is time. Bought the "Writer's Market" and am working on putting those projects in my head onto the written page. And, working on those query letters to editors around the country.

Life in our household has been a real struggle over the years for one reason or another. However, our life is also really great and interesting because of those struggles and challenges. It's a human-nature thing to assume our lives are "boring" but when you think about it most people really do have interesting lives - just not to themselves. I think this is the root of my boring-blog problem. I think I assume, and we know what happens when you do that, no one really wants to hear about our story. Funny thing is, most people tell me that's exactly what I should write about - and what they want to read!

Today is Jason's 12th birthday. It's amazing to think 12 years (plus 10 weeks) have passed since we found out we were going to be the parents of a dwarf child. Who knew it even possible! Certainly not us... Jason's dwarfism is caused by a genetic mutation and not heredity. Most people, including ourselves, found it weird that average sized people can have a dwarf child. In reality, that's generally the case. Most dwarf babies are born to average sized adults. Even us fat ones. :)

I have to gloat and say that Jason is an amazing child. Really, not just a parent comment, he really is amazing. I have always found it interesting that while his limbs are short, and his challenges in life can be daunting, he handles it amazingly well. The kid can adapt to anything.

Happy Birthday, Jason! Only four more and you can drive - OMG.... HELP!!!!!!!