Insurance Company vs Public Option

[Lammie]

I don't really even know what this is about. Can't states opt out of a public option? If so I think that Mr. Perry has already made up his mind to do that. I don't think he wanted to take any stimulus money, either. That part didn't bother me a lot. I'm still waiting on the smoke to clear and for someone to tell me plainly what's going on.

Once again, no one mentions big pharma or insurance fraud. Do something about insurace fraud and we can save a whole lot of money. Especially Medicare and Medicaid fraud. I'll have to get Dad;s Pharmerica bill out and post some of his medication costs. Later. I can't think clearly this early... It is astounding, though, and paid for by all of us.

[grannysoo]

Once again, no one mentions big pharma or insurance fraud. Do something about insurace fraud and we can save a whole lot of money. Especially Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

Can't do that Lammie. Congress has got to get paid somehow.....

[kerley]

Once again, no one mentions big pharma or insurance fraud. Do something about insurace fraud and we can save a whole lot of money. Especially Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

Can't do that Lammie. Congress has got to get paid somehow.....

I am convinced that Medicare is broke because of poor administration. Why would Medicare pay $1100.00 for a wheel chair that I can buy on line for $280.00 delivered to our front door.
Tom.

[MO_cows]

There was a segment on 60 minutes last week about Medicare fraud. It has become an industry. Set up a storefront, buy a list of Medicare recipients and start billing. The reporter followed a task force around and showed the addresses that had been billing Medicare hundreds of thousands a month. And one lady had been receiving notifications of bogus beneifits paid for 6 years and reporting it to Medicare again and again but nothing had been done. It was a shocker to me. I knew there was fraud but not on that scale.

[TexasBred]

I don't really even know what this is about. Can't states opt out of a public option? If so I think that Mr. Perry has already made up his mind to do that. I don't think he wanted to take any stimulus money, either. That part didn't bother me a lot. I'm still waiting on the smoke to clear and for someone to tell me plainly what's going on.

Once again, no one mentions big pharma or insurance fraud. Do something about insurace fraud and we can save a whole lot of money. Especially Medicare and Medicaid fraud. I'll have to get Dad;s Pharmerica bill out and post some of his medication costs. Later. I can't think clearly this early... It is astounding, though, and paid for by all of us.

Lammie...remember the 55 mph speed limit?? States could opt out of that as well...only thing...they lost all their fed funding for highways. Same with health care. You can do it but "at what price".

[HOSS]

The problem is that with a public option I will be paying for part of your healthcare right out of my check and you will be paying for mine out of your check.....nobody gets ahead in that game....it is never free and anything run by government has always cost more than private business. It is just "hidden" so that it is not always obvious. The way I see it is that we treat health insurance unlike any other insurance. If our car has a water pump go out we don't call All-State and want coverage under our car insurance plan but if we have a cold we go to the doctor and expect to use insurance to pick up the tab minus our co-pay. If you have an accident and your car is severely damaged then the All-State policy kicks in......healthcare insurance should be treated the same way.

Not trying to get ahead here just trying to tread water and keep from going under but if I'm following you correctly you are saying everyone should be required to have health insurance just as everyone who drives a vehicle must have car insurance. Makes sense to me but don't know how this would fly when so many value a cell phone and a car more than they value their health and family.

Jo......I'm not saying it has to be required.....the point that I wanted to make was if we used health insurance the same way we use car insurance (for catastrophic events) then it would be alot more affordable. Insurance companies charge a very high premium on all users because a certaion portion of the are going to the emergency room for a cold etc..

[Jogeephus]

Hoss, I know what you are saying and I agree with you to a point. Personally, I think it would be much more affordable if everyone had to pay into a national program. I'm not talking about paying into a system only to have you money squandered by politicians on pet projects but I'm talking about reserving this money for actual health care issues. If everyone had to pay in something maybe there would be some true competition for healthcare insurance like there is for automobile insurance.

[Brandonm22]

How would any of the four competing health care bills change your situation???? You still have to pay for coverage under the public option (it is NOT free), losing preexisting conditions will cause your health care insurance rates to increase, and if you self insure you would have to pay an IRS fine. NOW, you don't have to pay that if you don't want too. You can get catastrophic health insurance that takes care of everything after the first $10,000 or $15,000. I have only seen a doctor twice since 1996 myself so I certainly wouldn't be paying for any $12,000 policy.