We had a rude awakening today. We got the bill for Bob's left eye cataract surgery and the part Medicare did not pay was $663. That means we will have to pay that. Then we got his doctor's bill too and they charged $60 for an EKG that the eye doctor ordered before he would do the surgery and Medicare denied that because it was connected to the eye surgery. That's just one eye. He has an appointment to do the other eye a week from this Wednesday. Also, we will have to pay for the nurse anesthesiologist and that will be several hundred dollars more for each eye. Medicare pays nothing on that charge.
Bob has no supplemental insurance. He had his supplement with his company and he retired in 1985. A couple of years after his retirement his company changed carriers from Travelers to Met Life. They changed the deductible from $50. to $1350. We were still paying $139. a month for the insurance and then paying the doctor's bills too. In 22 years, we only collected on his insurance once. So we were out all those premiums as well as the remainder of the 20% of the bill. So we dropped it and saved the premium. Bob has had two melanoma and seven squamous cell carcinoma. Because he works part time for FEMA, we have managed to pay those hospital and doctor bills. But the retirement money we had in 1985, that was supposed to have lasted us for the rest of our lives, is nearly gone. Inflation has eaten it up. Now Bob is deaf and has had these cataracts and so he is limited in what he can do for FEMA so we are in a quandary about what we can do to supplement our income. He is 78 and I am 72...nearly 73.
Now perhaps you can understand why we (Bob and I) are in favor of socialized medicine like the European people have. My British friends tell me the doctors and hospitals were dead set against socialized medicine initially but are delighted with it now and wouldn't have it any other way. My British friends extol the quality health care they receive and do not seem to mind the cost.
Europeans get 6 weeks paid vacation a year and many other wonderful benefits. We are eons behind them in understanding how to take care of people's needs in my estimation.
With what we have paid for this war and by reinstating the initial tax on those who earn over $250,000 a year, we could pay for medical care for everyone in America.
Capitalism which is greed driven, has ruined our country. The rich have become embarrassingly richer and the poor have become even poorer and the middle class, of which we were once a member, is fast disappearing.
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17 comments:
Believe me Margie, I do understand and it is so discouraging to think that the most powerful country in the world does not take care of its own as so many other countries do. Only the very rich can breeze through life here and so far none of our leaders haved seemed particularly concerned.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Thank you for stopping by mine, Sylvia
DItto Sylvia on stopping by my blog.
Isn't it ironic that the Asian cultures are known for revering their elders (something foreign in ours!) yet China, now hosting the Olympics has one of the worst human rights records in the world.
If the elderly were included in those rankings I wonder where we'd place.
We have a pretty bad human rights record ourselves since this presidency.
Have you checked out Amnesty International lately?
Actually you're right. I was thinking of things from a senior slant. When you broaden the perspective it's no wonder there are those who would like our President and Vice President taken before the world court!
This is your America, folks. According to a recent poll by the Harvard School of Public Health, the majority of Democrats say that "socialize medicine" would be better than our current health care system. Most Republicans say it would be worse. Here's an interesting little tidbit ... the survey did not provide a definition of "socialized medicine," and one in three voters say they did not understand what "socialized medicine" meant. They don't even know what it is ... and my guess is that these are the people that said "Sure! Why not? It has to be better than what we have now!"
Of the people that aren't completely ignorant, 70% of them understood "socialized medicine" to mean "the government makes sure everyone has health insurance." On the whole, nationwide, about 45% of respondents said that socialized medicine would be better for our country, while 39% said it would be worse.
Now here's something for these people to chew on. The cost for the government to spend your tax dollars for senior citizens soared to a record $27,289 per senior in 2007. Last year, for the first time ever, healthcare and nursing homes cost the tax payers more than Social Security payments, which averaged $13,184 per senior in 2007. That means that the government spent $952 billion of your tax dollars in 2007 on elderly benefits. That is up from $601 billion in 2000.
Remember this ... seniors vote. Seniors vote in large numbers. Politicians know where to spend the money to buy votes. Why do you think I call them the "Gimme Generation?"
Now here's a real winner. David Certner is the legislative policy director of the AARP. He says, "We have a health care crisis. We don't have an entitlement crisis." Boy does he have that oh so wrong.
By the way ... in the interest of accuracy ... what we're really talking about here is fascist health care, not socialist. Under socialism the health care facilities would be owned by the government and all health care workers would be government employees. Under fascism the facilities remain in private hands and the employees remain in the private sector ... the government just controls their every move.
When my son was in Europe, he had kidney stones. They took him right into the hospital, treated him, and there was no charge at all. He thought it was wonderful. Like you said the money spent on this war could finance a lot for the American people.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Health/Cancer-Sufferers-With-Rare-Forms-Of-Disease-Are-Being-Left-To-Die-According-To-Charity/Article/200808215075066?f=rss
Rare Cancer Victims 'Left To Die'
Patients with rare cancers are being left to die because of a postcode lottery that decides who gets access to drugs, according to research from a cancer charity.
Sadly, access to drugs came too late for Pamela Northcott, pictured left with her daughter Kate Spall
There are wide variations across England in the number of patients granted access to medicines, a study from the Rarer Cancers Forum found.
The charity used the Freedom of Information Act to gain full information from 62 of England's 152 primary care trusts (PCTs).
It revealed that 100% of applications from patients were rejected in some areas of the country while in other areas every single one was approved.
A total of 96% of patients living in Mid Essex had their requests approved, while every one in neighbouring South West Essex had theirs rejected.
Overall, one in four exceptional requests for cancer treatment were denied - about 1,314 patients in total.
"The NHS should be available to all who need it," said the charity's chief executive, Penny Wilson-Webb.
1,300 cancer patients have been denied the treatment that could have made all the difference to them. This audit shows that the exceptional cases process is in chaos and patients are suffering.
Penny Wilson-Webb - Rarer Cancer Forums
Thousands of cancer patients had been forced to plead for their lives since October 2006, the time covered by the survey, she pointed out.
"There has to be a better way," she added. "We urge the Government to accept our 10 point plan to end this bizarre and demeaning lottery."
According to the Forum, between 30% and 50% of all cancer cases could be classified as "rarer", falling outside the common cancers such as colon, breast, lung and prostate.
A cancer may be classed as "rarer" either because it affects an unusual site in the body, or because the cancer itself is of an unusual type, is difficult to diagnose, or requires special treatment.
This latest report comes after last week's rejection by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence of four drugs last that treat advanced kidney cancer.
The Department of Health insists that funding for treatments "should not be withheld solely because Nice guidance is not available, but that decisions should be made on the basis of the available evidence".
I guess your frends across the pond forgot to tell you about these horror stories.
I'll check this out with Alan.Then I'll get back with you.
Alan said this earlier:
A General Practicioner (GP, I think you would call them family doctors) over here earn around £120,000 per year. That is around $240,000. Specialists such as hospital based surgeons etc earn more.
In addition, doctors get very generous pension/retirement provision and can actually retire with a lifetime pension higher than their salary!
What a lot of Americans don't realise is that GP's are actually self employed, business partners etc. Their medical practice is theirs. They employ their own support staff, pay themselves, expand their practices as they see fit, and make all the decisions. They are not employed by the government. What happens is the NHS funds the practice.
A doctor can still operate a private practice as well if he/she wishes. My own doctor offers complimentary treatments such as acupuncture privately, as well as his normal NHS funded duties.
Nearly all doctors were against the establishment of the NHS in 1945. They put out apocolyptic propaganda and scare stories of various types. Interestingly, they compared the proposal to the Soviet Union.
However, the Labour government at the time was having none of it. They saw it as a matter of justice and right and to there credit they pushed it through in the face of ferocious opposition from the medical profession and the Conservative opposition. The people, however, were for it.
Now you won't find a doctor or a Conservative politician in the UK who would not agree that 1) it was the best thing this country ever did, 2) it should stay forever and never be dismantled.
Alan
And in case you haven't run onto them yet, there are plenty of horror stories in the American "system" too, pepper.
From Rick, an American who lived in England for some time:
As I understand it, actual administration of the UK plan is done through regional health authorities who attempt to deal with local priorities, health facilities, community needs, etc. So the system is a combination of national consistency on some issues with local flexibility on others.
Every health care system rations. We do it by employer, insurer and money. In that sense the ethical decision is easy: no money = you die.
The local UK authorities often have to make some difficult decisions that really strain the most careful ethical analysis. Should they provide for 100 hip replacements (often not an emergency surgery), for instance, or instead try to prolong the life of one rare cancer sufferer. These decisions are tough, no matter what model of ethics you try to implement.
The important point to me, however, is that people are talking about those choices. We aren't. We trade ill-informed political diatribes instead.
MM
Of course there are. No system is perfect but socialized medicine is not the answer. It is not the governments place to take care of your health care. It is the responsibility of the individual to take care of it. You may feel you have a right to health care but I do not. It is a business just like any other. They offer the service and if you can afford it you buy it. Even though you need food to live you just do not walk into a store and take it just because you think you have a right to it, do you? I do not take tax payer money to pay for what I should be responsible for. Its wrong plain and simple. If I cannot afford it then I go without. I work hard for my money and I pay taxs just like most people but to have them think they have a right to it to cover their irresponsibility or bad choices in life is complete BS.
The bottom line is that you think you are entitled to health care and I do not.
Sylvia K...
You seem to think that being successful is a bad thing? Is it not what most people strive to do in life in order to take care of their future? I guess you are one of those who believe that success and wealth is only by chance and luck. What success I have had in life and the wealth I have gained from it was from hard work and perseverance not luck.
Yes, pepper. I too have worked hard and saved all my life. I have supplemental health insurance and Medicare. But 45 million people in America have no health care through no fault of their own. Some have lost their health care because of job loss. Some never had it and can't afford it as individuals. I know people who spend $700 a month for their health care. Not too many people in this world can afford that cost.
The cost of medical care continues to go up constantly and is beyond many people's ability to pay. My friend Juanita has the prescription plan but it did not cover her cough meds and the cough meds were $90+. That's just plain criminal. She tries to live on her $850 a month. She has some savings but at her age she must hold onto every penny she can because she never knows what tomorrow will bring when she is 87 years old.
We have all been taken advantage of by the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies and the doctors. We know good health care should not cost what it does. They charge what the traffic will bear....or what they think insurance companies and Medicare will pay.
"45 million people in America have no health care through no fault of their own".
I think that statement is somewhat bloated and even though there are exceptions to every rule alot of people carry no insurance by choice. I know several myself who choose not to carry it and pay out of pocket but you are correct that people are getting price-gouged by hospitals and pharmaceutical companys.
here in the Uk, paid holiday depends on where you work.If you work in as a teacher or LSP you get 13 weeks paid holiday a year. Most jobs only offer 4 weeks paid holiday a year and that is only if you work full time.
That's at least one week more then most people get in America. When I was working at a very good job, before I retired, I got two weeks regardless of how long I worked there.
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