Originally Posted by
newKnow
Part of the problem lies within your second paragraph. People (Free Riders) can get free health care right now. They will owe someone money. But, they won't pay what they owe. Also, they will wait to get health care late in the game and present themselves to the system when they are really sick, instead kind of sick. Therefore, the cost of their treatment will be that much more.
Oh dude. My in-laws neighbor, 3 or 4 surgeries and $350K in bills, no intention of paying. Hangs up the phone when the bill collectors call. Just sold his house, which I didn't think would be possible, bought a boat and moved. He'll be out of money soon. That's just how he lived. Ex-professor on disability btw.
Or go down to Children's Hospital, some nights in the ER I realized we were the only ones paying.
Originally Posted by
newKnow
When they don't pay "that much more," the hospitals transfer the costs of their non-payment to those who do pay. That's us. Those costs were forecast to just get higher and higher for us, to the point where health care costs were forecast to become a large part of people's ("us" again) budgets. I know my health care costs have been going up every year since NWA declared bankruptcy and my coverage has gotten worse and worse over those years. (I could have started a few businesses over the years with the increase in costs I've paid out since then.)
It's not like the problem just got here. Obamacare, Romney-care, Senator McCain, Newt Gingrich, Hillary-care, The Heritage Foundation, Nixon, and a host of others have recognized and tried to solve this for a long time. And I can tell you, in my opinion, in the last 5 years most of us have voted for a presidential candidate that, if given the chance, would have set up a system pretty close to what we have right now -- twice.
It is obviously a problem, because Republicans and Democrats alike have been talking about this for a long time. Is there anyone else offering a solution to the problem of increased health care costs, besides just repealing Obamacare? Because, that really isn't a solution at all.
Heritage Rewrites History - WSJ.com
The Tortuous History of Conservatives and the Individual Mandate - Forbes
And this is all before we get to ordinary medicaid/medicare fraud right?
Now I may be wrong, but imho, does insurance raise costs? YES. Something that the Doctor would gladly charge you $3000 for something if you say at the outset you're self-pay, let UHC get involved and that's $23,000 thank you very much. Just notice the price for Lasik which is not covered by insurance has gotten to as low as $800 an eye. Second party insurance is one big problem beyond fraud and those who don't pay.
But the government is always a worse problem. If a government intern looks at your IRS records and notes "you're a rich Delta pilot, well, I went to an ivy league school and paid $250K for a $35K job, I hate rich people, so screw your kid's surgery... DENIED!" I think I'd enact my own death panel right there.
So if you gave me the choice between government control and overpaid insurance, I'll take the life with UHC option every day of the week until we get option 3, Dr. Carson's HSA idea. The only problem there is the freak out mode Washington D.C. would be in if the country went to private individual control over their own lives in an open market.
Originally Posted by
newKnow
Signing off: (Busy for the next few days.)
Email me if you want to continue the discussion though, FTB.
HEY YOU GET BACK HERE!
