Crockiness: The Repudiation of Barry O

Posted // November 12,2010 at 07:47 - Uh, I should state that the medical student jab was sarcastic and untrue. I wouldn't like to think that some well-meaning med student could read those words and suffer any for them. I know there are many, many people going into then medical field with the sole intention of helping people. Sucks being so sarcastic sometimes! - Hayduke

 

Posted // November 12,2010 at 08:46 - Hi Jerre, thanks for the response! I just wrote a huge note, wanted to check on one thing, hit the wrong button and erased my work. Crap! I'll need to be brief now (yeah, right!): I'll need to accept the embedded link thing as that's the new way and isn't going anywhere. I simply prefer reading articles that are capable of providing a message without the need to hunt for it via external links. I don't mind when said links provide additional info (don't normally open those, either), but don't like reading four or five articles to get to the meaning of one article. I'd prefer the writer did the work beforehand. I think I stated that I cannot blame rising costs solely on the HC Bill. Avarice is an essential component of the insurance industry and the people running those companies would prefer that you drop dead than pay out any money to ensure your good health. But the HC BIll only adds to the problems and does little to nothing to help any of us. You're right, few of the measures have come to fruition. If insurance companies are already compensating this heavily, it'll be far worse soon. I'm glad that the uninsurable will have the opportunity to insure themselves, but I doubt many of them will be able to afford what they are eventually offered. So that component, which should have been a good thing, will nullify itself by being financially unobtainable to far too many. The part of this bill that really gets me is that it guarantees millions of new customers to the insurance companies without providing any measures to protect against super inflated costs; there's nothing in it to protect any of us. The new customers are federally mandated, which I personally consider to be very, very wrong. The government has gifted the insurance industry and those of us that are able or simply willing to pay into a broken system (for the time being, I am able, not willing) are the ones that will suffer for it. The insurance industry will become ever more bloated, and we'll be forced to foot the bill via taxes, reduced services, increased insurance and medical rates, etc, and there is absolutely nothing in the bill to protect us from any of that. The HC Bill was a failure before it passed. Those that passed the thing must have known that. It will help a few of us in the beginning. It will do more damage, by far, than good, in the end. It is a gift to the insurance industry and a kick in the ass for the rest of us. I long for the day when there will be doctors willing to provide medical services at fair prices, greatly reducing the need for insurance. Fairness is the only solution to this problem. Unfortunately, greed drives this vehicle and fairness continues to ride along as a hostage, bound and gagged in the trunk. - Hayduke

 

Posted // November 11,2010 at 14:09 - Hey Mamba. Yep, our insurance rates went up almost every year, but it was minimal. I've been able to maintain a health and dental plan over the years at about the same cost I started with. I work for a huge company with lots of clout, lots of purchasing power, which means my company has always been able to negotiate with insurance companies for what passes as reasonable rates. This year, because of provisions in the health care bill, including companies providing mandatory preventative care (certain screenings and dental cleanings) as well as covering "kids" up to 26 years of age, my company made cuts that I've not seen in the eight years I've been here. My choices dwindled from actual choices to "take it or leave it". So, while insurance companies have always shafted their customers (I could go on a scary and vicious rant about insurance companies that would probably lead to my arrest), my own company was forced to shaft us to cover the active provisions in this bill, which will only get worse as it comes to fruition. I, too, dislike this bill and said so before it passed. I recall discussing this with you then, with me stating that the bill we were promised during Obama's campaign would not even be considered (this is when Obama was pretending it was still a possibility), that there would be a bill that would pass congress but would not be beneficial to those footing the bill and, in fact, would do more damage to all than good. I'm sure the people that are benefiting from my mandatory donation are happy enough, but I'm not benefiting, as you can see, and neither are those in my financial position (precarious middle class). I'm also sure that the insurance companies are thrilled in that they've got 30 million new federally mandated customers coming their way (that you and I will pay for) and that this so-called health care bill contains no provisions whatever to reduce or contain costs. Sure, Obama stated several times that the insurance companies would not be allowed to hike rates to compensate for the bill, but unfortunately, that is not the reality. Of course insurance companies can now use this bill to blame for skyrocketing costs. I'm not so stupid as to believe that's the entire truth, but it certainly didn't help in that insurance companies will never consider losing a dime over any health care act and have all the power in the world to adapt pricing structures to ensure record profits year to year. Like you (I think), I wanted a shot at some type of universal health care, as we were promised, where we all get a fair shake and where we all contribute (those of us that work, anyway). The current health care bill is a piece of crap and I resent paying for it. But soon enough, if things continue as they are, I'll be on the bottom, too, with those that are benefiting now, and may need to take advantage of the few sorry freebies offered. When that happens to too many of us, who'll be there to pay for everybody else? You know, man, I've witnessed medical services performed in Thailand that surpass our own for a fraction of the price. Our medical system is inherently evil in that everybody profits (insurance companies, hospitals, doctors, etc) except the patient, and there's nothing this so-called health care bill can do about that. Next year, maybe I'll be telling the story about how I came to have no insurance at all. Except preventative, of course. Can't wait to get that free colon screening!

 

Posted // November 11,2010 at 13:16 - So, let me get this clear: You didn't have premium increases and dwindling benefits before the act passed into law? I sure did, 19-22% increases every year. Since I was the HR contact, among other things, we shopped til we dropped, er, increased our deductibles every year until we were at $2,500 per employee. Otherwise, with a staff of 25, we were just about to go shared premium with our employees. We had no choice. I wouldn't be so sure that your company is passing along increases by going to a more austere plan. Many have been telling their employees that it's because of the Affordable Health Care Act, not insurance companies raising premiums. Hell, Hayduke, you know darn well that Wellpointe in California helped toss this act into existence by attemtping to raise individual plan premiums by a whopping 39% during the debate. I hate this act because it didn't go far enough, had its balls shrunk to make it more edible and and stupid provisions allowed to appease the insurance company. I'm ok with amending the hell out of it, but keeping it.