US Healthcare + Pricing Transparency.

[Cojafoji]

Original article here... (http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100507/APC0101/5070495/1003/APC01/Kagen-aims-for-medical-cost-transparency)


Kagen's bill, the Transparency in All Health Care Pricing Act of 2010, would require any individual or business offering health care- related products or services to openly disclose all of their prices at all times, including on the Internet.
Testifying before the subcommittee, Kagen, D-Appleton, a physician, told colleagues that transparency would increase competition, which in turn would lower costs. Kagen cited a recent news report in which a Northern California man had both knees replaced by the same doctor at different hospitals. One replacement cost $95,000; the other was $55,000.Jesus. A $40,000 difference. The funny thing is, he probably received the same type/level or post operative care at the cheaper hospital than he did at the more expensive hospital.

Honestly, I think this has got to be one of the biggest problems with the medical system in the US. Last time I was in the hospital (Wrist x-ray after a car accident. Strong bones FTW) I was told upfront that it would cost $85 (I told them that I had no health care at the time. ) to have five x-rays taken of the wrist (different angles). The bill that I got later was much different, (I faxed them my car insurance info. My friend was the one driving. PA car insurance laws are shite.) a couple hundred dollars more in fact. It just pisses me off that some hospitals can get away with gouging the shit out of people when they have health insurance, and still charging absurd, albeit less, amounts of money to people who don't. The worst part is that they're not even consistent with that!

So, what do you guys think? For the bill, against it? Anything else we can do to help the system? Canadians, EU, and Aussies are more than welcome to join in...

[ICEE]

I think healthy competition between medical services would be more beneficial to the economy and the patients than the reform we've got planned... but thats just me.

[Warsaw]

^Indeed. The reform is effectively a "solution" to a problem we don't have. That's not to say US healthcare isn't borked, but they targeted the wrong thing, and I'm still not sure what exactly that is. Should have just made efforts to promote competition, including an OPTIONAL government plan as the baseline for all the private industries to live up (down?) to.

[Cojafoji]

I totally agree, unfortunately, and we can blame James Madison here, the health care lobby was too strong to fight against, hence the crippled, and useless package we have now.

[ICEE]

I heard that part of the bill is a fine for lacking health insurance, which can be up to 696$ for the individual. How much of an assfuck is that?



The accuracy of that may or may not be entirely... accurate. I haven't read the damn thing myself.

[Cojafoji]

Well, it's not a fine exactly, but you get a tax break if you have health insurance. If you have health insurance, that means that your taxes stay the same pre-legislation, but if you don't have it, you lose that much to federal withholding, which your employer usually does for you. All in all it might end up being thirty or so dollars you lose a pay period (that is if you go by a standard two week pay period).

[Dwood]

They shouldn't be taxing us for not having Healthcare in the first place??? And there's no way I'm forking over 30 bucks every pay period for not having healthcare, that's just wrong.

[Warsaw]

But you have to pay for everyone else's healthcare, too, remember? They can't get the taxes from the bums not willing to find work so they'll take it from you instead! :ohdear:


Like I said in the old health care thread, if the bill needs a patch on release, it wasn't done yet.

[sdavis117]

But you have to pay for everyone else's healthcare, too, remember? They can't get the taxes from the bums not willing to find work so they'll take it from you instead! :ohdear:




A lot of those "poor bums" work longer hours and in more grueling work conditions than you could imagine, all to make just minimum wage.

[Warsaw]

They can't get the taxes from the bums not willing to find work so they'll take it from you instead!

When I say "bums", I really am talking about the bums, not the people working for less than minimum wage. You know, the ones who mooch off of welfare, or the ones who spend all the money they can scrape together on booze or other drugs?

[neuro]

solution: leave america.

PROBLEM SOLVED

[sdavis117]

When I say "bums", I really am talking about the bums, not the people working for less than minimum wage. You know, the ones who mooch off of welfare, or the ones who spend all the money they can scrape together on booze or other drugs?
Which probably describes a VERY small faction of those who are on welfare.

[Warsaw]

Which probably describes a VERY small faction of those who are on welfare.

Can't say that without statistics. And even if it is a small fraction, that doesn't change the fact that my paycheck will go towards some worthless drunkards who won't help themselves. There are plenty of them around here.

@Neuro: osnap!

[Bodzilla]

A lot of those "poor bums" work longer hours and in more grueling work conditions than you could imagine, all to make just minimum wage.
Greater words where never ever spoken.
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/bodzilla_1/IMG_3510.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/bodzilla_1/IMG_3508.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/bodzilla_1/IMG_3506.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i80/bodzilla_1/IMG_3504.jpg

Say hello to 2 weeks work.
and guess what?

I make minimum wage, and cant afford health insurance, meanwhile the greedy fuckign cunts that own these buisness's around here are rolling in money.
My workplace with 5 workers and 2 people in the office has a weekly turn over of over 30 thousand dollars.
and i see minimum for it.

So these no work bums your talking about is nothing but extreme case's brought forward by a sensationalist biased corrupt media organisations with an agenda to keep you ignorant and retarded to the truth for the vast majority of the workforce.

[sleepy1212]

Anyone who works 40+ hours for minimum wage doesn't qualify for welfare unless they have a bunch of kids, they'll make too much money.

In fact, unless you do have children it's nearly impossible to get welfare if you are working.

In PA, if you're household makes more than $200 a month you can't get state health insurance, food stamps, or housing assistance.

However, if you just stop working, you'll get all of that, plus a check every month, and up to $700 for a car every year.

Paid for by me. Because I have a real fucking job.

There's tons of people around here that don't work because they can get more for being lazy assholes. They know it and they'll laugh about it.

the new Health Insurance is just another chunk of my pay the government gets to rape me out of because of bums.

[Bodzilla]

THEN PAY PEOPLE MORE TO WORK.

a buisness doesnt have to make 200% more then it did the year before EVERY YEAR to be successfull!

[Dwood]

When I say "bums", I really am talking about the bums, not the people working for less than minimum wage. You know, the ones who mooch off of welfare, or the ones who spend all the money they can scrape together on booze or other drugs?

If someone's working for less than minimum wage then they're either illegal aliens or stupid and have need to sue.

@Bod, solution: Unionize. Except without the monthly 'union dues' because that becomes overbearing.

[sleepy1212]

THEN PAY PEOPLE MORE TO WORK.

a buisness doesnt have to make 200% more then it did the year before EVERY YEAR to be successfull!

That sounds like more of an issue with minimum wage than insurance. Raising minimum wage, however, has only short lived benefits because prices will catch up to it.

Unionizing is an option but for many businesses it's giant leech on profits that only nets them the same employees who are now less willing to do good work because the union protects them.

I think the better option is to lower the cost of health care through competition and interstate insurance business. Then maybe a full-time min-wage earner could afford insurance or have to option to pay for treatment out of pocket if they happen to not get sick very often, as is in the case of most young people.

[Warsaw]

Because I, of all people, give the media my undo attention and believe everything they spew out. :allears: You hit the nail right on the head, Dwood. My money will help pay for illegals' health care. They are already exempt from paying taxes and so they should not reap the benefits from them.