Comments on: Health Insurance Crisis May Be Overblown

By: Trey Garrison

Trey Garrison — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:49:15 +0000

Canadian health system going broke:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/20/health/main681801.shtml?cmp=EM8705

By: Trey Garrison

Trey Garrison — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:41:40 +0000

NHS (UK socialized health care system) wait times:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3749801.stm

8 months for cataract surgery
11 months for a hip replacement
12 months for a knee replacement
5 months to repair a slipped disc
5 months for a hernia repair

Treatments rationed:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329811270-102285,00.html

NHS using bogus stats to pretend wait times are decreasing:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2003/may/11/health.nhs1

Detailed stats on wait times:

http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes/2005/q1/index.html

Note that the sources are either UK papers like the Guardian or the British government itself, not right-wing demagogues.

By: He Kexin

He Kexin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:17:42 +0000

Anasa
My mother does pay her doctor with cash. She actually gets a discount for paying cash. My parents retired early, my father is a veteran so he’s taken care of but my mother has 1 year to go before she becomes 65.

By: Anasa

Anasa — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:27:58 +0000

May-be that’s where we need to start. If we can stop the greed at the top, may-be we can start to see health care costs go down and eventually insurance rates as well. I wish we could just pay doctors directly and forget all about those bureaucrats in between that have their hands out. The only thing is that doctors need to be protected from being sued. It is a vicious circle of greed.

By: He Kexin

He Kexin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:34:21 +0000

Anasa
Don’t forget the doctors who do the work don’t get paid on time by the insurance companies while the c.e.o.s who run these companies are making millions of dollars.

By: Anasa

Anasa — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:41:41 +0000

Why don’t we talk numbers and see if someting is really “NOT???” wrong. It is simple. It does not compute:
We cannot save money for a health care crisis because we are paying (through a group plan so it is better than for an individual) a whopping: 1,230 dollars a month (that’s more than rent) for the two of us. If one of us gets sick, we will not be able to pay for this bill so we will be cut off and therefore the payments we are making and that are killing us will be worthless. How is that for a health care crisis? Is the picture beginning to make semse to those of you who don’t think ther is a healthcare crisis??? I am not even counting the fact that we are not sure the insurance will pay when it comes time to do so and the premiums and co-insurance we will have to find somewhere. But where if all the potential savings is going to the insurance company in the first place? Is helath insurance worth it? THAT IS THE REAL QUESTION!

By: Ana Moure

Ana Moure — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:58:54 +0000

Also, when Canadians won’t be able to go to the US, – their waitlists would get even longer I guess…

By: Ana Moure

Ana Moure — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:57:52 +0000

Wade, I don’t have stats, but I have friends in Canada. Who love love love their free healthcare, – but when something serious happens, and they apparently need to wait for 6 months to 24 months to even see a doctor, – they cross the border and go to the US.

So they are happy. But what will they do when the healthcare will be nationalized in the US too?

By: wade

wade — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:57:14 +0000

where are the stats that says it takes 6-12 months for a minor operation?

By: He Kexin

He Kexin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:56:06 +0000

We don’t need to give away our tax dollars to help Americans needing health care. Lets give it to other countries for their health care or give it to share holders of banks in this country. We could let it vanish in Iraq, as billions have done. It’s called privatizing the gains and publicizing the loses.