Comments on: Health Care: Friend or Foe? http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/ Think. Create. Write. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Talk to Me (Us All) About Health Care: Open Thread | Kim Werker http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-5280 Talk to Me (Us All) About Health Care: Open Thread | Kim Werker Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:36:33 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-5280 [...] talk about health care. You know I’m happy with the care I receive here in British Columbia; I don’t think the system’s perfect, [...] [...] talk about health care. You know I’m happy with the care I receive here in British Columbia; I don’t think the system’s perfect, [...]

]]> By: Ron Stone http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-5708 Ron Stone Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:43:44 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-5708 KIm you are right on --- it is way overdue that we have medical care as one of the "benefits" of the tax shake down.<br>I tire of people parroting the "low quality" of the National Health Care system when we already wait an absurd amount of time in present American emergency rooms and walk-in clinics. KIm you are right on — it is way overdue that we have medical care as one of the “benefits” of the tax shake down.
I tire of people parroting the “low quality” of the National Health Care system when we already wait an absurd amount of time in present American emergency rooms and walk-in clinics.

]]> By: Ron Stone http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-5106 Ron Stone Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:43:44 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-5106 KIm you are right on --- it is way overdue that we have medical care as one of the "benefits" of the tax shake down.<br>I tire of people parroting the "low quality" of the National Health Care system when we already wait an absurd amount of time in present American emergency rooms and walk-in clinics. KIm you are right on — it is way overdue that we have medical care as one of the “benefits” of the tax shake down.
I tire of people parroting the “low quality” of the National Health Care system when we already wait an absurd amount of time in present American emergency rooms and walk-in clinics.

]]> By: Ron Stone http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-4531 Ron Stone Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:43:44 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-4531 KIm you are right on --- it is way overdue that we have medical care as one of the "benefits" of the tax shake down.<br>I tire of people parroting the "low quality" of the National Health Care system when we already wait an absurd amount of time in present American emergency rooms and walk-in clinics. KIm you are right on — it is way overdue that we have medical care as one of the “benefits” of the tax shake down.
I tire of people parroting the “low quality” of the National Health Care system when we already wait an absurd amount of time in present American emergency rooms and walk-in clinics.

]]> By: Kim Werker http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-7593 Kim Werker Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:37:00 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-7593 I was painfully offended by this very thing after I spent a night in an emergency room in Delaware after we had moved to Vancouver. I had travel insurance, but while I was fighting directly with the hospital to send me my bill (don't get me started on how so many large American institutions can't handle a six-digit postal code), they mentioned things like negotiating with my insurance company. It is a sick and twisted system. I was painfully offended by this very thing after I spent a night in an
emergency room in Delaware after we had moved to Vancouver. I had travel
insurance, but while I was fighting directly with the hospital to send me my
bill (don’t get me started on how so many large American institutions can’t
handle a six-digit postal code), they mentioned things like negotiating with
my insurance company. It is a sick and twisted system.

]]> By: Amy J. http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-4529 Amy J. Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:28:11 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-4529 Another really messed up thing about the US health system is, as best I can describe it, the 'soft' price structure. For instance, for a non-insured person, a one-night hospital stay might run you ~$6,000. However, if you have insurance, the insurance company will probably be able to negotiate the price down to say $1,500 (a significant amount usually), of which you'll be responsible for a certain percentage depending on your coverage. So, if you're not insured you're doubly screwed--you don't have any negotiating power to 'lower' the price AND you're stuck with the entire bill! Another really messed up thing about the US health system is, as best I can describe it, the 'soft' price structure. For instance, for a non-insured person, a one-night hospital stay might run you ~$6,000. However, if you have insurance, the insurance company will probably be able to negotiate the price down to say $1,500 (a significant amount usually), of which you'll be responsible for a certain percentage depending on your coverage. So, if you're not insured you're doubly screwed–you don't have any negotiating power to 'lower' the price AND you're stuck with the entire bill!

]]> By: Kim Werker http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-4528 Kim Werker Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:32:13 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-4528 I dream of that day for you. Thank you for sharing your story. I dream of that day for you. Thank you for sharing your story.

]]> By: Anon http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-4527 Anon Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:54:47 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-4527 I don't want to post my health info on the web with an identifying name attached. But, I want to put a few numbers out there. <br><br>Last year, I had a health crisis and was diagnosed with a chronic condition that I will battle for the rest of my life. Because it was not discovered until it made me very ill and caused me severe pain, I tried a number of medications and was hospitalized off and on until a surgery was able to be done which put me in a "remission" state.<br><br>I was hospitalized for a total of 42 days. The average rate per day can be estimated at 40,000 (probably more for the uninsured but hard to judge because insurance companies pay greatly reduced rates). The total hospital bill for those 42 days would have been 1.68 million dollars (and that's a fairly conservative estimate). This does not even factor in a fair number of ER visits, doctor visits, imaging tests, etc.<br><br>I am now on a number of medications but the main one that keeps my condition in check would run approx. $28,000 a year without insurance vs. the $1,200 I pay with insurance. This is for one expensive (but wonderfully useful) drug.<br><br>Can you imagine having to find an extra $30,000 or more in income to maintain one's current life AND pay for necessary medication? Even without a recession, one person (especially one who has been seriously ill) cannot find this sort of extra money.<br><br>I dream of the day that I don't have to worry about insurance coverage. I don't want to post my health info on the web with an identifying name attached. But, I want to put a few numbers out there.

Last year, I had a health crisis and was diagnosed with a chronic condition that I will battle for the rest of my life. Because it was not discovered until it made me very ill and caused me severe pain, I tried a number of medications and was hospitalized off and on until a surgery was able to be done which put me in a “remission” state.

I was hospitalized for a total of 42 days. The average rate per day can be estimated at 40,000 (probably more for the uninsured but hard to judge because insurance companies pay greatly reduced rates). The total hospital bill for those 42 days would have been 1.68 million dollars (and that's a fairly conservative estimate). This does not even factor in a fair number of ER visits, doctor visits, imaging tests, etc.

I am now on a number of medications but the main one that keeps my condition in check would run approx. $28,000 a year without insurance vs. the $1,200 I pay with insurance. This is for one expensive (but wonderfully useful) drug.

Can you imagine having to find an extra $30,000 or more in income to maintain one's current life AND pay for necessary medication? Even without a recession, one person (especially one who has been seriously ill) cannot find this sort of extra money.

I dream of the day that I don't have to worry about insurance coverage.

]]> By: Kim Werker http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-7592 Kim Werker Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:53:00 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-7592 Yes! And there are many models that other countries use -- models that can be picked from and improved upon. Nobody has to reinvent anything, here. Yes! And there are many models that other countries use — models that can
be picked from and improved upon. Nobody has to reinvent anything, here.

]]> By: kjtendyke http://www.kimwerker.com/2008/12/20/health-care-friend-foe/comment-page-1/#comment-4526 kjtendyke Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:05:30 +0000 http://www.kimwerker.com/?p=537#comment-4526 This is exactly why I still work a 40 hour week... I freelance tech edit, and have had to turn down SO many job offers because I only tech edit part time on weekends. There are many things, in addition to wanting to freelance, that are encouraging me to leave my hour-long commute behind... but health insurance keeps me there... at least for now.<br><br>When I began reading this I was seriously considering moving to Canada. Everything just seems to make much more sense up there. But I guess I will wait it out a little longer to see if Obama and his team can really do some good for us freelance-wannabe's. This is exactly why I still work a 40 hour week… I freelance tech edit, and have had to turn down SO many job offers because I only tech edit part time on weekends. There are many things, in addition to wanting to freelance, that are encouraging me to leave my hour-long commute behind… but health insurance keeps me there… at least for now.

When I began reading this I was seriously considering moving to Canada. Everything just seems to make much more sense up there. But I guess I will wait it out a little longer to see if Obama and his team can really do some good for us freelance-wannabe's.

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