<p>Costs are going up on all medical expanses due to a new law. My H. is paying more for everything, I just do not go to docs, do not take meds and go to Dollar General for Advil and such. My priamry cost so far (can change, nobody guarantee anything, we can only try to stay healthy and our efforts may not be enough) is Dental. Dental insurance has been a joke for few decades. The max has not gone up for about 60 years (not sure about that, definitely for 35 based on my personal experience). I have 6 implants already and I am sure more are coming. I have numerous root canals, many crowns, several surgeries (besides implants) and 2 Dental coverages. I am continuaosly paying a lot for my mouth…because I refuse to pull them all and wear dentures or have full mouth implant procedure (total was about $25k few years ago). I am a stupid person who value her own teeth and will fight to keep each one and I have been fighting for them since I was 6 y o. Nothing beats bad genetics…which unfortunately is passed to my granddaughter.</p>
<p>Medicare pays out a significantly higher percentage of premiums than private insurers–in part due to its non-profit status, in part because it does not have to pay much for marketing. One of the ACA providing mandates 86 per cent (I think) of premiums go to care provision. As a provider I can attest to its efficiency in processing claims. Simple forms. No fuss. No fuss. Walk into any doc’s office, and you will see people spending their days on the phone with insurance companies. I’d prefer to see their salaries go to providing care. </p>
<p>When Medicare came out it was not popular with providers. But they changed their tune when they realized what a great revenue stream would be. It’s hard to imagine a provider surviving without it–unless they could be some kind of concierge doc.</p>
<p>“I still dont know how a family with an income of 90,000 is supposed to come up with 30,000 to pay their healthcare costs.”</p>
<p>Don’t know if this is true in other states but I assume it is. </p>
<p>“New Yorkers with incomes below 400 percent of the federal poverty level — $45,960 for individuals and $94,200 for a family of four — could qualify for financial assistance that lowers the cost of coverage through the exchange.”</p>
<p>[Premiums</a> down sharply for some newly approved health plans - Times Union](<a href=“Carriers, rates set for health exchange”>Carriers, rates set for health exchange)</p>
<p>Latichever, I like your post.</p>
<p>Basing profits based on costs is a flawed system if you want to keep costs low. If a procedure costs $80 and an insurance company gets to make 20 percent of that cost, the insurance company makes $16. If the procedure costs $800… Now the insurance company makes $160. Ten times more for the same proceedure.</p>
<p>There are incentives for costs to rise. Some people make more when costs rise.</p>
<p>The way we pay for healthcare in this country is a joke. There are so many people with their hands in the pie it is hard to change the system.</p>
<p>So MiamiDap, you dont like ACA? What do you want instead? What can make ACA better?</p>
<p>"So MiamiDap, you dont like ACA? What do you want instead? What can make ACA better? "
-Well, I will called some other names, what is a point of asking?
For myself, I imagine that instead of going into box prematurely, I would probably seek the butique provider who takes only cash and there is also India with many Maerican trained physicians. I do not know other options, but again, at the time the undergound bos might be attractive, how do I know about tomorrow? The one thing I know that NOTHING is free, you can call it affordable, I say “to whom?”. Yes, I have an MBA, I do not care if people believe that money grow on trees and docs do not have to repay their student loans becuase it will be forgiven to them. I do not live with this beliefs. I pay my way, but I will not be a majority soon, so votes will not be going my way, I am mentally prepared for that…mentally might not translate to financilly though…
yes, I know, hogwash, I saved you time typing it.</p>
<p>“Canadians used to go to Detroit after taking second mortgages on their houses. I wonder what will happen now and eventually when our system is like their. Yes, the cost is kept under control by letting the sick die.”</p>
<p>As I’ve previously noted, many, many more Americans were going to Canada for care than Canadians coming here. We used to have two entire buses a week leaving my small town to cross the Canadian for care. Now, tens of thousands of Americans are going abroad, to places like India, where the care they receive is both better and cheaper.</p>
<p>MiamiDap, you moved a little off topic. Lets forget free. Nobody is talking free. </p>
<p>Do you already go to India for healthcare services?</p>
<p>Somebody has never been to Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic,…etc. …awash with $$$ from the richest in the world, who for the stupiest reason did not choose much better care in India.<br>
I wonder what will happen to these, they might get some immunity though to save the face…</p>
<p>How we can forget free if it is called Affordable? I am lost. Then we have to forget the topic. Well, as I said before it si futile anyway as people have voted…
Off topic again, if you are trying to convince me about anything, it is also very futile attempt. My beliefs were formed about 55 years ago, soryy, way too late to change them…They were formed based on what I lived, not on what I heard because everybody around me has stopped listenning, including me, around 55 years ago. You think that I will start now? Not a chance…</p>
<p>All my elderly parent’s doctors are at the Cleveland Clinic. They take Medicare. They also take other insurance and likely will accept insurance bought on the exchange.</p>
<p>
MiamiDAP</p>
<p>
Emilybee</p>
<p>Exactly, Emilybee. Both the Mayo and Cleveland Clinic - along with other major names like Sloan Kettering or UCLA hospitals, etc. - are not for profit entities. They would never have been able to succeed the way they did without being subsidized by your taxes and mine. Plus they do and always have accepted Medicare.</p>
<p>I am not a big fan of polls…especially polls about plans that have not been fully implemented and where the public is ignorant. </p>
<p>We should take a poll that doesnt depend on opinions. </p>
<p>Who has a kid that is under 26 and who is insured under the parents’ plan because of ACA?</p>
<p>I will go first </p>
<p>Me.</p>
<p>That is one yes. :)</p>
<p>Its ok MiamiDAP. You have lots of support.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Economists have a consensus that regardless of the system–socialized, private, or mixed–running the system on a nonprofit basis is key to good outcomes. Switzerland has a private system but insurers need to sell basic plans on a nonprofit basis. They make money on selling added value products.</p>
<p>I highly recommend this documentary and the book on which it’s based as a great intro to comparative health care. </p>
<p>[Sick</a> Around The World | FRONTLINE | PBS](<a href=“http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/]Sick”>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/)</p>
<p>Latichever, that is a great documentary.</p>
<p>There is also one on healthcare in the United States that was on Frontline that is quite good.</p>
<p>"Who has a kid that is under 26 and who is insured under the parents’ plan because of ACA?</p>
<p>I will go first</p>
<p>Me."</p>
<p>Me and Me. (I have two!)</p>
<p>And who would likely have exhausted lifetime limits if it wasn’t for ACA?</p>
<p>Me and Me. (I have two.)</p>
<p>And who has seen firsthand the quality of care in India’s best hospitals?</p>
<p>Me. (only one)</p>
<p>And who has run a business with a major Canadian office, with employees clamoring to join the Canadian office because of health care, and who has seen the actual quality of care?</p>
<p>Me. (only one)</p>
<p>And who has seen the buses leaving their community weekly for Canada to take advantage of the care (and, especially, lower drug prices)?</p>
<p>Me. (only one)</p>
<p>We have dozens of insurance companies (and self-insureds) paying for people to go to India instead of to the Cleveland Clinic.</p>
<p>Mini is right. I live 30 miles from the Canadian border. There are a LOT of Americans here that head to Canada to have both major and minor procedures done. And, being in a border state, there are a lot of Canadians that live in our area. I find it interesting that the Canadians almost never seek healthcare in the US, even when they have US based insurance. Really makes one stop and think about what the heck is going on and whether or not what we hear in TV sound bites is accurate. </p>
<p>One thing I have learned is that when there are long waits for non-emergency services in Canada, that is almost exclusively the result of their limited healthcare infra-structure (fewer doctors, clinics, equipment per capita than the US), so the suggestion that a Canadian like system would lead to Canadian-like wait times is just not accurate.</p>
<p>“Who has a kid that is under 26 and who is insured under the parents’ plan because of ACA?
I will go first
Me.
That is one yes”</p>
<p>I would also say yes, except that my company might easily have done that anyways…particularly since it may be a net benefit to get people to pay the family rate, while young twenties types are pretty healthy. Plus the fact that son’s company probably offers decent insurance for a low price anyways. The major benefit is that it’s one less thing for his panicked mom to worry about. Living in downtown NYC is kind of alarming to me.</p>
<p>Make that 2 3/4 yes’s, adding to mini’s.</p>
<p>Make that a yes for me - including dental and vision. I had to find that out when S1 came home from the dentist with a mouthful of cavities and wanted to make sure the work got done while he’s still on our insurance. He’ll be 22 in October.</p>