Posted on 05/19/2005 7:14:23 AM PDT by Jim Noble
However, these stories create enormous anger and resentment aginst hospitals among the public they serve.
What say you?
Solution: Become a Mexican Citizen and come here illegally, you are covered. (scarcasm)
"The couple didn't have insurance when the diagnosis was made. They'd dropped their coverage and used the added cash to help bolster the operation of their antique and used furniture shop."
I've had people tell me that, "Doctors make lots of money and I don't need to pay the bill."
They hospital provided a fee for services, as agreed to in their contract with the patient. The patient owes the fee. They chose to drop thier insurance.
I don't really know what to say. It's truely a conundrum. Expenses for medical care have skyrocketed out of sight and out of the reach of the average person if they don't have insurance (or are an illegal alien). Then again, 30 years ago they were not able to treat and cure many of the diseases they routinely cure today.
I do know that 28 years ago, when my first child was born I got the hospital bill (don't remember how much it was, but to us at the time it was an unmanagible sum of money--and like alot of stupid young people we had no health insurance). I panicked, and called them. A nice lady said, "Honey, don't worry, pay something every month until it's paid off. As long as you send us something, even $10.00, you're ok." It took awhile to pay it off, but we paid every penny. Today, I guess I would have to take out a second mortgage.
As I said, it's a conundrum.
susie
Which is it? Medicare or Medicaid?
The couple didn't have insurance when the diagnosis was made. They'd dropped their coverage and used the added cash to help bolster the operation of their antique and used furniture shop.
You make your decision and then live with it. It is called risk management. Personally, I opt for a high deductible insurance and use an msa.
Hey - it is the sad , sad truth . Welcome to Mexamerica . Unreal ...unbelievable ...Don't forget - Jorge loves ya !
This can't be correct. Can it?
What's this story's point?
That doctors should treat people
for free? Or we all
should chip in to pay
the doctors who treat poor folk?
Where's the thread going?
I'd say this is a big problem. I suppose there might be options like "I can't pay for this so I'll just live (or die) with a tumor" or they could have sold their house in advance and moved toward medicaid more rapidly which is what will happen to them anyway.
while it is easy to feel sorry for a person that has cancer and needs help, notice that the couple decided to DROP their insurance coverage in order to put their money into an Antique Business. There is much more to this story than is covered in the article. As in many news stories, it is what not reported that may tell the REAL tale.
Maybe they simply couldn't afford to keep it. I know Universal Health Care is not the answer (I lived in too many countries where that was offered -- to disastrous consequences.) But health care costs here are too high.
The couple didn't have insurance when the diagnosis was made. They'd dropped their coverage and used the added cash to help bolster the operation of their antique and used furniture shop.
Do you feel so sorry for them now?
This happens all the time, and has been happening all the time for years. A very large percentage of bankruptcies are caused by high medical bills that the debtor can't pay, and it's been that way for decades.
I'm surprised that it made the local newspaper, but I guess it's a small town.
The real problem is the high cost of health care, not so much the collection practices. And there are a lot of reasons for that. Our politicians (Dem or GOP) simply don't know how to deal with it.
They could start by getting the government out of the business of running the health care industry. It's the most regulated industry in the country.
If she was an illegal alien then her bills would be paid for by you and me. This is the travesty that Bush et.al. have created for us - Time to get serious and stop giving to those who have given nothing to the system - its past time that we start taking care of Americans first.
Yup they gambled and lost. So the hell with boneheads? Well sorry, either way the Gov't's gonna bail these people out. They can force the sale of the house and then these folks will be destitute and will qualify for subsidized housing and subsidized health care. Where's the victory there and for whom?
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