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Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
141–150 of 442 posts
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#142I would have died at the age of 19 if it weren't for the help of the UK's National Health Service. My parents and I didn't have to worry about hospital bills, future insurance issues, being tied to a job, any of that crap. Just get some rest, get better, go out there and be productive again. The American system looks like a horrible joke from over here. I just can't understand any of it.
In the UK, or anywhere else in Europe, or Canada - or pretty much any other capitalist country - you can leave your job for a better paying one or to start your own wealth creating business. This allows the country to maximize the value of your labor. In the US you can't leave your job to start your own business because your children might get sick and die. Even leaving for another employer is tricky because there is…
Importing people from anywhere else is on it's way out in the US as well. (even willingly)
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#143I would have died at the age of 19 if it weren't for the help of the UK's National Health Service. My parents and I didn't have to worry about hospital bills, future insurance issues, being tied to a job, any of that crap. Just get some rest, get better, go out there and be productive again. The American system looks like a horrible joke from over here. I just can't understand any of it.
I challenge anyone with a painful but non-life-threatening injury - say, a torn labrum, or a torn ACL - to go live in Canada or the UK and see what their treatment is like compared to here. Anyone?
My uncle has a torn ACL up at Whistler, BC and he paid for an MRI out of pocket ($800) at a private clinic and got surgery the next day and otherwise excellent treatment. However, had he not paid for the MRI, he would have waited quite a while to get one and then have the surgery.
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#144Can someone please explain to me why five thousand self employed people can't form a corporation together and get group insurance? Do shell corporations like that already exist?
They do. Usually they handle not only health insurance, but most of the other benefits and paperwork regarding employement (payroll, etc.).
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#145Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nope, I'm pretty sure everyone agrees it's broken. And just to re-clarify: I'm not claiming we're not paying too much. I agree with everything you've said. Just that $50-100/month is un-doably low regardless of brokenness. I'll be reading through the links, I can always use more detailed info for future debates. Thanks! edit for repliers: before stating that location X has 100 or less per month, how much do your taxe…
Check out how much private insurance costs in Australia: http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/dynamic/healthfundlist.aspx Most plans are around A$100/month or less
Thanks, you saved me from having to do this myself.
$70, Basic hospital, extras like dental work and optical ($300 / yr... Two new pairs of glasses, effectively, or the year's supply of contact lenses), private rooms.
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can give you one perspective. Moral hazard and fairness. The vast majority of costs borne by and in the US healthcare system are the results of overeating, oversmoking, and underexercising. Period. Heart disease, many forms of cancer, diabetes, most forms of pancreatic, gallbladder, and adrenal conditions, are largely the result of personal choice . Setting aside for a moment the fact that congenital defects, hered…
It's not really moral hazard, since that implies a rational choice is being made to make themselves sick because they know that they won't be bearing the financial costs. However, there are a plethora of non-financial costs to the diseases you've mentioned - up to and including death - so the moral hazard is mostly avoided. It's simply that some people make irrational, bad choices, and the incentives on the whole mak…
Moral hazard doesn't have to be rational, just a deliberate choice.
Such as the choice to smoke, or over-eat. Yes, they can be addictive, but there are supports and cures for both, and involve willpower and sacrifice, but they're there.
I say this as a fatarse who has lost 20Kg by eating less (The Horror!) and doesn't blame anyone except himself.
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#147Sounds like an industry ripe with opportunity for the right hacker.
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#148I might be living in a socialist paradise (Australia) or some thing but my last visit to the doctor (broken toe) was free. I am truly horrified by the state of the US health system, sure Australia's might be a bit messed up at times but it is so much better than what Americans have to deal with. Move your startup to Australia! Seriously, cheap/free heathcare for minor->medium problems (the bad stuff is still going to…
There's no visa that will let you do this.
Australia has a points based immigration system. If you're younger than 25 and have an engineering degree you just barely have enough points to get a self-sponsored work visa. If you're older than 25 it's impossible to get enough points and you have to work for someone else (or marry an Australian). I'd love to be wrong about this, corrections are welcome.
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
ER bills are absolutely insane. It's not hard to break a few dozen thousand dollars in almost no time for almost no treatment. It strikes me as opportunistic preying.
The way it works is they bill outrageous amounts in the expectation that they will either be totally stiffed or have to negotiate a much lower settlement (which is essentially what insurance companies do, AFAIK). In the rare case where somebody actually pays the full bill, they're subsidizing care for those who walk out on the bill (or part of it). This strikes me as an extremely broken way of doing things, but it se…
That only makes the costs even worse, especially ethically. They're sapping the most money from people least able to defend themselves from their preying.
Re: Money Won’t Buy You Health Insurance
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think she could buy insurance if she really wanted. I've thought about this a lot because I could easily be in this situation. If I did anything on my own I would need a group plan quickly. You only need 2 people to create a group. So you can buy insurance its expensive, here is how you do it. 1) Start a company. 2) Hire another employee (this costs a lot) 3) Make a group health insurance policy for the company. Th…
A two-person group is not going to fare much better than an individual plan, and I'm not so sure that there are that many companies that accept two-person groups anyway.
Not true in CA anyway, you can have a 2 person company and apply for small employer group coverage. You can't be denied for pre-existing conditions and your rates have to be within 10% of larger group rates.