So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter? • Hacker News Board

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#81

Post by raquo » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 2:36 PM UTC

raspie wrote: post #21

mattiss wrote: post #19

This is terrible. Is there any question left as to whether private healthcare is a disaster? I have known a few people who have been denied healthcare coverage when it is quite clear that it is due. Either there needs to be a regulatory board that can overrule insurance companies or we need to implement public healthcare.

Public healthcare is not inherently better than private, it has its own problems. I think it is easier and cheaper (both technically and politically) to fix private healthcare incentives than to go the public way.

I'm not in US, so I may not have the full picture. Am I wrong in some evident way?

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#82

Post by brandnewlow » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 2:38 PM UTC

Shooter wrote: post #60

sachinag wrote: post #13

I am assuming you are an American citizen. If you haven't already, you need to: 1) call your Congressperson's local office (not DC) and ask for someone in constituent services who works with health care issues. Do this tomorrow. If your insurance company is denying you any care, and you have a paper trail, they should help. If your Rep can't help, then contact your two Senators' offices. Generally, Reps are much bett…

There are literally thousands of people with similar stories that are more articulate - and less bitter and angry - than I am. And the media is slowly picking up on these issues. http://underourskin.com/blog/ recently mentioned, for example, the change in stance of Good Morning America's medical correspondent over the course of a year. Enough people are getting sick and raising a ruckus that there are finally some ch…

"My wife, fortunately, is a Director at a major research hospital"

Holy cow, you're fortunate (all things considered).

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#83

Post by amalcon » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 2:43 PM UTC

ErrantX wrote: post #26

sachinag wrote: post #13

I am assuming you are an American citizen. If you haven't already, you need to: 1) call your Congressperson's local office (not DC) and ask for someone in constituent services who works with health care issues. Do this tomorrow. If your insurance company is denying you any care, and you have a paper trail, they should help. If your Rep can't help, then contact your two Senators' offices. Generally, Reps are much bett…

It seems awful to me that all of that effort is needed just to make sure your not screwed over by the insurance company :( Or is it just the norm and Im not used to it?

It is the norm.

I pay twice as much for my insurance as I would for identical coverage from the HMO branch of the same insurer, simply to make it harder for them to deny payment. This is totally worth it, but not everyone can afford to do this. I still have to fight them at least two or three times a year over coverage of something.

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#84

Post by sachinag » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 2:44 PM UTC

Shooter wrote: post #60

sachinag wrote: post #13

I am assuming you are an American citizen. If you haven't already, you need to: 1) call your Congressperson's local office (not DC) and ask for someone in constituent services who works with health care issues. Do this tomorrow. If your insurance company is denying you any care, and you have a paper trail, they should help. If your Rep can't help, then contact your two Senators' offices. Generally, Reps are much bett…

There are literally thousands of people with similar stories that are more articulate - and less bitter and angry - than I am. And the media is slowly picking up on these issues. http://underourskin.com/blog/ recently mentioned, for example, the change in stance of Good Morning America's medical correspondent over the course of a year. Enough people are getting sick and raising a ruckus that there are finally some ch…

I think you misunderstood me - I'm not talking about policy/legislative changes. I'm talking about having their office fight, as your wife does, with the insurance companies on your behalf. This is what "constituent services" does.

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#85

Post by mattmaroon » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 2:56 PM UTC

sachinag wrote: post #13

I am assuming you are an American citizen. If you haven't already, you need to: 1) call your Congressperson's local office (not DC) and ask for someone in constituent services who works with health care issues. Do this tomorrow. If your insurance company is denying you any care, and you have a paper trail, they should help. If your Rep can't help, then contact your two Senators' offices. Generally, Reps are much bett…

I don't know if you're familiar with Fox, but they're not running any story that suggests healthcare needs government intervention.

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#86

Post by amih » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 2:57 PM UTC

jsteele wrote: post #67

You should definitely try fasting (no food, water only). After a couple of days there should be visible results (You will feel Yourself different). Another possible advice is to limit carbohydrates (partually replacing them with fats). There is a whole host of possible problems from excess carbohydrates (starting from diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight). Your health is in Your hands, the doctors can only he…

I agree, you've been very proactive and persistent in finding the root cause, why not go ahead and experiment. Of course you should read more about the subject before starting human trials but you have an enormous advantage over the establishment, you are allowed to conduct experiments in humans! At least on one human - you. Fasting for a few days and drinking only water is a great way to let the body heal itself and the worst is that nothing will happen.

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#87

Post by yummyfajitas » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 2:57 PM UTC

olefoo wrote: post #73

ErrantX wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems awful to me that all of that effort is needed just to make sure your not screwed over by the insurance company :( Or is it just the norm and Im not used to it?

Speaking from personal experience, it is the norm. In the US you are completely on your own, and your insurance company is not your friend; no matter how dutiful you were in paying your premiums. If you have a chronic, treatable condition, expect to fight it out with your insurance company 2 to 3 times a year over whether or not they will live up to their contractual obligations. It is my considered opinion that if O…

Perhaps a solution to the problem of chronic, treatable conditions is to make health insurance not pay for them.

In short, turn insurance back into insurance (protection against low probability, high cost events).

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#88

Post by gaius » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 3:06 PM UTC

Quarrelsome wrote: post #64

ars wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think in the UK the insurance people tell the doctors what to do. But they hide it well, and it doesn't seem to cause a problem. (Or maybe it just doesn't bother the people as much, the US has a more independent culture.) Could a doctor in the UK prescribe an experimental treatment? Could he prescribe it and get insurance to pay for it? I bet not without a fight. Perhaps the difference is that there, the fight is b…

Uhhhh, we don't have insurance in the UK. Basically the NHS is your fallback, it will (more or less) treat anything that: "negatively impacts your quality of life". However it may not be the very best care and you may have to wait for it (depending on the contention for services in your area and the treatment you need). If you want quicker service then you can go private and pay for it. In terms of experimental treat…

Uhhhh, we don't have insurance in the UK.

We do have this thing called NICE tho'. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1923989.stm

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#89

Post by aarongough » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 3:08 PM UTC

Thanks for sharing your story Shooter. It's clear from your story that your own research had a major influence on your eventual diagnosis, someone less educated or intelligent would have merely gone along with whatever their doctors were telling them, so for that I congratulate you!

It's gratifying to hear that you've already had such an improvement of your condition.

You have my best wishes! I hope that the rest of your recovery goes smoothly and that the insurance companies don't give you too much trouble!

Re: So...what the hell's wrong with you, Shooter?

#90

Post by amalcon » Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 3:22 PM UTC

mattmaroon wrote: post #85

sachinag wrote: post #13

I am assuming you are an American citizen. If you haven't already, you need to: 1) call your Congressperson's local office (not DC) and ask for someone in constituent services who works with health care issues. Do this tomorrow. If your insurance company is denying you any care, and you have a paper trail, they should help. If your Rep can't help, then contact your two Senators' offices. Generally, Reps are much bett…

I don't know if you're familiar with Fox, but they're not running any story that suggests healthcare needs government intervention.

The local news is not always as blatantly partisan as the big network news from those guys.