Written by
Hi Christina, I'm not trying to stick up for what we have now, but I'll introduce a couple points.
- I have a contact in the Montreal area who took six months to see a psychiatrist. That's horrible!!
- A lot of Canadians come to the US to get decent health care.
What we have isn't perfect, but it beats the systems Obama wants to copy, namely England and Canada.
Just some "fodder for thought"...
Regards, I enjoy reading your writing :-)
Paul Adrian.
I know there must be a way for those without insurance to get treatment, but I don't know what the answer is. I'm not sure that Big Brother policing healthcare any more than it already is would make it any better. And it might make my own situation worse. Right now, I have Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Medicare pays a little bit and BCBS pays the rest. So I have no co-pays except on medication. I'm afraid if things change the insurance companies like BCBS will go out of business and the system would get bogged down, and I might receive less comprehensive coverage. I cannot afford (health-wise) for any interruption in my present care.
Carolyn
When I took a disability retirement from my last job I was able to carry the insurance. I have had several claims denied due to bureaucratic paperwork. I have fought tooth and nail. Margaret doesn't like it when I call and curse them out. I have yet to figure out why they pay some of the time and other times they won't.
The system is broken. I know a woman that has bipolar, has two children and works two jobs and cannot get the meds she needs. There are too many that need help and cannot get it because of cost. My son, needs help and meds badly. He cannot qualify for Medcaid even though he has no money and no job. So he suffers.
I think it's time for universal healthcare. I hope that its not like "No child left behind." My son was certainly left behind.
The bottom line is money. How is it gonna be paid for? The U.S is in debt in the trillions of dollars. Here in NY the debt is in the millions. My pdoc charges $100 minium for a 15 minute session. He charges $400 for an ECT and all he does is put me under and another pdoc does the actual treatmant and charges $245!
I don't know to solve the healthcare crisis. Here's hoping that Congress and President Obama does. With so many people out of work even a copay will be hard to pay.
Dave
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hi again,
The system is not working. A universal option would put health insurance companies out of business and that is what they are afraid of. If they operated ethically and truly were in the business of saving people's lives, there would be no question of keeping the system as it is. Since the beginning of time [it seems] we've all heard stories of insurance companies denying coverage for treatment that would help people. In 1996 in the fall I wanted to see a therapist and the health plan only authorized five visits, no more. This is because I had a pre-existing condition: SZ. The plan I had before that wouldn't pay for group therapy because I had SZ and it only paid for group therapy if you had a substance abuse problem.
I like the option of having a mix on the table at all times for people to choose from: private insurance and a public option. As it is, my psychiatrist doesn't take any health insurance [probably because they pay him so poorly and the paperwork is a nightmare]. So I pay for him out of my own pocket.
If private health insurance companies could be trusted to self-regulate I would be all for keeping them as the primary source of health care for most Americans, but everyone knows they deny the sickest among us coverage and employ other tactics.
I do hope president Obama includes a public health option right now.
In New York State, we have the "Medicaid Buy-In" program so people with disabilities who return to work can keep their Medicaid. A universal health plan would in effect give this coverage to everyone with disabilities in all 50 states; we'd have guaranteed health insurance if we returned to work.
Christina