9-Months Later

[footdr]

There a some good provisions that will reform Health Insurance in a way that has been needed for a long, long time. It is just that as written now H.R. 2300 will not improve the system at it seeks to, per the President. And, if they base reimbursements to health care providers on Medicare reimbursement rates, there will be few Doctors that will be able to either accept patients insured under Medicare and the Public Plan, Pelosi supports or for that matter, afford to stay in private practice. Doctors and Hospitals are not the cause of the crisis, it is the fact that Government has failed to regulate Insurance Companies as they have the Utilities and other monopolies. They should start there and also with correcting the mismanagement of the Medicare and Veterans Administration systems, both which they waste way too much of our tax dollars on through repeat testing, fraud, poor claims administration and the like.

Believe me, I have contacted everyone I can to express my point of view.

[footdr]

did you know that health care providers treating Veterans at the V.A. cannot be sued for malpractice. Why? Way to may malpractice suits are settled out of court by ins. co. because it is cheaper and believe it or not physicians have a hard time Making them take their case to court. It happened only one in 24 years to my Husband and I had him keep insisting it go to trial as I read the patients record and per the info he gave me I felt he couldn't be found guilty, and he wasn't. The jury ruled in his favor. If more companies would fight frivolous cases lawyers wouldn't be so likely to take cases that have no merit simply hoping the insurance will settle out of court and they will get 33-50% of the settlement for doing basically nothing more than filing the case and taking depositions. It is quite the racket. Patients who have been treated incorrectly should be compensated. The system should not be used to make a quick buck.

Forgot to say that Veterans and Military cannot sue their doctor but instead they can "sue the Federal Government". I say good luck to that. Funny how the Government doesn't follow the same laws imposed on private entities.

[lots0]

ya I know.. I'm one of those people that can't get insurance... it's those damn preexisting conditions and the fact I am self employed.

I had to have an ambulance called for me a while back.. the bill just for the Ambulance ride that took less than 5 minutes cost me $3700.00... I had to pay them they saved my life... but $3700... WTF!

I don't even want to think about how much the Hospital Emergency Room and Dr. cost me..

This Health Care system reform will be too late to help me... But I'll be damned if I keep quiet and let my grandchild have to live with this kind of a system.

Doing nothing about Health Care is NOT an option!

[footdr]

preexisting clauses, cap on private insurers profit margins are two of the best reforms we can make. Some employer group plans, such as ours, has no prexisting clause, but most do. As I said, Private insurers have needed regulation for a very long time. They have been ripping off the insureds, hospitals and doctors.

My son just had a tonsilectomy and our insurance paid the doctor 220.00. What a bunch of crap, that payment includes his follow-up care for 90 days. Good lord, I paid a plumber on a Sunday 600.00 for a broken pipe. Cost more on Sundays. Funny how a Surgeon is paid less when the life of my Son is in his hands, then a plumber fixing a broken pipe, which took him all of 1/2 hr.

[lots0]

Originally Posted by footdr

cap on private insurers profit margins...

That ain't never gonna happen in this country as long as a majority of Senators (on both sides) are getting their pockets filled with cash by the insurance companies.