BCBS is awesome. Was in the hospital for 3 days with shingles...bill was over 16 grand and we paid 500 OOP.

Success!

2k/yr from 200 million people... if we all paid into a non-profit government insurance pool instead of a for-profit free market like we do now, there would be 400 bil to spend every year. thats $412k/yr per EVERY DOCTOR in the us. sure, they have supply costs and overheads but i think they could manage

Until it isn't!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/26/junior-doctors-england-stage-historic-strike/83532684/

I'm sure our government would manage it must better, just like they do with education!

And who gives a shit about doctors in England striking?

The vast majority like the healthcare system. Pointing out that that it is not perfect and saying see doesn't work! Not and especially effective argument.

As for education, universal government led education has been a bad thing? When did this happen?

The system is failing and being mismanaged and no one is happy about it.

The doctors strike is just a symptom.

My understanding is the strike is part and parcel of a reaction by folks in the medical field who find themselves feeling disconcerted because of an apparent significant push to privatize the system ... what better way that to destroy the existing infrastructure than by underpaying and understaffing, point to what a grand failure it is, sell it off for a profit, and hooray.

somebody explain to me how we set up an insurance plan that people don't have to join until they need major medical care.

BCBS is awesome. Was in the hospital for 3 days with shingles...bill was over 16 grand and we paid 500 OOP.

Success!

The problem is that the bill should not have been $16k to begin with...it's that high because "insurance pays for it."

The problem is that the bill should not have been $16k to begin with...it's that high because "insurance pays for it."

Do you want private healthcare where the company tells you what will and will not cover with zero input from you
or do you want government run healthcare, where you (I'll say it -supposedly) can have your voice heard by voting out anyone who tries to limit coverage?

BCBS is awesome. Was in the hospital for 3 days with shingles...bill was over 16 grand and we paid 500 OOP.

The problem is that the bill should not have been $16k to begin with...it's that high because "insurance pays for it."

I'm genuinely curious. How did shingles necessitate a three day stay in the hospital?

I also wonder how much of the $16K was (really) to cover the sales & marketing costs of healthcare, pharma, etc.. Given that much more private $$$ is spent on sales/marketing vs. actual medical research, (since much of the ground level research is funded by the federal govt) I'd kind of like to see this obscene free market issue addressed before we go down this tired, clichéd road again.

Was not given an antiviral to start. Big mistake. I had a antibiotic and an antiviral IV going for 3 days. 3rd day I had spots on my chest (diffused shingles) which meant I had to be put in ICU until I was released.. Lots of bloodwork.

Yeah, "voting out" for specific issues happens all the time.

Was not given an antiviral to start. Big mistake. I had a antibiotic and an antiviral IV going for 3 days. 3rd day I had spots on my chest (diffused shingles) which meant I had to be put in ICU until I was released.. Lots of bloodwork.

Exactly

We aren't exposed to the actual costs of healthcare, but on the flip side there isn't any genuine competition between insurance companies or healthcare systems as they are all exempt from anti-trust laws. It kind of "is what it is." The ACA doesn't make anything broadly better, either.

On the topic of "limiting" coverage....that's a hallmark of universal healthcare systems, rationing must take place to conserve resources and control costs. Thus you have your waiting (and waiting and waiting) lists for small procedures/tests as well as life or death ones. Plus U.H. systems often times don't get access to the latest drugs or treatments or devices. But they get cheaper drug costs on the whole.

Pro's and Con's to weigh.

I'm sure there is a hybrid system that would actually make sense and benefit the people as a whole but that will be sometime down the line.

If nothing else, the ACA should have made the public angrier about the plain collusion between insurance companies & health care systems, but it didn't do that either.

If nothing else, the ACA should have made the public angrier about the plain collusion between insurance companies & health care systems, but it didn't do that either.