Think You Know Health Care? Think Again
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
by Michael Ramzy
delusionthread.com
Another beautiful day in America and in two days President Obama gives his State of the Union speech in which he is going to offer help to the middle class. It seems Mr. Obama (and his handlers) have finally realized the middle class is getting squeezed, as always, with all of the bailouts and payouts. And yes, although health care is pretty much off the table these days (an over-reaction to the 'Mass. massacre', as it's being called), ask your average American about it and the response will be immediate and, in most cases, completely wrong.
The funny thing about the entire health care debate isn't the myriad of opinions, it is the simple fact people don't even know their own health care plan. Most know what their deductible is, and so consequently know what their copay will be. That's about all. They do not know it is perfectly legal (still) to be dropped from an insurance plan (even an employer-provided one, even an HMO) for no reason, it is still legal to have your rates raised for no reason, and it is still legal to have your necessary brand-name medicine switched to a generic 'therapeutic equivalent' for no reason (sometimes without your knowledge).
And it is not just the insurance companies, for those of you who have bought into the 'Evil Insurance' part of health care reform. It is also the manufacturers (who can, and sometimes do, raise drug prices without warning - and no, your insurance company will not absorb that increase) and also the doctors, who sometimes prescribe the most-expensive drug where a generic would work just as well.
Have Medicaid or Medicare? The same issues above apply to you. The government can decide, without your consent and without warning, to discontine covering certain drugs if it deems the expense is not worth it. How many now covered by the current government plan(s) know this? Not many, sadly.
Every one of us has issues and questions about the health care proposals now in Congress. And yet, we must all realize it is in our best interest to know everything we can about our own health care. We cannot rely on our employees in Washington to do what is best for us, especially since we have the tools we need at our disposal to help ourselves.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Speaking for myself Mike, I have the VA (veterans administration) handle all my health care. I do however feel for those who have to rely on the government's role in health care.I feel for anyone who has never looked at their policy. Thanks for reading and commenting, sir.
Great tip. It is easy to get caught up in the debate without thinking about what we already have.Absolutely right. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Good eye opener - Some of us have things that if we don't get medication we will die... guess they know that too... sad days ahead. MarijoTrue. Most policies are pretty much geared toward the patient (believe it or not), yet you really have to find the fine print and call about certain medications and coverages. The main thing to remember is to ask questions. If you aren't satisfied, go to another insurance company. Thanks for stopping by.
Good article. As someone who helps people get their finances in order and get out of debt, I find that since we normally get our health insurance through our employer we know very little about it.Ever since the depression we have been getting our health insurance from employers. This was a progressive move that reduced individual choice and contributed to rising costs due to the fact that there are risks introduced into the employee groups that get folded into the policy risk calculations and cause increased premiums as a result. Furthermore, lifetime caps are usually lowered in an attempt to lower the premiums while also reducing deductibles (that increase premiums).By lowering the lifetime caps, if someone gets cancer or some other catastrophic health issue that ends up costing millions in medical costs, the individual goes bankrupt because they aren't insured after they reach the cap. The individual never had a choice to be covered for that higher level and never knew what the cap was in the first place because employers don't provide a copy of the insurance contract to the employee that is covered. How do people do financial planning without having this information? They don't. That is the problem.The current system is breeding dependency, and now we want to take that dependency to a new level, as if that would solve the problem. What we really need is to train people in proper financial planning and give them the freedom to choose their health insurance company and not consider it a social right to have their medical bills paid for by someone else. With proper financial planning, we can purchase insurance for what we really need.With the HSA (Health Savings Account) program already in place, we can save money tax free to cover high deductibles and lower the premium costs, we can also purchase policies with much higher lifetime caps and be covered for a much greater number of catastrophic illnesses and injuries. It would also lower the cost of premiums across the board if everyone did this and more people would be able to afford health insurance. We have become a nation that doesn't read the contracts we sign anymore, and rely on the government to take care of us instead.This is why I believe you have hit the nail on the head.Thanks so much for sharing, and for the comment. I appreciate it.
hi michael,this was packed with information i never knew, but now i have no insurance-ain't that something? you see, stay at home moms who raise individuals, one of mine being a daughter in the army, and a son in the air force, don't comply for health insurance, because they don't consider us "working". and if one gets divorced which i most happily did, your screwed.thanks for sharing these important facts with us,my best regards,sueThe government has many options available right now for those without insurance, or for those who cannot afford it. Just be careful, since the government, as with all big companies, are in it for the money. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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