posted on July 7, 2007 08:37:06 AM new
Again, I just don't understand all of this talk about the insurance and health care in the US. I guess you are living in the wrong place. We have a health care facility in my city based on your ability to pay. Even including hospitilazition. We have a separate ER for patients with no insurance at a Level One Trauma hospital. And we'll even send free transportation to get you there. Complain to your politicians on how to use your tax dollars.
posted on July 7, 2007 09:14:22 AM new
Helen, could there be a reason for this?Read above. You don't need it to be treated as if you had all the insurance in the world. As a friend, who works in collections in a large hospital here says, "Why have insurance. We'll treat you anyway with the same care."
posted on July 7, 2007 09:18:12 AM new
"54.5 million uninsured Americans who do ont have access to health care"
Again, Helen, they are living in the wrong state.
From the Attorney General of Texas:
"In Texas, each non-profit hospital is required to provide a certain amount of free health care to people who have no health insurance..."
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 7, 2007 09:18 AM ]
posted on July 7, 2007 09:26:07 AM new
"""Again, I just don't understand all of this talk about the insurance and health care in the US. I guess you are living in the wrong place. """
The U S A is the wrong place????
The same view from all neocons..."if I have what I need to heck with anyone else."
""Complain to your politicians on how to use your tax dollars. ""
We ARE, we ARE ...and maybe in 2008-09 someone will listen.
posted on July 7, 2007 09:33:38 AM new
""Complain to your politicians on how to use your tax dollars. ""
We ARE, we ARE ...and maybe in 2008-09 someone will listen."
Your local and state politicians, oh learned one. That's where health care begins. Typical, Lib. "My national government should take care of it"
. Take care of it at your grass roots, mingo.
Etexbill, those without health insurance, in the case of emergency may be treated initially as well as the insured. But how about preventative care which is so important to health and a long life expectancy? Some mothers cannot afford immunizations for their children in this country. As a matter of fact the United States ranks behind Botswana in the delivery of this service.
Reliable health care for the uninsured is not available in this country....not in even in your area.
From your quote about health care from the Texas Attorney General....
"Anyone can apply, but hospitals have a right to ask financial questions to determine eligibility. The eligibility criteria are set by the hospital within the limits of the law and are based on a patient's ability to pay. Applicants are responsible for providing necessary financial information in a timely manner.
That eligibility qualification eliminates the working poor and some in the middle class who are struggling to stay afloat financially.
posted on July 7, 2007 10:01:16 AM new
Helen, yes they ask for financial information but cannot refuse treatment. Hey, I worked 14 years as a client representative in the lab of the largest Level One Trauma Center in East Texas. I know of what I speak. Noone is eliminated.
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 7, 2007 10:02 AM ]
posted on July 7, 2007 10:11:43 AM new
Again, from the Texas Attorney General...
"Anyone can apply, but hospitals have a right to ask financial questions to determine eligibility. The eligibility criteria are set by the hospital within the limits of the law and are based on a patient's ability to pay. Applicants are responsible for providing necessary financial information in a timely manner.
Etexbill, that financial qualification is required to obtain charity care. Trauma centers are not in the business of preventative health care. Even I know that.
Take it easy. You're lucky to be covered by Medicare.
posted on July 7, 2007 11:16:23 AM new
No, Helen, we have a separate free clinic as I have explained. It is not affiliated with the trauma center hospital but a state agency. But the level one trauma center hospital here is also the county hospital where care must be given.
Many others here and I also have an ambulance and hospital helicopter plan for $3.00 per month added to our water utilities bill.
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 7, 2007 11:18 AM ]
posted on July 7, 2007 11:22:38 AM new
While we are at it, my property tax is also frozen at age 65 and we have no state income tax. Come on down. No, better yet, we have enough new people coming in every day. LOL.
posted on July 7, 2007 11:40:36 AM new
Yep, and they can have all of this free water that they want. LOL
Plus the fallen trees, the sink holes, the washed out roads and the floating cars.
posted on July 7, 2007 12:32:20 PM new
"While we are at it, my property tax is also frozen at age 65 and we have no state income tax. Come on down. No, better yet, we have enough new people coming in every day. LOL."
No wonder you have so many people moving to Texas. Man, I was getting ready to pack my bags. New York is no paradise, but they have a Star program where people 70 and over can get reduced property and school taxes--at least on Long Island. But we have the State Income Tax and they make the IRS look like wusses when it comes to collecting!
I can't imagine living through the horrible rain and flooding. Hope it abates soon.
We have many middle class people in NY who still cannot afford the outrageously expensive health insurance, yet make too much to qualify for other health programs. It is a Catch 22.
posted on July 7, 2007 01:05:24 PM new
Thanks, coincoach. We are almost 16 inches of rain over our average rainfall. And night before last had 5.5 inches. It has rained 14 of the last 16 days. Our water suppply lake is running 3.3 feet over the spillway after 2 years of drought. Feast or famine.
posted on July 7, 2007 02:09:59 PM new
Is the whole idea of unniversal healthcare meaning getting everyone covered by the same provider is to mix the good and bad apples together?
Lets say the 40 million uninsured are uninsured because they are in the high risk group .
The end result will be the riskier ones pay less and the low risk ones pay more.
But what about the quality of care,how does that come into the equation?How does it deteriorates just because they treat both good and bad apples??
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Lets all stop whining !
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posted on July 7, 2007 03:14:24 PM new
Wow! That's a lot of water. Mother nature is not always kind. You have floods and too much rain, Nevada is roasting. Knock wood, the weather has been pretty good in NY so far. Keeping my fingers crossed.
posted on July 7, 2007 04:21:11 PM new
etex,
where in Texas are you?
I am right oustide Houston and about to go into Houston ,as I type,it starts raining.
BTW,I hate to say this,but Texas is not as great as you describe,I know people who cant afford healthcare ,I dont know where you live,but it cant be Houston.
I have a high deductible on my health insurance policy and each year I paid out of my own pocket for doc visits and tests etc,no complain there.
When I made my appt,no one seems to know how much the procedure cost,but the day before my appt,some one KNOWS! and will call me and ask me to bring money which I did.
The last time I was scheduled for biopsies and once again,no one knows how much it cost,but the manager in billing gave me a number which is too low,so I asked her to sign in blood this is what it costs.
But still no one knows how much the radiologist charges as this is farmed out to a group of Indians.
So I called the radiology billing dept and once again got a number which is too good to be true.
Then the day before my bio appt which is 7 in the morning,too early for anyone to take my check,someone called me and asked to charge my credit card for 2650.
I told her the manager gave me a much lower number and she called the manager and she clamed she is new and know nothing.
then I said how much is the total with radiologist and pathology works?She said she does not know as they are separate.
I called pathology lab and they are all out to lunch,I called the radiology dept and they dont know as it is not the billing dept.
So I become very frustrated and cancelled my appointment.
Now,if we buy a house ,we know how much it would cost us,if we buy a hamburger,we know how much it would cost us,but something which runs into thousands and more,no one can give me an exact number of how much the whole procedure costs.
If the hospital collector wants to complain about deadbeats,why dont they do a better job of informing the patient how much would the procedure costs,I dont need exact number,but a ball park figure so I can plan ahead.This is how you get deadbeats,people who are caught by surprise how much it costs.
But the hospital does know one thing about me-they have already called my insurer and that with these bio procedures ,I would have reached my deductible of 5k and then they would be homefree,or should I say I would be homefree-able to get any treatment I want !!!
This is a game between the provider and the insurer,be it Medicare,Medicaid or private insurance company,we are just prawns !
Who said it makes no difference whether you are insured or not that the hospital will treat you,this is the biggest piece of crap I have ever heard! may be in ER?
A friend of mine has breast cancer and went to M.D.Anderson,while the insurance co is still reviewing her case,MD Anderson asked for 20,000 cash in advance,she ended up going to another hospital after her insurance co approved of her case.
There are also many foreign patients who seek treatment at MD Anderson and cannot afford it,it could run into 500,000 or more and their own insurance co back home does not cover foreign treatment.
Okay,so these are foreign patients,to hell with them,what about the poor ones in Houston??
They take out AFLAC thinking this is enough ?They go to a walkup clinic and get a shot to kill the pain and then they go back to work.
Or they go back to where they come from-say Mexico.
May be you and your medicare takes you to paradise,but not most of us.
*
Lets all stop whining !
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posted on July 7, 2007 04:26:16 PM new
From the Attorney General of Texas:
"In Texas, each non-profit hospital is required to provide a certain amount of free health care to people who have no health insurance..."
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 7, 2007 09:18 AM ]
/////////////////////////////////////////
yeah,but can you afford to wait in line,I would be dead by then?
posted on July 7, 2007 04:42:04 PM new
for all Vendio members-Coincoach lives on Long Island...the home of the biggest parking lot in the world(The L.I.E.), and the worlds worst hockey team(The Islanders)
[ edited by classicrock000 on Jul 7, 2007 04:45 PM ]
posted on July 7, 2007 04:49:55 PM new
They take out AFLAC thinking this is enough ?They go to a walkup clinic and get a shot to kill the pain and then they go back to work.
Or they go back to where they come from-say Mexico.
Seriously, who would buy insurance from a duck???
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If you dont want to hear the truth....dont ask the question.
posted on July 7, 2007 05:38:25 PM new
"yeah,but can you afford to wait in line,I would be dead by then?"
No waiting in line except for narmal time. A new separate ER and facilities at the downtown hospital for no insurance admittance. This is a hospital group with over 10 hospitals with over 3,000 employees East Texas wide.
Hwahwa. I live in Tyler. I have two grandaughters in Houston, and can understand your problem. I would never go to a hospital in Houston except M.D. Anderson or St. Lukes. Believe me, You can get the best care here insurance or none. Come on up, but wait till the water goes down.
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 7, 2007 05:39 PM ]
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 7, 2007 05:44 PM ]
posted on July 7, 2007 05:47:39 PM new
Hwahwa, as my friend in collections says. "Texas is the place to be. Here, they can't refuse to treat you and you can't get blood out of a turnip"
Strange, I know someone who is being treated at M.D. Anderson cancer clinic and without insurance. There is a program that you local physician must refer you.
[ edited by etexbill on Jul 7, 2007 05:50 PM ]
posted on July 7, 2007 05:55:39 PM new
Also, we have two of the best cancer clinics in the nation. Also a friend recently had brain surgery in Tyler. We are the medical center of East Texas with two, large hospitals, one hospital that is a U of T training hospital and several small hospital clinics.
posted on July 7, 2007 07:33:23 PM new
"for all Vendio members-Coincoach lives on Long Island...the home of the biggest parking lot in the world(The L.I.E.), and the worlds worst hockey team(The Islanders)"
You are absolutely right and we are proud of it. At least we are at the top of some list! You can add the world's worst property taxes (at least they seem like it.) We have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and we have the La-Dee-Dah Hamptons, where the Britneys, Lindsays, Parises and Nicoles hang out throwing their not hardley earned money around! Ya'll come on up and see us, y'hear!
