Obama's Dukakis moment

[101A]

Exactly, which is why this government provided "volunteer" health care system will quickly become THE healthcare system.

BTW, have any of yall ever used military healthcare providers? Because as far as I know, thats the best example of the quality of care the gov't can provide, and last I heard, it was utterly terrible.

Military care is actually quite good; but not the right analogy. Medicare/Medicaid are much closer, because of the scope.

[sam1617]

Military care is actually quite good; but not the right analogy. Medicare/Medicaid are much closer, because of the scope.

I've heard very bad things about military care, mostly about efficiency and availability, not necessarily the quality once you get to see a doctor.

[sam1617]

So if you get cancer and are uninsured, your friends and church will cover all the costs.

Who better?

Better them than making all the Joe Schmoe's across the country pay for it. Unlike some people, I don't want to burden strangers with my expenses.

[101A]

So if you get cancer and are uninsured, your friends and church will cover all the costs.

Who better?

No. he'll get treated completely and absolutely. The Hospital and docs will right of most of the debt, and he will pay some token amount for a while. That is if he is truly poor, and cannot afford coverage. Happened to my Uncle and cousins. The eldest got pancreatic cancer, and had no insurance. Ran up $300K in charges in the 8 weeks he lived; hospital (University in San Antonio) did everything; chemo, radiation, the works - including providing ho e at the end. Uncle paid $50 a month for 5 years afterward. Now, they were a farming family of modest means - if they would have been white collar, with some $$$ and just didn't choose to pay for insurance? I assume the hospital might be tougher.

[LnGrrrR]

Actually, some of my most productive employees are sick as ! Productive employees are productive employees. I've found there is no demographic that is universal. I provide the full boat package of benefits because it attracts very qualified employees - and at group rates I can provide them for much less than they would pay for those on an individually underwritten basis. It's symbiosis.

101A, I agree with you that if ANYBODY were to get screwed over by this, it's small business owners who provide health care.

That would be the best line of attack to push IMO, by FAR.

[ploto]

How does that work if the government forces the private sector to treat patients on the public plan?

Actually, Medicare is easier and more efficient to bill than the private insurers and less requirement to refile claims.

[101A]

101A, I agree with you that if ANYBODY were to get screwed over by this, it's small business owners who provide health care.

Especially small business owners that process medical claims for self-insured employers (like me).

I might not just get screwed by this, I could very well be put out of business.

[ChumpDumper]

No. he'll get treated completely and absolutely. The Hospital and docs will right of most of the debt, and he will pay some token amount for a while. That is if he is truly poor, and cannot afford coverage. Happened to my Uncle and cousins. The eldest got pancreatic cancer, and had no insurance. Ran up $300K in charges in the 8 weeks he lived; hospital (University in San Antonio) did everything; chemo, radiation, the works - including providing ho e at the end. Uncle paid $50 a month for 5 years afterward.

The debt isn't written off -- it is transferred to the insured.

[101A]

Actually, Medicare is easier and more efficient to bill than the private insurers and less requirement to refile claims.

I'm tiny - pay claims for about 20,000 people. Most of the claims we receive are electronic, and are paid w/in 24 hours of coming in the "door". The person coding the claim does EXACTLY the same thing to bill us, as they do to bill Medicare. I guarantee when there is a problem, a doc can get a live person in my office eons before a Medicare payor picks up. Where do you get your info?

[101A]

The debt isn't written off -- it is transferred to the insured.

The debt IS written off.

Because of the amount of debt written off, however, the hospital/docs must charge their paying customers more.

[jman3000]

semantics.

[LnGrrrR]

Especially small business owners that process medical claims for self-insured employers (like me).

I might not just get screwed by this, I could very well be put out of business.

I could see that, and that does suck man.

See, why aren't Republicans making arguments like THIS against it? Perfectly understandable, doesn't resort to blatant fact misrepresentation, and isn't the usual "it's a Democrat idea so it must obviously suck!" logic.

[ploto]

Where do you get your info?

Ran a private medical practice.

[101A]

Ran a private medical practice.

Fair enough.