Once more unto the breach... So if I understand this health insurance bullshit (and I don't), I get to pay $1400 a year, plus the entire cost of every visit to the doctor I take, which is likely going to be only one standard physical, and if I do get horrifically injured or sick, I still pay up to $6500 before anything is covered by insurance. Or eat $220 tax penalty and hope I don't get sick this year? Either way it's like gambling on my health. ~X(
Once more unto the breach... So if I understand this health insurance bullshit (and I don't), I get to pay $1400 a year, plus the entire cost of every visit to the doctor I take, which is likely going to be only one standard physical, and if I do get horrifically injured or sick, I still pay up to $6500 before anything is covered by insurance. Or eat $220 tax penalty and hope I don't get sick this year? Either way it's like gambling on my health. ~X(
Just remember that as bad as it is, it could always be worse.
In 2016 I will no longer be covered for insurance, and then I have to beg for health insurance companies to take me with pre-existing conditions. Yaaay.
Preventative visits should be free, such as physicals. Additional visits should just be the copay, anything else above and beyond a visit will be out of pocket until you hit your deductible, than you'll pay a percentage until you hit your max out of pocket.
I know it's expensive but you want insurance.
Also, I'm pretty sure there are stricter regulations with pre existing conditions
For every year I'm not sick it just feels like money down the drain, like rent or paying interest. I know disaster can strike any moment, but I'm healthier than ever right now, so paying monthly premiums feels like I'm betting against my own health and safety. I suspect I'll be irked about it until I end up in the hospital thanking Cthulu I decided to buy insurance after all.
I felt the same way, my wife and I were on the cheapest plan possible because we are both relatively active and healthy. Then she got pregnant and we hit our max out of pocket and boy was I thankful to have insurance. Without it, the bill from the hospital delivery was 20k+ not even including the Delivery doctor bills, baby doctor bills, lab work. standard baby health checks, anesthesia etc. Instead, we got away with about 5k total cost (babies are expensive).
For every year I'm not sick it just feels like money down the drain, like rent or paying interest. I know disaster can strike any moment, but I'm healthier than ever right now, so paying monthly premiums feels like I'm betting against my own health and safety. I suspect I'll be irked about it until I end up in the hospital thanking Cthulu I decided to buy insurance after all.
It doesn't just feel like it, that's exactly what insurance is, you're combining risk pools with a larger group of people to spread costs! Every year you go unsick and don't use insurance, it's not money lost: That money goes to help sick and injured people, some of whom I'm willing to bet you know and love!
Medical costs have gotten absurd here in the US. Part of it is attributed to malpractice insurance. That shit's expensive. Then of course you have to deal with greed.
My employer is really good to their employees. I've got a great HMO gold plan through Health Plan of Nevada. My plan costs $340 a month, but they pay $310, so I only pay $30 which is awesome. My out of pocket max is $6,250 which isn't the greatest, but I do have low copays and no deductible.
They were providing this level of coverage before the ACA as well.
The greed is real, yes, just as @Stangmar said. Who's to blame, I don't care, but the fact that in the USA your doctor gets paid for a full session of meeting with you after only seeing you for 15 minutes (I am not kidding, I read my bills, '15 minute session' is a thing, even if I have only spoken with the doctor for 6 minutes before they tell me to go to the front desk to schedule a new appointment, which only takes another 2 minutes) is beyond crazy and shouldn't happen.
I've seen some medication costs as part of my job. With insurance, patients average copays ballpark about $200 a fill for the stuff we send. This is less than a tenth of what we charge the insurance. Which is still considerably less than it would be for the patient without insurance at all thanks to discounts. Most of the time, manufacturers knock these down to about 5-10% of that for our meds because they're life-altering or life-saving, and ridiculously expensive out of pocket. Because the difference between that fill of that medicine and the cost it took to research it is orders of magnitude above what it costs to manufacture and what it costs the patient. Similarly to how that doctor's visit is for the doctor's current time as well as helping him pay off his tuitions, and for all the experience he's accumulated keeping people healthy and happy.
It sucks all the way around, in other words, but it sucks for somewhat valid reasons. As much as insurance costs you, in the long run, barring truly tragic circumstances where you die long before your time, it saves you money and grief.
Aerotan does have a good point. In any industry, you have to be able to cover not only the direct costs(materials, labor hours, etc) of a product, but you need to be able to cover R&D, capital expenditures(equipment, buildings, intangibles, or in a professional's case, his education) and overhead.
Hard to go for a seal on Monday mornings when you have to work! Leo is pretty disappointed about death, because if the past challenges are anything to go by he had a very good chance of at least coming away with serious credits, if not the seal. (Now we will never knooooow).
A serious combatant winning beauty will be hilarious and devastating.
Out of curiosity I checked the financials for Pfizer. Their net income is not extraordinarily high in relation to gross revenues(except for 2013, where it was 42%). Normally it appears to be about 20% or so.
Weird things happen around the time they go generic. One of those weird things is that insurance companies no longer pay full price for them, if they ever did. A lot of patients, however, Don't want generic, for whatever reason, so...
Wow. I have to admit, I've never been happier to live where I live. Basically, we pay at most ~$200 per year for medical visits; after that, going to the doctor (as well as physical therapy and such) is completely free. As for medication, it's a little more complicated, but the end result is that we pay at most ~$300 per year for medications on prescriptions (although non-prescription meds will always cost us). In addition, we don't pay any health insurance. We do, however, have a pretty high tax rate (~32%).
Once more unto the breach... So if I understand this health insurance bullshit (and I don't), I get to pay $1400 a year, plus the entire cost of every visit to the doctor I take, which is likely going to be only one standard physical, and if I do get horrifically injured or sick, I still pay up to $6500 before anything is covered by insurance. Or eat $220 tax penalty and hope I don't get sick this year? Either way it's like gambling on my health. ~X(
Under $120/mo is still pretty cheap compared to what a lot of people have to pay. Definitely do it. Its pretty easy to have a mishap that can add up to over $6500. And I'm not an expert on insurances by a long shot, but from my experience, dr visits are cheaper when they're in network, even before you reach your deductible. For example, if I did my bloodtests last year at my drs office, it'd be super expensive (a couple hundred I think?) because they're out of network, but if I walk across the parking lot to the other place, the blood tests are $8 because they're in network. I think yearly checkups are often covered too, since insurances prefer you find things sooner rather than later. My deductible is a ridiculous $4k or so, and I've never come close to reaching it, but not all of my premium has gone to waste, not to mention its nice having the safety net just in case, because $4000 or $6500 of surprise expense isn't nearly as bad as things could be.
I also actually forgot that my employer adds 75% of the premium onto my paycheck as long as I submit proof of insurance, so in light of that and these other compelling arguments (except the cost of childbirth thing, because no thanks, procreation), I'm going to stop whining.
Wow. I have to admit, I've never been happier to live where I live. Basically, we pay at most ~$200 per year for medical visits; after that, going to the doctor (as well as physical therapy and such) is completely free. As for medication, it's a little more complicated, but the end result is that we pay at most ~$300 per year for medications on prescriptions (although non-prescription meds will always cost us). In addition, we don't pay any health insurance. We do, however, have a pretty high tax rate (~32%).
I hear you. Belgium is somewhat similar in tax rate. We pay health insurance membership based on income, and it is mandatory to have, though you can pick which you take. They are all sort of similar though, it's pretty much a name thing. They stem from ye olden days when unions and health insurance companies were tied to political groups, hence you have the socialist group, the christian (which is center) group and so on. You do pay to see a doctor, as well as for meds, but you get repaid based on your income scale.
There are pros and cons to each system. If you are very healthy it seems to me you may be better off in the US because you could just save money for when you need it. On the other hand there are no things like a maximum bill, which protects you from outrageous costs when things do go wrong. It also means you need to be financially responsible enough to put away enough, or make enough money to be able to do that. Which seems much harder with how minimum wage works and all. Much more protection and support of low income people here. Then again, if you are rich and able to stay that, the US seems it could be the better option.
Personally I am glad for our system, but I also grew up with just knowing that system, so I don't know how I'd fare had I been born and raised in the US. I do wish we'd get with the times more though, it may seem like #firstworldproblems but there is like no coverage for adults who seek psychotherapy. If I need physical therapy however, I'm totally covered. Feels unfair
You have received a new honour! Congratulations! On this day, you have shown your willingness to ensure a bug-free Lusternia for everyone to enjoy. The face of Iosai the Anomaly unfolds before you, and within you grows the knowledge that you have earned the elusive and rare honour of membership in Her Order. Curio Exchange - A website to help with the trading of curio pieces in Lusternia.
Comments
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
Also, american birth costs are a travesty.
I've seen some medication costs as part of my job. With insurance, patients average copays ballpark about $200 a fill for the stuff we send. This is less than a tenth of what we charge the insurance. Which is still considerably less than it would be for the patient without insurance at all thanks to discounts. Most of the time, manufacturers knock these down to about 5-10% of that for our meds because they're life-altering or life-saving, and ridiculously expensive out of pocket. Because the difference between that fill of that medicine and the cost it took to research it is orders of magnitude above what it costs to manufacture and what it costs the patient. Similarly to how that doctor's visit is for the doctor's current time as well as helping him pay off his tuitions, and for all the experience he's accumulated keeping people healthy and happy.
It sucks all the way around, in other words, but it sucks for somewhat valid reasons. As much as insurance costs you, in the long run, barring truly tragic circumstances where you die long before your time, it saves you money and grief.
A serious combatant winning beauty will be hilarious and devastating.
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
Do you call them meatblobs? I call them meatblobs...
NARF!
Pot calling the kettle black!
Or should I say crock pot. :?.
I hear you. Belgium is somewhat similar in tax rate. We pay health insurance membership based on income, and it is mandatory to have, though you can pick which you take. They are all sort of similar though, it's pretty much a name thing. They stem from ye olden days when unions and health insurance companies were tied to political groups, hence you have the socialist group, the christian (which is center) group and so on. You do pay to see a doctor, as well as for meds, but you get repaid based on your income scale.
There are pros and cons to each system. If you are very healthy it seems to me you may be better off in the US because you could just save money for when you need it. On the other hand there are no things like a maximum bill, which protects you from outrageous costs when things do go wrong. It also means you need to be financially responsible enough to put away enough, or make enough money to be able to do that. Which seems much harder with how minimum wage works and all. Much more protection and support of low income people here. Then again, if you are rich and able to stay that, the US seems it could be the better option.
Personally I am glad for our system, but I also grew up with just knowing that system, so I don't know how I'd fare had I been born and raised in the US. I do wish we'd get with the times more though, it may seem like #firstworldproblems but there is like no coverage for adults who seek psychotherapy. If I need physical therapy however, I'm totally covered. Feels unfair
You have received a new honour! Congratulations! On this day, you have shown your willingness to ensure a bug-free Lusternia for everyone to enjoy. The face of Iosai the Anomaly unfolds before you, and within you grows the knowledge that you have earned the elusive and rare honour of membership in Her Order.
Curio Exchange - A website to help with the trading of curio pieces in Lusternia.