47 million are without health insurance in U.S.

[Range Rover]

Quote from PocketChange:

The number cited is off.. its 59 Million without insurance out of a tax paying base of 118 million individuals.

These politicians are insane flip floppers. First they give these guys a monopoly in exchange for contributions. Next they pass a law requiring all citizens to purchase health insurance. Now they cry that these companies are making huge profits... that they themselves conspired to setup.

Without a single payer plan or the expansion of medicare to be available to all citizens these guys have no competition.

An alternative is to allow foreign insurance companies to offer and underwrite policies.. This will bring the costs down but also move all the premiums collected overseas.

http://www.icicilombard.com/app/ilom-en/PersonalProducts/Health/floater.aspx#

Just for kicks I did a quote for a family of 4: $400 per year for floating family coverage up to $10,000. Obviously this is a rupee to dollar conversion... $10K won't cover much here in the US as the medical charges are rarely disclosed upfront. Its a shell game between insurance company, patient and doctors to get paid.

There is an insane and unjustified markup on medical services provided in the US versus the rest of the world. Same with the markup on drugs and medical equipment.

One example is Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments. $2500 per 1 hour session in the US requiring pre-approval. $15 for 2 hours in India. Same equipment, same procedure just the difference between a cash based medical economy and one that is insurance controlled.

I would argue that the insurance companies are essentially practicing medicine without a license by exercising judgment on the pre-approvals and denials for services.

This situation gets dumped back onto the welfare rolls of the country. As long as private companies and their lawyers control the conversation and legislation it can only get worse for individuals.

Good post

I dont agree with the steaming pile of horse shit the democrats passed,there were much better ways of lowering cost and covering the uninsured.If its between Obama care and the Republicans doing nothing or passing a plan that only covers 3 million of the uninsured though,I support Obama care

 

[phenomena]

Darwinism...

Quote from omegapoint:

Thats capitalism.
Walk on a treadmill hooked up to EKG= $1200.
" " " " " " " " and lung capacity test= $4000. and change. Had to badger them to get the cost. They told me I needed it. I'll take my chances.

 

[omegapoint]

Quote from phenomena:

Darwinism...

Darwinism is for reptiles.

 

[Ricter]

Quote from Range Rover:

What if they cant ?You do know about pre exiting conditions clauses right ?What about middle aged people who work 40 hours a week for minimum wage but their employer offers no benefits ?Do you expect them to be able to pay 500.00 a month for health insurance?What do people with high blood pressure, diabetes,had cancer in the past do when no insurer will insure them ?

Actually, those people work, according to their employer anyway, only 39 hours.

 

[Range Rover]

Quote from Ricter:

Actually, those people work, according to their employer anyway, only 39 hours.

I stand corrected

 

[Lucrum]

Quote from omegapoint:

Darwinism is for reptiles.

I thought humans were supposed to have evolved as well. Why not just let natural selection run its course? Survival of the fittest and that sort of thing. It's going on everyday througouht the animal kingdom. Why should humans be any different?

 

[bugscoe]

<object width="518" height="419"><param name="movie" value="http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/eyeblast.swf?v=hdSUSU8zDk" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/eyeblast.swf?v=hdSUSU8zDk" allowfullscreen="true" width="518" height="419" /></object>

 

[omegapoint]

Quote from Lucrum:

I thought humans were supposed to have evolved as well. Why not just let natural selection run its course? Survival of the fittest and that sort of thing. It's going on everyday througouht the animal kingdom. Why should humans be any different?

Its not Evolution thats in question here, its musical chairs.

 

[Lucrum]

Quote from omegapoint:

Its not Evolution thats in question here, its musical chairs.

I wasn't questioning evolution as much as asking why we need to interfere with it. Particularly when we can't afford it.

 

[Ricter]

We're often arguing along social Darwinistic lines around here. Some are for the triumph of the individual, others for the triumph of the group.