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Re: “Obamacare application simplified”
MrP: Oh, hey, why not Ludwig, Pearl, or Premier, or Even Yamaha?
My favorite drummer is (was) Danny Seraphine from Chicago. He played Slingerland for the majority of his career... at least while Slingerland was still in business! I loved the warm tone, but could never afford one back then.
My current drum set is a DW (American made) with Zildjian Custom A cymbals.
Re: “Obamacare application simplified”
eLwood, I guess I didn't get my point across very well. Look at it this way:
Our government cannot put together a simple health care system for a MINORITY of the population that has even the basic protections against fraud. Congress has known about this for decades... the GAO has audit after audit after audit showing the rampant fraud... yet nothing is done. Why? Because the AMA (Doctor mafia) contributes millions to Congresscritters. Those critters know who is committing the fraud, but they want their slush money too badly to say anything.
Now we talk about expanding this corrupt money pit from a minority of the population to everybody... what makes you think the government will do any better? Just think, the AMA (traditionally Republican) will have political control of 1/6th the economy. Baby, the pigs are at the trough just waiting to steal all they can... and SOMEBODY has to pay for it eventually, either through taxes or a currency collapse from Bernanke's money printing.
(Side note: one of the few things I can say I approve of the Obama administration has been their willingness to prosecute doctors for fraud. Still just a drop in the bucket, but at least it's better than any previous administration.)
(Second side note... in re-reading my post above, I'm starting to sound like ES :) )
Re: “Obamacare application simplified”
ES and Sound, thank you both for the well wishes.
My wife was barely symptomatic, in fact her doctor though it was something else entirely. Initially BCBS rejected the request for the colonoscopy based on her age and ercommended a series of PET scans and X-rays. But the doctor had a sudden gut feeling and "embellished" the symptoms. The conoloscopy was approved. Good thing too... in her case the tumors started perforating out of the colon and into the lymph system way early.
Specific to this thread, after 26 years of reviewing government health claims, I can promise you that the way the system is set up TODAY, we'll pay far more per patient for single payer than the other countries do. The fraud and waste within Medicare and Medicaid is about the same level as the Pentagon's. So based on my experience, until you clean up the criminal activity, the argument that single payer is less expensive doesn't work.
Private insurance works well for prior approval of a procedure (something that Medicare does NOT do.) For example, my mother (80 years old) has had three hospital stays in the last 15 years. I reviewed her claims... MULTIPLE fraudulent charges... she was billed for two appendectomies and a hysterectomy (nope) and Medicare paid in full for each one. I filed a complaint with CMS (which was promptly ignored.)
How do we stop the fraud? It's "government money" so nobody will take responsibility.
Re: “Obamacare application simplified”
ES, if you're rich enough to LEAVE GREAT BRITAIN for treatment, what does that say? It tells me: the NHS can't treat the patient and the patient is going somewhere else.
I own rentals, but my primary job is designing software to find medical fraud (especially Medicaid/Medicare.) Almost 26 years in the industry and I'm very familiar with coverages, tiers and optional riders.
My wife's cancer was paid for by Blue Cross with no arguments. She was diagnosed with colon cancer between state 3~4 at age 45. Her treatment was aggresive and the insurance company worked well with her doctors. She's been in remission for 4 years now.
It would not have been so in the UK: first, the NHS would have never allowed her to have a colonoscopy at age 45 because statistically she would need one. But if by some miracle we convinced a government apparatchik to allow it, the NHS would have forced her to wait until Stage 4, then start a (useless) round of 4FU chemo before going to the more expensive drugs.
In other words, the NHS would have decided to save a few pounds and let her die.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-…
https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/hel…
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/12December/Pag…
Re: “Obamacare application simplified”
ES, in the past I have posted link after link showing how the Brits' NHS allows cancer patients to die by not approving medical treatment due to the cost. And as a British subject, you are NOT ALLOWED to pay for the life-saving treatment out of your own pocket.
I guess they're better so long as you don't get cancer. Otherwise, too damned bad, the government will decide to let you die in order to "bean count".
Re: “Obamacare application simplified”
Interesting that a union is calling for the repeal of the (un)Affordable Health Care Act. It turns out their health plan is considered a "Cadillac" plan and the union members get to pay a $63 per month tax.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/16/5345736/r…
http://washingtonexaminer.com/roofers-unio…
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/16/5345736/r…
A bad law is worse than no law at all, and when the financial cost of this disaster is finally out in the open, I think we'll finally learn "what's in the bill" (as Nancy Pelosi said) has nothing to do with health care and everything to do with bad government.
Re: “Open line: Nate Bell's Boston comments earn criticism from colleagues and web and calls to resign”
Nate Bell, I'm a moderate who votes for the person, not the party. Please resign. You're embarrassing my state.
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Stuck at home on Tylenol 3 and antibiotics