If You Can't Afford Surgery In The US

[Texsox]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/26/cheap...gery/index.html

 

TORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The majority of medical tourists are uninsured
• About 878,000 Americans will travel internationally for a medical procedure this year
• Travelers should research the legal system of the country they are visiting
• Patients should make sure overseas hospital they're considering is accredited

[StrangeSox]

What?! Americans go to foreign countries for medical treatments?! But I thought Euroweenies coming over here was proof that affordable health care SOCIALISM is a failure and that the free market of America triumphs over all!

[Balta1701]

I seriously think that 878,000 number is not including Americans who go to Mexico for treatments. I think that number doubles when you count Mexico.

[Y2HH]

And why?

 

Because hospitals/doctors can charge anything they want, anytime they want...and nothing was done to prevent this from happening now or in the future.

 

Personally, I wouldn't go elsewhere for such a procedure, but then again, I'm insured...and since I was born, I've been insured.

[Balta1701]

Because hospitals/doctors can charge anything they want, anytime they want...and nothing was done to prevent this from happening now or in the future.

 

Personally, I wouldn't go elsewhere for such a procedure, but then again, I'm insured...and since I was born, I've been insured.

So, you're saying that if we were to provide insurance coverage for everyone...this problem might go away?

 

I wonder why no one's held a 14 month debate on doing that recently.

[Y2HH]

So, you're saying that if we were to provide insurance coverage for everyone...this problem might go away?

 

I wonder why no one's held a 14 month debate on doing that recently.

 

No, you see...once again I'll repeat this for you since you can't seem to grasp it. I've gone over this a million times, and somehow you've ignored it every f***ing time.

 

One more time.

 

NOTHING WILL CHANGE.

 

We've done NOTHING to stop the cost factor. N O T H I N G. Let that sink in before you reply now. Everyone will be insured at way higher costs. Nothing was done to curb the rising rates (NOTHING), and nothing was done to curb the costs of the care you receive (NOTHING).

 

Doctors and Hospitals can STILL charge you (your insurance company) whatever they want. Insurance rates CAN and WILL rise. If you thought the government was spending a lot of money on health care before, give it about 8 years and you'll see some REAL spending.

 

Let me recap:

 

1) Everyone will now have a choice to buy insurance.

2) Hospitals/Doctors can still charge you whatever they want.

3) Drug companies can still charge you whatever they want.

4) Premiums can STILL be raised whatever the insurance companies feel like raising them too.

 

Summary:

 

Nothing was done.

[Balta1701]

Link

 

 

[Y2HH]

Link

 

I absolutely understand the number of uninsured people will fall because of this law. But that's ALL this law accomplishes.

 

It did nothing to curb the rising costs of medical care or prescription drugs. NOTHING.

 

Also, insurance companies can STILL raise their premiums whenever and however they want. They simply cannot raise them excessively without justification. However, it's easy to justify that you need to raise them BECAUSE THE COST OF MEDICAL CARE AND DRUGS CONTINUED TO SKYROCKET.

 

It's pretty simple.

 

In the end, nothing was done.

[Soxy]

If I make my points in all caps I CAN'T BE WRONG!

[StrangeSox]

I absolutely understand the number of uninsured people will fall because of this law. But that's ALL this law accomplishes.

 

It did nothing to curb the rising costs of medical care or prescription drugs. NOTHING.

 

Also, insurance companies can STILL raise their premiums whenever and however they want. They simply cannot raise them excessively without justification. However, it's easy to justify that you need to raise them BECAUSE THE COST OF MEDICAL CARE AND DRUGS CONTINUED TO SKYROCKET.

 

It's pretty simple.

 

In the end, nothing was done.

 

Even if that's the only thing this law does, it's still a good thing.

[Balta1701]

I absolutely understand the number of uninsured people will fall because of this law. But that's ALL this law accomplishes.

 

It did nothing to curb the rising costs of medical care or prescription drugs. NOTHING.

 

Also, insurance companies can STILL raise their premiums whenever and however they want. They simply cannot raise them excessively without justification. However, it's easy to justify that you need to raise them BECAUSE THE COST OF MEDICAL CARE AND DRUGS CONTINUED TO SKYROCKET.

 

It's pretty simple.

 

In the end, nothing was done.

I like it when I can take other graphs from the same study.

 

 

Overall, you cover 25 million+ people, and you increase overall spending by less than 1%/year, and that amount goes down with time.

[Controlled Chaos]

If I make my points in all caps I CAN'T BE WRONG!

Why do people get upset at the Caps in posts? It's just adding extra emphasis on something. The same you would do if you were conversing face to face. Now if it's all caps...you're just yelling and I won't stand for it.

[Balta1701]

Why do people get upset at the Caps in posts? It's just adding extra emphasis on something. The same you would do if you were conversing face to face. Now if it's all caps...you're just yelling and I won't stand for it.

I like responding to being yelled at by calmly posting graphs.

[Controlled Chaos]

I like responding to being yelled at by calmly posting graphs.

I disagree with about 95% of the things you post, but I will say this....you are always calm...at least you come off that way. You're like the Lovie Smith of Soxtalk. I'll let you decide if I meant that as a cheap shot or not.

[Balta1701]

I disagree with about 95% of the things you post, but I will say this....you are always calm...at least you come off that way. You're like the Lovie Smith of Soxtalk. I'll let you decide if I meant that as a cheap shot or not.

Great, my future rides on the motivation of Julius Peppers...

[Y2HH]

While I'm definatly NOT the Lovie Smoth of Soxtalk.

[Y2HH]

I like it when I can take other graphs from the same study.

 

 

Overall, you cover 25 million+ people, and you increase overall spending by less than 1%/year, and that amount goes down with time.

 

While that's all well and good in a theoretical projection...how much would you like to bet that it will be FAR more than 1%? I don't mean to actually bet, either...I'm just saying, if you believe that figure, I have some oceanfront property to sell you in Arizona.

 

I'm telling you right now, that the costs of this law are going to spiral out of control in the years to come. Medical care will get more expensive, and your premiums will rise along with it. The Government will end up spending WAY more on this than they 1) envisioned, or 2) admitted they would have too (lied).

[Texsox]

To be fair there are other factors at work here like the exchange rate of the different currencies. And the earlier comment about Mexico makes sense to me. I know a lot of people that prefer having some medical work done in Mexico.

[Balta1701]

While that's all well and good in a theoretical projection...how much would you like to bet that it will be FAR more than 1%? I don't mean to actually bet, either...I'm just saying, if you believe that figure, I have some oceanfront property to sell you in Arizona.

 

I'm telling you right now, that the costs of this law are going to spiral out of control in the years to come. Medical care will get more expensive, and your premiums will rise along with it. The Government will end up spending WAY more on this than they 1) envisioned, or 2) admitted they would have too (lied).

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we found out that some of the cost control measures included in the bill worked a lot better than the projections.

[Y2HH]

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised at all if we found out that some of the cost control measures included in the bill worked a lot better than the projections.

 

There are no true cost controls. All they do is offset the money to taxes/government spending.

 

Nothing was done to control the costs of drugs or medical services.

 

Nothing.

[Balta1701]

There are no true cost controls. All they do is offset the money to taxes/government spending.

 

Nothing was done to control the costs of drugs or medical services.

 

Nothing.

I could go down the list again, but you'd just repeat the word "nothing".

[Y2HH]

I could go down the list again, but you'd just repeat the word "nothing".

 

You can go down your fake list all you want.

 

I work in the profession.

 

And I can tell you, from an insiders perspective, NOTHING was done to curb costs.

 

I'll repeat one final time...since you can't seem to wrap your mind around it.

 

Nothing was done to change how doctors/hospitals charge patients and set pricing.

 

Nothing was done to change how pharma charges patients and sets pricing.

 

Buy pharm stock now.

 

Buy healthcare stock now.

 

You'll be happy you did.

 

Just as you know quite a bit about what you know...so do I. I see it, everyday. I work here. I know what's going on and what it means and how it applies to us. You show via your graphs and what you're saying that you really only know what you've read...and have no idea how true any of it is.

 

Well I do, so take it for what it's worth. You will be paying MORE than you expected in the end.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Y2HH

[Balta1701]

I'm amazed how effective including the phrase "you'd just repeat the word nothing" was at getting you to repeat the word "nothing".

[Y2HH]

I'm amazed how effective including the phrase "you'd just repeat the word nothing" was at getting you to repeat the word "nothing".

 

No, what's really amazing is how you live in a fantasy world about the health care system.

[Balta1701]

No, what's really amazing is how you live in a fantasy world about the health care system.

Yup. One with math.