Comments on: To your good health (plan)

By: rock hill,sc

rock hill,sc — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:56:11 +0000

Me thinks Tom Donnaly protests too much. Also, resorting to name calling only calls into question his lack of vocabulary and education. It might be more helpful to describe those “changes happening at WalMart” that seem to have him all in a dither.

By: Tom Donnaly York, SC

Tom Donnaly York, SC — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:42:02 +0000

Warren Coger must be an idiot and blind. Can he not see the change happening at WalMart? Warren, please don’t embarass SC with your stupid comments.

By: Tom, Rennes France

Tom, Rennes France — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:02:58 +0000

Luckily I live in France. Kiss my a**.

By: Larry, Reno NV

Larry, Reno NV — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:30:33 +0000

Use Your State’s Insurance Commissioner: My primary insurance company loves to disallow claims. I learned very quickly how to write a letter to my state’s insurance commissioner asking for its help. Each and every time I do, the company decides to quickly pay.

By: Larry, Reno, NV

Larry, Reno, NV — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:28:02 +0000

The wisest decision I ever made was to buy my own excess major medical policy through the ABA. It cost $200 a year then and had a $10,000 deductible. It now costs $1500 a year and still has the same deductible. Even though I have primary insurance through my job I have kept that policy. I know that I could quit tomorrow and still have coverage. That is freedom.

By: ann daniel, cary, nc

ann daniel, cary, nc — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:32:08 +0000

Globalization, India has superior math skills, tell you health care costs should be falling. Xrays can be shipped to India over telephone lines already in place. A few North Carolinians have traveled to India for major surgery. Kudos to Fortune ‘zine, summer 2003, the Power Issue, for the article on Fierce, Isakowitz (and now Blalock) the K St lobbying firm devoted to the health care industry and keeping …well, you finish the sentence. Which is not the same thing as saying the banks have lost so many ones and zeros there should be no one employed in any bank, anywhere in New Yawk. See? very little has been lost, certianly nothing as tangible as a shirt or loaf of bread.

By: Daniel in Portland, Oregon

Daniel in Portland, Oregon — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 02:06:08 +0000

Kaiser was always great for my wife and me. Easy to get appointments, doctors knew what they were doing, and the billing was easy, easy, easy!

Recently, we were switched to HealthNet. My wife’s prescription had to be faxed (!!!) to the online pharmacy they wanted us to use, but since the online pharmacy couldn’t seem to set up her account correctly, the doctor had to send it four (!!!) times. When it didn’t work the fourth time, we switched to the pharmacy down the street and pay a few dollars more. We get three+ pieces of bill-like paper after every appointment saying, “This is not a bill.” What a waste.

By: J.B. Burns, Chicago IL

J.B. Burns, Chicago IL — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:32:53 +0000

Every time I read a roll-call of horror stories like this, I get the agita over those neo-whatevers who cry “socialized medicine” every time someone calls for reforms. I’ve had relatives on Medicare and while it’s bureaucratic to be sure, it is nowhere near as psychotic as the private companies to which I have paid many thousands in premiums without ever needing so much as stitches.

By: Mike, Montreal, Quebec

Mike, Montreal, Quebec — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:16:02 +0000

Too bad you live in the US of A. If you lived in Canada and paid maybe an additional $6ooo per year in taxes you wouldn’t have to put up with this horse manure.
Imagine that you could get first class, timely treatment at no cost. I know, I know the healthcare lobbyists will tell you ad nauseum that the quality and timing of Canadian healthcare is terrible. If you believe that I have a nice bridge to Brooklyn that I can sell you.
Mike

By: Brandon, Ann Arbor, MI

Brandon, Ann Arbor, MI — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:48:27 +0000

Two things need to change if we’re going to fix health care.
1) Health insurance companies have to be taken out of the mix. I wrote a research paper about 4 years ago and learned that 16-26% of the money that goes into the health care system is eaten up by administrative overhead, thanks primarily to insurance companies. They can go out of business for all I care; they’ve proven to be inefficient, and inefficiency is naturally eliminated in a free market. A system must be created to pay medical professionals more directly.
2) The supply of health care providers must be increased, to help reduce prices. Training of doctors – particularly general practitioners – could be streamlined. Perhaps prospective GP’s could work under private doctors in an internship arrangement. Also, nurses who have attained Master’s degrees should be allowed to provide general exams and health care. These educated nurses are every bit as capable of diagnosing a cold, removing a wart, or treating a minor cut as any doctor. Let’s allow them to be the front line of the health system and expand supply to drive down costs.

By: Dan in DC

Dan in DC — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:18:49 +0000

I work for uncle sam. You are paying for my health insurance, and let me tell you, it is great. I hardly have to pay anything out of pocket, and my premiums are low. It’s too bad that the insurance you pay for is only available to folks like me. It could change you know, I think John Kerry suggested this insurance be availabe to all in 2004

By: Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX

Yadgyu, Harkeyville, TX — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:05:03 +0000

“So, just be happy you are still above ground and able to complain about the cost of your helath coverage. It is proof you are better off than about 90% of the people alive today.” – Posted By Tatarska, Los Angeles

So true!

I find it preposterous that people actually expect for the government to provide health care for them and their families. It would be nice, but it isn’t realistic. Even if the government gave free heatlth care, people would do no better of a job taking care of their health. Many would continue to eat bad foods, drink alcohol in excess, smoke cigarettes, use drugs, and have unprotected sex. The government has no obligation in protecting people from their own stupidity.

Even if there was health care for every citizen, those who are illegal immigrants, legal residents, permanent residents, or those who came over to go to Disneyland would expect free health care if something happened. People have no idea how much employers spend on health care. They have no idea how much health care costs. All they want is for the doctor to fix them.

If health care was free, there would still be complaints. Those who believed that they did not get the biggest and best treatment would cause trouble for the system. Patients would still try to sue in cases where they or a loved one was injured or died from a medical procedure. The rich would still receive better treatment because they have more money and can go to see doctors and specialists that the government would not pay for.

Modern medicine is not the cure for suffering and death. It is easier to let some people live in pain and even die. I wish for everyone to live a healthy life, but this is not going to happen. We have to be realistic here and stop pretending that every life is precious and must be protectted at all costs. No one else wants to pay the price for others’ troubles.

By: Austin Vesparado, Austin, TX

Austin Vesparado, Austin, TX — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:49:25 +0000

If you can afford to pay a dog walker ANYTHING – especially $100+/week – stop complaining about important stuff like your health insurance!

By: Hannah Anderson, Dallas, Texas

Hannah Anderson, Dallas, Texas — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:35:31 +0000

This is going to sound very out of touch, but does anyone know where I can find some kind of data on what exactly has driven up health care costs over the recent few years? Believe me,I know everything is more expensive, but what exactly are the top few causes? Is it doctor salaries rising (I don’t think so), is it new technology in medicine, is it CEO salaries at the insurance companies…can anyone be more specific than just “health care costs are rising and insurance companies are trying harder to not pay for anything.”

By: John Severna Park, MD

John Severna Park, MD — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:56:03 +0000

I have a PPO and I can tell you that they saved my life when I needed it. I was in a bad accident and spent a month in the ICU and was in and out of various hopsitals for followup work for 6 months. They were great and took care of everything. Now I must say that my wife is a nurse and she made sure things got taken care of but she only had to raise her voice once or twice to get things done.

By: Richard, Golden, CO

Richard, Golden, CO — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:52:48 +0000

Yep, Kaiser almost killed me also. They were convinced a brown recluse bite was a mosquito bite that I had scratched until it looked like an oozing sore. That was after I had told them I had been bitten by a spider in the Utah desert. Amazingly, I stayed with them for years after and they repeatedly would refuse to give me any kind of physical or diagnose anything.

By: Titi, New Jersey

Titi, New Jersey — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:52:37 +0000

Hats off to Wal Mart? Please tell me you’re kidding, Bing. Wal Mart only does things that are in Wal Mart’s best interests.

By: Rebecca, Philadelphia, PA

Rebecca, Philadelphia, PA — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:48:53 +0000

My last insurance (IBX PPO) was great!… but it ended the day my last job ended back in July. I don’t qualify for my new job’s insurance until I work here for another month. I couldn’t afford COBRA to continue my old insurance, so I decided to hold my breath and hope for a few months…

And then I suffered a knee injury. I had a doctor’s visit and X-rays, and the doc wrote me a prescription for pain medication and physical therapy.

If I’d had insurance, the entire package would have cost me $250. But I don’t. Out of pocket, the physical therapy alone costs well over $1000. I’m on an installment plan to pay for the doctor’s visit and the x-rays, which will take me months to pay off by themselves. Forget the meds, the PT, or the second doctor’s visit I was supposed to go on. Can’t afford ‘em. What if I’d needed surgery? Impossible. Not even if I sold everything I owned.

Ask the millions of Americans without insurance if they really enjoy hoping and praying they and their kids never get hurt or sick… The current health care system is a failure. Pure and simple. Yet people are so freaking scared of national health care or even of expanding national health insurance for children …

By: Tatarska, Los Angeles

Tatarska, Los Angeles — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:37:40 +0000

I think you miss the point: Nobody cares about us except our own immediate family (if we are lucky) and ourselves. We are all interchangeable cogs, easily replaceable by any decent HR dept in a just few weeks(well, maybe not you, Bing — you are one of a kind). The modern Corporation has a duty to its shareholders to maximize profits by, among other things, minimizing labor costs. Hence the popularity of job offshoring to outer Mongolia and other low wage locals. Hence also the popularity of reducing or eliminating frills such as health insurance. As you yourself said in a previous column, nobody owes anybody anything. So, just be happy you are still above ground and able to complain about the cost of your helath coverage. It is proof you are better off than about 90% of the people alive today.

By: Georgette, Manalapan, NJ

Georgette, Manalapan, NJ — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:36:15 +0000

My retired husband, handicapped adult adult son, 4 grandchildren who live under our roof and are supported by us and I receive 100% FREE PPO insurance with no deductibles and only a modest $15 office co-pay. Practically every procedure under the sun and every legal provider is covered. Claims are paid fast and correctly. I say this in contrast to the MAJOR health insurance company that I worked for 30 years which would only cover me at a huge premium of $10K yearly. This premium would have only included my son and I. The coverage was not as good as what my husband has. And they are lousy and late at paying claims. So what’s the point of this missive? When you first start to work, be highly selective for whom you work and make sure you are a union member. This same coverage I so proudly brag about in unavailable to management employees of the same company plus they must pay for the stinky coverage that is available. My family is truly blessed. I wish the same coverage for all Americans. Good health care is right, not a privilege.