Still above all, you guys remain the champion of the world regarding Human rights.
take your time if you can and come down to Africa.
i doubt if you will be able to state your complaints again about your healthcare.
Topic: Healthcare in the US is a disaster! Warning: Rant - page 2. (Read 587 times)
I honestly have no fucking clue how that would work or look like TBH but the principal of keeping the government regulations limited and allowing a more free market system might be possible if somehow the incentive for healthy patients was the primary motive?
There are systems based on per-capita prepayment, e.g. Kaiser Permanente. The costs are still outrageous. The quality might be better, not sure.
There's always a lot of debate over health care (obviously people like being healthy go figure eh!).
There isn't a perfect system and there are a number of different approaches around the world.
The biggest problem in the US health care system IMO is the incentive is for diagnosis and treatment. There is no financial incentive in prevention... Fortunately there are lots of professionals that look beyond financial incentive to provide some preventative information but the industry itself has little to no financial incentive to focus on preventative medicine. I don't mean this as a knock on doctors and nurse's they are doing a great job and change lives everyday with their skill, compassion and dedication. This is much more of an industry level issue.
You are a better customer to the medical bean counters if you have to see the doctor and use meds etc more often than not.
A lot of countries have taken the regulation step to stop this but there focus still isn't IMO enough on prevention.
I think that perhaps some smart people should look at how to redistribute the incentives for the medical share holders. If somehow the system was changed to a value based system where doctors and hospitals made more money the healthier their patients are?
I honestly have no fucking clue how that would work or look like TBH but the principal of keeping the government regulations limited and allowing a more free market system might be possible if somehow the incentive for healthy patients was the primary motive?
There isn't a perfect system and there are a number of different approaches around the world.
The biggest problem in the US health care system IMO is the incentive is for diagnosis and treatment. There is no financial incentive in prevention... Fortunately there are lots of professionals that look beyond financial incentive to provide some preventative information but the industry itself has little to no financial incentive to focus on preventative medicine. I don't mean this as a knock on doctors and nurse's they are doing a great job and change lives everyday with their skill, compassion and dedication. This is much more of an industry level issue.
You are a better customer to the medical bean counters if you have to see the doctor and use meds etc more often than not.
A lot of countries have taken the regulation step to stop this but there focus still isn't IMO enough on prevention.
I think that perhaps some smart people should look at how to redistribute the incentives for the medical share holders. If somehow the system was changed to a value based system where doctors and hospitals made more money the healthier their patients are?
I honestly have no fucking clue how that would work or look like TBH but the principal of keeping the government regulations limited and allowing a more free market system might be possible if somehow the incentive for healthy patients was the primary motive?
First off, I don't understand the law fully, but I'll describe the situation as it seems to be.
If you make between 100% to 400% of the poverty line (around 13k-52k) you receive a tax credit to help you pay for health insurance. This can drop the cost of health insurance for a working class person from $300 a month for a basic plan to around $60 per month making it affordable.
Of course that doesn't mean that this person won't have healthcare expenditures, there's co-pays (you pay part of your doctor visit) and deductibles and other things, especially with basic plans.
Now here's where I think the system is broken. If you make 99% of the poverty line, the government gives you absolutely no help. So you either have to pay the $300 per month for health insurance or pay a fine of $695 or 2.5% of gross household income (whichever is greater)
So you either spend a large amount of your income to get health insurance, or a fairly big fine. About 8 Million people where hit with the fine in 2016.
Now if you're 65 or older, and you've worked for 10 years at a job where you paid medicare taxes, you're covered, I think you're also covered for life if you're military, with the drawback that there are very few military hospitals so you may wait for a very long time.
A few notes, it seems that in most cases there is an exemption for the tax penalty, it is based however on technicalities.
I think this might be the last year where there will be a tax penalty. Starting in 2019 it may be an option to be uninsured without penalty.
That's just the financial side of it.
So, health insurance in the US is messed up.
How about how much money we spend for how much we get back?
I've lived in a different country before the US and I remember the hospitals and the doctors as deeply entrenched into an almost military like system, supported by a lot of government infrastructure in their day job. You'd go in, and you'd get taken care of. You could go to a private practice instead and you'd pay a reasonable amount, health insurance or not.
My experience in the US has turned me away from seeking the help of doctors at every turn. I have what is considered to be good health insurance.
I avoid doctors all together. I've broken a bone that I set myself and I've even sewn myself up. I'd never have done this living in another country. I just don't want to foot a $1000 dollar bill from the ER or have to pay off the cabal of moneymakers that are the gatekeepers of getting mostly substandard healthcare here in the US.
The hospitals are a joke, they feel unsupported by an organized government and even have volunteers on staff. Basically free labor. Some doctors won't give you any more insight then what a few hours of personal research on the internet and will look at you for a few minutes, after hours of waiting. They may expect 500-1500 dollars for this service.
A lot of doctors seem not to really care about the patients, whether they will die or not. A lot more still seem to see their patients as just a source of income.
So this is just my anecdote of what we get, we could get down to numbers but I think everyone has seen the charts. We spend about 18% of GDP, this is about more than double then what most countries spend. About half of it seems to be public and about half of it seems to be private.
We get worse healthcare outcomes than most countries. We're not living longer, we have more disability.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-u-s-highest-rate-deaths-amenable-health-care-among-comparable-oecd-countries
I don't get it. Why is healthcare such a joke here.
If you make between 100% to 400% of the poverty line (around 13k-52k) you receive a tax credit to help you pay for health insurance. This can drop the cost of health insurance for a working class person from $300 a month for a basic plan to around $60 per month making it affordable.
Of course that doesn't mean that this person won't have healthcare expenditures, there's co-pays (you pay part of your doctor visit) and deductibles and other things, especially with basic plans.
Now here's where I think the system is broken. If you make 99% of the poverty line, the government gives you absolutely no help. So you either have to pay the $300 per month for health insurance or pay a fine of $695 or 2.5% of gross household income (whichever is greater)
So you either spend a large amount of your income to get health insurance, or a fairly big fine. About 8 Million people where hit with the fine in 2016.
Now if you're 65 or older, and you've worked for 10 years at a job where you paid medicare taxes, you're covered, I think you're also covered for life if you're military, with the drawback that there are very few military hospitals so you may wait for a very long time.
A few notes, it seems that in most cases there is an exemption for the tax penalty, it is based however on technicalities.
I think this might be the last year where there will be a tax penalty. Starting in 2019 it may be an option to be uninsured without penalty.
That's just the financial side of it.
So, health insurance in the US is messed up.
How about how much money we spend for how much we get back?
I've lived in a different country before the US and I remember the hospitals and the doctors as deeply entrenched into an almost military like system, supported by a lot of government infrastructure in their day job. You'd go in, and you'd get taken care of. You could go to a private practice instead and you'd pay a reasonable amount, health insurance or not.
My experience in the US has turned me away from seeking the help of doctors at every turn. I have what is considered to be good health insurance.
I avoid doctors all together. I've broken a bone that I set myself and I've even sewn myself up. I'd never have done this living in another country. I just don't want to foot a $1000 dollar bill from the ER or have to pay off the cabal of moneymakers that are the gatekeepers of getting mostly substandard healthcare here in the US.
The hospitals are a joke, they feel unsupported by an organized government and even have volunteers on staff. Basically free labor. Some doctors won't give you any more insight then what a few hours of personal research on the internet and will look at you for a few minutes, after hours of waiting. They may expect 500-1500 dollars for this service.
A lot of doctors seem not to really care about the patients, whether they will die or not. A lot more still seem to see their patients as just a source of income.
So this is just my anecdote of what we get, we could get down to numbers but I think everyone has seen the charts. We spend about 18% of GDP, this is about more than double then what most countries spend. About half of it seems to be public and about half of it seems to be private.
We get worse healthcare outcomes than most countries. We're not living longer, we have more disability.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-u-s-highest-rate-deaths-amenable-health-care-among-comparable-oecd-countries
I don't get it. Why is healthcare such a joke here.
I guess we should really start to seek how we can de attach from traditional health care procedures especially with the public sector. It turns out that billions of dollars are spent in an annual basis for overcosted expenses both from patients or healthcare service providers. Blockchain projects can help reduce these costs and connect correctly the 2 sides on this life chess. Last relevant project I checked is HiNounou token, which has the capacity to deliver above all a nice living standard for its long term users/patients via its home wellness kit. There are a lot of healthcare projects in the space after all like OPU Labs also, etc. We should focus on how we can bring them in market and start having some real use cases!
I've posted about the US healthcare system before on this forum, so I'll quote a relevant section of one of my previous posts below. The US healthcare system is the worst in the developed world. US citizens spend significantly more of their income on healthcare, and the US government spends significantly more of its GDP on healthcare, than any other developed nation. And for that astronomical price, US citizens get the worst healthcare in the developed world.....
The US just needs to move over to the undeveloped category, then we'll be the best.
Next?
I've posted about the US healthcare system before on this forum, so I'll quote a relevant section of one of my previous posts below. The US healthcare system is the worst in the developed world. US citizens spend significantly more of their income on healthcare, and the US government spends significantly more of its GDP on healthcare, than any other developed nation. And for that astronomical price, US citizens get the worst healthcare in the developed world.
The US healthcare system is broken. In a Commonwealth Fund Report the US ranked last overall, as well as last for efficiency, equity, and cost-related access. The only category the US came first on was price - so as well as being the worst healthcare system in the developed world, the US is also the most expensive in the world, spending approximately 6-7% more of its GDP on health.
If you compare actual dollars per citizen the difference is even more striking - the UK's NHS, the highest rated healthcare system in the world spends $3,405 per citizen per year on healthcare. The US spends a whopping $8,508, and despite spending 2.5x per citizen, those citizen receive significantly worse care and outcomes. That's without even touching on the astronomical individual cost of health insurance, and the fact that any US citizen is a single major illness or disease away from bankruptcy.
If you compare actual dollars per citizen the difference is even more striking - the UK's NHS, the highest rated healthcare system in the world spends $3,405 per citizen per year on healthcare. The US spends a whopping $8,508, and despite spending 2.5x per citizen, those citizen receive significantly worse care and outcomes. That's without even touching on the astronomical individual cost of health insurance, and the fact that any US citizen is a single major illness or disease away from bankruptcy.
Meanwhile....
https://www.newsweek.com/pentagon-rushes-spend-billions-end-month-1137552
Pentagon gets a $700-billion budget while citizens can't afford average healthcare
https://www.newsweek.com/pentagon-rushes-spend-billions-end-month-1137552
Pentagon gets a $700-billion budget while citizens can't afford average healthcare
Why are you worried about efficiency and value for your money when the system is highly profitable?
Welcome to capitalism.
Welcome to capitalism.
Thanks Nixon!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Maintenance_Organization_Act_of_1973
Quote
Since President Nixon signed The HMO Act of 1973 into law, healthcare has been a commodity or luxury instead of something all Americans should have. With profit as a motive, significantly less money is spent on actual patient care and treatment decisions are based on balance sheets instead of medical needs.
Why are you worried about efficiency and value for your money when the system is highly profitable?
Welcome to capitalism.
Welcome to capitalism.
@OP. You must live in a state that didn't accept the Medicaid expansion. Otherwise, if you make 99% of the poverty line, you would get Medicaid. But hey, State's rights and all. 
All I can recommend is move to Colorful Colorado. You should be able to get Medicaid as soon as you establish residency. Unfortunately, housing costs are a little high in the Denver metro. Maybe live in one of the rural areas on the plains.
All I can recommend is move to Colorful Colorado. You should be able to get Medicaid as soon as you establish residency. Unfortunately, housing costs are a little high in the Denver metro. Maybe live in one of the rural areas on the plains.
2 People replying so far, both have pictures of hats as their profiles.
I make more than the poverty line.
I'll look into the medicaid expansion. I love Colorado, unfortunately I live in Florida.
Same for me. I come for deputation in USA. what surprised me that taking appointment with regular doctor is nightmare. Even with insurance , I paid much more what I pay in my home country. Charged $1200 for ultrasound, paid $240 from my pocket.
Surprisingly it cost $15 in my home country without any insurance. If I paid $240 in my home country instead of taking appointment, I can ask the hospital to seek appointment with me.
Surprisingly it cost $15 in my home country without any insurance. If I paid $240 in my home country instead of taking appointment, I can ask the hospital to seek appointment with me.
That's the kind of experience I'm talking about. It's really shocking. I know I could go and get a filling at a dentist or even go to the hospital and I'd pay a reasonable amount for it where I came from. Over here it's a fake inflated price and the actual service is worse.
Here's a video excerpt that's relevant from someone I love to watch. He talks a little bit about his health insurance and care here in the US, it's very entertaining.
https://youtu.be/HX2wiU7ndZ0?t=1500
Edit: Added the line about making more than the poverty line.
@OP. You must live in a state that didn't accept the Medicaid expansion. Otherwise, if you make 99% of the poverty line, you would get Medicaid. But hey, State's rights and all.
All I can recommend is move to Colorful Colorado. You should be able to get Medicaid as soon as you establish residency. Unfortunately, housing costs are a little high in the Denver metro. Maybe live in one of the rural areas on the plains.
All I can recommend is move to Colorful Colorado. You should be able to get Medicaid as soon as you establish residency. Unfortunately, housing costs are a little high in the Denver metro. Maybe live in one of the rural areas on the plains.
Same for me. I come for deputation in USA. what surprised me that taking appointment with regular doctor is nightmare. Even with insurance , I paid much more what I pay in my home country. Charged $1200 for ultrasound, paid $240 from my pocket.
Surprisingly it cost $15 in my home country without any insurance. If I paid $240 in my home country instead of taking appointment, I can ask the hospital to seek appointment with me.
Surprisingly it cost $15 in my home country without any insurance. If I paid $240 in my home country instead of taking appointment, I can ask the hospital to seek appointment with me.
First off, I don't understand the law fully, but I'll describe the situation as it seems to be.
If you make between 100% to 400% of the poverty line (around 13k-52k) you receive a tax credit to help you pay for health insurance. This can drop the cost of health insurance for a working class person from $300 a month for a basic plan to around $60 per month making it affordable.
Of course that doesn't mean that this person won't have healthcare expenditures, there's co-pays (you pay part of your doctor visit) and deductibles and other things, especially with basic plans.
Now here's where I think the system is broken. If you make 99% of the poverty line, the government gives you absolutely no help. So you either have to pay the $300 per month for health insurance or pay a fine of $695 or 2.5% of gross household income (whichever is greater)
So you either spend a large amount of your income to get health insurance, or a fairly big fine. About 8 Million people where hit with the fine in 2016.
Now if you're 65 or older, and you've worked for 10 years at a job where you paid medicare taxes, you're covered, I think you're also covered for life if you're military, with the drawback that there are very few military hospitals so you may wait for a very long time.
A few notes, it seems that in most cases there is an exemption for the tax penalty, it is based however on technicalities.
I think this might be the last year where there will be a tax penalty. Starting in 2019 it may be an option to be uninsured without penalty.
That's just the financial side of it.
So, health insurance in the US is messed up.
How about how much money we spend for how much we get back?
I've lived in a different country before the US and I remember the hospitals and the doctors as deeply entrenched into an almost military like system, supported by a lot of government infrastructure in their day job. You'd go in, and you'd get taken care of. You could go to a private practice instead and you'd pay a reasonable amount, health insurance or not.
My experience in the US has turned me away from seeking the help of doctors at every turn. I have what is considered to be good health insurance.
I avoid doctors all together. I've broken a bone that I set myself and I've even sewn myself up. I'd never have done this living in another country. I just don't want to foot a $1000 dollar bill from the ER or have to pay off the cabal of moneymakers that are the gatekeepers of getting mostly substandard healthcare here in the US.
The hospitals are a joke, they feel unsupported by an organized government and even have volunteers on staff. Basically free labor. Some doctors won't give you any more insight then what a few hours of personal research on the internet and will look at you for a few minutes, after hours of waiting. They may expect 500-1500 dollars for this service.
A lot of doctors seem not to really care about the patients, whether they will die or not. A lot more still seem to see their patients as just a source of income.
So this is just my anecdote of what we get, we could get down to numbers but I think everyone has seen the charts. We spend about 18% of GDP, this is about more than double then what most countries spend. About half of it seems to be public and about half of it seems to be private.
We get worse healthcare outcomes than most countries. We're not living longer, we have more disability.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-u-s-highest-rate-deaths-amenable-health-care-among-comparable-oecd-countries
I don't get it. Why is healthcare such a joke here.
If you make between 100% to 400% of the poverty line (around 13k-52k) you receive a tax credit to help you pay for health insurance. This can drop the cost of health insurance for a working class person from $300 a month for a basic plan to around $60 per month making it affordable.
Of course that doesn't mean that this person won't have healthcare expenditures, there's co-pays (you pay part of your doctor visit) and deductibles and other things, especially with basic plans.
Now here's where I think the system is broken. If you make 99% of the poverty line, the government gives you absolutely no help. So you either have to pay the $300 per month for health insurance or pay a fine of $695 or 2.5% of gross household income (whichever is greater)
So you either spend a large amount of your income to get health insurance, or a fairly big fine. About 8 Million people where hit with the fine in 2016.
Now if you're 65 or older, and you've worked for 10 years at a job where you paid medicare taxes, you're covered, I think you're also covered for life if you're military, with the drawback that there are very few military hospitals so you may wait for a very long time.
A few notes, it seems that in most cases there is an exemption for the tax penalty, it is based however on technicalities.
I think this might be the last year where there will be a tax penalty. Starting in 2019 it may be an option to be uninsured without penalty.
That's just the financial side of it.
So, health insurance in the US is messed up.
How about how much money we spend for how much we get back?
I've lived in a different country before the US and I remember the hospitals and the doctors as deeply entrenched into an almost military like system, supported by a lot of government infrastructure in their day job. You'd go in, and you'd get taken care of. You could go to a private practice instead and you'd pay a reasonable amount, health insurance or not.
My experience in the US has turned me away from seeking the help of doctors at every turn. I have what is considered to be good health insurance.
I avoid doctors all together. I've broken a bone that I set myself and I've even sewn myself up. I'd never have done this living in another country. I just don't want to foot a $1000 dollar bill from the ER or have to pay off the cabal of moneymakers that are the gatekeepers of getting mostly substandard healthcare here in the US.
The hospitals are a joke, they feel unsupported by an organized government and even have volunteers on staff. Basically free labor. Some doctors won't give you any more insight then what a few hours of personal research on the internet and will look at you for a few minutes, after hours of waiting. They may expect 500-1500 dollars for this service.
A lot of doctors seem not to really care about the patients, whether they will die or not. A lot more still seem to see their patients as just a source of income.
So this is just my anecdote of what we get, we could get down to numbers but I think everyone has seen the charts. We spend about 18% of GDP, this is about more than double then what most countries spend. About half of it seems to be public and about half of it seems to be private.
We get worse healthcare outcomes than most countries. We're not living longer, we have more disability.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/#item-u-s-highest-rate-deaths-amenable-health-care-among-comparable-oecd-countries
I don't get it. Why is healthcare such a joke here.
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