To be truthful, I can’t believe it’s taken Americans this long to be that open about the fact that it’s the biggest scam that was ever set upon you for people making money off of your health and at the same time, be able to deny you coverage for the very thing you pay for
I totally believe this, especially when it comes to the Ozempic type drugs. I swear every time my husband or I go to the doctor, they ask if we want to try it. Neither of us is diabetic and we are a bit over weight but not obese.
It's all works well until you develop a chronic illness or suffer a catastrophic event. So ditch the healthcare tax & buy your paracetamol from the pharmacy. Thats my advice (although I am in the UK, so ... there is that!)
Medicare pays 80% and has no limit. If you have a $100,000 surgery, you pay $20,000. If you need another $100,000 surgery, you pay $20,000 again. Those without supplemental insurance can still lose everything with catastrophic illness or injury.
Without question and the pharmaceutical/food companies, and politicians who knowingly accept bribes, promote, profit, and lie about the poor quality of products that contribute to the decline of our health and wellbeing are too!
I’m not sure why I pay for health insurance when I go to the doctor and I have to pay for the doctor and she orders a test and I have to pay for the test and she orders labs and I have to pay for the labs.
And then I pay for my next month of health insurance…
Thank you for signing up for our "Premium Discount Card Subscription Service". For a small* monthly fee, you will receive a card that is good for discounts at selected vendors. In addition, our trained** consultants will vigilantly review your medical services to ensure you are getting only what 1/
I get it. I had to go to ER. Was admitted for two days. I owe over $1000. After insurance. Paid for follow up doctor visit. Follow up procedure bills are now coming in
One day I decided to calculate the employer paid premium + my premium and it's approximately $24k/yr and I still have co-pays + co-insurance + deductible. Just think if all that money actually went to healthcare providers.
ALL insurance is a scam. Send a FOR-PROFIT company money to "hold onto" for me in case I have a car accident, or my house burns down, or I need to go to the hospital? And then THEY get to decide when I can or can't have that money for those things? Only in America...
True, that could be what she meant. I'm about to lose my insurance and on disability. As if I can afford medicare premiums and deductibles with the measly pittance they give me to supposedly live off. It's about to get so so rough:-(
I got 1750 a month and when they took it up $50 a month I lost $500 in SNAP benefits. Now they tell me I'm making $100 over the limit when I am disabled and have 20 specialists for all of my health issues. I won't be able to live if they take it.
I know. And he's about to pull all subsidies from Affordable Care Act so instead of being a couple hundred dollars a month, it'll be $1,200 a month. Why aren't his supporters pissed off that he lied to them for a year about prices going down? They are seriously the biggest cowards.
Because if you don’t pay for the insurance, you don’t get the “negotiated rate”. The non-negotiated rate is excessive and will bankrupt you for minor procedures.
Family member had an outpatient proc done. Hospital billed $33,000. Insurance paid $196. It’s like paying protection money to the mafia.
We wouldn't be here if we could convince people that a tax for universal coverage is better than thousands more a year to a corporation in copays and premiums. But no, that's socialism. 🙄🙄
Exactly, insurance said vaccines covered if I go to Dr office to get them. However, get bill insurance doesn’t cover and the Dr office charged $588 for Covid and $110 for flu. Many phone calls made and now owe $153 for Covid and flu. Walgreens w/out insurance $200,SCAM!
I say the same about car insurance. 30 years no accidents/tickets. Youngest of 4 gets into an accident and now for the next 3 years my premium will go up depending on how much they had to pay out.
That’s exactly why I quit paying for insurance. It only works in extreme situations. I did the math, and the avg hospital stay is the same out of pocket cost as if I’d paid premiums + deductible for insurance. So all that extra $ not needed to help extreme cases goes in their coffers. And it’s a LOT
Meanwhile I pay $120/mo for a concierge doc w low lab and Rx costs, no insurance in the mix. I save thousands while avoiding hospital stays, and they save 30% in overhead not having to deal with insurance.
For those of you who benefit from insurance, good. But they are bilking the larger community
Discouraging people from obtaining health insurance is very dangerous. Yes, insurers act to their own interests but overall lessen the high impact, often bankrupting, of crushing medical bills. This is why the Affordable Care Act was implemented. For god’s sake obtain health insurance!
The for profit system discourages people from obtaining health insurance because they cannot afford it. Thats very dangerous. The culling of the poor was already being preformed before fascism took over.
The ACA made important changes to health insurance, most significantly by expanding Medicaid. But it is hardly the be all and end all, especially now that the death merchants of the healthcare industry have found all the loopholes. We need single payer.
It's not like insurance is some shit that grows on trees. If you want to obtain health insurance right now, you're fucked until the next open enrollment period, which in once a year.
There should be no such thing. Enrollment should be year round
Also, depending on your state, the enrollment plans may be totally out of your budget.
I was unemployed during one enrollment period and the best plan I could get was a $300 a month. With no money.
Fuck the ACA.
Single payer.
Mine isn't that bad but I still totally agree with the premise that health insurance companies in the US are a completely unnecessary barrier between patients & medical care. They serve no purpose other than as a job creator and money collector for the paper-pushers holding those jobs.
I am going through testing to determine my issue. So far I have got about 2 grand in medical bills. Going to let it accrue until I am done with it all. And yes, I do have health insurance. 🤷
I have decided health insurance is really two different things. It is insurance against catastrophes that would bankrupt most people. That benefits relatively few people. And it is a buyers’ coop that negotiates lower prices than we’d pay individually. That benefits many people.
I think there's a difference between private insurance and public/government insurance. Private insurers are focused on profit and public health like Medicare (not Medicare advantage) are more focused on patient outcomes. That been my experience.
Before I retired I partially self insured. I’d pay for some appointments out of pocket and get a slight discount from their rack price. But when I went through my insurance, it would pay a much lower price.
In other words, if they didn’t negotiate a lower price, they’d be paying more and charging us more. So their value here is less about sharing the risk and more as a buyers coop.
I paid out of pocket for years for services our insurance didn't cover. Living in a remote rural area gave us few options. Sometimes we had to decide who's turn it was to get care, a new pair of glasses or a filling.
You need a different insurance; I just went and got some tests and insurance covered the whole thing. Call one of the ACA navigators and tell them what your medical needs are and financial limits are, and they'll help you figure out a good plan.
Here. Put your zip in, search, and then call a couple of the people who have a lot of experience, and whoever calls back first, go with them. They can also sign you up. It's free
They get paid by the insurance companies when you sign up, but it's the same amount of money from each insurance company, so while there's incentive to get you to sign up there's not incentive to recommend a particular program. And, in my experience, they're not pushy at all.
I do this every time I move states for work. The first two times, I asked them to give the top recommendations and then I looked into it myself. I ended up choosing what they recommended each time. So now I just go with what they recommend.
At this point, we all would save more money in the long run if we just put back money for healthcare in our own personal savings accounts & avoid insurance companies all together.
I’m curious why prescription co-pay costs vary widely between pharmacies & insurance companies, even under Medicare. Does the cost of producing a drug change because I shop at Fred Meyer vs Walmart or because I live in WA vs CA?
I had an emergency situation last year that my insurance paid for. This year same ins co. Requires I have Medicare b (that comes out of my ss) in order to keep the policy. I have also moved to an independent gp just in case things go south with the corporate octopus.
As long as something everyone requires is only available through a “for profit” scheme, it’s gonna be a scam. Things like healthcare and public utilities should be owned by the public.
Medicare only pays 80 percent then you need a Medigap plan that doesn't cover the other 20 percent. Both have deductibles you have to meet. And you pay premiums on both. So there's that.
Richard Nixon & Ronald Reagan are responsible for the system as it is today. Nixon made health insurance profiting legal in 1973 & Reagan deregulated in the 80’s making privatization common #Fuckers
I feel so ignorant that I never knew that. All I knew was that I could afford the dr in ‘82 before moving to Germany w/my newly minted GI hubs, & when I came back 6 yrs later the cost had about tripled. And it’s never stopped going up. Makes so much sense now.
If you look into all that RR did to cause harm to the working class and the poorest of us, you will be shocked. Health, mental health, social services, tax cuts to the rich, etc.
It’s not, though, unless healthcare itself is free. Just last year my medical bills were over $300k. I had 3 major surgeries. You think I could pay those? No. I’m a cancer survivor with a high risk pre cancer diagnosis too. I’ve had over $1 million in bills since 2001, easy.
Yes indeed. Last year, after I broke my ankle, the insurance company I pay extortionate premiums to, decided I was miraculously healed and no longer needed physical therapy the moment I burned through my deductible and out-of-pocket costs. Go figure.
Of we could just get 1/3 of Americans to drop their private insurance at once for an ACA plan, this shit would be over. Without lots of customers they have a shit's bit of leverage.
Preach… just had a colonoscopy and UHC considers it a diagnostic test because I have polyps. $2400 in medical debt on the 1st month of my insurance year. I assume they prefer to pay for colon cancer treatment.
I know. I worked for a major insurer for years. They add no value and assume little risk, and at the same time, they add cost and complexity. Why do they exist?
As a physician I wholeheartedly agree. It is time for national medicine. If only we could get ethical, moral (not necessarily religious, mind you) people in government. Instead, we keep electing the same ole people and we wonder why we don’t get different results.
☎️ your House Rep & Senators use U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121.
🗣️Give operator your zip & they will connect you with your elected's office. Make clear you are a constituent.
✏️Write out a concise message BEFORE you call. You can use the same message for all your electeds.
#SaveDemocracy
I worked for a healthcare insurance company for 15 years. It’s one of the scummiest industries on earth. They deny claims that should be paid, dictate drugs against doctor recommendations, and simply process claims sucking 20% for something Medicare does for 3%.
Healthcare dot gov quoted me almost $1,000 a month with a $3k deductible. I'm 62, don't smoke, no health issues, no illegal drugs, I don't even take prescriptions.
Last year I made a little over $30k. So why is it i should pay 1/2 of what I make?
As most insurance companies here. All a scam just to drain people's money. They will delay and deny claims because they can but the minute you're late on your payment, you're cut off. Makes sense right? 🙄🙄🙄
True in many ways - but you sure need to have it. ... Makes me fondly recall how not that long ago we were all concerned about things like universal health care. Now we're mostly concerned whether we will all soon die in some yet to be determined way due to trump and musk.
Health insurance is another example of something that was set up to help people and then perverted by greedy people that want to take advantage of other people. It is disgusting. The basic structure of it is not a bad idea, the regulations, all of the 'utilization management' and allowing it to be
a profit based business is the problem. Being required to have it is also an issue. We know who these people are, the 'rugged individuals' who are the the first one looking to take advantage of others. I have been disgusted and yelling for years. I was working in the system and no one listened.
All insurance is. Make a claim; your rates go up. All year you feed the insurer money. They have a fit when you use it. It makes no sense and offers no assurances to protect life, limb or any other aspect of your life. If I was not forced to have car and home insurance I'd drop it for sure.
There should be a scam level of insurances (1 being most scam)
#1 Title Insurance
#2 Health Insurance
#3 Home Owners Insurance
#4 Wildfire/CalFire Flood Lava insurance
#5 Extended Warranties
#6 Life Insurance
#7 Car Insurance
You don't think it's helpful to put in a middle man who's exclusive role is to extract wealth for billionaires and the mega-rich without providing any services in return? And who creates additional overhead and bureaucracy?
I know I’d be better off paying tax for universal healthcare rather than paying for insurance - and my insurance, as every provider states, is “really good”
Is it though? Because in my quarter century in the UK I was never asked for payment at a doctors office, yet here we are with me paying $20 just to step into the office. (And the next guy paying $40)
I have United Healthcare, the last time I needed an X-ray it was cheaper to pay out of pocket than use my insurance, i.e. my copay was more than what they charge people without insurance. That is not all the insurance companies' fault, it is a sign of a completely broken healthcare system
It is yet another mechanism for the rich elites to transfer wealth from working class Americans to their pockets. Do you know how many $millions the CEOs bank each year? Even those so-called non-profits are scams.
Yep. We r stating full time international travel.
We r paying $17K/yr for insurance here (too young for Medicare; make a LITTLE too much for free ACA).
Health care elsewhere is SO SO much cheaper & just as good in SO many places.
Between insurance, pharma & med exp in US, out of control.
Yesterday I called to fill a script. The pharmacy said it’s approved by insurance, but won’t process. Called insurance co. It’s approved, odd. Three-way calls what th pharmacy. Oh. It’s because the 20% copay is high. How high? 4K. The drug is 17K for one month.
My doctor ordered bloodwork. Got a bill for it. Apparently my insurance company decided that particular blood test wasn’t valuable and refused to pay. Cost me $300.
😔. We pay so much here. Everyone gripes about taxes. Add our taxes + cost of health insurance and I’m sure it’s equivalent and we get way less in total. Esp now, as space karen is dismantling all our safety nets.
Admittedly we pay a tax on our earnings which goes towards the NHS but it also pays towards state pension, sick pay etc
We pay approx 5% of earnings. Far less than your insurances.
It's horrendous what Karen has access to 😱
Without a doubt. Imagine if we all just dropped our insurance in one day. And starve them out then we would finally get universal healthcare. Because the reason we’re not getting it is our government will not put those businesses out of business.
I went to Urgent Care yesterday. My copay would have been $50. BUT, because she had to take some blood, it automatically changed into an ER visit and my copay was $300. FOR FREAKING TAKING MY BLOOD and having a machine analyze it within a few minutes.
💯 TRUE! They take our money every month! We have to pay deductibles! They deny paying our medical treatments with our own money! Insurance companies are criminal entities!!
I was telling my kid yesterday that Australians on a cruise forum were complaining, because they don’t get some perks that Americans do on cruises. She told me to tell them to shut and stop complaining, they have universal healthcare. 🤷🏻♀️
Yup… unnecessary middle management cash grab that we’ve normalized as a society to be tied to the workforce in exchange for a certain number of labor hour to have it at all. Unless you are so poor/disabled that you qualify for even crappier care. Such a grift! Universal healthcare now!
It's awful. I have asked my dentist if there is anyway my issues could go on medical insurance (Sjogrens) and he said it won't ever happen because dental insurance makes far too much money to ever be folded into medical insurance. The margins are much higher. Fuckheads.
Comments
*more* privatization is NOT the answer!
And then I pay for my next month of health insurance…
* - small compared to our CEO's income
** - high-school diploma required
2/2
Family member had an outpatient proc done. Hospital billed $33,000. Insurance paid $196. It’s like paying protection money to the mafia.
For those of you who benefit from insurance, good. But they are bilking the larger community
Sometimes people get it 😆
There should be no such thing. Enrollment should be year round
I was unemployed during one enrollment period and the best plan I could get was a $300 a month. With no money.
Fuck the ACA.
Single payer.
Before I retired I partially self insured. I’d pay for some appointments out of pocket and get a slight discount from their rack price. But when I went through my insurance, it would pay a much lower price.
Here. Put your zip in, search, and then call a couple of the people who have a lot of experience, and whoever calls back first, go with them. They can also sign you up. It's free
so we pay through the nose for the CEOs
and corporate dividends
🗣️Give operator your zip & they will connect you with your elected's office. Make clear you are a constituent.
✏️Write out a concise message BEFORE you call. You can use the same message for all your electeds.
#SaveDemocracy
Last year I made a little over $30k. So why is it i should pay 1/2 of what I make?
I don't have any because I can't afford it.😡
Deductible for a 64
MLK said it best & this is the energy needed to fight against fascism.
#1 Title Insurance
#2 Health Insurance
#3 Home Owners Insurance
#4 Wildfire/CalFire Flood Lava insurance
#5 Extended Warranties
#6 Life Insurance
#7 Car Insurance
Have i been lied too????
;)
I know I’d be better off paying tax for universal healthcare rather than paying for insurance - and my insurance, as every provider states, is “really good”
My doctor - hey we should probably scan your kidneys
My insurance -
Nah bro, that’s gonna cost you $1900, we say you don’t need that.
Insurance that can “deny” is LEGALIZED THEFT
We r paying $17K/yr for insurance here (too young for Medicare; make a LITTLE too much for free ACA).
Health care elsewhere is SO SO much cheaper & just as good in SO many places.
Between insurance, pharma & med exp in US, out of control.
I get that the rethuglicans are great and "distract and disarray", but I'm tired of getting it from libs too.
The ONLY things we need now are preservation of democracy. Full stop.
I take 5 pills every day for life, and it costs me $150 a year in the UK
We pay approx 5% of earnings. Far less than your insurances.
It's horrendous what Karen has access to 😱
No copay on Ivermectin, blood letting, or leach treatments.
Our entire economy is a Jenga Tower of Pyramid Schemes.