Need Info on Health care in U$

[Commie Girl]

I need help....I keep being told that it doesnt matter if you dont have healthcare coverage in the U$, you can still show up at hospitals and receive care, free.....that it is the law....HELP? IS this true?
If it is, why bother with coverage at all?

If this is true, is that not a socialist system?

This is the reply I got


But that's because we are not a Socialist system and most Americans don't think it is the governments respopnsibility to provide for insurance...besides as pointed out earlier if you're sick just go to the hospital and they'll take care of you. It's required by law!


Thanks

[FatFreeMilk]

Well they do have to treat you...but you get billed later. I didn't have insurance back in June, had to go to the hospital and they treated me, but we got a giant bill later.

That's supposedly why hospitals are closing down. When people go in for treatment and then never pay. Something like that. Wouldn't it onlky be socialist if they didn't expect payment?

[More Fire for the People]

It's free if it's an emergency and that free care last until your stable, after that you start getting billed.

[EneME]

I've never had healthcare in my life, and yes they are required to help you at the ER, but no it is not free. You have to basically be on: welfare or a single working-poor parent to have nationalized health care that WOULD cover some of the cost. It also depends on the state and counties, because here in California we have more safety nets for the uninsured.

My mother broke her knee once walking to the bus stop in the rain to go to her dishwashing job. They took her by ambulance to the ER, she had to eventually have knee surgery and be out of work to rehabilitate w/ physical therapy. We applied for subsidized health care to cover part of the cost, and they denied us. So my parents still had to pay for: the surgery, ambulance, doctors fee, and rehabilitation fees eventhough my mom was out of work and my dad worked in a wherehouse. It's a bunch a bullshit. All they did was give us a PAYMENT option. :angry:

We have two members on this board, that I know of, that have been to the ER and are now in a terrible financial position because of not being able to pay them back... I'll try to get them to post on here..

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

We in the UK have the NHS. I've never experienced American healthcare but from what I've heard I definately prefer socialised medicine.

[coda]

it's an itemized hospital bill. the doctor is one cost. if you are admitted, a separate cost, any tests they perform, another cost--- right down to the last cotton ball they use on you.

And, before you even see a doctor, while you're laying there dying in the waiting room, the insurance staff is up your ass getting your ability to pay information.

Then they pretty much tell you to go home and see your own doctor.

[Commie Girl]

:( But these people keep saying "its the law" to treat all people....does anyone know where i can find sources?

Is health care a federal responsibility or states? Does that matter?

[coda]

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insura...60.asp?GT1=6963 (http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourhealth/P88660.asp?GT1=6963)

[encephalon]

If you go to the ER, they must help you--but they can and will still charge you.

I've been in the ER a bit, and here's how it works in ohio: I went in with collapsed lungs, they kept me for two weeks and one week the second time. During that period, I had to fill out a bunch of forms: my income, etc. I have no healthcare.

If you make over $8500 a year in the state of ohio, unfortunately, you don't qualify for medicare unless you have dependants. So, I got the whole charge for everything (both times combined, it's a bill of roughly $120,000). They also have many non-profit options, but they usually keep their income bracket at around the same as medicare, and I didn't qualify for those either. Sadly, I was $500 a year over qualifying for completely free care.

In other words, there isn't any kind of graduated income thing; either you qualify, or you don't.

So: yes, they have to help you (it's part of the hippocratic oath, in fact). But no, they don't have to do it for free--and they won't. A visit to the ER will send most working class people (without insurance) straight to bankruptcy--like it has me. Unfortunately, with the new law changes a lot of those same people won't qualify for bankruptcy after the laws change oct. 17th. In any case, it's loads of fun, and most definitely not anywhere near socialism.

[praxis1966]

Originally posted by [email protected] 25 2005, 10:39 PM
it's an itemized hospital bill. the doctor is one cost. if you are admitted, a separate cost, any tests they perform, another cost--- right down to the last cotton ball they use on you.

And, before you even see a doctor, while you're laying there dying in the waiting room, the insurance staff is up your ass getting your ability to pay information.

Then they pretty much tell you to go home and see your own doctor.
No shit. When my grandfather went in for a prostate biopsy, he told them is feet were cold so they brought him a pair of socks. The next morning when he was released, they took the socks back. Later on, a $10 fee appeared on his bill for them. In essence, they charged him the $10 for for sock rental.

At any rate, hospital visits are most definately not free, even for the indigent. As Encephalon said, it is part of the Hyppocratic Oath that doctors are required to treat all patients. You are, however, required to pay them. What they don't tell you is that even if you only pay like five dollars a month, the hospital isn't allowed to turn you over to a collections agent (it's a matter of federal law). Unfortunately, people like Encephalon and I don't even really have that much (I was in a pretty nasty car accident about a year ago and am still getting bills, despite the $20k of car insurance I had) so our credit rating is most definately affected.

The worst part is that even though technically creditors are not allowed to consider medical bills as part of your debt to income ratio, they can consider the fact that you've been turned over to collections for them.

[Commie Girl]

:) Thanks for all your help!

[cormacobear]

To the best of my knowledge the United States is the only country in the world that still has completely private healthcare.

[ColinH]

Originally posted by [email protected] 28 2005, 12:52 PM
To the best of my knowledge the United States is the only country in the world that still has completely private healthcare.
I believe it's the only industrialized nation that does not provide public health care.

I had to buy my own crutches once, but other than that I don't think I've ever had to pay a dime for health care in Canada so far. That could change if the doors to private health care open wider...

[Bannockburn]

Health care is a tricky issue in Canada. Since its all provincially ran, except for small federal government subsidies, each health care system will be different, ie, Ontario is different from Alberta.

With that being said, Here in Ontario we have a form of two-teer system. Even though Ontario people won't admit it, they have more in common with the US than not. For example, you do have OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) Okay, that's fine, and good. This is basically my basic coverage. If I brake an arm, then I go get it fixed. No questions, and my tax dollars, along with everyone else in Ontario pays out. Great system. Love it. If I need basic surgery, its covered.

Nevertheless, more and more things are being cut off. For example, last year medical eye exams were covered, but now they are not. If you don't have the cash, you can't get your eyes fixed. That is just one recent example. Drugs, well forget out it. Your paying. Anything to do with feet, like you need a brace or something, you are so paying. Dental....forget about it, you are paying for it.

This is of course if you don't have any extended medical care, ie, private insurance. Most people in Ontario has private extended health care, but if you are poor, or your play of employment doesn't offer it...well your fucked through and through. That is the reality of the Ontario Health Care system. Pretty soon OHIP will cover the bare minimum which is covered by the law. The rest will be privatized.

This is Ontario “little secret”. Kinda like if we don't think about it, its not there. When debates and talks happen about OHIP, you get politicians all the time saying the opposite of reality, its amazing.