Medical Insurance Sucks
I have noticed an up tick recently in the number of my friends who are having medically necessary treatments or procedures declined for payment by insurance companies. It seams like the insurance companies are trying to save as much money now as they can before the new laws take affect.
Personally, I have begun asking my doctors office if they take my insurance, and how much or what percentage is covered for each service the doctors office provides. I am doing this, because the doctor might see me, or order tests with out thinking about my insurance coverage, and then I might end up in collections because I can’t pay the bill. Apparently, it’s up to me to be pro active if I want to stay out of medical bill debt.
Personally, I would have liked the health care bill to require the medical profession to make the costs the same for any test, procedure or treatment no matter where it takes place. If a CAT scan is ordered on my shoulder, the price should be the same all across the country. If a specific blood test is ordered by my doctor, the cost should be the same in a hospital or in a local private clinic. If I have 12 visits for my physical therapy for my broken leg, the cost should be the same no matter where I go for therapy.
I realize, that some people would call my idea the beginning of socialized medicine, and that others would argue that you should be able to go to the most expensive place you want if it means getting better care, but the system we have now is just not working. Many of the doctors we see also own a piece of the labs or therapy clinics we go to, so not only are they making money from our office visits, they are making money on the tests they order as well. If you’re a doctor, how cool is that.
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Get Your Act Together
I am so sick and tired of turning on the news, only to find that the US House of Representatives’, and the President of the United States are still arguing over (HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION) Even if the legislation passes the house, it still has to go to the US senate for another vote, and that could prove even harder.
If the two main political parties both have our best interests in mind, then why is their such a difference in ideology, and why are our elected officials spending so much time slamming their elected brothers and sisters into the ground? It’s because they have nothing else to do, and it looks good on camera and in the press. Let’s face it, would you like to see a picture of your elected officials quietly sitting and reading the health care bill, underlining key points or making notes in the margins? Or would you rather see him or her standing up at a press conference throwing verbal jabs at their opponents.
It seems that every peace of legislation voted on these days requires political mud slinging before it can even be put out their for consideration by the full house or senate. Have you noticed that the fighting begins even before a bill makes it out of its first committee test?
I think that it is time for us to let our elected members of congress know that we are tired of the garbage talk, the name calling, and the in your face finger pointing that has become the normality of the day. Today it is the republicans, tomorrow it will be the democrats, or is it the other way around? All I need to know is that nothing is getting done. It’s all about the sound bites, not about the substance.
Perhaps, the answer is to vote them all out of office, and start over with a new slate of elected officials. I wonder if it is possible to find people who are more interested in legislating rather then prognosticating. Personally, I vote yes for change if things don’t get done. I am not here to advocate for a change in power, just for change that will get our government moving, doing the peoples business, becoming boring, and legislating like our elected officials were elected to do.
Prescription drugs
Yesterday, the senate passed legislation that prohibits the importing of prescription drugs from other countries. It seams the drug companies made a deal to contribute 80 billion dollars over the next 10 years to the new health care bill, and for their support, they are being rewarded. When we are sick, and we need our prescriptions filled, it’s hard to argue the cost of the medicine when we need it most. Let’s face it, the pharmaceutical companies have us over a prescription bottle, and the contributions they and their lobbyists make to political campaigns don’t hurt them either. As consumers, we won’t feel the 80 billion that the companies pledged to health care, but our wallets sure will feel the cost of medications going up, and not down. If I am not mistaken, I remember the president telling us on the campaign trail, over and over that we should be importing prescription drugs from other countries if the pharmaceutical companies won’t lower their prices. I think the administration and the senate just gave us a dose of politicks as usual, and a holiday gift package of empty promises.
