Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Sliming Graeme Frost

[Rick <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Fri, 2007-10-12 at 17:28 -0500, Mike Miller wrote:

> No, it was supposed to cover millions of children.  The one child is an 
> example of how such a program can help a poor family.
> 

Then why is the larger argument about "nationalized health care" and not
"health care for children". I see very little national debate about the
later, and a lot of discussion on the former.

> OK.  I'm definitely in favor of some amount of government-funded health 
> care for everyone.  For example, vaccinations should be freely available 
> to anyone living in or even visiting the US.  There are many other small 
> things that are highly cost effective to provide.  The thing we cannot 
> afford to do is to offer the most expensive and highly experimental 
> treatments to everyone.  There has to be a limit on what the government 
> will provide.  If there is no limit on expenditures, we'll be robbed 
> blind!
> 

If that's your definition of "national health care", then we are
definitely talking about apples and oranges. I would probably go so far
as to support a subsidy for up to and including regular checkups
(especially for children), and if there's a problem, then further
medical care would be dealt with by the individual/family's own
insurance. 

However, I will never believe that such a program belongs with the
federal government. 

> Another thing to worry about -- my insurance company was billed $3500 for 
> my daughter's recent hospital stay (she's fine), but the hospital said 
> that the cost was $20,000.  They aren't charging me a thing.  The point 
> is, the hospital would charge an uninsured person $20,000 for the same 
> services that it charges my insurance company $3,500 for.  The insurance 
> company has a lot of power and can force lower rates.  So the uninsured 
> are rendered powerless and the hospitals will screw them, badly, or not 
> treat them at all.
> 

That's the accountant's fault. They know perfectly well that they can
get the $3,500 from the insurance company, but if they charge the
insurance $20k, they won't get paid. Conversely, charging the individual
$20k means that they either: 1) get $20k, or 2) get to write-off $20k. 

> Mike

Rick

-- 
There are some ideas so wrong that only a very intelligent person could
believe in them. 
George Orwell


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