I support a public healthcare option 100%, for a bunch lot of reasons. But mostly it is ethical for me. I cannot in good conscience support anything less than ensuring all are provided decent healthcare. I have heard the argument time and again that emergency rooms won't turn away uninsured. But people cannot get ongoing care such as chemotherapy, physical therapy, have a mastectomy, manage their diabetes, etc. etc. etc. in the emergency room.

So it is proposed the biggest impact to taxes will be individuals who make $500,000 plus or families that earn $1,000,000 plus. Well that is a bummer but I can't really be sympathetic. I wish I had that problem. These are also the earners that have the income to create tax shelters so probably aren't paying what they should anyway.

Besides we would not be funding the entire 47M that are uninsured today. Many of the uninsured individuals will actually buy insurance if it was affordable. I would love to consider a change in career, but can't because of pre-existing condition and the high cost. It stinks that option is taken away and I am stuck being a Dilbert.

That's my story and I'm stickin' with it.

Jimking -

I only write from the perspective of two family members in the Bay Area, both of whom had complex medical conditions and were (perhaps luckily) promptly referred out of network, with Kaiser picking up the tab.

That said, I know that some experiences have not been as positive. May I ask whether your wife had any dealings with Kaiser in the course of her treatment for CRPS?

Secondly, while you lump Kaiser with the for-profit HMOs, bear in mind that Kaiser (the first HMO) is itself a non-profit.http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/aboutkp/fastfacts.html Now, while much has been made by one of it's
most vocal detractors, when it reported a stong operating income in 2007 ("Kaiser reports obscene $2.5 billion in net income through 3rd qtr.") http://www.kaiserthrive.org/2007/11/...in-net-income/ the same site said nothing when Kaiser reported a net non-operating loss of $706 million in the third quarter of 2008. From a press report a few days ago:

November 6, 2009

Contact: Anne B. Little, 510-271-2320

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Report Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results

OAKLAND, Calif – Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (KFHP/H), and their subsidiaries reported today combined total operating revenue of $10.5 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, compared to $10.2 billion in the third quarter of last year. Operating income in the third quarter was $336 million, compared to $307 million in the third quarter of last year. Net non-operating income was $233 million in the third quarter, compared to a net non-operating loss of $706 million in the third quarter of last year. As a result, third quarter net income was $569 million, versus a $399 million net loss in the third quarter of last year. These represent the combined operating results for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and their subsidiaries. . . . [Emphasis added.]

http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressr...inancials.html

That said, I acknowledge that, in the words of what appears to be the collective voice of its critics:

It is not impossible to get good medical care at Kaiser Permanente. What IS impossible is getting them to take responsibility and make restitution when something does go wrong.

http://www.kaiserthrive.org/2009/09/...al-negligence/

And for a real horror story, we have this: http://www.kaiserthrive.org/2007/03/...ordann-brewer/

Perhaps a better model - which is also consistant with the "bundling" approach - is found in the regional health systems maintained by the Mayo Clinic and Intermountain Medical Center, which have some of the lowest average Medicare costs in the nation, associated with a generally very high level of service. There, the key is that all area residents are assigned a primary community medicine specialist to whom you can go any time with concerns: Mayo Clinic Rochester, for instance, maintains a network of wholly owned clinics in small towns thought Western Wisconsin, Southern Minnesota, and Northern Iowa. Then, on the referral of the community medicine doc, you can see a top specialist almost immediately. And I believe it's possible to request that you be reassigned to another community health specialist if you are unhappy with the first, but I don't know what the procedure is.

Coming from Rochester MN and with my parents still there, I can report with some certainty that, unlike in the very private practice of medicine in Los Angeles, no one has to wait 4 - 6 weeks between the first suspicion of cancer and surgery: 2 - 3 days is more like it.

Mike

fmichael, my wife had Keiser early in her treatment for RSD and it was very poor. I've come to the conclusion that if she had cancer she'd may have gotten better care early on. They kept insisting that she should see a shrink once a month and a hand full of aspirin for pain. This, after she was diagnosed with RSD. She had another option to pick up another HMO in which they did the same non-treatment for RSD.

I'd like to mention that I was on C-Span this morning with the CEO of CareFirst BC/BS (call in) and mentioned my wife's chronic condition of RSD and our situation trying to avoid a lapse in our insurance.

Wow! On both counts. As to the first, my sincere sympathies. If it's any consolation, the the senior guy at Cedars Sinai Pain Clinic/Center etc. saw me when I still had what I believe was the first of two feet in cast(s) for bilateral tendon tears picked up at the gym, and he sent me away in 2001 with 50 mg. of Vioxx/day and the cast in place. It wasn't until sometime after the second foot was about to come out if its cast that I was referred to a rheumatologist a couple of months later, who suspected RSD, sent me back to the same pain doc, did a couple of blocks and there it was.

But the what I really wanted to say was GOOD FOR YOU FOR BEING ON CSPAN!!! As a call-in, I assume it was live. Do you know if it's going to be rebroadcast? This should definitely be a separate thread on your part.

Good going.

Mike

PS At the time, many in the LA medical community regarded my first pain doc, as warm and compassionate man as there ever was, as the personification of the standard of care in pain medicine. I later learned that some did not. Maybe they were right.

This was put online Friday afternoon by the Washington Post, clearly laying out some of the stark differences and mutual failings of the respective proposals. Well worth the read in its (not all that long) entirety:

Health insurers could bypass some key reforms

By David S. Hilzenrath
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 13, 2009 4:54 PM

Nobody wants to spend a lot of time, energy -- and taxpayer money -- and end up back where they started. But that's what could happen with one of the principal elements of health reform, the so-called exchange or gateway.

Legislators are designing this new insurance marketplace to protect consumers from many of the pitfalls and inequities in the current system. But even as they focus on the details of how the marketplace will work, senators have indicated that they would allow insurers to continue operating outside it, much as the health insurance lobby has sought.

One of the Senate bills would preserve the possibility that insurers could tailor policies to draw healthy individuals out of the new markets, leaving coverage less affordable for those who stay behind. . . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

I found something the other day after reading an article by a fellow writer at AC about the health care reform. It was a sentence that caught my eye so I looked it up. The sentence had the word mandatory in it....I can't remember the specific article now.

Anyway, I went to the search engine and found an article on a news site and it said when the bill takes effect, we will HAVE to have some form of health insurance or face fines!! I searched again and here's what will happen if this really does go all the way.

Found at USA Today

Found at Heritage

There's a lot more in the above article, but this is what I'm talking about specifically. None of it makes any sense whatsoever! This is the reason I'm against the whole plan and I can only hope something happens so that the bill never takes effect. Even though it means I have to pay for my doc and struggle to do it.

A friend emailed the link to C-SPAN'S discussion with "Chet Burrell, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, President & CEO (November 12, 2009)"
who is the CEO of my former health insurance company which prompted me to call in in the first place. If anyone is interested click the link, scroll down to "Chet Burrell, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, President & CEO (November 12, 2009)", It's an interesting subject. At the beginning of my call I mentioned RSD, I'm the last caller.

http://www.c-span.org/Topics/Health-...Town-Hall.aspx

I haven't been on for awhile. Just dealing with other health issues so I took a break. I did want to say something on this subject though.

My daughter is a caregiver for me and a lady with MS who is completely in a wheelchair and almost bedridden. Her Social Worker came out this morning and said that they had to cut Susan's hours for Diana due to the Medicare healthcut that went into effect in October. The second one comes Dec. 1st. and the 3rd will come after the healthcare reform goes into effect. The Social Worker said that those who do not have family will most likely have to go into nursing homes. Now, I ask you, is a nursing home cheaper then my daughters lousy 1000. a month salary for taking care of Diana.

I know a lot of people who don't have insurance are looking at it as an answer for them but at what cost to others?

We already have a Gov. program in this Country. Why not just extend it to cover the ones that don't have insurance. Medicare patients pay 90+ a month out of their check for their Medicare, why can't they do that with Medicaid and let it cover the ones that don't have insurance. Medicaid is State run and it could better deal with taking care of the people in it's State IF it was ran right.

Ada

Thanks Ada!
You are always here in spirt!

I somehow think, that our government has to look at the "bigger picture" but, that's really scary.

What "One" person can know what to do?

It seems that it'll take a "committee" to do this fairly, and it's so long overdue...
I'm glad for the Dems for taking another shot at it!

Even if they don't win, they'll keep a spotlight on it.....

God will show us the way..


Oh, did anyone ever mention that we have "Too many people" on this earth?

I've not heard of it since my grade school years, when there were 3 Billion on this earth.

Now, we hear nothing about it...?

I don't get it...

asb

Thanks Pete for the good thoughts. I actually have had a virus that lasted for over 2 weeks and having other medical things going on. 2 days ago I was in a car accident and hurt my right side so now I am waiting to see if it quits.

Anyone on Medicare should be worried about this. I got an email from a member of the Medical profession that the Drs. pay was going to be cut 21%.
My Dr. gets 68. from Medicare for each visit so if he gets cut 21% then he will get only 52. How many PCP's are going to accept Medicare at that rate. Now the specialist are different, they charge too much at times for what little they do. They could stand the cut but will they.

I donot think that most people will get this insurance free so it's going to be interesting to see what they will have to pay for it. My sister pays 15. a week for her insurance at work and Medicare patients pay the 90. Nothing in life is free.

Also this thing about the people who make 250,000 will be the ones to pay. That's not right either, my son-in-laws' taxes went up from 23% to 33% and he's not near that 250,000 mark. I donot believe people that make money should have to pay our way.

Ada