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baghag
:P
Member since 5/05 10278 total posts
Name:
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
Posted by Mrs-Boop
I was told that medical centers must treat you and they can never send you to a collection agency for payment because it is a medical bill and they are not allowed.
I used to work in medical offices, and they sent peoples accounts to collections agencies all the time.
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Posted 7/28/05 11:43 AM  |
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Long Island Weddings
Long Island's Largest Bridal Resource |
Tany
Becoming a different woman
Member since 5/05 24460 total posts
Name:
Tania
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
Posted by baghag
Posted by Mrs-Boop
I was told that medical centers must treat you and they can never send you to a collection agency for payment because it is a medical bill and they are not allowed.
I used to work in medical offices, and they sent peoples accounts to collections agencies all the time.
of course they still send it to collection, they still need to get paid.
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| Posted 7/28/05 11:52 AM |
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Leeners
:)
Member since 5/05 4898 total posts
Name:
Eileen
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
Nope. I have more than enough taxes taken out of my paycheck as it is, thank you.
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| Posted 7/28/05 11:57 AM |
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Redhead
You Live, You Learn
Member since 5/05 31871 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
Posted by nov04libride
I actually think we get pretty much for our taxes on Long Island. We have a great school system. All of the high schools offer many APs--in some states hardly any schools do! Without such high quality public schools, more people would turn to parochial or private schools, which cost $5,000-20,000 a year just for tuition. Our beaches, parks, and town facilities are some of the best in the country. Each season we get booklets of town-funded activities run through our local library...Trips to Broadway shows, CT, etc...We might not take advantage of all of it but Long Island has so much to offer! But, I'd still rather move back to NJ and pay less taxes. 
for our taxes yes...for the amount we pay for health insurance ...some people DO NOT!
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| Posted 7/28/05 12:00 PM |
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MsMBV
:P
Member since 5/05 28602 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
Posted by Sassyz75
Nothing is free- Canadians pay for their health insurance via taxes. There is no free lunch anywhere- the money has to come from somewhere.
With that said- the current health insurance system we have in this country is terrible. We need some type of government involvement, whether this is nationalization I don't know- but we need to get health insurance costs to come down. Premiums are constantly going up- if this continues- more and more companies will either not offer health insurance, or make employees pay for it out-of-pocket.
Even though the Canadian program is flawed (isn't ours too?) the costs are actually LOWER than the American program- so they have "free" healthcare, and yet, it costs less $$$ per annum than the American program.
there was just an op-ed in the times about this. Apparently either Honda or Toyota was deciding where to build a new factory- a lot of Northern states were competing for this factory to be built in their state. Canada won because the company figured that it would cost less money for their health costs- it's too expensive here in the US.
I agree. Places like Canada & Europe do not have perfect systems, but ours has many problems as well. As for worying about losing the quality of care we have here in NY, why is it fair to the other parts of the country that do not have access to better care, like we do? Everyday, people (who are lucky enough to afford it) are flown in from around the country to come to places like Mt Sinai & Sloane Kettering for treatment that is just not available to everyone. Maybe if it were a more centralized system we could eliminate these *hubs* of healthcare.
I dunno, but something has to change - and fast.
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| Posted 7/28/05 3:01 PM |
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AnnBrunoXO
2 Girls For Me!
Member since 5/05 4377 total posts
Name:
MaMMa
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
I don't think its remotely possible in this country to have free health insurance.
I for one - don't think we should.
Ultimately it has to come out of someone's pocket, if its not coming out of yours - and how long would that really last?
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| Posted 7/28/05 3:03 PM |
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jms100303
Luv my munchkins
Member since 5/05 4789 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
Posted by IslandGrl
I rather pay crazy premiums and have great health care then pay nothing and not have the best.
New York is known to have some of the best doctors, specialists, hospitals...
Would't that change if it were all free?
If it wouldnt compromise the care I could recieve Id put my vote in for free medical too!
I agree! I have 2 friends who live in Canada and say the healthcare isn't very good. Sure we need to have a better system then we do now, but I don't think we should use Canada as an example or have totally free healthcare. The last thing I want is something that is totally subsidized and run by the government. Can you imagine the paperwork then, argh.
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| Posted 7/28/05 3:19 PM |
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dm24angel
Happiness
Member since 5/05 34581 total posts
Name:
Donna
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
Posted by Mrs-Boop
I was told that medical centers must treat you and they can never send you to a collection agency for payment because it is a medical bill and they are not allowed.
sooooo not true. My moms account was froxen over a bill from 1998 she didnt even know was out there, she moved and it wasnt forwarded.
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| Posted 7/28/05 6:42 PM |
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dm24angel
Happiness
Member since 5/05 34581 total posts
Name:
Donna
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
NO I dont want universal health insurance, I think the quality will sufffer...
Now Im sure everyones sick of me "sticking up" for health insurance companies...but now that I work for one, I do think its not as horrible as I thought once.
First- the Dr's Overcharge...and theres two things about that..ONE-they have to do that thanks to the high cost of malpractice insurance due to all the suits put out there. I dont think neccesarily a Dr. is always to blame..he is not a mind reader, he has to do what he can, not perform a miracle. TWO-some Dr's try to get as much as possible from insurance because of this. Example...I have seen a Dr charge $1200 for a consultation....Thats what we ( insurance) pay for SURGERY. thats fradulent overbilling and has nothing to do with anything like him needing to pay for overhead.
What happens is that the other dr's join in and we raise the amount we pay them for something, and they get what they want. Well guess what...if we have to pay them more, then the premiums have to go up. WHERE else would the money come from??
The majority of the country goes to the Dr's an insane amount. They will call up and say how they pay $6000 a year in premiums but we didnt pay for their third dermatology visit for a cosmetic mole...Well that same persons Drs have charged us literally close to
$50, 000. And we pay out about half..but right there, we lost money.
There are of course many many people who dont go to the Dr. ever, and complain. HE LL I'd complain to, but what they dont get is that , they have to pay the same amount, or else everyones premiums would be $1000 a month to pay for the 80 yr old with 300 hospital stays.
What most insurance companies do have now, is a health savings account. Its for people who dont go to the Dr that often. They will pay a high deductible but their premiums are next to nothing and it works out in the end.
Bottom line- where does everyone think the money comes from? If you didnt pay out then you wouldnt have insurance. And if you needed just ONE surgery a year or one hospital stay it could ruin you in the THOUSANDS.
So yes, we make mistakes, we dont pay things we very well should, but health insurance does NOT cost a lot of money.
Vent over... 
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| Posted 7/28/05 6:53 PM |
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DjPiLL
Member since 5/05 3664 total posts
Name:
Richard
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Re: Do you think that health insurance should be free?
If you think Canada's great "FREE" healthcare system is so great...
.. what do you think about their standard 15% sales tax? 
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| Posted 7/28/05 7:47 PM |
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