Phil Gaimon's Olympic dream becomes $200,000 medical bill nightmare

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by redir

Have you ever read Neal Stephenson's 'Snow Crash?'

One of my favorites…been years!

[bigbill]

In 2015, I need an MRI but I had to jump through the hoops before my insurance would pay for it. Three courses of prednisone and two rounds of physical therapy. When BCBS finally authorized the MRI, the hospital charged them $2K. At the appointment, I asked how much it would cost if I just wrote a check, $600.

I'm retired military so I have Tricare. Before ACA, I took advantage of my employer's insurance and used my Tricare as secondary. ACA caused my last two employers to drop PPO plans. Now I'm on VA with Tricare as my secondary. It's a pain in the ass because of the levels of administrivia just to see a specialist, but that's government administered healthcare.

[jonnyd]

I had a traumatic brain injury a couple of years ago and count my blessings every day that I was living in Colombia at the time, had I been in the US it would've bankrupted me. Just yesterday I was looking for urgent care and realized my copay for an emergency room visit is $1,000!

I understand people are afraid of additional bureaucracy but it's insane we don't yet have medicare for all, the current system is literally killing people.

[redir]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

One of my favorites…been years!

They should make a movie from that one.

[bicycletricycle]

Our current health care system in not really "capitalism". It is sort of a crazy hybrid. A totally dysfunctional hybrid

Originally Posted by rain dogs

Hospital pricing is Capitalism

Both of those are true.

Re: Gaimon. It's surprising that there isn't more comprehensive insurance for this. Although, don't get me started on how insurance is equally F/ed up as healthcare.

[Mr. Pink]

Originally Posted by ripvanrando

No. I have horrible insurance, it costs three times pre-ACA and is about half as good. If you read an earlier post, I cannot get the surgery that I need.

But, could you in Canada? Not tomorrow, of course, but, at an affordable price?

[bicycletricycle]

The language around human rights is strange, I still don't understand the basis for these rights. Can you explain it? Is it just whatever you want to declare as right? If so then everyone can play at that game.

I declare I have the right to the fruits of my labor.

Nobody really believes they have the obligation to help strangers with less. Their everyday actions prove it, especially of you live in the first world. You can't have a $1000 dollar bicycle for fun and believe this. Let's not get started on owning a car, house, etc.

How can you demand the right for an MRI when much of the world can't get basic medications?

As far as what is working or not working in different countries, those are interesting data points but these are not conclusive. Anyone could easily find a counterpoint and then it will devolve from there. People start from beliefs and then look for information to confirm it.

Originally Posted by Dead Man

Food and housing ought to be human rights at this point in the evolution o the species. If we have the ability to take care of everyone, we have the obligation to do so, on the basis o humanity- the universal natural religion

There are places that do provide free housing, food, education, various social resources, and medical, and do it adequately ... and still do well in global economic rankings... ever hear o germany? Aka the world leader in pretty much everything

[bicycletricycle]

That may be the way you feel but people can disagree on these things. Anarchy does not equal lack of security and the lack of a government safety net is not the reason for homeless people.

The belief that the state should take care of the unfortunate is the reason we have so many homeless people, well that and the minimum wage.

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

That sounds like anarchy to me. Frankly I’m tired of risking my possessions (just over 10k lost r3cently including my bikes) and safety to placate these beliefs.

I can no longer safely ride in the city parks in the morning because there is no safety net, homeless are all over, today threatening me as I peacefully rode down a bike path to get exercise.

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

That may be the way you feel but people can disagree on these things. Anarchy does not equal lack of security and the lack of a government safety net is not the reason for homeless people.

The belief that the state should take care of the unfortunate is the reason we have so many homeless people, well that and the minimum wage.

Anarchy has two definitions IMO and I can clearly see which you pick. I would be all for this model, but we know many can’t handle that and prefer disorder instead. It would be a total #$@ show.

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

That may be the way you feel but people can disagree on these things. Anarchy does not equal lack of security and the lack of a government safety net is not the reason for homeless people.

The belief that the state should take care of the unfortunate is the reason we have so many homeless people, well that and the minimum wage.

What is the problem with the minimum wage?

[bicycletricycle]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

Anarchy has two definitions IMO and I can clearly see which you pick. I would be all for this model, but we know many can’t handle that and prefer disorder instead. It would be a total #$@ show.

If it happens all at once then yes it would be bad. But the state of international relations is technically close to anarchy. It seems to work about as good as relations between individuals in states.

A central authority with a monopoly on violence is not a requirement for functioning societies. There are convincing arguments that it may be a barrier.

[bicycletricycle]

Originally Posted by rallizes

What is the problem with the minimum wage?

Prices low skilled or high risk workers out of a job.

[fried bake]

The American health care system in one tweet. IMG_2052.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[makoti]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

The belief that the state should take care of the unfortunate is the reason we have so many homeless people, well that and the minimum wage.

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

Prices low skilled or high risk workers out of a job.

So if we were able to pay low skilled workers, say, $5 an hour, there would be less homelessness? Because there are lots of places to live on $200 a week?

[crappygator]

Besides the ridiculous cost I hope he recovers and gets back to racing.