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

[doomridesout]

It's almost as if there's broad popular support for socialized medicine because it's a better idea than this garbage system we have now... no, that couldn't be it, it's got to be the cost of medical malpractice liability insurance... yeah, that's it.

[54ny77]

sad to hear.

hope he recovers quickly.

[dgauthier]

.

[verticaldoug]

My experience is a system is made needless complex to benefit the incumbents to the detriment of the layperson.

[jimoots]

As someone from a country with universal health care, this is bizarre.

People sweat about the cost and tax but universal and public health care is cheaper than what you guys are doing. Food for thought.

[weisan]

It's tough to have a conversation about healthcare in this country, or about any other social programs.

We are the victims of our own success.

We are the greatest nation in the world. And yet, when it comes to certain things, we get all bent and twisted when we start talking about those issues that we get stuck in the mud and don't seem to go anywhere for a protracted amount of time. It's disheartening. Everyone seems to know how to fix the problem. Everything seems so straightforward to them. In actual fact, it's not. It takes determination, willingness to make sacrifice, ability to compromise, and consider the interests of others not just yourself.

There's no magic bullet.

Socialized, universal healthcare has its cons. It's a tradeoff. Are you willing to "pay the price" in return for its benefits?

Not here, not in this country. We want EVERYTHING!

We want the whole cake and eat it.

Like they say, we are both the problem and the solution.

[ripvanrando]

Originally Posted by joevers

I really do appreciate your comments and concerns but frankly, no. The issue isn't that races don't provide adequate coverage, the issue is hospitals get to bill you 166,000$ for 4 days of medical care and there's nothing you can do about it but start a gofundme or sell your home.

Exactly except worse.

Hospitals and providers won't even tell the price of services in advance, so, you have no idea your house is on the hook.

I need spine surgery. BCBS would not approve. The surgeon agreed to cut his $90,000 fee to $10,000 because that is what he gets from good insurance plans ($3K from Medicare). I could not get a price from the Anaesthesiologist, hospital, company that makes the implants, the nerve monitoring company, etc. etc. Weeks and weeks of effort. Literally no responses. They will not give you a price. THAT is the disgrace. The surgeon then clued me in and I read about balance billing and really it is a fraudulent system. Surgeon told me it would probably be over $250,000 and they would come after me. The real kicker is FDA will only let them put in two devices when I need four. In the rest of the world, I can get all four done in one surgery for $30-60,000 depending on the country, the device, and the prestige/expertise of the surgeon.

When you go to the ER, you have no idea the bill could be $10, 50, 200K nor do you realize Medicare might only pay 3 cents on the dollar but you will have to pay the inflated, fraudulent prices.

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by merckx

How does someone who competes in a high risk sport like cycling not have health insurance?

While it's already been answered, I'll add that as a young adult, we think we're invincible and insurance is the furthest thing from our minds. Not to mention at young age we're not making a lot of money so medical insurance takes a bigger chunk of our paychecks, money that could go toward carbon fiber bike parts and tubular tires.

Originally Posted by weisan

It's tough to have a conversation about healthcare in this country, or about any other social programs.

We are the victims of our own success.

We are the greatest nation in the world. And yet, when it comes to certain things, we get all bent and twisted when we start talking about those issues that we get stuck in the mud and don't seem to go anywhere for a protracted amount of time. It's disheartening. Everyone seems to know how to fix the problem. Everything seems so straightforward to them. In actual fact, it's not. It takes determination, willingness to make sacrifice, ability to compromise, and consider the interests of others not just yourself.

There's no magic bullet.

Socialized, universal healthcare has its cons. It's a tradeoff. Are you willing to "pay the price" in return for its benefits?

Not here, not in this country. We want EVERYTHING!

We want the whole cake and eat it.

Like they say, we are both the problem and the solution.

But, I'M AN INVESTOR IN THE MEDICAL CARE COMPLEX AND I WANT BIG DIVIDENDS! Bill 'em 'til they bleed so I can retire on my investment!

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by ripvanrando

BCBS in network would have paid $20K. Medicare maybe $10k.

Out of network?

Welcome to bankruptcy. Because? They can.

Geez, not sure I want to wade into this BUT..as 2 old farts, our total medicare monthly premium is 'about' what he paid....I got a cardiac ablation...and the out of pocket $ for me?

$ZERO

The health insurance scam is majorly gooned up. NOBODY should have to sell their house or declare bankruptcy because of health care costs..this is criminal.

Meanwhile

The average annual CEO compensation package was a nifty $20 million, most of it paid in vested stock. John Martin, former CEO of Gilead Sciences, was the top earner at $863 million.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by weisan

It's tough to have a conversation about healthcare in this country, or about any other social programs.

We are the victims of our own success.

We are the greatest nation in the world. And yet, when it comes to certain things, we get all bent and twisted when we start talking about those issues that we get stuck in the mud and don't seem to go anywhere for a protracted amount of time. It's disheartening. Everyone seems to know how to fix the problem. Everything seems so straightforward to them. In actual fact, it's not. It takes determination, willingness to make sacrifice, ability to compromise, and consider the interests of others not just yourself.

There's no magic bullet.

Socialized, universal healthcare has its cons. It's a tradeoff. Are you willing to "pay the price" in return for its benefits?

Not here, not in this country. We want EVERYTHING!

We want the whole cake and eat it.

Like they say, we are both the problem and the solution.

That makes no sense. 'Willingness to sacrifice', 'consider the interests of others'? What those poor millionaire CEOs who think nothing of screwing somebody like the gent who crashed his bike?

Until you participate in 'universal health care', please don't use the interweb to talk about the 'cons'..that's internet bait. I have been in the 'socialized medicine' system my entire life..Father USAF, then me USN, now Medicare..and I haven't seen a 'con' yet. Rumors on the internet about the horrors of 'socialized medicine' is pablum for the ignorant.
Raising taxes, that amount would be FAR LESS than people pay for health care now. I think if people saw actual numbers, not the grover norquist solution, they would gladly 'pay the price'.

Horrors of 'socialized medicine'. Why that's 'socialism', right? Nope, and not a result of any kind of conspiracy but 'group think' from a bunch of wealthy congress critters who get bribed BY YUGE $ to yell, 'socialism'...

Nope, we 'don't want everything'..just decent health care that doesn't mean we have to sell our house or declare bankruptcy to pay for it.

It's not greedy to want decent health care that doesn't cost a fortune. The 'we are the problem' is forum-speak for ....not much.

Medicare for all isn't a 4 letter word-pal.

out

[Rusty Luggs]

So why are folks in this thread discussing this issue as if it is unique to people doing high risk sports/activities? It is not.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by weisan

It's tough to have a conversation about healthcare in this country, or about any other social programs.

We are the victims of our own success.

We are the greatest nation in the world. And yet, when it comes to certain things, we get all bent and twisted when we start talking about those issues that we get stuck in the mud and don't seem to go anywhere for a protracted amount of time. It's disheartening. Everyone seems to know how to fix the problem. Everything seems so straightforward to them. In actual fact, it's not. It takes determination, willingness to make sacrifice, ability to compromise, and consider the interests of others not just yourself.

There's no magic bullet.

Socialized, universal healthcare has its cons. It's a tradeoff. Are you willing to "pay the price" in return for its benefits?

Not here, not in this country. We want EVERYTHING!

We want the whole cake and eat it.

Like they say, we are both the problem and the solution.

Outside looking in, you guys are victims of political partisanship on healthcare that’s created by a system (first past the post) that promotes candidates that are divisive and build a base on the left/right fringes, not the center.

Sorry if I’ve strayed too political.

[stackie]

Originally Posted by RudAwkning

Oh, and I learned that, in the state of California at least, all anesthesiologists are brought in as out-of-network contractors. I ended up with huge anesthesiology bills for both the rod inserted in my shin and the subsequent vascular surgery. My Healthcare rep told me that "You should have the anesthesiology filed and billed under RAPS" or Radiology Anestheisa Pathology Services. How was I to know this? And is it my job to make sure that things are billed properly after being hospitalized?!

Not true. I'm an anesthesiologist and I am an INDEPENDENT contractor. However, our contract with our hospital has language requiring us to make good faith efforts to negotiate with all insurers with whom the hospital contracts. We do so, not only due to contract, but do to the fact that we are civilized human beings. Unlike many hospital institutions.

For instance, recently we were contacted by one of our fellow hospitalists whose spouse had emergency surgery and received a bill for approximately $2500. That's definitely excessive. Insurance was Blue Cross. Hmmm, that's odd, we are contracted with Blue Cross. Turns out the hospitalist group bought a Blue Cross policy, one of many Blue Cross policies, that was not in network for us. We simply directed our billing company to reduce the bill to that of a Blue Cross policy that is in network for us. We are now working to add this policy to our network. Every insurance company offers a large number of plans, and it simply becomes impossible to have a contract with every one.

We are human beings with an actual ethical code. Many hospitals, especially, for profit institutions, are in it for profit, with a mindset of an used car salesman. If you can screw a person to make an excess profit, that's good business.

So, yes, legislation to prevent balance billing must be enacted. However, it needs to be worded in ways to prevent the insurance company from using it to prevent effective negotiation of rates. Currently, California's AB72 states that if physicians do not reach contract agreement with the insurer, then the insurer can set their rates at 125% of Medicare rates. Sadly, Medicare rates for my speciality are absurdly low. It would completely untenable to practice anesthesiology in California at Medicare rates. If we go to Medicare for all, to remain in California, I will be forced to find a new career.

Our system sucks. IMHO, because it is now run by big business. Hospitals, Pharma, and medical equipment/device manufacturing. I'm a fan of a single payor system. However, it cannot be Medicare, as current Medicare rates depend on subsidy by private insurer rates. And, quite frankly, I don't believe our society can or should pay for all medical procedures. Some limitation of what society pays for out of the collective pool must occur to be viable.

Jon

[Elefantino]

Socialized medicine already works in this country.

Extend it to everyone. Raises taxes.

And don't listen to the pols who scream "SOCIALISM!" because they're just pandering to the one-third of this country that has evolved only slightly since the caveman days.

Heck, we can't even agree that our roads and bridges need fixing.

[nooneline]

Originally Posted by Hellgate

Ouch. That's racing.

Not in other countries, it's not.

"That's for-profit health care in the USA" is more like it.