[johnbryanpeters]

It's Not a Clinic, It's a Caste System

Because I cover healthcare, and because I work for a website concerned with all the ways people try to separate women from their money, I’m often directed to clinics that say they are revolutionizing basic care. Friends and strangers send me links to Instagram ads, portholes into identically...

jezebel.com

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Health care CEOs made $2.6 billion last year

The median pay was $7.7 million.

www.axios.com

 

[Pesqueeb]

"But Bernie is too extreme........"

 

[DaveW]

But but it's the R&D costs!......

 

[Adventurous]

After paying over $5K for a 20 minute visit for my wife to pee in a cup and get a prescription to resolve her UTI, I embrace socialized medicine with open arms.

 

[Sandro]

Are you guys baiting Sandwich again? He's grumpy today, this should be good

 

[6thElement]

Not sure anyone else on here watches Phil's YT video's. He has insurance, he crashed on the track while attempting to qualify for the Olympics, he now has $250k in hospital bills dragging him down despite having bigly insurance.

 

[Pesqueeb]

But but it's the R&D costs!......

"And illegals getting free health care!" - Brian, probably.

 

[Jm_]

Not sure anyone else on here watches Phil's YT video's. He has insurance, he crashed on the track while attempting to qualify for the Olympics, he now has $250k in hospital bills dragging him down despite having bigly insurance.

Step 1. Change mailing address to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Step 2. Refer bills companies to 1.

Step 3. Wait for Trump's promise "I am going to take care of everybody" to take effect.

 

[Jm_]

I recently sent an email to every one of these dipshits that signed on for this crap:

Alaska State Legislature

SHORT TITLERESTRICT ABORTION IF HEARTBEAT DETECTED

I really wish you would spend your time addressing real issues, rather than trying to impose your religious beliefs on all of Alaska. There is a financial crisis, homeless and massive violent crime here in Anchorage, poverty out in the villages, and declining oil company presence. There has got to be something better for you to do than try to impose your religion on women's reproductive rights.

 

[6thElement]

I recently sent an email to every one of these dipshits that signed on for this crap:

Alaska State Legislature

#like

There's too many of us on this orb, restricting abortion isn't solving that.

 

[dan-o]

Are you guys baiting Sandwich again? He's grumpy today, this should be good

Sandwich gonna lose his jerb and will lucky to avoid the guillotine!

 

[SkaredShtles]

After paying over $5K for a 20 minute visit for my wife to pee in a cup and get a prescription to resolve her UTI

 

[SkaredShtles]

I recently sent an email to every one of these dipshits that signed on for this crap:

Alaska State Legislature

You guys have massive violent crime in Anchorage? Who knew?

 

[Adventurous]

Don't worry, it wasn't all out of pocket. Insurance picked up $50 of the doctor's fee.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Don't worry, it wasn't all out of pocket. Insurance picked up $50 of the doctor's fee.

Wait. $5K and you HAD insurance? What the fuck is the back-story here?

 

[Adventurous]

Wait. $5K and you HAD insurance? What the fuck is the back-story here?

Short version: Wife gets UTI, calls PCP who doesn't have any availability, so she calls a place that says they operate as an Urgent Care up until 9 pm when it becomes an Emergency Room facility. So we go, she pees in a cup and gets prescription, and we are outta there in 20.

Bill comes for over $5K cause they lied and are a full time Emergency Room facility, with no Urgent Care hours. Our insurance covers $50 of the doctor's fee, but that's it. We appealed it for 1.5 years to whoever would listen but the company (and insurance) never backed down and finally dropped the hammer on us. Out of pocket cost was $5,100.

 

[Toshi]

Short version: Wife gets UTI, calls PCP who doesn't have any availability, so she calls a place that says they operate as an Urgent Care up until 9 pm when it becomes an Emergency Room facility. So we go, she pees in a cup and gets prescription, and we are outta there in 20.

Bill comes for over $5K cause they lied and are a full time Emergency Room facility, with no Urgent Care hours. Our insurance covers $50 of the doctor's fee, but that's it. We appealed it for 1.5 years to whoever would listen but the company (and insurance) never backed down and finally dropped the hammer on us. Out of pocket cost was $5,100.

Sweet jeebus. Next time she has a UTI shoot me a text and I'll call in a prescription for her.

 

[Pesqueeb]

You guys have massive violent crime in Anchorage? Who knew?

Meth.

 

[jonKranked]

But but it's the R&D costs!......

R&D is a big portion. it is not cheap. the budgets for marketing & CEO / executive salaries & bonuses are a bigger problem.

 

[dan-o]

Short version: Wife gets UTI, calls PCP who doesn't have any availability, so she calls a place that says they operate as an Urgent Care up until 9 pm when it becomes an Emergency Room facility. So we go, she pees in a cup and gets prescription, and we are outta there in 20.

Bill comes for over $5K cause they lied and are a full time Emergency Room facility, with no Urgent Care hours. Our insurance covers $50 of the doctor's fee, but that's it. We appealed it for 1.5 years to whoever would listen but the company (and insurance) never backed down and finally dropped the hammer on us. Out of pocket cost was $5,100.

WTF.
TIme to ghost ride a fuel tanker into their billing office.

 

[jonKranked]

Short version: Wife gets UTI, calls PCP who doesn't have any availability, so she calls a place that says they operate as an Urgent Care up until 9 pm when it becomes an Emergency Room facility. So we go, she pees in a cup and gets prescription, and we are outta there in 20.

Bill comes for over $5K cause they lied and are a full time Emergency Room facility, with no Urgent Care hours. Our insurance covers $50 of the doctor's fee, but that's it. We appealed it for 1.5 years to whoever would listen but the company (and insurance) never backed down and finally dropped the hammer on us. Out of pocket cost was $5,100.

have you considered a lawyer?

 

[Jm_]

You guys have massive violent crime in Anchorage? Who knew?

More guns makes us safer.

 

[Adventurous]

have you considered a lawyer?

Had I known how everything would play out, I would have engaged one. At some point we just decided to pay the ransom and wash our hands of the matter, as it had been taxing to our mental health for well over a year.

At this point we are several years removed, so I doubt a lawyer would want to dredge the case up.

 

[StiHacka]

Short version: Wife gets UTI, calls PCP who doesn't have any availability, so she calls a place that says they operate as an Urgent Care up until 9 pm when it becomes an Emergency Room facility. So we go, she pees in a cup and gets prescription, and we are outta there in 20.

Bill comes for over $5K cause they lied and are a full time Emergency Room facility, with no Urgent Care hours. Our insurance covers $50 of the doctor's fee, but that's it. We appealed it for 1.5 years to whoever would listen but the company (and insurance) never backed down and finally dropped the hammer on us. Out of pocket cost was $5,100.

I don't understand how the way ERs operate is legal in this country. In network facility, out of network surgeons/physicians, no upfront information, massive checks in the mail.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Short version: Wife gets UTI, calls PCP who doesn't have any availability, so she calls a place that says they operate as an Urgent Care up until 9 pm when it becomes an Emergency Room facility. So we go, she pees in a cup and gets prescription, and we are outta there in 20.

Bill comes for over $5K cause they lied and are a full time Emergency Room facility, with no Urgent Care hours. Our insurance covers $50 of the doctor's fee, but that's it. We appealed it for 1.5 years to whoever would listen but the company (and insurance) never backed down and finally dropped the hammer on us. Out of pocket cost was $5,100.

This is basically what happened to me when I piled in at Loveland and aggravated some of my "old" injuries. Went to Urgent care right at 5pm. Got sent to ER cause Urgent Care CT staff had gone home for the day. I was fortunate that insurance covered me for my unplanned ER visit, after I tried to do it the cheap way, but I could have easily wound up in the same boat. The level of fuckery engaged in how health care billing is handled is ENRAGING.

 

[dan-o]

More guns makes us safer.

Alaska’s murder rate -- highly variable because of the relatively small numbers of offenses involved -- declined dramatically. There were 47 homicides in 2018, compared to 62 in 2017. Two-thirds of homicides involved a firearm.

A total of 1,100 rapes were reported in Alaska in 2018, as well as 88 attempted rates. The rate of 161.9 sexual assaults per 100,000 people has now reached nearly four times the national rate. That’s equivalent to a rape in Alaska about every seven hours.

While the overall Alaska crime rate went down 4.6%, violent crimes increased 3.3%. The most common violent crime reported in Alaska was aggravated assault, followed by rape, according to the data.

Alaska’s rate of violent crime continues to climb, new FBI data shows

But property crime, especially once-surging vehicle theft, appeared to be trending down.

www.adn.com

Sounds like you need to shoot more rapists to make the place safe.
My guess is AK has a booze/drug problem more than a gun problem.

 

[Jm_]

Alaska’s murder rate -- highly variable because of the relatively small numbers of offenses involved -- declined dramatically. There were 47 homicides in 2018, compared to 62 in 2017. Two-thirds of homicides involved a firearm.

A total of 1,100 rapes were reported in Alaska in 2018, as well as 88 attempted rates. The rate of 161.9 sexual assaults per 100,000 people has now reached nearly four times the national rate. That’s equivalent to a rape in Alaska about every seven hours.

While the overall Alaska crime rate went down 4.6%, violent crimes increased 3.3%. The most common violent crime reported in Alaska was aggravated assault, followed by rape, according to the data.

Alaska’s rate of violent crime continues to climb, new FBI data shows

But property crime, especially once-surging vehicle theft, appeared to be trending down.

www.adn.com

Sounds like you need to shoot more rapists to make the place safe.
My guess is AK has a booze/drug problem more than a gun problem.

Doesn't show the number of shootings here. Trust me, it's way off the scale.

 

[dan-o]

Doesn't show the number of shootings here. Trust me, it's way off the scale.

I believe it.

 

[jonKranked]

America is about to get a godawful lesson in why health care should never be a for-profit business

For four decades, American corporations have been caught up in a whole series of refinements that are intended to improve efficiency and productivity. Our processes are lean. Our efficiency is six-sigma. Our productivity has mysteriously run far ahead...

www.dailykos.com

 

[Sandwich]

Are you guys baiting Sandwich again? He's grumpy today, this should be good

you guys are cute but I agree that health care is a problem. Thing is, health insurance and pharmaceuticals are different things. You may conflate them as you wish but it doesn't make it true. I agree that our insurance industry needs reform. There's no way you should pay $500 a month and $500 for a doctor's visit. I simply disagree that a "VA 4 all" plan where the government steps in is going to fix things. Not only would it take decades to implement, it would also force huge swaths of people out of their jobs. We should be striving for a more logical reform- medicare for some? Medicare if you want it? VA for all and you pay extra if you want to see a doctor this year? Something like that. Thing of it is that the supreme court will shortly hear a case of whether it's actually legal to force people to buy insurance- part of the now kneecapped ACA...and you think M4A is going to be easy to pass?

As for the whole "Big ph4rma suxxorz my dixxors", I'll let you have that conversation in your echo chamber- I'm certainly not welcome.

 

[Sandro]

As for the whole "Big ph4rma suxxorz my dixxors", I'll let you have that conversation in your echo chamber- I'm certainly not welcome.

That's not my personal position at all, i just noted that certain comments here were reminiscent of a recent discussion on drug prices that you thankfully weighed in on. It just happened that you were having a serious FTS day when this thread was posted and things might have gotten interesting had you joined the debate at that time.

Regarding your healthcare costs, i really don't understand your healthcare system enough to have an informed opinion, but the costs that Adventurous is talking about upthread are truly flabbergasting.

Even though I am a dirty Euro Commie, I also come into contact with private health insurance over here. My girlfriend is a teacher, and counterintuitively, state employees like her get private health insurance while plebs like me have to make do with statutory health insurance, which is honestly pretty good.
Our two year old daughter is insured through her since she will get slightly better care, such as getting a private room in the hospital and being treated by the head physicians. Since we have to pay out of pocket before being fully reimbursed by the insurance company, i get to have some insight into health care costs that I usually would not have.

At the end of last year, we spent two weeks in the local children's hospital with our daughter. We got a private room, were treated by the chief neurologist, had an MRI done as well as several blood tests and a lumbar puncture. That whole episode cost around 5500€, so not a whole lot more than Adventurous' girlfriend's 20 minute clinic visit.

 

[Sandwich]

That's not my personal position at all, i just noted that certain comments here were reminiscent of a recent discussion on drug prices that you thankfully weighed in on. It just happened that you were having a serious FTS day when this thread was posted and things might have gotten interesting had you joined the debate at that time.

Regarding your healthcare costs, i really don't understand your healthcare system enough to have an informed opinion, but the costs that Adventurous is talking about upthread are truly flabbergasting.

Even though I am a dirty Euro Commie, I also come into contact with private health insurance over here. My girlfriend is a teacher, and counterintuitively, state employees like her get private health insurance while plebs like me have to make do with statutory health insurance, which is honestly pretty good.
Our two year old daughter is insured through her since she will get slightly better care, such as getting a private room in the hospital and being treated by the head physicians. Since we have to pay out of pocket before being fully reimbursed by the insurance company, i get to have some insight into health care costs that I usually would not have.

At the end of last year, we spent two weeks in the local children's hospital with our daughter. We got a private room, were treated by the chief neurologist, had an MRI done as well as several blood tests and a lumbar puncture. That whole episode cost around 5500€, so not a whole lot more than Adventurous' girlfriend's 20 minute clinic visit.

The internet is full of "woe is me" stories about how somebody had a toothache and is now bankrupt forever. They always glaze over the fact that they went to an out of network doctor and never paid their bills and didn't actually have insurance or whatever. There are very few positive stories.

Here's one:
My son was having trouble breathing in the middle of the night. I rushed him to the ER at 2:30 in the morning. We spent 4 hours in the ER, getting Xrays, oxygen, and inhaled steroids. Then they airlifted us to mass general where we spent 4 days in a private room in intensive care before being sent to a private room in the pediatric ward. The entire episode cost us less than $2000. I can't give an exact quote but the entirety of our hospital stay including helicopter transportation was $500. This wasn't on a cadillac plan and I'm not a CEO. I was on a generic BCBS PPO plan through my employer. It was a very expensive plan, about $520/mo for a family, but when I needed it, it worked.

 

[Sandro]

The entire episode cost us less than $2000. I can't give an exact quote but the entirety of our hospital stay including helicopter transportation was $500. This wasn't on a cadillac plan and I'm not a CEO. I was on a generic BCBS PPO plan through my employer. It was a very expensive plan, about $520/mo for a family, but when I needed it, it worked.

Sorry for being completely uniformed here, and short look at the wiki entry on US health care confused me even more, but when you say "it cost us less than 2000$" are those costs you had to cover yourself or did you get reimbursed?

 

[Sandwich]

That's my out of pocket costs.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

That's my out of pocket costs.

For services that are effectively unavailable for a significant portion of the population in the United States.

 

[dan-o]

For services that are effectively unavailable for a significant portion of the population in the United States.

How so?

 

[jonKranked]

I was on a generic BCBS PPO plan through my employer.

this still means you have better insurance than most americans.

 

[jonKranked]

Not only would it take decades to implement, it would also force huge swaths of people out of their jobs.

the yale study factored in 2 years of severance pay for anyone displaced from a job in the private insurance industry. and m4a was still cheaper.

this is a good point, but it's not like the gov't is employing all these people to process medicare right now and they just sitting idle waiting for m4a. the most likely scenario is that a lot of the roles would simply transition from private industry to a gov't job.

 

[jonKranked]

For services that are effectively unavailable for a significant portion of the population in the United States.

not unavailable, but unaffordable.