Alan, thanks for the insult.

Maybe I'm not explaining myself clearly enough? Even those Amish people that are paying their bills are essentially also paying for someone else's bills. in fact, ANYONE that actually pays their bills is paying for their own care PLUS the care of everyone else that will not/cannot pay their bills. So, in my world, those non-payers are the ones interfering. I'd actually favor government interference in this because it would get some of the deadbeats to actually pay up.

The general idea of what you are describing with the Amish is a good one but it is essentially a form of collective "insurance", correct?

Do you favor mandatory liability insurance for drivers of cars in Washington? I think it provides an analogy.

-AP

Did anyone mention the word reimbursement besides you? Nice twist.
Rates charged for illegals or your dine-n-dash'ers are the non-negotiated highest rate. And it's obvious we are talking hospitals not private practice.

http://www.accessproject.org/hospital.html

"Hospitals have been criticized for their billing and collection practices regarding low-income uninsured patients. Reports by The Access Project and others led to news reports detailing harsh billing and collections practices directed at these patients – including failing to inform people about eligibility for charity care, foreclosing on homes, garnishing wages, and even putting people in jail."

These are at the full rate Hankster.

salmosalar......There's no way of knowing the whole story and all of its ramifications without living through it, but I can say that your brother is lucky to have you. I don't know if it helps any, but I have known people who have had some serious hospital debts forgiven.
Sounds like you have some great family ties going, with your concern for your brethren and kids. Good Luck.

Boo fricken hoo Salar, I will see your story and raise you one. My aunt's husband died of brain cancer leaving her big medical bills and two young kids to raise on a HS education. She never declared banko or borrowed a dime and paid off all the debts and paid of herself and her kid’s medical bills along with everything else that costs $$ in life, all by her little lonesome. She did it by foregoing life’s little pleasures , she walked or rode the bus and still does, makes all her own clothes always has, grows a garden and picks fruit and cans etc. Sounds like your bother liked the bottle and ate a high fat diet and earned his pancreatic the old fashioned way, life style choices. I have no problem paying for medical for those truly in need but not if they have and want life’s luxuries on the taxpayers back. And yes booze, a car and new store bought clothes are luxuries in every country in the world.

I worked with a guy who went home not feeling well and died in emergency that night from pancreatitis. He thought he had food poisoning.

"It's often hereditary. Look it up jackass."

It is more often than not related to suckin on the bottle, look it up yerself jack wagon.

Please describe your diet and exercise regime, do you smoke?

Put a sock in it, TJ.

It's the "Empathy -Free Hour with Tom Joad", ladies and gentlemen.



And paid off a six-figure bill? By making her own clothes and canning fruit and vegetables?

I was going to join in on the Empathy-Free Hour and say a bunch of mean sh!t, but then I realized it would only lead to me looking like a dick.

TJ

What would your aunt have done had she had a major heart attack while working so hard to pay off those bills? Or if one of her kids needed an extended hospitalization?

The fact is many middle income families are left destitute by major illnesses. There is no way a family of four making a median income can EVER pay off the massive bills that result from a major illness or trauma,000 in hospital bills. I don’t give a shait how frugal they are.

As to the cause of their illnesses who gives a shait if they contributed? Most Americans eat too much, smoke too much, drink too much or exercise too little. I guess we should toss them all under the buss too.

What total and complete B.S.

BTW my daughter hs had pancreatitis twice as a result of surgeries for other problems. She has never drunk alcohol. She tried for years to pay off her huge hospital bills but gave up after they refused to accept a payment plan and garnished her saving account where she had $3,000 saved for my grandson’s college.


I guess we should care for the fortunate and let the less fortunate die or be destitute for life.

I was going to join in on the Empathy-Free Hour and say a bunch of mean sh!t, but then I realized it would only lead to me looking like a dick.

Oh hell DS ain't no way that could happen. You have all ready cemented your reputation in place! The description of a dick is accurate but then one should be upwardly mobile.

Dan---Sometimes your little nuggets enlighten me. Gawd dam....I'm gonna' buy some more "indulgences", make my own clothes and be nice when I don't wanna' be.

I say mean chit when I don't even mean it mean....whatever the phvck that means.

DV,
"As to the cause of their illnesses who gives a shait if they contributed?'

I do if I am paying for it and everyone paying for it should care. As it sits now people that did zero to contiribute to their health problems suffer from lack of care because someone who sucked down 4 packs a day for 30 years is tying up resources.

I have no problem paying for people that really need it, none what so ever and I give freely to support that need. Did your parents and grandparents have health insurance ? no? yiou mean they had to plan accordingly?. Throwing money in the form of free healthcare at the US population is a mistake just as any other entitlement program. Fixing the problem is a mix of accountability and charity.

TJ:

And who will be the judge of weather the injured/ill were at least in part to blame? If you are 20 pounds overweight and have a heart attack do we cover that or just let you die? Maybe we need death panels?

It is already being handled correctly Re life insurance. The person 20lbs over weight would pay more for coverage than the person of normal weight. Letting people die is the strawman in the debate and you know it . We don't let people die and we never have. Regardless of your feelings nature always provide consequences for ones actions and the system should consider that as well.

TJ

The following and many other studies do in fact show significantly higher mortality among the uninsured.

http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/23/4/223.full

Now you say we should charge a higher premium to the slightly overweight. How does that work with the fact many are dropping health insurance becasue it is unaffordable?

I just saw a report that processed meats such as pepperoni are linked to strokes. So are you going to monitor who orders their pizza with pepperoni?


Wow! Talk about big brother.

DV,

All the studies show is that people die without health insurance. Go do the study in Bangladesh and you get the same result. The real question is why are they dying and how much did lifestyle choice contribute to their deaths. My neighbor dropped dead from a heart attack in July, he worked as a Metro bus driver and held one of the best medical insurance policies available. He was proud of the fact that he never went to the Dr. I don't go to the Dr. by choice. Many of the uninsured make the choice to put their health care at the back of the line in terms of the needs and wants in their lives.

The system works pretty good for driving and I don't see it as intrusive. If I get 5 tickets this year guess what happens my insurance rates blow through the roof or canceled and I cannot drive anymore. I get a physical every year as a condition of my life insurance. I gain 20lbs or start drugging and boozing and my liver function shows it, guess what happens? Pepperoni is the second straw man you have drug out of the closet.

So now we are all well aware that TJ has never had alcohol pass his lips. Has never done an illegal substance. Has never tasted food that isn't good for you. Has never participated in an activity where there was potential to harm himself. And of course has never had unprotected sex not even to bear children. TJ = loser.

Irrelevant as most of your points S-Head. I pay my own way. I could have one of the nicest fishing boats in the state and fish many more day's for what I pay to insure that others do not have to pay for my choices in life. I could have another nice fishing boat for what I pay in private conributions to help those less fortunate than I. I do not own a fishing boat how about you?

What choices do you really have...rice cakes? You don't want to be a drag on the others in the insurance pool do you? I'm willing to bet in your insurance pool there is at least one member paying the same as you and making even better life style choices. You are dragging him/her down and should be required to pay more.
I sure do own a fishing boat. But I'm not on my pulpit so it's OK. If I were in agreement with you I'd say you should not participate in fishing activities as people do get injured or even die some times. Don't be a hypocrite. You need to be leading a bit more delicate of a life style than the rest of us.