1. I have never worked for an insurance company.

2. I have an excellent understanding of how insurance companies work.

3.No, With sycophants like obama & bush in charge insurance companies and any corporation with a lobbist will get bailed out.  Where have you been the last 20 years?

4. Ok, so that's 50% of a premium to go to fraud, 30% into the pockets of Corporations, So only 20% of the money actually makes to to who it should?!?!??! One more reason to destroy insurance companies.

5.  Lawyers at least serve a function.

6. I don't remember that, but, given the mountain of shit, not surprised.

7. Bullshit.   I know a guy who's premium went up 43% in months. Actual businesses like medical companies have to deal with real world problems, like inflation.

8. Duh

9. Insurance companies stopped this from happening?  Insurance companies did what for us? Insurance companies have stopped any fraudulent billing process?

10. The real problem is For-Profit Corporations like Insurance Companies & the American Medical Association can pretend that are there to provide HEALTH CARE.  When they do nothing but hinder the process of caring for humans creating a "Health Care" environment that is focused on money not care.

The wealthy through the use of Corporations have Corrupted the Government to manipulate America Law & People.  Corporations are securing Generational Contracts of Public Assets with Money given to them by Corrupt Government.  We now have a group of people deemed to important to fail.  The Economic Policies of our government produced have destroyed the Middle Class of our country.   Bankrupting our children, Destroying the American Dream.

Live Free or Die; Death is Not the Worst of Evils,

The Dude

1) please show me your 'excellent' understanding of how insurance companies work ?

    I will correct you

2) do you know the difference between a mutual and a stock company ?

3) what exactly is the function that lawyers serve ?

4) not every corporation gets bailed out ...'Rubbermaid' is a good example

5) what affect has globalization had on the middle class ? and wages in America

6) if you think Health Insurance is expensive , wait till you go to the hospital and get their bills, assuming they will even touch you if dont have insurance..I wonder why is it that a hospital will refuse to treat you if you have no insurance ?

7) actual businesses like medical companies have to deal with inflation , but the rest of us don't ?

8) I am assuming that you are taking your allowance , starting your own company, hiring Americans, paying them middle class salaries , and showing the rest of us how it's done ..Gratz! good for you , keep up the good work

Lemme explain to you how insurance companies work...

You pay them money for some hypothetical situation that may happen, but probably won't happen anytime soon. Everyone else pays this same middle man for hypothetical situations that may happen and we all share any risk involved through higher or lower premiums across the board.

Shared risk is the sole principle behind ALL INSURANCE!

What risk is shared if insurance companies get to price fix in a discriminatory practice?

Health insurance is the middle man....

Cut out the damn middle man, I believe that is what Lebowski was trying to say.

If I pay for health insurance for 10 years and never get sick or hurt, do I get my 10 years of insurance premiums back?

pfft...

Insurance is legal extortion, much like the credit industry.

The Dude's suggestion is decent.

And Dex...

Just how hard is it to bill electronically?

And as far as price goes...

Get rid of all these nanny taxes and just make a plain-Jane simple effing healthcare .5% - 1% tax.

Once all hospitals across the nation are networked, consolidate databases and give them access to tax records.

Adjust cost of care through income, pay for losses from universal health care tax and try to move healthcare in a direction that does not make money at the expense of the poor, sick and needy. This is America god damnit. The costs saved by making the billing process more efficient, the costs to taxpayers, and the costs to the entire process as a whole drop dramatically.

Oh, but the rich! Why should they have to pay more for healthcare?

Why not?

Just call it some designer name, LV or DG or whatever the hell will make them think it costs alot.

The rich have a responsibility to take care of the poor because its the poor that made them rich.

Thanks Thottless!!

Insurance companies are useless.  They are no longer necessary.

stop fighting over who is right and who is wrong and take a look at the different health care systems in other countries and try to model their good qualities to improve the health care system we have.

For example

access

In Canada... "Depending on the province, dental and vision care may not be covered but are often insured by employers through private companies. In some provinces, private supplemental plans are available for those who desire private rooms if they are hospitalized. Cosmetic surgery and some forms of elective surgery are not considered essential care and are generally not covered. These can be paid out-of-pocket or through private insurers. Health coverage is not affected by loss or change of jobs, as long as premiums are up to date, and there are no lifetime limits or exclusions for pre-existing conditions."

In Germany..."85% of the population is covered by a basic health insurance plan provided by statute, which provides a standard level of coverage. The remainder opt for private health insurance, which frequently offers additional benefits."

fairness

In Canada... "Preventive care and early detection are considered important and yearly checkups are encouraged. Early detection not only extends life expectancy and quality of life, but cuts down overall costs. Those suspected of abusing the system by over-frequent or frivolous use, can be tracked by the doctor through the ID on their health insurance card and may have to wait longer than those with more urgent needs."

efficiency

the most efficient health care system is Taiwan (with 6% of the GDP). They use smart cards in their universal insurance to fight fraud, track expenditures and reduce costs. Every enrollee has a Health IC smart card. This credit-card-size card only contains a kilobyte of memory that includes provider and patient profiles to identify and reduce Insurance Fraud, overcharges, duplication of services and tests.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Taiwan

cost

Japan is considering "changing the system so that primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care would be clearly distinguished within each geographical region. Further, facilities would be designated by level of care and referrals would be required to obtain more complex care. Policy makers and administrators also recognized the need to unify the various insurance systems and to control costs." They split health insurance between public and private options. "National health insurance is generally reserved for self-employed people and students, whereas social insurance is normally for corporate employees."

In Australia "An additional levy of 1% is imposed on high-income earners without private health insurance."

"Health Services in Australia are universal. The Federal Government pays a large percentage of the cost of services in public hospitals. This percentage is calculated on:
1. Whether the Government subsidizes this service
2. Whether the Patient is a Concession or Receives other Benefits
3. Whether the Patient has crossed the threshold for further subsidised service (based on total health expenditure for the year"

"Individuals are encouraged to purchase private health services. The Government achieves this through a Surcharge in tax at which an individuals above a set income level are penalised for not taking out private health insurance"

"Canada's regionally based Medicare systems are cost effective partly because of their administrative simplicity. In each province each doctor handles the insurance claim against the state insurer. There is no need for the patient to be involved in billing and reclaim, thus making the system more adminstratively simple than one in which patients are billed and then reclaim. Private insurance is only a minimal part of the overall health care system and thus competitive practices such as advertising and other forms of self promotion, lobbying activities are kept to a minimum thus maximizing the percentage of revenues going directly towards patient care."

quality

 keep the US private insurance

it is all is sitting down and rationally creating a good health insurance program. 

Fuck the Rest of the World!!  This is America!!  We Lead, We do not follow!  This country was created so average people may decide how they want to live.  If the Government forces you to pay insurance companies we have lost any real Freedom we had left.

Insurance Companies are nothing more than blackholes.   They take your money, give a little to hospitals, and pocket the rest.   The market is supposed to control prices, not a corporation or government.  The Dems & Reps are nothing more than corporation pandering sycophants.  Every move they make exposes their corruption, This healthcare bullshit is exactly that bullshit.

Our Government has no desire to leave any business in the control of the average citizen.   Every bailout and stimulus does nothing but ensure & protect the wealthy corporate class.  Generational Contracts  have been secured for them, creating a new citizen that will always be at the top in Wealth & Influence.   Deemed to important to fail they will continue to have unfair influence over our lives & government.  The American Dream dies a little more with every move they make.

Entirely remove the current corporate leeching & government control to create a network of hospitals across this country that care for humans in our country.  Build  TEACHING Hopitals from one end of this country to the other.  The best hopitals we have now would serve only Children and Veterans.   Everyone from Politicans to Joe Blow will go to the closest hospital upon an emergency.  Present the card from your local hospital and all costs are forwarded there.  A hospital would be staffed with the properly skillled people to determine if charges & procedures are in line.  Offer classes to anyone who is smart enough up to programs to become a doctor.  They would not have right to force anyone to do anything, just care for those who show up.  Plus the research benefits would be amazing.  Imagine curing a disease instead of a pill to manage it.

Live Free or Die, Death is Not the Worst of Evils;

The Dude

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Someone wrote:

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The Dude wrote:

Fuck the Rest of the World!!  This is America!!  We Lead, We do not follow! 

 

 

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and you wonder why we fail at so much.

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Yes, good leaders don't generally try to fuck the people they lead.

Unless they're leading a conga line to an orgy.

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Useful Idiot wrote:

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Someone wrote:

---

The Dude wrote:

Fuck the Rest of the World!!  This is America!!  We Lead, We do not follow! 

 

 

---

and you wonder why we fail at so much.

---

Yes, good leaders don't generally try to fuck the people they lead.

 

Unless they're leading a conga line to an orgy.

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or unless they are really good leaders