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Lets help BannerJohn out!

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Keith, I guess you don't HAVE to have an account to send money through PayPal.....just check into before you register incase you didn't want to.

Thanks...sorry for any confusion!

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Ok  I had a account...opps! :thumbsup:

Thanks for the help agian

Funds all sent I hope it helps. My Brother inlaw is just getting over a heart attack.

Keith

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Yes, I know about the expenses of a heart problem, John I am Praying for you! JimT

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John sounds like a great guy.

Takes one to know one...That's mighty great of you, especially being new around here.

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I just wanted to say thanks again to all of you who have helped me out. My medical bills were almost $170,000 with no insurance. Thankfully, most of the people were willing to work with me,and some even gave me a 50% discount. Of course that still left a lot to pay. But I am slowly but surely getting things taken care of,and everything helps. I have always said there are a great bunch of people here and now I have proof of it.

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Wow John. Glad you made it through but it's a crying shame how bad our medical insurance system is in the U.S. Without getting too political here, it's one of the reasons I support a solid Universal health-care plan for the U.S. It'll happen, it's just a matter of when and how smoothly it will go. I just read a book on this subject called 'The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care ' by T.R. Reid and lemme tell you, it's a real eye opener. Every developed country in the world which has Universal coverage does it better and for WAY cheaper than America. America spends 17% of its gross domestic product on healthcare and still leaves nearly 50 million people without *any* coverage at all, and yet offers a form of socialized medicine for vets and a Canadian-style system for the elderly. Even the word 'medicare' was coined by Tommy Douglas, the Canadian hero who implemented universal coverage for Canadians.

At least you had some coverage, even with all the red tape which comes from 'for profit' insurance companies which is an inherent conflict of interest. In Germany, they keep private insurance their whole lives...the difference is that their some 200-odd insurance companies are not for profit, but still compete vigorously to get the government-funds guaranteed for the base plan, and there are other plans to cover procedures not covered under the base plan. The key being that as long as people pay their premiums, there's no charge for claims like you would have made with the issues you've had recently. Going broke due to unforseen medical issues is a shame.

Glad you're ok tho, and I hope you can manage the bills.

I just wanted to say thanks again to all of you who have helped me out. My medical bills were almost $170,000 with no insurance. Thankfully, most of the people were willing to work with me,and some even gave me a 50% discount. Of course that still left a lot to pay. But I am slowly but surely getting things taken care of,and everything helps. I have always said there are a great bunch of people here and now I have proof of it.

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Wow John. Glad you made it through but it's a crying shame how bad our medical insurance system is in the U.S. Without getting too political here, it's one of the reasons I support a solid Universal health-care plan for the U.S. It'll happen, it's just a matter of when and how smoothly it will go. I just read a book on this subject called 'The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care ' by T.R. Reid and lemme tell you, it's a real eye opener. Every developed country in the world which has Universal coverage does it better and for WAY cheaper than America. America spends 17% of its gross domestic product on healthcare and still leaves nearly 50 million people without *any* coverage at all, and yet offers a form of socialized medicine for vets and a Canadian-style system for the elderly. Even the word 'medicare' was coined by Tommy Douglas, the Canadian hero who implemented universal coverage for Canadians.

At least you had some coverage, even with all the red tape which comes from 'for profit' insurance companies which is an inherent conflict of interest. In Germany, they keep private insurance their whole lives...the difference is that their some 200-odd insurance companies are not for profit, but still compete vigorously to get the government-funds guaranteed for the base plan, and there are other plans to cover procedures not covered under the base plan. The key being that as long as people pay their premiums, there's no charge for claims like you would have made with the issues you've had recently. Going broke due to unforseen medical issues is a shame.

Glad you're ok tho, and I hope you can manage the bills.

I just wanted to say thanks again to all of you who have helped me out. My medical bills were almost $170,000 with no insurance. Thankfully, most of the people were willing to work with me,and some even gave me a 50% discount. Of course that still left a lot to pay. But I am slowly but surely getting things taken care of,and everything helps. I have always said there are a great bunch of people here and now I have proof of it.

I agree 100%...having experienced the full force of the medical/insurance establishment profit machine.

I would add a few things:

Any country that considers the health of it's citizens a matter for profit (and huge profits) is not a civilized country.

and..anyone who has good insurance really doesn't have a dog in this fight..they have their piece of the pie and they don't really have the understanding to form an opinion on those of us who don't. Unless they have been there,nobody does.

Consider this...those of you who have parents still living who are older...they have worked hard all their lives..if they are lucky they might have a few hundred K put back.UNless they have medicare or insurance..one good hospital stay could wipe that out. Period. 10 days for me was $177,000.00 5 days for my mom was $78,000. And that is your inheritance. Think about that.

AND to add insult to injury...if a parent ends up in a nursing home, and the medicare (which pays for 120 days) runs out, and they go on medicaid...after they die, the state will come after their estate to recoup their costs (this is a federal mandate) and take their house and everything else they owned. Again, your inheritance.

No civilized country in the world fails to take care of their sick and elderly like ours does..and it's a shame considering how they tax us at every turn.

Medicare suppliment insurance is a joke...it pays well, but premimums are way beyond the average older person. My mom's premium is $300 a MONTH. You young folks think medicare pays it all? Well, guess again. It doesn't pay for a LOT of things.Doctor visits, tests...etc. The supplimental insuarnce is provided by private insurance companies..who make a hefty profit. As a result, they can (and often do) make decisions about what they will pay and what they won't. THOSE are your 'so called' death panels that the republicans have said we will get under national health care. Just more lies designed to keep the rich rich and the poor poor.

Nobody is immune...anyone can have a major illness at any time. Think about it. As health care costs rise, those of you who have employer provided benifits may suddenly find them gone..and you will be in the same boat as the 50 million of us with no insurance. When people go to the emergency room or hospital and can't pay..who DO you think pays? YOU do, if you have insurance..and the rates go up.

That's all I have to say. Anyone with half a brain knows that the problem is there and is getting worse every day. Only the well-insured,and those who have stock in insurance companies and medical provider corporations, will be against health care reform....excepting those who are stipid enough to listen to the insurance comapny lies and the republican lies designed to keep the insurance companies happy(and wealthy)

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Just got back from the Doctor and 10 pills would have been over 270.00 without insurance . . .Thats rediculous

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yeah I was just talking about this with Jenny. The government places NO restrictions on pricing,and gives the drug companies 16 or 17 years exclusive to manufacture the drugs. Essentially, a license to steal.

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I know all about this......7 years of dealing with a daughter with Cystic Fibrosis...............basically it's put our family in financial stress.  Sarah met her medical maximum when she was 3, at that time she was listed as uninsurable.  Since, We have been on State insurance.  Let's be honest here, State insurance doesn't cover a whole lot.........She's sick enough where my wife quit her job to take care of her, as the cost of an "in-house" nurse was more than either of us made in a month supplimented with the insurance.  So now, one income, approximately 3k to 4k in medications per month, constant medical care from my wife and now we find out she needs a Lung Transplant, she's reached that stage.....at 7!  Here's the best part.....we noticed our auto and home insurance kept increasing.......How do you ask???  Insurance Companies are now allowed to use your credit status to base your premiums on.  It's bad enough that we are going to have to sell our house before it gets forclosed, but talk about kicking you while your down......They hit you harder, make you jump through hoops.....have we some stories.............and what shall we expect for the transplant........Is this a country that takes care of it's people? not only do they not but they let others extort you also......

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I know all about this......7 years of dealing with a daughter with Cystic Fibrosis...............basically it's put our family in financial stress.  Sarah met her medical maximum when she was 3, at that time she was listed as uninsurable.  Since, We have been on State insurance.  Let's be honest here, State insurance doesn't cover a whole lot.........She's sick enough where my wife quit her job to take care of her, as the cost of an "in-house" nurse was more than either of us made in a month supplimented with the insurance.  So now, one income, approximately 3k to 4k in medications per month, constant medical care from my wife and now we find out she needs a Lung Transplant, she's reached that stage.....at 7!   Here's the best part.....we noticed our auto and home insurance kept increasing.......How do you ask???  Insurance Companies are now allowed to use your credit status to base your premiums on.   It's bad enough that we are going to have to sell our house before it gets forclosed, but talk about kicking you while your down......They hit you harder, make you jump through hoops.....have we some stories.............and what shall we expect for the transplant........Is this a country that takes care of it's people? not only do they not but they let others extort you also......

and there are still people who say we don't need health care reform.

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True John- many of those people have the money to pay for medical expenses.  

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and the congressmen that vote on it defiantly don't need it.  I was watching a comedy show not long ago (I thing it was robin Williams) who suggested that the people in congress should wear coats with the names of who has sponsored ( er donated) to their campaigns kkind like nascar drivers!.  That way you know why they voted the way they do

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Not only do we need Medical Reform but the whole campain contributions needs reform, what ever happened to the line in their oath about representation "For The People"?  It's always about Money and who has the most.  "thou who has the most shall get served first"

And where are these Programs that are supposed to help people in need???  Seems like the only people that qualify are the people who know how to take advantage of the system to their advantage......More Reform???

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i also agree with the medical cost, it is outrageous!!!! a good example of rip off is my mother has to have infusions every six weeks for rheumetiod arthritis, just to be able to move. if it is done in a doctors office it costs a little over 2000.00 when it is done at a hospital in a room they charge over 4000.00..........who can pay for that?  talk about over charge!!!! and all her scripts each month are over 2000.00.  it's just like all the people that are out of work, no jobs to be had, yet they keep upping the price of everything!

there is no more "for the people" it's "for my pocket" now.

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Hey, i may have said im a blackhawks fan on the NHL season thread but tbf im stuck between the red wings and blackhawks . Can anyone help me on choosing between one of those?

No smart comments please

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and there are still people who say we don't need health care reform.

Not only do we need reform, America's healthcare system needs a complete overhaul. We rank 37th according to the World Health Organization, I think that's just ahead of Slovenia. Every other first-world nation proves how much better that can cover everyone and do it much cheaper than America spending 17% of its GDP on healthcare while leaving 50 million people with no coverage, meaning they don't get preventive care, and that costs more in the long run.

Also, America does have *some* government-backed coverage, just not for everyone. If you're a prisoner, you get health care, even if you get second-rate care, you still get treated when you need it over a non-criminal who isn't covered and often has to choose between going broke or treating serious illness, which may have gotten worse while expensive treatment was avoided.

Government employees even get healthcare (even the R-tards who are against healthcare for the rest of us). So do active and retired military, the indigent and anyone 65 or older (Medicare). Medicare was the brain-child of Tommy Douglas, a Canadian socialist, but this system is far more efficient than even private healthcare, and excludes no seniors. Bush's privatized drug program didn't do seniors any favors though. Yes, the people who call it 'Obamacare' and vote against for-profit insurance reform get a form of Universal healthcare. Talk about removing motivation, not to mention hypocrisy.

Every other first-world nation on Earth that provides national healthcare does it better and cheaper than America, and France is rated number one, while America, the world's richest nation, ranks 37th. We also rank about 22nd on infant mortality, which is pathetic. America spends about 17% of its GDP on healthcare, where France is around 11% but covers *everyone*. Imagine if America had a mandate for everyone to pay in, we'd have a large pool of money to cover the sick, and reduce our overall costs. There would also be less administrative overhead because there would be fewer appeals for rescinded coverage, denied procedures, less back and forth between doctors and insurance companies, etc. A lot of effort and money from insurance companies goes into denials and rescission of benefits.

The problem is not America's medical technology, but access. We cannot cover everyone if everyone doesn't pay in. With a for-profit system (as it is now), insurance companies simply cherry-pick the healthiest people and either refuse to cover the rest, or rescind coverage for pre-existing conditions. Imagine an auto-insurer refusing coverage for car-insurance because you plan to drive, which puts you at risk. Speaking of car-insurance, it is illegal in most states to drive on any public road without car insurance. There is a mandate to pay into the system so that those who get in accidents can be covered. The same principle should apply with healthcare.

It's pathetic and sad that Americans have to go broke because of something they often cannot control. Now, some Americans do have lifestyles which don't promote health, but just as in other countries like the U.K., we can have doctors receive bonuses for getting smokers to quit, as one example of preventive care. But, for preventive care to work, people actually have to have the confidence to visit a doctor without the fear of going broke in the process.

America promises the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and in the spirit of this, it makes sense to look after the well-being of all Americans by having us all contribute to a health fund. Having health-care tied to a job is asinine, especially when the economy takes a downturn and people lose their jobs en masse (as I did). In America, if you lose a job with healthcare, you lose income and health-insurance in one fell swoop. Health insurance should be tied to the individual, not a job (and many jobs in America don't even offer coverage).

In addition, prices for health services can cost up to four-times what it costs for the insured, because insurance companies negotiate down pricing, but nobody is doing this for those who may need health services but are uninsured, assuming they can even get insurance if there's a pre-existing condition.

The for-profit system currently is a scam, verging on criminal. Insurance companies in other countries which offer Universal healthcare do exist, but they simply receive the government-guaranteed base-package that comes with the individual. If the individual is not happy with one company, he/she can switch companies and bring his government-backed funds elsewhere (such as in Germany, where citizens have private, not-for-profit insurance their entire lives). This breeds competition and value-added benefits from insurance companies and gives individuals the power they need to get proper service.

Healthcare will happen, but we have to get people to realize that America already has a sloppy array of government-run services....it just needs to be cleaned-up, reformed, consolidated and removed from the for-profit vultures who cherry-pick the healthy and leave the sick out in the cold to die (sometimes, literally).

The current system is broken, corrupt, insanely unfair, bad for the country, more expensive than any other healthcare system and should not be the behavior of a first-world egalitarian society and richest nation on Earth.

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Not only do we need reform, America's healthcare system needs a complete overhaul. We rank 37th according to the World Health Organization, I think that's just ahead of Slovenia. Every other first-world nation proves how much better that can cover everyone and do it much cheaper than America spending 17% of its GDP on healthcare while leaving 50 million people with no coverage, meaning they don't get preventive care, and that costs more in the long run.

Also, America does have *some* government-backed coverage, just not for everyone. If you're a prisoner, you get health care, even if you get second-rate care, you still get treated when you need it over a non-criminal who isn't covered and often has to choose between going broke or treating serious illness, which may have gotten worse while expensive treatment was avoided.

Government employees even get healthcare (even the R-tards who are against healthcare for the rest of us). So do active and retired military, the indigent and anyone 65 or older (Medicare). Medicare was the brain-child of Tommy Douglas, a Canadian socialist, but this system is far more efficient than even private healthcare, and excludes no seniors. Bush's privatized drug program didn't do seniors any favors though. Yes, the people who call it 'Obamacare' and vote against for-profit insurance reform get a form of Universal healthcare. Talk about removing motivation, not to mention hypocrisy.

Every other first-world nation on Earth that provides national healthcare does it better and cheaper than America, and France is rated number one, while America, the world's richest nation, ranks 37th. We also rank about 22nd on infant mortality, which is pathetic. America spends about 17% of its GDP on healthcare, where France is around 11% but covers *everyone*. Imagine if America had a mandate for everyone to pay in, we'd have a large pool of money to cover the sick, and reduce our overall costs. There would also be less administrative overhead because there would be fewer appeals for rescinded coverage, denied procedures, less back and forth between doctors and insurance companies, etc. A lot of effort and money from insurance companies goes into denials and rescission of benefits.

The problem is not America's medical technology, but access. We cannot cover everyone if everyone doesn't pay in. With a for-profit system (as it is now), insurance companies simply cherry-pick the healthiest people and either refuse to cover the rest, or rescind coverage for pre-existing conditions. Imagine an auto-insurer refusing coverage for car-insurance because you plan to drive, which puts you at risk. Speaking of car-insurance, it is illegal in most states to drive on any public road without car insurance. There is a mandate to pay into the system so that those who get in accidents can be covered. The same principle should apply with healthcare.

It's pathetic and sad that Americans have to go broke because of something they often cannot control. Now, some Americans do have lifestyles which don't promote health, but just as in other countries like the U.K., we can have doctors receive bonuses for getting smokers to quit, as one example of preventive care. But, for preventive care to work, people actually have to have the confidence to visit a doctor without the fear of going broke in the process.

America promises the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and in the spirit of this, it makes sense to look after the well-being of all Americans by having us all contribute to a health fund. Having health-care tied to a job is asinine, especially when the economy takes a downturn and people lose their jobs en masse (as I did). In America, if you lose a job with healthcare, you lose income and health-insurance in one fell swoop. Health insurance should be tied to the individual, not a job (and many jobs in America don't even offer coverage).

In addition, prices for health services can cost up to four-times what it costs for the insured, because insurance companies negotiate down pricing, but nobody is doing this for those who may need health services but are uninsured, assuming they can even get insurance if there's a pre-existing condition.

The for-profit system currently is a scam, verging on criminal. Insurance companies in other countries which offer Universal healthcare do exist, but they simply receive the government-guaranteed base-package that comes with the individual. If the individual is not happy with one company, he/she can switch companies and bring his government-backed funds elsewhere (such as in Germany). This breeds competition and value-added benefits from insurance companies and gives individuals the power they need to get proper service.

Healthcare will happen, but we have to get people to realize that America already has a sloppy array of government-run services....it just needs to be cleaned-up, reformed, consolidated and removed from the for-profit vultures who cherry-pick the healthy and leave the sick out in the cold to die (sometimes, literally).

The current system is broken, corrupt, insanely unfair, bad for the country, more expensive than any other healthcare system and is not the behavior of a first-world egalitarian society and richest nation on Earth.

well said! It's nice to see someone who understands the FACTS instead of posting the 'lies' that the others use in opposition to health care reform.

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well said! It's nice to see someone who understands the FACTS instead of posting the 'lies' that the others use in opposition to health care reform.

Thanks John. I've been studying this issue for the last 6 months and have collected some good data and read several books on the topic. I got tired of hearing all the ill-informed people shrieking about 'socialism' and Obamacare and wanted to learn for myself. I found it screamingly hilarious that some of the people who utter the magic word 'socialism' are on Medicare or have relatives on Medicare which was the brainchild of a Canadian socialist. Poll after poll shows seniors to be generally happy with Medicare, and moreso than those covered by private insurance. Administrative costs are very low with Medicare due to the government controls, and administration is one of the huge costs of for-profit insurance (someone needs to be taking care of all those denials and rescissions). HMO's have a bad track record and have a litany of complaints as well.

Another huge downside of for-profit insurance companies is that instead of letting the expert decide which tests you need (the doctor and staff), that essentially is up to an insurance company beholden to investors watching their profits. This is a terrible way to manage health care.

Politicians like Sarah Palin like to use the phrase, 'Death Panels', which is sheer fiction, but there are always priorities. Go to an emergency room, and often you'll have to wait if a worse case comes in. Ask to see a specialist, and your HMO may deny it, or deny a procedure or surgery. There's wait time to see doctors and specialists, or to have procedures done. Our emergency rooms are way overcrowded and under-funded, and some have to shut down simply from a lack of funding, but a general lack of healthcare also puts more stress on ER's as people tend to treat them like primary care, especially recent immigrants (legal or not).

No health system is perfect, but there are a lot of great systems around the world which American can learn from and adapt for a nation of our size. The most basic premise is simple, everyone pays in, everyone is covered. The rest are details we can sort out, and nobody should expect to be exempt from a time when they might have a catastrophic illness or accident which requires health-insurance and expensive treatment (or have a child or loved-one in need in a similar situation).

Health care is one thing, bills are another...but in the end it's about staying alive and not letting our nation's greatest resource (our people), suffer or die simply because they can't get access to affordable healthcare. Other countries see this as a basic right, and America is starting to get it, but we have a seemingly-endless onslaught of ignorance fighting against it. It's too bad we can't strip government-supplied healthcare from politicians who vote against reform, let alone Universal healthcare. John Boehner, Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, etc. ALL have Universal healthcare because they're current or former government employees. The hypocrisy is monumental in their resistance to insurance reform.

What's better, spreading the cost over America's healthcare over 305,000,000 people or a company's group plan with 100, 1,000 or even 10,000 employees? The more we spread out the costs, the more it makes sense to cover everyone under a single-payer system. Not only would this cost-spreading make it possible to cover everyone, it would dramatically reduce administrative costs (especially as we convert to digital medical records carried on a card), and overall costs as a percentage of America's Gross Domestic Product.

As every other first-world nation (and some third-world nations) prove, Universal coverage can be done not just better, but cheaper. Universal healthcare removes the profit incentive and unnecessary administration present in American insurance companies, doctors would again be in control of your healthcare (rather than insurance companies watching their profits), we could have preventive care for everyone (which saves costs long-term) and if someone loses a job, there's no more worry about losing health insurance (which can affect entire families).

Even with the recent Tsunami in Japan....at least everyone in that country has healthcare, as one news-correspondent commented.

Finally, for those of us out of work, think of how much strain it puts on businesses to be responsible not just for our salaries, but also our healthcare. This burden no doubts costs some jobs. I for one would love to use part of my 28% tax to pay into healthcare and also receive benefits and relieve any job I may have of a duty which has no business being theirs in the first place. I would rather the money my work spends on health insurance go to creating more jobs, but this would affect all companies if there was a government-backed single-payer system and result in more jobs everywhere.

Healthcare for everyone is like education, it benefits society at large and makes us a stronger, more egalitarian nation in line with 21st century ethics.

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