How to Protect Yourself From Obamacare

[Red Arrow]

I read last night that Oklahomans pay an extra $1,000,000,000 a year to cover uninsured through premiums and more expensive hospital/medical bills.

You already pay more for insurance.

Have a link on the $1,000,000,000?

$1,000,000,000

divided by 3,791,508 Oklahomans

= $263.75/year/Oklahoman.
=$21.98/month/Oklahoman

It costs more than that to fill my car gas tank just once per month.

[Red Arrow]

It doesn't end in December.  It starts over.

It has started over many times but this time is supposedly the last one.

THE END

[Townsend]

Have a link on the $1,000,000,000?

$1,000,000,000  = $263.75/year/Oklahoman.
=$21.98/month/Oklahoman

It costs more than that to fill my car gas tank just once.

It was a tweet I read as I was ending the day.  I apologize for not supplying the link.

Whatever the amount, you think it's better to pay extra to cover the uninsured or do you think it's better to insure everyone?

[Townsend]

It has started over many times but this time is supposedly the last one.

THE END

How is this cycle different?

[Red Arrow]

How is this cycle different?

I don't know. Ask the Mayans.  From what I've seen on the the History Channel or NOVA or similar, they predicted a new cycle every time before but not now.  Maybe just an omission but no continuation in the forecast.

[Townsend]

I don't know. Ask the Mayans.  From what I've seen on the the History Channel or NOVA or similar, they predicted a new cycle every time before but not now.  Maybe just an omission but no continuation in the forecast.

Probably the Spanish Inquisition syndrome.

[Red Arrow]

It was a tweet I read as I was ending the day.  I apologize for not supplying the link.

Whatever the amount, you think it's better to pay extra to cover the uninsured or do you think it's better to insure everyone?

I read that it was only $15,000. per year for all of Oklahoma.  Of course I have no documentation for that either and suspect it was wrong.

Until the details of insuring everyone are fully understood, it may be less expensive to continue paying extra to cover the uninsured.  I think everyone should be able to afford coverage for catastrophic events.  No one should lose their life's savings because of a major medical event.   I think that people should be required to pay for their own Band-Aids.  Somewhere between free Band-Aids and losing one's home and how to pay for the coverage is an answer we haven't located yet.

[Teatownclown]

Turning her back on 693,000....

Shameful.....TW got it right.

[Townsend]

Until the details of insuring everyone are fully understood, it may be less expensive to continue paying extra to cover the uninsured.  I think everyone should be able to afford coverage for catastrophic events.  No one should lose their life's savings because of a major medical event.   I think that people should be required to pay for their own Band-Aids.  Somewhere between free Band-Aids and losing one's home and how to pay for the coverage is an answer we haven't located yet.

An MRI this year was almost $2,000 at a local large hospital.  I shopped around and was able to get the same MRI at an imaging center for less than $500.

I asked a nurse at the hospital why.  I was told the stand alone imaging center didn't have to cover uninsured emergency room visits.

[Conan71]

An MRI this year was almost $2,000 at a local large hospital.  I shopped around and was able to get the same MRI at an imaging center for less than $500.

I asked a nurse at the hospital why.  I was told the stand alone imaging center didn't have to cover uninsured emergency room visits.

You don't know of anyone who does hernia repair in their spare time do you? 

[Red Arrow]

An MRI this year was almost $2,000 at a local large hospital.  I shopped around and was able to get the same MRI at an imaging center for less than $500.

I asked a nurse at the hospital why.  I was told the stand alone imaging center didn't have to cover uninsured emergency room visits.

I doubt an insurance company would have paid $2,000. at that same hospital.  I believe the health care industry jacks up "retail" prices so the insurance companies can feel good about getting a discount. 

I recently had an annual wellness physical.  The charges submitted to the insurance company were $688.50.  My health care providers accepted $232.63 as payment in full.  The "office visit" got the least amount of discount by accepting 54% of the submitted charges.  Most of the blood-work items were paid at between 20% and 36% of the submitted charges.

The fact that someone off the street cannot get those same discounts is bothersome at the kindest.  It reminds me somewhat of the price of automobile parts in the early 70s.  If you had the name of a gas station or similar that would let you use their name, you could get wholesale auto parts at places like NAPA even if you paid the sales tax.  (Not paying the sales tax would make the gas station liable.)  Eventually places like AutoZone, Advance, OReilly's and more forced places like NAPA to offer reasonable prices to everyone.  Your imaging center may be the equivalent of discount auto parts stores. 

Sometimes you can bargain.  A friend who retired in his early 50s lost his dental coverage at retirement.  He made a deal with his dentist to continue being a customer/patient by paying what the insurance company would have paid had my friend still had dental insurance.

[Red Arrow]

You don't know of anyone who does hernia repair in their spare time do you?  

Do you require this person to have an education and experience in hernia repair?
 
 

Edit: fixed grammar

[Townsend]

I doubt an insurance company would have paid $2,000. at that same hospital.  I believe the health care industry jacks up "retail" prices so the insurance companies can feel good about getting a discount. 

I recently had an annual wellness physical.  The charges submitted to the insurance company were $688.50.  My health care providers accepted $232.63 as payment in full.  The "office visit" got the least amount of discount by accepting 54% of the submitted charges.  Most of the blood-work items were paid at between 20% and 36% of the submitted charges.

The fact that someone off the street cannot get those same discounts is bothersome at the kindest.  It reminds me somewhat of the price of automobile parts in the early 70s.  If you had the name of a gas station or similar that would let you use their name, you could get wholesale auto parts at places like NAPA even if you paid the sales tax.  (Not paying the sales tax would make the gas station liable.)  Eventually places like AutoZone, Advance, OReilly's and more forced places like NAPA to offer reasonable prices to everyone.  Your imaging center may be the equivalent of discount auto parts stores. 

Sometimes you can bargain.  A friend who retired in his early 50s lost his dental coverage at retirement.  He made a deal with his dentist to continue being a customer/patient by paying what the insurance company would have paid had my friend still had dental insurance.

Are you stating no uninsured costs are passed on to us by major hospitals?

[Red Arrow]

Are you stating no uninsured costs are passed on to us by major hospitals?

I don't believe I said that.  What led you to that conclusion? 

[Townsend]

I don't believe I said that.  What led you to that conclusion? 

Trying to clarify why you posted what you did.  It seemed you were posting to say it wouldn't happen.

I saved over $500 on my overpriced deductible.  My deductible could be less if costs weren't so high due to having to pay for people without insurance.