33 replies to this topic

[unluckycharm]

It is all about power for them, not about anything sensible. Incongruities abound when it comes to political ideas and agendas. You have the conservative group who are "pro life", as long as it applies to a fetus. But if that applies to the common public (you know average joes and old people) yer on yer own buddy! You must not have worked hard enough to pay for your healthcare costs (the costs which are skyrocketing, even in the environment of a supposed "free market").

[Tony]

Well dang if I didn't run head first into "compassionate conservatism" about a month ago. I've been without health insurance for some time. It was getting really expensive- my premiums were going up every quarter and just got to be too much.
Middle of December I start feeling really cold. Can't get warm and start shivering uncontrollably even though I'm under blankets and have the heat cranked. It gets to the point where I know I need to get to the E.R. before I can no longer drive. Turns out I have a soft tissue infection turning my leg red and a fever over 103 degrees. They admit me to the hospital for four days. When the representative comes around to discuss insurance it was, "are you pregnant?". "Are you a single parent with dependent children?". The answers were no, so I am on the hook for the entire hospital bill which was subtotaled at that time to be over 11K. Since I was uninsured and a "cash" customer, it was reduced to under four grand. At my current earnings I will be paying that off for years. If I end up having to put any of it on a credit card, it will be at 30% interest.
Oddly enough, that is STILL cheaper than the money I would have paid in insurance premiums for the period I've been uninsured. I was just lucky that I didn't need more tests or actual surgery or I'd be really screwed.
I ask conservatives this and never get a good answer: "This is the greatest nation this earth has ever seen- THE most powerful country in existence. Shouldn't we be able to provide all our citizens with some basic level of health care? If not out of the good Christian ethic of helping the needy, at least for the common economic benefit of having a healthy populace?" "Do you want your co-workers, employees, ANYONE you or your family might meet in the course of a day, to be on the job working with a deadly communicable disease simply because they can't afford to see a doctor and get a $10 prescription that will cure them?"

Another funny anecdote: It is election season again and I'm starting to see those wonderful forwarded emails from conservative relatives and acquaintances. The last one was a recording of a call-in to a radio talk show. The caller says they are a neurosurgeon who has just left a conference in Washington where they learned about the finer points of Obama's health care law. The host and caller are riled up about how the new bill will not pay for certain medical procedures on the elderly and instead just pays for, essentially, 'hospice care'. If you're old, Obama is going to just let you die instead of paying for that expensive operation.
My reply:
"Let me get this straight. Conservatives did everything in their power to kill, gut, or bend to their will, the Health Care initiative. NOW they've got their panties in a bunch because this particular corner of Socialism doesn't go FAR ENOUGH in scope or coverage?!!? ... and are blaming Obama?" STFU!

So. I need some cash. If you need anything guitar or musical instrument related, why not buy it from me instead of the evil big box store?

first of all, that's shitty. i'm glad you're okay (at least health wise).

second, i ran into a somewhat similar predicament earlier in the year, although not to as large an extent. i wound up with a bill for some medical issues that was a little under $2k. the doctor obviously wanted me to pay it up front - either in cash or by credit card, BUT they also offered a payment plan. they basically let me dictate the terms, and said as long as i continued to make payments on it we'd be cool. so i said we'd pay $100 a month until it was paid off and that was okay by them. they didn't even want interest - they just asked me to pay some portion every month until it was gone.

so before you put it on a credit card, ask the hospital/doctor billing staff if you can work out a payment plan directly. they get dicked around by insurance companies all the time and might sympathize. i don't know if every doctor will be down with this plan, but i've talked with other people who have had similar experiences.

[JRC]

Echo what Tony said, deal w/ them they'll find a way to make it work, because in the long run they know you could just walk away from it because no one is going to put you in jail for a medial bill--well, not no one, but it'd take more money then the bill probably would.
But I'd say don't let them push you around, because they will try to scare the fuck out of you and get you to put it on a CC or some other stupid thing.

--Aside: uninsured friend of a friend told me they'd gotten in a car accident--not his fault--and the ambulence crew actually asked him, "please give me your fake name and fake SS# so we can provide it to the hospital for billing." wow.

[mothrock]

reset button is coming up, be prepared

Blow trick!