What would You consider 'Affordable' Medical Insurance?

[leftstreet]

Poll question: What would You consider 'Affordable' Medical Insurance?

Since we're not getting Single Payer, let's Move On and help the Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industrial Complex find out what kind of profit they're looking at.

For 1 individual adult, a monthly premium:

Poll result (102 votes)
$25.00 or less	(18 votes, 18%)	Vote
$50.00	(8 votes, 8%)	Vote
$100.00	(37 votes, 36%)	Vote
$200.00	(12 votes, 12%)	Vote
$300.00	(0 votes, 0%)	Vote
$400.00	(0 votes, 0%)	Vote
$500.00 or more	(1 votes, 1%)	Vote
I can't 'afford' anything	(16 votes, 16%)	Vote
We're not getting Single Payer?	(10 votes, 10%)	Vote

[dysfunctional press]

1. "since we're not getting single-payer..."

was there some kind of announcement made, or what?



where are you getting your info?

[leftstreet]

2. Big Insurance and Big Pharma have most of the seats at the table

I'm just doin' the math.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Can you list the attendees at the recent Summit and who works for whom?

I'd appreciate that information.

[leftstreet]

6. Well, there were 150 of them, but here's some of my least favs

Joe Barton (R-TX) - he's proud of helping to kill 'Hillarycare'

Chip Kahn, Hospital Lackey - the f**ker behind the old Harry and Louise commercials

Karen Ignagni - runs the Insurance lobby

Tommy Donohue - head of the Chamber of Commerce

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[leftstreet]

7. Who says you have to 'know shit' to post at DU?

Place would be awfully quiet otherwise.

[Jackpine Radical]

18. Who ya sayin' doesn't know shit?

[leftstreet]

20. LOL

[dkf]

4. Someone said that the majority of medical costs come in the last 2 months of a person's life.

I bet that cost is pretty astronomical.

[uppityperson]

8. I voted $100/person/month, but would have difficulty at that right now.

$100/month, $10-15 copay/visit, $10/Rx/month, includes dental, basic vision and hearing (difficult to work when you can't see or hear, just for economics not to mention quality of life), mental health care.

That is what I would like.

[leftstreet]

9. Thanks for the extra details

The copays and RX - plus coverage for dental/vision/hearing

All of those things would influence premium choices.

I probably should have put that in the OP.

[uppityperson]

29. You are welcome. Too many ins don't cover dental/vision/hearing, all of which they should.

Dental because it is a health issue, vision/hearing because they can be a health issue and an economic one. Be nice if quality of life counted, but even if they don't care about that, hit them with economics. It costs less to fill a tooth than let it abscess. It costs less to keep me in hearing aids or you glasses than be unemployable.

Rx and copays need to be affordable but also need to be part of the whole thing too. I take insurance for my massage work and have had the most trouble collecting payments from people when their insurance denied due to deductible not being met or ran out of what they were allowed. Seems those who think they should have "free" care care less than those who pay even a token. Overall.

[CTyankee]

17. I also pay almost $100 per month plus copay etc.

It is affordable for me; joint income with hubby is about $85,000. But I have no debt except the mortgage and am retired. I spend little on anything and wear down to earth clothing. I save my money carefully so I can take economy trips to Europe every year. I'm getting good at slashing costs but still having something to look forward to in my life!

[yellowdogintexas]

10. I chose $100 per month because it is what I currently have and anything less

would be an improvement.


But that is for 2 adults. so I messed up.

[Doremus]

11. Ours is $1K/mo. plus another $175/mo. for my DD, so practically anything's an improvement. nt

[FarCenter]

12. Since this is "insurance", the average premium has to also cover

- average costs over your entire life, including the last 18 months, which typically accounts for half your lifetime expenses,

- gynecological, obstetrical and pediatric care at the beginning of your life, and

- averaged over the population, all the people with birth defects and chronic illnesses, e.g. muscular dystophy and AIDS.

[leftstreet]

15. And to be able to realize a PROFIT on top of that...

Wow.

Quite a dilemma.

[stlsaxman]

13. $50.00 / month taken out of my taxes for Medicare... Voila- Single Payer!!!

[stray cat]

19. and thats why changes need to be made to Medicare for it to be sustainable

How about single payer at 200/month taken out of your taxes for Medicare

[stlsaxman]

23. how come they can do it in France for 24 bucks a month? NO "health insurance" companies!

take the insurance companies out and take the employers out of the mix and expand Medicare to all, with an option to buy up.

[ejpoeta]

24. because they are france and they are evil.

and they really want OUR system.

[stlsaxman]

33. ha! i KNEW it!?!?

gosh DARN them French!

[yy4me]

14. I chose $100.00 a month but that must include lots of stuff we

need. I receive Social Security and Medicare part B costs $97.00(thereabouts) a month deducted from my meager check. Medicare coverage has a mandatory annual deductible, I have a co-pay on everything, doctors, hospital, everything.

I cannot afford part D drug coverage nor can I afford to buy a supplement to cover what Medicare does not not.

Think of all the people who could benefit from a single payer plan. Maybe there would be some equity in medical care in the country. Remove employer provided insurance and put all Americans under one umbrella.

If we end our endless wars, regulate the out of control shenanigans in the business world, maybe something would come of it.

[MercutioATC]

16. Depends on income, so any plan needs to be scaled to income

My employer pays 2/3 of my premium, and I pay about $3800/year for a decent Aetna HMO.

[Massacure]

21. 10% of your income.

Most European countries spent right around 10% of their GDP on health care.

[Turbineguy]

22. 10% of GDP

would come to around $250 per month per person on average in the US based on US GDP.

[Massacure]

25. Sounds about right.

The U.S. spends about 15% of its GDP on health care, but I bet most people spend more than $375 a month.

[NRaleighLiberal]

26. Here is a reality check. I worked for a large pharma and just "retired" (not my choice!)

My wife and I get lifetime health and dental coverage (well, preventative dental. crowns or fillings? no coverage). Even with that, we will pay 330.00 per month. This is just to let you know how much even a good deal can cost, with no real frills.

[leftstreet]

28. Sad to say, that is an excellent deal

And as you say, no real frills.

[NRaleighLiberal]

30. Yes, it is an excellent deal - I posted it to help set expecations re the poll -

there are many who think that good coverage can come much less expensively. I just don't think so...well, until/unless we fix the whole broken system, of course.

[Stinky The Clown]

27. Anything not single payer is too much

[leftstreet]

31. THANKS everyone! Looks like the $100 and unders have it

Not much profit there for the CEOs!

Hmm.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

32. Omission of deductibles would be a great start

Deductibles do nothing but discourage people from getting preventive care.

[Lyric]

34. I can't afford more than a five bucks, but

we are an exception. Most people are not as badly-off as we are. For everyone overall, I think $25 a month for medical plus prescription, vision, and dental is affordable.

[madokie]

35. Like I have now,

The VA. I have a co-pay for some things but not all. Spent a week in the hospital with a heparin drip in my arm, after that sent home with 5 syringes of what they told me were 2000 dollars a pop heparin and it cost me a little over a thousands bucks total.

[yy4me]

36. The VA provided my late husband with great medical care. The

co-pays were reasonable and he always had great people tending to his health and had regularly scheduled appointments for preventative care. I know he would have received great care if we could have rushed him to the VA hospital after his "something is wrong, please come home" phone call.

The ambulance techs were great but the VA Hospital is too far(30 miles) and this was an emergency. I cannot fault the hospital, after he arrived they did all in their power to save him. Massive Hemorrhagic Stroke while they were doing the CAT scan.

As a result, instead of VA coverage, I had to pay all the deductibles, co-pays, ambulance etc out of pocket because we had to go outside the system. The way the VA is set up would be a good model for study.

The ending is sad, I would give everything I have to have him back. I never got a chance to tell him he was the best thing that ever happened to me.