I just came from the pharmacy, picked up my BP prescription that costs me 106.00 for 90 pills. That's not as bad as some folks have to fork out with no insurance so I pay it without complaining. The woman behind the counter said she wanted to check a competitors sheet of meds. prices and for me to wait a second. She came back with the price list from Walmart and I said NO, my BP pills are not on their 4.00 list and they want 180.00 for the same pills I just purchased from her for 106.00. (stupid WallFart Market are rip-offs!). So I left with my little white bag.
A few minutes later she called my name over the loud speaker! Yikes! She said she wanted to give me a discount, I was being placed in a program and she will refund me 96.00 from the 106.00 I just gave her! I said "excuse me"! lol. She said she didn't know how long the program will last though.
So as I'm on my way home I said to thehusband, this is what it would be like to have medicare for all the US citizens. Other countries have similar, why can't we?? Does our government really care more about insurance companies making huge profits then it does it's own citizens?? Apparently, YES.
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* Heather Cox Richardson: *
* Heather Cox Richardson is a political historian who uses facts and
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44 comments:
What a dumb freaken post that was..
Who the F cares?
Anon, coward - so, don't come here.
Anon, take a long flying F%#$ off a short pier.
Sue, the reason I have been absent here so long is that I've been in medical mayhem. After six years with no health care and monthly decisions between food and medicine, I finally won my SSDI appeal and now have Medicare. Making up for six years of virtually no care, I have more appointments than a Blue Dog has GOP fleas. Medicare is not perfect, but everyone deserves it.
Not only does the government care more about insurance companies making huge profits, apparently so do many Americans such as republicans and teabaggers. There are a few Democrats that I would toss in there also.
Oh, and Anon -- what a dumb freaken comment that was...
Me and the thousands upon thousands who go broke paying for their scripts every month anon, that's who gives a flying fuck, now fuck off. For those interested in this program ask your pharmacist, that's why I posted this so you can be informed. But yes also to show we need single payer on the table for Americans!!
Tom, bless your heart! Congrats on your appeal. My husband is waiting for his decision for SSI disibility now. Glad you are on the road to good health!
Jerry that's right, the government, Congress on both sides pussy footing around! There are people who choose between food, shelter and medicine. It's something the rich don't give a second thought to, they just criticize and say stupid fucking stuff!
Anon, us liberals like to inform our fellow man of certain things, we care about each other. I know that is foreign to you and yours. just sayin'
Even with insurance I often have to make a choice bewtween food, meds and a roof.
Two friends have told me that they kept their receipts and had their docs verify their needs for certain prescriptions, etc. They wrote the pharms who now provide them for free.
Leslie are these seniors?
We've had no insurance for over 5 yrs. None from his employer and our "small business" can't afford it. Still too young for Medicare. I asked the DR. for Rx's on the Kroger (or Target, etc) 4.00 list. Those not generic we order from Canada. Only go to Dr. as needed and go to in-store clinics for minor stuff. Pay for all visits & NECESSARY tests out of pocket.
We're not alone---but god forbid we have any type of single payer HC that any RW has to pay into.
Sue: Well, they weren't always seniors. ; ) Hadn't thought of that to tell you the truth. Will check and see.
Judi, we pay 50.00 out of pocket for Dr. visits, and with my bloodwork coming up in March I don't know what I'll do but there might be some place I can go for those with no Ins. I keep thinking about serious stuff like a cancer diagnosis or a serious surgery. Isn't it a shame we have to live like this?? I ordered pills from Canada before and they arrived here from some foreign third world country, I forget where it was, I was nervous about taking them! LOL
One of my friends said she started getting them after she became a senior but she thinks it doesn't matter. She couldn't see anything on the forms that indicated one had to be an antique. It's worth a try. I'd write to at least one of them to find out.
Leslie I always feel weird about asking for something for free. I had no problem paying the 106.00. But Thanks for getting me the info!
I just had blood work done for a physical. Total cost billed to the insurance company - $421.44. Insurance payment to lab - 19.55. Total disallowed by insurance company - $356.27. What I have to pay - 45.62.
If I had no insurance I would have had to pay $421.44. The lab is willing to take $65.17 (total of what the insurance paid and what I paid).
The lab is screwing someone who does not have insurance by charging an extra $356.27 over what they are willing to take.
President Obama said he would et the tax cuts for the rich expire Sue. So if worst comes to worst, get your treatment then file bankruptcy so the rich republican bastards will pay the bill with their tax hike.
Whenever God closes a door He opens a window.
Truth you never cease to make me laugh out loud, I love ya!
Jerry isn't it pathetic! I just talked to a friend who said they got bloodwork done for 35.00. So hopefully there is a place near me!
You old farts crack me up. Needs X-rays? Just hit the airport for one of those new "non-intrusive" body scans. I just saved someone some cash. Next stop, Walmart cashier. My advisor would be so proud.
Man, I'm goin' places.
apparently, the anony-mouse commenter can't afford his medication. what a shame that antiassholery pills are so expensive.
who you callin old farts?? you young thang you!! :-)
You just wait til you have to take blood pressure meds and viagra, you ain't that far away from OLD!!
nonnie, LOL! Surely anon can afford his asshole pills, dontcha think? :-)))
It's gratifying to hear that you all were able to find an inexpensive way to get your meds and to get bloodwork done. It seems to me that our healthcare system has some safety measures already in place for those who through no fault of their own, have trouble paying for their care. And the surprising part is...it was done without Obamacare.
but then where is the cost savings coming from, the government?? Why is that gratifying but not medicare for all. Same thing.
Sue ~ More than likely, the plan whereby you were able to get meds at a reduced cost was either a program funded by the drug company itself (which happens often). Many doctors and hospitals will work with patients who have no medical insurance by reducing their charges if you pay with cash or a credit card. Many of them will allow monthly payments if you need more time to pay.
Our local Mejiers grocery store has an on site RN/Nurse Practioner on duty. On a first come, first served basis, you can get in to see her for an office visit cost of $30. They also provide ten different medications (including antibiotics) FREE.
There is help for those who need it without revamping the entire medical system at such a great cost.
Sue~ This is off topic but I just had to come over and clear something up... =grin=
This is what one of my blogger buddies said over at my place a couple posts ago...
"P.S. That Facebook picture of you looks like Anne Murray?"
and I answered...
"LOL! How perceptive of you... there's always something fun going on on FB... now it's this:
"DOPPLEGANGER WEEK! Change your profile picture to someone famous (actor/musician/athlete) you have been told you look like (even if you don't agree). Do it!"
btw... I'd been told several times in my life that I look like Anne Murray. I don't agree that I look like her but it's an honor for people to say so; I love her songs."
"Our local Mejiers grocery store has an on site RN/Nurse Practioner on duty. On a first come, first served basis, you can get in to see her for an office visit cost of $30. They also provide ten different medications (including antibiotics) FREE.
There is help for those who need it without revamping the entire medical system at such a great cost."
Now why is it that after reading this that the first thing that popped into my brain was, "Barbara Bush"?
Not me... it's actually Anne Murray! :o)
I'm from Australia and we've had public health care since 1975. I infer from your post that you are inviting this sort of comment so I hope it's welcome.
We claim expenses back in part or full from medicare, which is funded by a levy of 1.5% of taxable income, or less for low income earners. High income earners pay a surcharge of 1% of taxable income.
Generally speaking, you don't even feel the effect of the levy on your wallet, and access to health care is universally affordable for it.
There are imperfections and blind spots, of course no system is perfect. But it generally works.
As I've said elsewhere on US blogs re this issue, even our Right wing parties would not dare take this away from the public. It's part of our understanding of social justice. It's not socialist, communist, liberal or anything. It's just what we expect.
Furthermore we are still paying less of GDP than you are for medical services.
You have been ripped off for years and forced to suffer the pain for the ideological claptrap and greedy puppeteers of the Right wing. You should be profoundly angry.
magpie, thank you. Yes this post is to gather info on the plight of the uninsured and your comment is very much welcome.
the other two fuckwads I deleted can stay with their own kind, you are not welcome here with your immature stupid fucking comments.
I as a conservative do not see helping people in need as a political thing. Someone pointing out that they think another person would make it a political thing does not mean he doesn't care, it just means he doesn't want it to become political (for reference, see Katrina). As for Robertson, I personally do not think God causes people to suffer, that way of thinking goes against everything we learn as Christians.
I wonder many illegals Australia covers.
In Massachusetts they dropped 30,000"legal" immigrants from the health care plan because shouldn't afford to cover them. So even though they are legal thy still don' pay anything into it.
I know 2 people on Medicaid,both able to work but manage to know how to work the system. Both are hooked on prescription medication courtesy of the taxpayer. One of them gets 1500,00 per month worth of meds,cadian,muscle relaxers,Xanax Viocodin and birth control.
he other one gets Viocodin,Xanax and birth control.
Plus they both get a separate check towards rent,200.00 worth of stamps and 160.00 for personal items. Both single women in their 30's with no children.
Two able bodied women who the government let turn into 2 useless ones.
I bet these fraud and abuses will never be fixed like they would have us to believe. The system is just way too big and will get even bigger by the time this admin is done with it.
lisa you are supposed to turn people like that into SS. Fraud is fraud, turn them in!
That's not up to me if the government hasn't figured it out by now.
. One of them has been on the system for 20 years. How can they not know what these people are costing them and how many others do you think are abusing it. One of their ex boyfriends gets methadone for free for 10 years now . It will never end. Just get worse and we will ave as many out of work good for nothings like they do in the UK and France with increasing crime rates.
sometimes redtape and just an overwhelming workload lets these kinds of people go unnoticed. You CAN report them anonymously and it's your civic duty to do so!
Now Lisa, please try to get your "facts" correct. Massachusetts did not drop 30,000 legal immigrants. There was a proposal to do so. In fact, that is not what happened.
Massachusetts has scaled back state- subsidized health care for 31,000 legal immigrants. It will no longer cover dental, hospice, or skilled-nursing care. However, the services that they tend to use the most will still be covered.
Oh so tey scaled back ,thanks for the correction . So with 300 milion people I can bet tere will be alot of scale of backs. You know rationed care.
There are limits on our current health care. Health insurance companies limit care both by not including certain coverages in their policies and by denying care when claims are submitted. There always have been and always will be limits on what is covered. That's one of the reasons why different policies cost different amounts -- coverage differences. And that's why the rich will always have better health care coverage, because they can afford better care.
The ultimate case of rationed care is denial of coverage and/or pricing coverage out of the range of most people.
Glad you got the discount, Sue. I recall not that long ago having to buy a $500.00 per month antibiotic for my son. It was new on the market and thus the drug company decided to "hook" new patients by giving them discounts. The discounted price was... $25.00 (yes). And they still made profit on it. So why make it so expensive in the first place? Because they can.
What Jerry describes also points to another major problem (among so many) -- a lack of transparency in pricing for drugs and medical services. If a lab can charge you $500.00 for blood work, but your insurance can negotiate the price down to a fraction of that -- and the lab still stays in business getting reimbursed via insurance companies -- then what the heck is going on? What is the real price of the service provided?
The bottom line is, nobody knows. The prices are arbitrary and unregulated, and we, patients/consumers have essentially no choice and no clue as to how much we are really paying, for what, and where we could possibly get lower prices (in that alternate universe where our insurance -- if we had it in the first place -- allowed us such a choice).
There is not one good word to be said about the way the American health care system works (unless you're in the insurance/hospital business). No reasonable and decent human being can defend it with a straight face. Sorry.
P.S. The poor Anon does need his/her meds badly, that much is obvious. Yet another reason for an urgent and meaningful health care reform.;)
P.S. Sue ('n all), check the various on-line pharmacies. I know my parents use Medco and are relatively happy with them. They (Medco) even sent me their offers lately, but I have not had time yet to look at them. On the first glance, however, many of their drug prices appear competitive.
"There is not one good word to be said about the way the American health care system works (unless you're in the insurance/hospital business). No reasonable and decent human being can defend it with a straight face. Sorry." Elizabeth said
Thanks for the comment E! Unfortunately my rightwing visitors along with their leaders in Washington put their straight faces on and and say why do we need all this reform?
Our country is so full of crooked thieves and deceit, innocent people have no voice. "The meek shall inherit the Earth" says God.
CDM ~ I always respected Barbara Bush...
I'm really sick of you all whining about republicans being against the Obama version of health care reform. The democrats won...they could have passed health care on their own, if they had wanted to. Why is it, do you suppose, that they balked at the last minute and couldn't get their act together to do it?
Could it be that they knew that the American public is overwhelmingly against this plan and that they were fearful of losing their next election????
you are forgetting our bluedogs, ya know those repubs in dems clothing. We'll have a bill and it will have a PO.
You respect her, ay? I love her ethnocentristic comments about Katrina victims. Confirmed my beliefs in her.
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