Isn’t that basically kinda true though, since a lot of our health care is tied to insurance? And the people who are uninsured probably aren’t in a place to self-pay, even if cash-only is cheaper? We do have free clinics and community health centers but can’t more be done?
You’re gonna need to clarify that question, because I have no idea what you mean.HopkinsReb:
Isn’t that basically kinda true though, since a lot of our health care is tied to insurance? And the people who are uninsured probably aren’t in a place to self-pay, even if cash-only is cheaper? We do have free clinics and community health centers but can’t more be done?
What if there aren’t any doctors to shop around for? A lot or rural areas probably have only one heart doctor or one neurologist and there might not even be many primary care doctors to choose from.
How are people with multiple chronic health conditions who see many different doctors going to go about bargaining for their health care with all these different doctors? Wouldn’t it be a little overwhelming? And if they suffer from something like depression, it would be even more challenging.
Was going to say, first of al, stop strangling it. We think our crosses are heavy. We should try to shoulder a government cross!
Do you think something like a subsidized free clinic or a cost-free/low-cost community health center could go a long way towards helping poor and working-class populations (especially if opened to cater to them like evenings and weekends) it’s opened with more basic forms of care, sure they might not offer cutting-edge and advancement treatments and surgeries but it can serve as a baseline. I read a piece that talked about making community health centers, an avenue for universal primary care (and maybe If I may add on other basic forms of care like dental, mental, pharmacy and vision), while letting Medicaid/Medicare and private insurance take care of the rest? I feel coupled with universal catastrophic care (basically a income-based deductible plan for all though it does seem to serve as a cap for cost-sharing/medical expenses), it can be something that can work, maybe even work really well, even if it ain’t perfect (I do admit, it leaves a gap but I feel like both ideas can compliment each other all the same).
How are people with multiple chronic health conditions who see many different doctors going to see those many different doctors?
I take it you don’t live in such an area and don’t understand how rural health care works.
Denied, how? Approval is based on need, which is primarily certified by submitting the most recent tax return. Do you mean their tax return would be kicked back?
That is usually a bad idea. Consider price controls on drugs. When I ran for Congress in '04 my team researched this.
What good are these New Developments if nobody can afford them?
Usually, the answer to this is “by letting the insurance network handle it.” Because you have a fixed cost for what you pay and it’s not too hard to pick someone off your provider list. Basically every plan has an out of pocket maximum too, so after a certain point you stop having to pay more money for the year.
I grew up in a pretty small rural town and although I moved away, my parents still live there. There aren’t enough primary care doctors there and most of them are semi-retired and work only a few days a week. A lot of people have to settle for a Nurse Practitioner. The doctor my Dad was seeing for a while was almost as old as he was and he was over 80 then. When that old doctor suddenly retired, both of my parents had a difficult time even finding a primary care doctor to accept them as patients. And I was the one who had to contact the only neurologist in the county to make an appointment for my Dad since I noticed he was having memory problems. His primary care doctor doesn’t seem to have noticed. In the place where my parents live, I’m not sure what kind of bargaining anyone could be doing in trying to find a doctor.Thorolfr:
I take it you don’t live in such an area and don’t understand how rural health care works.
Typically there is a small hospital that provides emergency care and sends patients on to a big hospital if needed. There are several local doctors who have privileges at that hospital – all you have to do is ask. Our little town (2,750 people) has four practicing physicians and a couple of specialists.
If you need something your primary care physician can’t provide, he will tell you and refer you to a specialist.
At least if the notes are done electronically, it’s easier to make them accessible to other doctors and it also makes them more transportable if a patient moves on to another doctor.