Medical Insurance & Costs

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by zboss

You misunderstand. This is not about a company dropping healthcare, its about another aspect of income negotiations that we can no longer use as a bargaining chip. Mr. Obama has taken that away from all employees.

What's next, ObamaSalary? Lets pre-negotiate everyone's salary so that High School diplomas always get pay band X, College grads get pay band Y, and post grads get Z?

He has basically taken 12.5K out of my pocket every year.

And if you loose your job tomorrow you will still have access to affordable health insurance. Its a trade-off.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Half of FLA is a Medicare clinic.

I think you have grossly understated this…

Mark

[BandB]

Originally Posted by chuckr

Just a bit of reading we have done it appears few and fewer doctors are accepting Medicare patients and as we do not have a home it will probably be difficult to just move someplace and find a doctor who will accept us. .

The overwhelming majority of doctors and almost all hospitals accept medicare. Otherwise they'd be treating no patients over 65 and give up a huge part of their practice. Unfortunately, the groups here and there who say they won't accept it any longer are those that get the attention.

One other note. You hear the comments of how little medicare pays doctors. Well, they pay no worse than most other insurers with negotiated rates and in some cases they actually pay better. As to hospitals for instance, most HMO's pay less than medicare and PPO's pay about the same.

[chuckr]

Unfortunately I may have to find out sooner rather than later. Hurt a shoulder when i was in college and never really gave me a problem but all of a sudden ouch. Called an ortho and saw him today. Get an MRI in Tunis in 2 days and then we will see.


Had surgery on other shouder years ago and have 2 screws in it and no way do i want to do that again and the cost years ago was huge could not imagine it today.

By the way does anyone know how much an MRI of a shoulder is in the USA?

[sailorboy1]

MRi in the us probably at least $2k according to my HR wife


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[RainDog]

Originally Posted by chuckr

By the way does anyone know how much an MRI of a shoulder is in the USA?

This is a very hard question to answer. For example, see: What I Learned When I Asked How Much My MRI Would Cost - Forbes

US does not have price transparency in medical care. That is one reason we pay so much for it. This is starting to change, and in a few years it will be easier to shop around.

That said, if you are paying cash up front, and you shop around, I bet you could get an MRI for under $1000 no problem. It will for sure require some bargaining.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

MRi in the us probably at least $2k according to my HR wife


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Wow!

Free in Canada if you wait 3 months, $750 if you want to go private on MRI. I just had it done, waited the 3 months, but asked about how much the private route.

[BandB]

Shoulder MRI in US varies widely. Full retail would range from $800-1200. However, negotiated prices such as insurance and medicare bring that down typically to $500-600. So as someone on Medicare and without a supplement, your co-payment amount would probably be around $100.

[cll2]

Is anyone aware of any really good resources for researching this issue? Specifically all the options and issues around worldwide insurance availability compiled in one place? Or even an independent company\service that helps match up people to their insurance needs? Seems like with so much confusion, and apparently lots of need, someone would be making a few bucks by helping people figure this issue out.

[chuckr]

Got the MRI yesterday. It cost 400TD so with yesterday conversion rate it was $215 USD. Results will be at my doctors tomorrow.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by cll2

Is anyone aware of any really good resources for researching this issue? Specifically all the options and issues around worldwide insurance availability compiled in one place? Or even an independent company\service that helps match up people to their insurance needs? Seems like with so much confusion, and apparently lots of need, someone would be making a few bucks by helping people figure this issue out.

There are actually companies that help in this regard for yachts and crews. However, I don't know of any that provide the service for individuals. The problem is that as you mention it would be a "few bucks" and to justify a business must be more than a few.

[dana-tenacity]

I was interested in the opening question, but this being a US centric forum I guess it had to drift as it did.

I do have a question though - how on earth did the US end up with a system whereby the cost of health care lies with an employer?? That seems incredibly screwed up to me. Does any other country have such nonsense?
(Disclaimer - I'm from NZ , see earlier post )

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by Paul L

And if you loose your job tomorrow you will still have access to affordable health insurance. Its a trade-off.

Paul, the point is that now there is no choice. If the US is going to have a private system then it should be a private choice, not a government mandated "law"...

Using a public system (with private options) like Australia or Canada seems to be a much better solution IMHO, but if the US is going to say it is a private system with private health insurance, then it needs to be left to people and a private market to determine need, cost, and functionality.

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by dana-tenacity

I was interested in the opening question, but this being a US centric forum I guess it had to drift as it did.

I do have a question though - how on earth did the US end up with a system whereby the cost of health care lies with an employer?? That seems incredibly screwed up to me. Does any other country have such nonsense?
(Disclaimer - I'm from NZ , see earlier post )

Hi Dana,

The cost doesn't lie with the employer, but the health plan is a frequent perk just like in Aus/NZ.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Andy73

Paul, the point is that now there is no choice. If the US is going to have a private system then it should be a private choice, not a government mandated "law"...

Using a public system (with private options) like Australia or Canada seems to be a much better solution IMHO, but if the US is going to say it is a private system with private health insurance, then it needs to be left to people and a private market to determine need, cost, and functionality.

It has never been a private system. The government says who can offer health insurance, who can deliver medical services, who can deliver drugs, who can manufacture drugs, where you can buy drugs, who gets a monopoly on drugs and for how long, when you can purchase (or not) from a lower cost foreign seller, ........ It just isn't a private system left up to the free markets. Nor should it be.

As to your comment that now there is no choice, what about the millions who now have a choice to actually have quality health insurance.

Don't get me wrong, as I think the US health system is the most inefficient in the industrialize world. And the ACA was only minor step in trying to fix that.