This, to me, is one of the biggest problems. As an individual without insurance you have to pay more for care than the [edit] insurance company [/edit] . Shouldn't everyone, at the very least, get the same price? This isn't like buying in bulk at Sam's club.

How do you figure those without insurance pay more for care than the insured. I don't follow.

I take into account the monthly premiums those insured pay, for months on end even though we do not utilize the insurance (thankfully), then co pays etc. We pay even when we do not use their service because if and when we do, we don't want a huge bill.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I'm saying that the amount that an an uninsured individual has to pay shouldn't be more than what the insurance company has to pay. Insurance companies 'negotiate' (demand?) lower costs. Then the hospitals have to pass that additional cost off to those that don't have insurance. Doesn't seem right to me.

but then again insurance companies also have morons like me who make monthly premium pymts don't use their services only when needed so they have the capital/means to negotiate a better price, while those uninsured have not contributed to the cause.

wow I'm mean today

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091016/pl_politico/28362

seems like there could be just as many healthcare lobbyist working for the legislation as against it......hmmm more secrecy.

Ya big meany!

I tend to see it based from my own experiences which, granted, may not really be the norm. I have had (and rarely use) health insurance for 20 years. But if I lose my job, not only can't I afford COBRA (since the company pays about 3/4 of my premium), I also get stuck with 2x to 10x the amount the doctor/hospital would have charged my insurance company.

*** p.s. *** My ex-wife has actually been through this. I paid for 1 year of COBRA for her, but she couldn't afford it after the year was up and was turned down for every personal policy she applied for.

I took that pic at a public option health care rally in front of my Senator's office.

Wow, that is shocking.

1) Deregulate insurance. I don't want to have a plan that covers breast cancer, mammograms, mastectomies, hysterectomies, Viagra, etc. If I don't and won't ever need the treatment, why am I paying more for my insurance to cover it?

2) Force Insurance companies to compete. The overhaul of the health care system in the 70's made it so that Insurance companies don't compete. Competition will create a market based solution that will lower their top compensation and lower costs.

3) Eliminate Medicare overpayments / underpayments. A recent audit of Medicare found that they frequently overpay for medical supplies (wheelchairs, walkers, etc), but underpay for medical services. So hospitals and doctor's offices that treat medicare patients are forced to raise their prices on non-medicare patients to make a profit.

Health Insurance should be like car insurance. You should be able to buy it for yourself, customize your plan and keep it wherever you go. It was that way until the Insurance overhaul of the 1970's that tied health insurance to employment. It also created a system that allows state-wide health insurance monopolies. The insurance companies are currently making huge profits thanks to the state-wide monopolies they have been allowed to create. The politicians who support the continuation of these monopolies receive huge campaign donations from insurance companies, so they have no incentive to change the law. This is BY DESIGN. Any time politicians see an opportunity to create legislation to line their own pockets, they jump at the chance.

It also created a system that allows state-wide health insurance monopolies.

it was done to eliminate "National monopolies....

No, it wasn't. It was done to line the pockets of dishonest politicians and reward their friends in the insurance industry.

Before the first healthcare overhaul, you could buy insurance from any insurance company in the country. THAT'S COMPETITION. THAT'S NOT A MONOPOLY. Following the healthcare overhaul, an Insurance company has to be authorized to sell insurance within a state, which has lead to the fact that most states only have one or two insurance company options.

Also, Check the history of Insurance regulation.

Also, my position on this has been stated many times.

Oh my cripes....

OP steering committee says...

...please keep on-topic, this isn't the place to argue your points about health insurance (PLENTY of other threads for that...)... this thread is for listing super-uber-ridiculous health care expenses.

Please read first post...

OP