Scan Medical Insurance

My new employer offers United Healthcare insurance for medical coverage; why are the premiums too high? Family coverage is about $1,150 MONTHLY with a $2,000 annual deductible, and it'll cost over $1,300 MONTHLY with a $1,000 annual deductible. This includes Medical and Dental but does NOT include Vision. My old employer (where I got laid off) offer Aetna PPO coverage for only $489.26 per month for my family of five. Perhaps they were subsidizing. Regardless, where else can I go for REAL insurance (not a "discount" plan)?

Where do I start with medical insurance? I work at a small Real Estate comany as an office administrator, and no health insurance is offered. Honestly, I do not make enough to afford most of the plans I've looked into. On top of that, I have the Insurance Agents calling me non stop everytime I visit a website to try and find a quote. So frustrating! Anyway, I am only 21 years old. My mom and dad divorced 2 years ago, my mom no longer has health insurance, but my younger brother is still covered under my father's health insurance (United Healthcare). He's 14. I've heard about a "young adult rider" for Blue Cross Insurance, (where you can still cover your child after age 18 for a little extra more each month) but wondering if anything like that is available for United Healthcare? I am not in school full time, I am only attending Real Estate Courses, which don't count for anything in the insurance world. What can I do to find some sort of coverage that won't make me go bankrupt? I need some insight, thanks for the help. In response to the first question: If you lived in MIchigan, you would know that it's nearly impossible to find health coverage anywhere. Our economy is about the worst in the country. And to the second question, now that i'm 21, I've been turned down for Medicaid. That's michigan for ya.

How do i read my insurance card, United Healthcare? OK, i'm filling out "update" paper work for my Cardiology center for an up-comen appointment. On the paper it asks policy/ID# and Group#, what is that? my card has member ID, medical assistance ID, and a BIN# , which 2 of the 3 numbers is the paper asking for? I think policy/ID# is medical assistance ID, but what is group#?

Where can I find the names of the officers for United HealthCare, I know who the Medical director is.? President of United Healtcare- (UHC) national health insurance company.

Is my medical insurance good? I used to have Pacific Care HMO from my employer. It was the usual. My payments were deducted from my weekly paychecks. And whenever I needed to go to the doctor, I would just make my appointment, show up, show my insurance card, and pay my $20 co-payment. The insurance would take care of the rest. Simple as that. Now we switched over to a new insurance called United Healthcare PPO. It has an HSA account which stands for Health savings account. They tell me that whenever my money is deducted from my paychecks for health insurance, it goes into my HSA account and that is my money that I have for health costs. They also gave me a debit card for that savings account to use to pay for medical expenses. So pretty much, if I get hurt within the first year of having this insurance, I'm screwed because I wouldn't have enough to cover the costs. They tell me it's really good but I don't buy it. I think my employer went cheap on us. I don't understand this system and I wish we stayed with the old one. Does anybody else have this insurance? Does anyone have any good information it. Any info would be helpful.

will the medical center charge me for visit and Rx? I changed jobs recently. I went to the doctor three days after I quit my job that was providing me with united healthcare insurance. I was told that my medical coverage would be cut off at the end of the month, and since I quit working there at the end of the month I am a little worried that the coverage will not cover my visit. so will they charge me? or do they have to offer me a cobra before they can charge me?

What is stopping competition in medical insurance field? Aetna, Cigna, United Health Care, Kaiser (for example) are licensed to sell insurance in all 50 states , what exactly stopping them to compete with each other ? http://insurance.freeadvice.com/reviews/21/info/AETNA%20Insurance/ http://insurance.freeadvice.com/reviews/49/info/Cigna+Health+Insurance/ http://insurance.freeadvice.com/reviews/311/info/United+Healthcare/ http://insurance.freeadvice.com/reviews/96/info/Kaiser+Foundation+Health+Plan/

Is an ER medical bill negotiable? I would appreciate some comments on the following situation: I live in Los Angeles and have a health savings account and medical insurance with United Healthcare. Recently, I cut my finger and went to the locat ER. I got five stitches and two weeks later, got them removed. I was stunned when I got a bill for $1,500. The ER is IN my network of providers. I got the negotiated rate which was approximately 80% of the full rate. My question is: can I negotiate the $1,500 with the hospital? Thanks....

Is the United States the only country whose doctors pay medical liability insurance? Google doesn't give a clear answer about the issue, and I believe that this would be a good argument for change in the healthcare system. Thanks in advance. Alright, "no" is an extremely easy and likely true answer. But it's obvious that the US premiums for liability insurance have skyrocketed beyond any other nation. If someone could provide examples of another country and relative costs, this would be much appreciated.

What happens to your medical insurance after you get married? I'm getting married this friday but I'm also pregnant so its necessary to have my medical insurance. I am under my Dad's insurance which is United HealthCare. He told me that once I get married that I won't be covered anymore but I read somewhere online that anyone under 26 can still be covered under their parents insurance ONLY if their parents don't remove them from the plan. Is this really true? Or only true for some medical plans? I'm 19 and work at McDonalds so obviously I don't have benefits from my job and probably won't be able to afford medical insurance of my own and my soon-to-be husband doesn't have medical insurance at all so I can't count on him. If anyone can help me out with this question it would be greatly appreciated. Like I said, I have United Healthcare and I also live in NY if that makes a difference. Thanks.

Does anyone know if United Healthcare can reject someone for having depression? I am looking into different health insurance and I really like United Healthcare. However, I am wondering will I get turned down because I was diagnosis with Major depression 10 years ago at age of 13. The depression is very well managed without any medical attention as of right now.

Medical health insurance bill? I have united healthcare ppo insurance. max out of pocket $5000. I had out patient surgery in out of network hospital which the insuranse suposed to cover 60% of the cost. The Hospital bill was 7120$ and the insurance only pays 1078$ which meens I have to pay 6041$. Their explanation was: the amount allowed for that type of surgery was 1974$ and they will cover 60% of that alowed amont which is 1078$. What can I do to pay less? Is there any chance??

United Healthcare Maternity Health Insurance? Is it good? Does anyone have it or know about it? The plan I'm thinking of getting is called "copay select." It has a $197 mo. premium, $2500 deductible, and covers maternity costs up to $2500 for the first 1-2 years, up to $5000 for the 3rd and 4th year, etc. Complications are covered by the "major medical" part. I guess I'm thinking that $2,500 seems like kind of low coverage for a normal childbirth. However, one good thing is that there is no waiting period. Anyone have any advice??

Can medical tests be done in a different state? Does anyone know if you have a script to have a medical test done, say a mammogram, can you have the test done in another state? I know if the other state accepts your insurance, I don't see why not (I have a PPO with United Healthcare.) The medical profession in Florida is the pits, I want to go back to NY to have any medical tests done, (at least NY doctors don't amputate a person's healthy foot and leave the diseased one there!!) Please advise.

When is it okay to write off a balance on a medical claim? Scenario 1: Medicare primary allowed $85 on a $260 charge, paying $70, leaving $15 balance for the secondary insurance to pay. The secondary insurance (United Healthcare) paid $11.50 of the $15 balance, is it okay to write off the $3.50 balance or do you leave the balance for patient? Scenario 2: United Healthcare primary allowed $85 on a $260 charge, paying $70, leaving $15 balance for the secondary insurance to pay. The secondary insurance (Medicare) paid $11.50 of the $15 balance, is it okay to write off the $3.50 balance or do you leave the balance for patient? Scenario 3: Cigna primary allowed $85 on a $260 charge, paying $70, leaving $15 balance for the secondary insurance to pay. The secondary insurance (Aetna) paid $11.50 of the $15 balance, is it okay to write off the $3.50 balance or do you leave the balance for patient?

My parents are both on Medicare are they responsible for the addition 20% co-pay? My parents are both elderly and covered by Medicare which only pays 80% of there Medical bills. There other insurance United healthcare refuses to pay the additions 20% Medicare leaves behind. Are they really responsible for this remaining 20% of the bills? I have heard somewhere that they did not have to pay for that amount is this true?

Anyone ever switch health insurance while pregnant? Only in the good ol USA do we have to stress about how in the world we're going to afford medical bills.. I have United Healthcare right now but they do not offer maternity coverage at all unless Im on a group plan. That is not an option for me because my work doesn't offer insurance. I've checked into BCBS but would they consider being pregnant a "pre-existing condition". I have a call in to a rep and am waiting for a call back but I'm just looking for advice or experiences pleeease. Thanks

I need help understanding my husband's new insurance and what to do with state medical assistance? My husband got a new job about 3 weeks ago and we just got our health insurance cards. We have been on medical assistance through the state for a while until now so I called and wanted to get info on co pays, deductibles, etc. We have United Healthcare and the customer service rep said that they are primary and the medical assistance is now secondary. There are no co pays, preventative visits (yearly gyno, mammograms, physicals, etc.) are 100% covered but sick visits, prescriptions and so forth have a $4000 deductible. Do I need to call my other insurance company and tell them? If medical assistance doesn't drop us, are they likely to pay what United denies? This type of health insurance is new to me so I am quite confused. Any help is appreciated, thanks! I know this isn't really a parenting question but figured there are more adults in this section who might be able to help.

Fighting with insurance and hospital? In May of 2006 while on vacation in Denver, my husband's esophogus closed and after 7 hours in the ER he was wheeled in for an emergency EGD dialation and removal of the foreign object (in this case, chicken). They gave us the statement in early June after our health insurance (United Healthcare) paid for their 90%. That's fine. We don't mind. The bill was $330. Then we looked at the statement. This is what they were charging us for, among other things: 5/18 -- EGD W/ Savory Dilation (1 unit) $2581.70 5/18 -- EGD W/ Remov Foreign Body (1 unit) $2531.10 Basically, it looks like (to us and some medical professionals we've spoken with) that they are charging us twice for the same surgery. The professionals we have been speaking with have pointed out that they should have charged full price for one of the procedures and knocked it down to a $300-$500 fee for the other procedure. We called the insurance, and they said to call the hospital. We called the hospital and... ...and 3 weeks ago they said they would put our account on hold for 2 weeks while our account was audited. Obviously it's been more than 2 weeks. We called, and they said it had just been sent to the auditing department TODAY. We asked them if our account would still be on hold, and they said it depended on the circumstance. We have a message with the supervisor, but now we just don't know how to go foreward with this. Our insurance doesn't give a flying flip even though we think they made a mistake. Any advice?

People in Haiti have no healthcare. Have you ever seen any Americans not able to get medical attention? If not why do so many say that we have a healthcare crisis and that so many are without insurance? Every single person in the United States illegal or not gets treatment when they need it. Why such drastic measures when the system we have already works fine?

Looking for Healthcare, Don't know what to pick!? Hello All. I'm self employed, and looking for optimal health insurance. So far, I'm torn between United Healthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. I'm REALLY not sure WHAT to do?! Can Anyone help?! Anyone have any suggestions on what they consider to be good medical insurance.? Thanks!

When is the United States of America going to provide universal healthcare coverage for there citizens? When is the United States of America going to provide universal healthcare coverage for there citizens? What ever happened to moralistic value's, what happened to equality? When and how can the insurance companies put a dollar on human lives. Money to the demoralized is more important then lives of people. The thought that medical insurance is only approved on the basis's of profit, and not in the thought of providing care for people that need it is to me so much of a shame that I am ashamed that I to am an american. Please what can we do to ensure that our country is not ran by a small demoralized minority, but that our country in ran by the large majority and that is that american people. 19 minutes ago - 4 days left to answer. Additional Details Even with universal healthcare people can still choose there own doctor. Thje doctors are paid more when they provide people with better care 6 minutes ago What about free college education to all? That is a big problem to the young and to me, before I can get an education I am forced into a debt. What the hell is this?

Health Insurance Question? About a month ago while on vacation in Denver, my husband's esophogus condition caused us to go to the ER and have an emergency EGD for dialation and extraction (he had a piece of chicken lodged in his esophogus). He was in the ER for 6 hours and went to surgery at the end of the 6th hour. On our bill, they charged us twice for the EGD ($2500 each time) and twice for an IV, though fluids were not changed nor was the IV itself. I've spoken with a few professionals working in the medical field and each have told me that they have double dipped; you can't charge twice for one operation. In other words, if I went in for a new scope and they removed something, they can't charge me for 2 surgeries in one. Can anyone offer any insight? We called our insurance company (United Healthcare) and were told to call the hospital. We called the hospital and were told to call the insurance. In addition, we are asking that the hospital/insurance review the charges. While my husband was in surgery, the GI nurse putting the charges into the computer was constantly screwing up. Because of that, we just want to verify that the charges are correct. Thus far, no one has taken our worry to any thought. We're fine with paying the charges, but if we've been overcharged then we want to work this out! And that's a KNEE scope. You can tell I've been painting a room, can't you?!

Issue with Health Insurance - Out of Network Charges? I have had to seek Maternity Care with a physician which is out-of-network, because my Insurance companies only in-network OB/GYN's are over 50 miles away. I am receiving a ton of medical bills, that I believe should be covered, but I am receiving and they are threatening to send me to Collections. I have tried to file grievances with my Insurance company before, but they never answered. And, now I have been sending letters to all the medical billing companies letters to request Itemized Statements. What else can I do? I don't want to get sent to Collections by all these medical offices, but I can't afford to pay the bills - that is why I have insurance. And, to add my insurance is United Healthcare, through my husbands job.

Is it true that in United States of America, if you have a pre existing medical condition on a list of health? insurance that you cannot get free healthcare for that and have to buy it?

What exactly is it about having access to universal healthcare that some American's find so terrifying? "The United States is the only industrialized democracy that does not ensure universal health care coverage, with an estimated 36 million Americans uninsured". Reuters as quoted by Yahoo News. And according to last month's National Geographic, the US pays (per person) at least twice the average of other nations to get less healthcare. The private medical insurance providers and the NHS both operate in the UK. So what's so terrible about what every other Western democracy has, that parts of the US doesn't want? Is it at all relevant that no country has opted to abandon universal healthcare in favour of the US model? Is it at all relevant that not a single UK party - from the extreme right to the loony left, advocates abolishing or even restricting the NHS? I genuinely don't get it and I'd welcome some illumination [without the cliched glib comments, pleasee]

When is the United States of America going to provide universal healthcare coverage from there citizens? What ever happened to moralistic value's, what happened to equality? When and how can the insurance companies put a dollar on human lives. Money to the demoralized is more important then lives of people. The thought that medical insurance is only approved on the basis's of profit, and not in the thought of providing care for people that need it is to me so much of a shame that I am ashamed that I to am an american. Please what can we do to ensure that our country is not ran by a small demoralized minority, but that our country in ran by the large majority and that is that american people. Even with universal healthcare people can still choose there own doctor. Thje doctors are paid more when they provide people with better care What about free college education to all? That is a big problem to the young and to me, before I can get an education I am forced into a debt. What the hell is this?

What is a Self Funded Insurance Plan? It has taken three months, a call to the executive office at United Healthcare, escalation to a "Rapid Resolution Team" and I still have not been reimbursed for my medical expenses. They said it was a self funded plan. Does that mean that United Healthcare has to ask my company every time I submit a claim to get a reimbursement? Why is there such a delay with getting payment back. I never had this problem with Aetna. Thanks! Thank you. But here is where I get confused. Who is causing the delayed payment? United Healthcare?

Can anyone give me their experience getting gastric bypass approved by united healthcare? I am in the process of trying to get the surgery approved by my insurance. I know it is covered because others at work have had it. I meet the requirements ( 40bmi, over 100 pounds overweight) I have tried and failed to lose the weight but the one problem I do have is not having access to past medical records. My doctor died and I had my records transfered to another doctor who in turn seems to have "misplaced" them. Does anyone know if they require actual records? Or what else they require for approval.

Is it normal to get surprise medical bills? My wife is pregnant and we have United Healthcare. We go to the OBGYN and various other doctors for tests and then a few weeks later we get a bill for XX amount. Insurance paid for most of the bill (e.g., $1200 bill and we'll get billed for $1-200). Is this normal? Is it normal to go to the doctor and have no idea how much it will cost??? It's soooooo annoying!!! Damn stupid surprise bills. Can anything be done to mitigate this?

People who don't live in the United States: Do you enjoy your health insurance/coverage? Do you have a single payer system? A public option? How do you feel about the taxes you pay to support this system? Would you trade this insurance for privatized health insurance? Is there a high rate of people traveling to the U.S. to get their medical attention? Under which circumstances? And anything else you can use to describe how it is in your country. What advice could you have given to the United States during the healthcare reform controversy....for those of you who do not know, we had privatized insurance industries. President Obama seemed to at first hint at a single-payer system, then he went for the public option, then the P.O. was basically kicked to the curb after quite a bit of weeping and gnashing of teeth, especially from the politicians. What say you? @BikerChick - I'm thankful for your husband's service, and I'm glad that your family has squared away a beneficial health plan, but I could care less about your opinions on the president. I'd rather have a president who attempts to give ALL Americans the benefits your family enjoys, rather than one who smiles and nods while people DIE because of their financial situation.. Not everyone in this country is a veteran.

Serious Financial Situation... Help Please!? Hi! I am a 22 year old male who is currently taking college courses online (University of Phoenix) and unemployed. College is my priority and I spend most of my time working hard within my academic career, which is why I have a current cumulative GPA of 3.8. I live in Sicklerville, NJ with my mom and little sister. I have a situation where I went to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, PA for an ENT consultation. I have suffered from a high-pitched/raspy for several years and I would lose and I would often lose vocal power and ability. The ENT at Jefferson diagnosed me with a left vocal cord paralysis and a right vocal cord fold. I have undergone several surgeries, procedures, and forms of therapy at Jefferson Hospital. My insurance has deemed my situation as a preexisting condition because I went for a consultation three weeks before I received medical insurance with Golden Rule (United Healthcare). Now I’m stuck with bills, most of which were already sent to collections. Overall my medical bills for my vocal issue totals over 6,000 dollars and I have upcoming procedure/therapy sessions that will cost me about 600-1,000 dollars per session. I cannot afford to pay off my medical bills because I’m unemployed, and cannot apply for Medicare because I plan on getting a job soon, which will automatically cancel out my Medicare coverage. I’m only 22 years old and have bills amassing several thousand dollars already in collections and I don’t know what to do. I know Jefferson Hospital has a charity (I was thinking of writing a letter), but what are my chances of Jefferson’s charity paying off my medical bills as well as the bills for my upcoming vocal procedures/therapy? I’m really in a bind here and getting extremely depressed over the situation. If anyone has any advice or help for me I would be beyond grateful. Please help me.

Medical bill collection? We live in Georgia, My mom have her back operation done in LA two years ago at the Back Institute, when I talked to them they said they only bill my insurance which is United healthcare, unfortunately the insurance didn't pay them due to error filling. We have never received any bill from the Back Institute, but about a week ago we received a collection letter in which we owed 80000 USD for the entired surgery. We con tact the collection agency, they are a jerk. Then we contact the back institute people, there's not really an answer either. What should we do? Can we try to resolve the bill with the Back Institute or ignore the bill? Can they take our house because my mom name is on the morgate, the house almost pay off. please give me some advise what should i do next, thank you

i want to move to canada but i have health problems? i am from the united states and i want to move there and become a citizen but i need to be getting some treatments that need to be gotten at a hostpital through the iv once ever two months. can i get cheap/free medical treatment over there and if not, is my insurance good over there? its united healthcare ppo. i know canadians have free healthcare, but when becoming a citizen you cant leave the country and only citizens get free healthcare. not other people.

Why do all you PRO-LIFE Republicans oppose socialized healthcare? "More than 7 million children in the United States lack health insurance, a statistic that means those children are 60 percent more likely to die in the hospital than those who have insurance, according to a study this week from Johns Hopkins Children's Center." Where will all these kids get medical care? Their parents can't get it, so how will they?! Walmart doesn't even provide affordable medical care to their employees.

I received a mail from a recruitment agency going to UK, I want to check whether this a spam recruitment.? Here it is... Dear Ma. Rebecca, REF:UHL/665144/UK/007. LABOUR CONSULTANT : www.monster.com HOST EMPLOYER : UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL LONDON ATTN:DOCTORS/NURSES/TEACHERS OUR MEDICAL RECRUITMENT TEAM has track records of successfully completing search and selection assignments for middle and senior management appointments in the Medical / Healthcare sector in United Arab Emirates We specialize in researching for following groups within the Medical / Healthcare related sectors in UK Medical / Healthcare. With a vast range of Job Opportunities in UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL LONDON, in UK UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL LONDON seeks the services of the Professionals in Various Fields which includes; CURRENT STAFF VACANCIES 1. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon 2. Consultant Anaesthetist 3. Consultant Radiologist 4. Consultant Plastic Surgeon 5. Medical Officer 6. Principal Admin Officer 7. Admin Officer II 8. Accountant II 9. Higher Medical Records Technician 10.Nursing Officer II 11.Medical Laboratory Scientist/Administrators 12.Pharmacist 13.Physiotherapist 14.Occupational Therapist 15.Radiographer 16.Confidential Secretary II 17.Resident Doctors 18.DENTISTRY 19.Medical insurance manager 20.Cardiologist, 21.Dieticians 22.Clinic Coordinators,Medical 23.GYANAECOLOGY 24.PAEDIATRICS 25.OPTOMETRIST (TECHNICIAN) 26.Orthopedic Surgeon 27.RADIOLOGIST 28.Lab & Radiology Technicians 29.EMBRYOLOGY (IVF) INVITRO FERTILISATION, 30.Registrar/Dermatology 31.Maxillofacial Surgery Consultant 32.Retina Surgery Consultant. 33, STAFF NURSE, 34.MALE NURSE , 35,DOCTORS 36,DIRECTORS OF NURSE 37,TEACHERS Entitlement, Compensation and Benefits packages include: A very attractive net salary paid in US$, Sterling or Euros equivalent depending on employee home country and currency preference. . Quality single or family housing accommodation in company community. . Free medical care in Dubai for employee and family. . Excellent educational assistance benefits with family status employment. . Paid airfares allowing full flexibility with holiday travel. . Personal effects shipment and excess baggage allowances. . Full access to some of the finest and social recreational facilities in UK. CONTRACT DURATION: Level 1: 5-10yrs experience , (2 Years) and renewably only on satisfactory performance by employee. Level 2:10yrs and above ( 5years) or Full time Interested candidates must have not less than 5 years experience in any of the above listed fields. Interested applicants (expatriates) should apply by submitting their curriculum vitae (CV)/Resumes, scanned and sent as attachment to us as recruitments with due indication of the position sought. Only short listed qualified candidates will be given on online interview. Our e-mail address remains: uhlrecruitment1@gmail.com Interested candidates are also required to contact our Local Office strictly for the purpose of this project AND QUOTING THE JOB REF NUMBER.REF:UHL/665144/UK/007 CONTACT: Mr. James Brown Human Resource Personel uhlrecruitment1@gmail.com

Is this not the saner alternative to the Democrat healthcare reform? -Increase the Medicaid threshold to insure the uninsurable with pre-existing conditions and the lower middle class who are currently not eligible for Medicaid but unable to afford private insurance. -Tax credits to lower and middle income households to purchase private health insurance plans. -Regulatory reform to reduce instances of denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions. -Creating an independent agency to audit and investigate cases of fraud on the Medicare/Medicaid rolls. -Tort reform, allowing private insurers/HMO's, hospitals, clinics and drug companies to lower operating costs from frivolous lawsuits. -Allowing insurers to sell across state lines with portable insurance policies that allow people to move from state-to-state and keep their policies. It will also allow insurers to relocate to states with lower taxes and lower operating costs. These lowered operating costs would then conceivably be passed on to the insured. -Employer regulations to insure that recently laid-off workers can keep their current policies for a suitable period of time (maybe 6 months) until they can find other means of employment or health insurance. -No Public Option, and thus no multiple-trillions of dollars spent and no attrition of private insurers. If we can achieve those goals, not only will we have near-universal healthcare, but we will also continue to have private insurers operating in a reduced-cost environment. Also, the United States has some of the greatest hospitals (JHH and Mayo) and the best Medical Schools (Harvard and Johns Hopkins) in the world. Just thought that needed to be said. At A.E. Moreira, that's why we allow insurers to sell beyond state lines, so that they can relocate or incorporate in states that already have tort reform.

How do you feel when Mexican ambulance drivers are transporting hospital patients unable to pay for medical ? Now Mexico is not this broke and are taking advantage of our health care sysytem...Mexico is only interested in seeing others pay their bills. Why people to hold a country who does nothing for them is hard to grasp..http://goliath.ecnext.com/comsite5/bin/pdinventory.pl?pdlanding=1&referid=2750&item_id=0199-843104 Mexican ambulance drivers are transporting hospital patients unable to pay for medical care or emergency-room services in their country to facilities in the United States, where their treatment is mandated by federal law, authorities said yesterday. The border crossings have been reported from Brownsville, Texas, to Douglas, Ariz., and involve Mexican ambulance companies whose drivers have been instructed by hospital officials in Mexico to take ailing and uninsured patients to the United States, the authorities said. If this continues unabated, it will bankrupt the U.S. healthcare system and drive health insurance costs completely out of sight. It has simply got to stop. And, we've got to stop treating illegal aliens who cannot pay who are already here. I know it seems cruel, but it will eventually kill our children. I wonder how these ambulances are driving across exactly. I know at some time they are encountered by the Border Patrol. I wonder if the Agents are told not to stop ambulances. This type of thing has never happened in my Sector. However, we are not allowed to determine alienage on a sick or injured illegal. We have to call EMS. Once EMS takes them to the hospital and they get treatment they are free to stay in the US. Determining that a Mexican is illegal is one of the quickest ways to the beach. FIRME MEJICANO how do you feel excusing mexico from all wrong therazorsedge2006 do you even understand what typical ER vist costs at least 300 - 400-you bringing inthe sick the costs run into the thousands. I don't see why you think hospitals can operate without payment--they are not load with with money--Since you approve of Mexico taking advantage of health care remember the next you are sick you will understand why your bill is so high...

Is the issue Healthcare or consciousness? If I were to write an open letter to the President of The United States of America. I would say, Mr. President, Healthcare is not the issue. Consciousness is the issue. And your consciousness, Mr. President, is what needs change, not healthcare. America has the greatest healthcare system in the world. America has the best doctors and nurses in the world. American is the leader and innovator of new medical technology and pharmaceutical advancements, in the world. What do we need healthcare reform for? Yes, there are a few who can't afford healthcare insurance. But American already has a working system in place, right now, that provides full healthcare for the indigent and illegal. Revamp that system, but do it after you address the real issues facing America. What we need Mr. President, is to get Americans back to work. What we need is to stimulate our economy from the consumer up, not from the corporation down. What we need is to remove the bounds confining American ingenuity, and free the American Spirit of entrepreneurialism. Wake up America! What we need is a change of consciousness. Where do you stand on the matter? Sorry, there is no best answer offered. Sound logic and rational debate is not possible absent an educated and well informed perspective.

Is this a good price for insurance? I'm currently getting health insurance for me and my wife through my employer (who says they pay half). We have United Healthcare, and Aetna covers our dental. Under this plan we also have vision coverage. I'm currently paying $320/month for our coverage and I'm think that we are paying way too much. I've talked to other people and they tell me they are only paying between $100-200 a month for the same amount of coverage. I'm 24 and my wife is 22 and we are both in good health and don't smoke - Does this seem like we are paying too much? If so, is there any kind of personal coverage we could get for cheaper that covers vision, dental, and medical?

Suggestions/advice for college student health insurance plan please? Suggestions/advice for college student health insurance plan please? Hello, I'm entering my 2nd year of an American college in MA and my school has sent me the option to take up the school's health insurance plan with the company "Gallagher Koster" (I am allowed to waiver it). It is a "Student Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan underwritten by HPHC Insurance Company, Inc (Harvard Pilgrim Health Care)". It will cost $1989 annually. My question is: should I take up this plan, or look for another one online? Do you have any suggestions? Are there better priced ones out there that are competetive to this one? Last year, I opted for this plan and there were no problems, I only ever got a prescription for an eye cream. I am a full-time student, I am not active in sports, outdoorsy, or drive a car. Btw I am an American citizen (not international). School plan highlights: Highlights of the Coverage and Services offered by Gallagher Koster are:  Up to a $100,000 per each Injury or Sickness Maximum Benefit for Covered Medical Expenses.  $100 deductible Per Insured Person, Per Policy Year for Preferred Providers and $200 deductible Per Insured Person, Per Policy Year for Out-of-Network providers The Preferred Providers for this plan are the HPHC Insurance Company Network in MA, ME and NH, and the United Healthcare Options PPO in all other areas.  Covered Medical Expenses for Preferred Providers are payable at 90% of Preferred Allowance and Out-of-Network benefits are payable at 70% of Usual and Customary charges (all benefits are subject to satisfaction of the deductible, specific benefit limitations, maximums and copays as described in the policy).  Prescription Drug Benefits: $10 copay for Tier 1 / $25 copay for Tier 2 /$45 copay for Tier 3 up to a 31-day supply per prescription. $2000 maximum per policy year. Prescriptions must be filled at a UnitedHealthcare Network Pharmacy.  Coverage available for eligible dependents.  Scholastic Emergency Services – Domestic Students are covered when 100 miles or more away from their campus or home address. International Students are covered worldwide except in their home country. BTW I FORGOT TO MENTION: I am an American citizen, but my parents are not, so I can't share a plan with them or anything like that. I'm 19 years old.

Healthcare survey please answer yes or no only on 1-4? 1.Have you ever neglected medical attention because of lack of money? YESNO 2.Do you have health insurance? YESNO 3.Should there be universal healthcare in the United States? YESNO 4.Are you willing to pay higher taxes for universal healthcare? YESNO 5.On a scale of 1 to 5, one being very bad and 5 being very good rate the quality of healthcare in your community.

On a scale of 1 to 10 how brainwashed is someone who says the Canadian healthcare system is failing? Every statistic and actual fact points to the direct opposite. The American Journal of Medicine says over 3 out of 5 personal bankruptcies are due to medical debt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_in_the_United_States). That’s 60% of all personal bankruptcies which make up the vast majority of all bankruptcies. There are a total of 0 (zero) bankruptcies due to medical bills in other industrialized nations. Canada spends 10% of GDP on healthcare, the UK spends only 8% of GDP on healthcare while the US spends 16% and still has to pay for insurance! UK and Canadian small businesses are not burdened with having to pay for employees insurance making them more competitive. Every industrialized nation with Universal Healthcare (UHC), bar none, has longer lifespans, pays less than the US and is happier with their systems. Even when Americans buy private medical insurance, they’re still not covered for many problems. You would never be turned away in a UHC country for a pre-existing condition. The American system works just like a UHC system. Americans that say “I don’t want to pay for someone else” obviously have no understanding of how private insurance works. AIG pools your money and when someone gets sick they use that money (your money) to pay for the sick person which is exactly how UHC works, except the pool is bigger which leads to lower risk and lower costs. Canada and Australia run UHC and not one bank collapsed during the financial crisis, in fact both country’s economies grew significantly. The cost of private insurance is climbing much faster than in UHC countries and families cannot afford proper care and preventative checks. This leads to higher costs when they finally do go to the hospital and the problem has become severe. Americans pay 5x what Canadians pay for medical treatment and yet their life spans are lower, their infant mortality is very high and How can someone looking at these facts say that it’s UHC that’s failing without being brainwashed?

If the U.S. passes Universal healthcare, how will International medical tourism be affected? "..."They told me I was gonna die," says Bonnewell, who didn't have insurance. He estimates he would have had to pay over $100,000 out of his own pocket for the operation he needed, a complicated quintuple bypass. And he says he actually decided not to do it: "I guess I figured I'd rather die with a little bit of money in my pocket than live poor." But Bonnewell says his health was deteriorating quickly, when he read about Bumrungrad Hospital: "I was in my doctor's office one day having some tests done, and there was a copy of Business Week magazine there. And there was an article in Business Week magazine about Bumrungrad Hospital. And I came home and went on the Internet and made an appointment, and away I went to Thailand." He made that appointment after he learned that the bypass would cost him about $12,000. He chose his cardiologist, Dr. Chad Wanishawad, after reading on the hospital’s Web site that he used to practice at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. "Every doctor that I saw there has practiced in the United States," says Bonnewell. But three days after walking into the hospital, he was on the operating table. Two weeks later, he was home. How does he feel? "Wonderful. I wish I’d found them sooner," says Bonnewell. "Because I went through a year – I was in bad shape. I couldn’t walk across the room."..." http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/21/60minutes/main689998.shtml

Did you find anything suspicious about Obama's speech on healthcare the other night? I just recieved this in my e-mail. It is pretty interesting. The Truth About the Health Care Bills - Michael Connelly, Ret. Constitutional Attorney 08.24.09 Well, I have done it! I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law. I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional. What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected. To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participa tion in abortions by members of the medical profession. The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled. However, as scary as all of that it, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated. If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed. The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people and the businesses they own. The irony is that the Congress doesn’t20have any authority to legislate in20most of those areas to begin with. I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care. This legislation also provides for access by the appointees of the Obama administration of all of your personal healthcare information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital. All of this is a direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide. If you decide not to have healthcare insurance or if you have private insurance that is not deemed “acceptable” to the “Health Choices Administrator” appointed by Obama there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a “tax” instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment. However, that doesn’t work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the “ due process of law. So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much out the original ten in the Bill of Rights that are effectively nullified by this law. It doesn’t stop there though. The 9th Amendment that provides: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people;” The 10th Amendment states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control. I could write many more pages about this legislation, but I think you get the idea. This is not about health care; it is about seizing power and limiting rights. Article 6 of the Constitution requires the members of both houses of Congress to “be bound by oath or affirmation” to support the Constitution. If I was a member of Congress I would not be able to vote for this legislation or anything like it without feeling I was violating that sacred oath or affirmation. If I voted for it anyway I would hope the American people would hold me accountable. For those who might doubt the nature of this threat I suggest they consult the source. There you can see exactly what we are about to have taken from us. Mi http://michaelconnelly.viviti.com/

Would you like to be educated in the new Healthcare Bill? THIS EXPLAINS THE DETAILS OF THE HEALTH BILL This man is a retired Attorney and Constitutional Law Instructor! His name is Michael Connelly. He has read the complete Healthcare Bill and shares the following information; "Well, I have done it! I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law. I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional. What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected. To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession. The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business, and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats, and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled by the government. However, as scary as all of that is, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated. If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed. The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people, and the businesses they own. The irony is that the Congress doesn't have any authority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with! I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care.. This legislation also provides for access, by the appointees of the Obama administration, to all of your personal healthcare information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital. All of this is a direct violation to protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. A direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide. If you decide not to have healthcare insurance, or if you have private insurance that is not deemed acceptable to the Health Choices Administrator appointed by Obama, there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a tax instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment.. However, that doesn't work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the due process of law. So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much, out of the original ten in the Bill of Rights, that are effectively nullified by this law It doesn't stop there though. The 9th Amendment that provides: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people; The 10th Amendment states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control. I could write many more pages about this legislation, but I think you get the idea. This is not about health care; it is about seizing power and limiting rights. Article 6 of the Constitution requires the members of both houses of Congress to "be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution." If I was a member of Congress I would not be able to vote for this legislation or anything like it, without feeling I was violating that sacred oath or affirmation. If I voted for it anyway, I would hope the American people would hold me accountable. For t

What do we do about unexpected medical bills? My husband and I have been with Blue Cross for the past year. His company decided to switch to United healthcare. My husband was told we would have blue cross until the end of January. I came down with strep and had to go to the doctor. They gave me a shot and did some lab work while I was there. I also had separate lab work a couple weeks ago because I'm on accutane. I also had a couple prescriptions filled. I found out after all of this that our insurance ended the end of December. Our new insurance has a $3000 deductible- so even if it's retroactive I'll still be paying out of pocket for all my medical care this month. So......I'm guessing all the bills could be as high as $2500. ( Labs are apparently very expensive) Hopefully I'm wrong about how much it will all cost. If I'm right though......what would be the best way to pay it? We could probably only afford to pay $100 a month and I'm assuming they won't let us break up the payments that much. What the heck should we do? We've always had such good credit. My stomach is in knots. :(

Will I be restricted from health care? My current insurance is United Healthcare. About a year ago I went on cobra but still maintained united healthcare. This year my Dad changed jobs and the took the new insurance policy at his current company which also United Healthcare, both policies from his last job and current are good. Also I am leaving cobra since iI have already been accepted on his plan but I'm a little confused. not once was I without insurance from United healthcare, it's just the policies are different because my dad moved from one company to a next. I got an email from some healthcare care company asking to do a medical exam on my email and now I'm freaked out, the company is American para professional serv. But hey don't give me much info just that my application for insurance was received, but I already got the card for the new policie weeks ago!. Not once did I leave united healthcare! I have been a little sick and the doctors are still trying to figure out what's wrong with me. Can I be denied coverage even though I have been insured with United Healthcare since 2008? I got sick a year ago, went to the hospital with severe symptoms and elevated witenagemot blood count. I ran many miles a week with no health issues until I got sick. So when my dad was laid off I went on cobra since I couldn't get health insurance since I was being denied because of the elevated white blood count. So between school and doctor visits I'm at home and when dad got insured at his new job I was eligible. That's all I know to say. But I've had insurance since 2008 with united healthcare and not once was the coverage stopped. I'm happy going on dads because he elected the family option and I don't have to pay the 500 plus a month for insurance. But my docs have done a lot of testing and it seems like theyre really close in finding the source of the infection or inflammation, I really don't want to go without insurance. By the way the day I got sick I was on a farm with sick animals so I didn't mess around or inflict this on myself. It's a group policy taken out by the comPany

Looking for Health care!? Hello All. I'm self employed, and looking for optimal health insurance. So far, I'm torn between United Healthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. I'm REALLY not sure WHAT to do?! Can Anyone help?! Anyone have any suggestions on what they consider to be good medical insurance.? Thanks!

Medical Bill Assistance? Goes to show how bad our healthcare system is even if we HAVE insurance. I had chest pain a while back, went to the hospital, doctor ordered a few tests. I was insured with United Healthcare, out of a 1200 dollar bill, they paid 30 bucks. I was so upset I canceled without deputing like i had to do with almost every other doctor visit in which they refused to pay. It didn't seem right that I pay over 100 bucks a month for insurance, and they wont pay. Now i'm getting bills for it, I think NC law says the hospital can't report it to your credit, but it don't stop them from turning it over to a collection agency that can. I know some states forbid this, but not NC. I went to medicaid, they can't cover me because I have a job, despite my income, that is, unless i'm a non-american...thats just wrong I think. I plan on buying a home soon, is there any organization out there than can help me? If not, is there something i can do? My coverage obviously wasn't worth a damn. As Robin Williams said, most insurance...like UH wont cover eyeglasses, but they will cover Viagra. So we can have a hard on, but we can't see where to put it. As I said, this just seems wrong. To the first person who answers this question, your either an employee of UHC or a republican. I'm sure other answers will differ from yours. Considering your said "The fact that you paid "over $100 bucks a month" for health insurance might have been a clue that the insurance wasn't very good."...well i liked my job and didn't have much of a choice. But i've recieved MANY quotes, and they are all the same, at LEAST 100 dollars a month. I think it's people like yourself that make our healthcare system such a mess. Perhaps I should have placed this under the Ethics category.

So why are the Big Health insurers against Canadian style Health insurance? The following story was posted in AP News today. My question is if insurers don't want an Obama Healthcare System that is socialized and a far cry from the "Best medical system in the world", then why are insurers content to send the insured overseas for "knee-replacements" and "heart by-pass" operations? I'm for Obama's plan and KEEPING AMERICAN JOBS HERE !!! (i.e. doctors, nurses and support staff). Screw the insurance companies as they have us for so long ! Insurers aim to save from overseas medical tourism Costa Rican Dr. Luis Obando prepares to perform a root canal on Bill Jones, of Dallas, Texas, at Meza Dental Care in San Jose, Costa Rica. Jones said he elected to have the surgery in Costa Rica because he was able to save substantially compared to what he would have had to pay in the USA. Enlarge image Enlarge By Kent Gilbert, AP Costa Rican Dr. Luis Obando prepares to perform a root canal on Bill Jones, of Dallas, Texas, at Meza Dental Care in San Jose, Costa Rica. Jones said he elected to have the surgery in Costa Rica because he was able to save substantially compared to what he would have had to pay in the USA. COSTS, SAVINGS Medical tourism trips offer steep savings, but they don't pack enough financial might to play a key role in President Obama's push to lower U.S. health care costs. Medical travel cost U.S. health care providers about $5.1 billion in business in 2007, according to estimates by Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. While significant, that amounts to less than 1% of the $2.36 trillion spent on health care in the United States that year. Medical tourism can yield savings of as much as 80% on some procedures compared to care in the United States. But traveling isn't for everyone and these trips are generally not an option for emergencies. A patient's willingness to travel for non-emergency care often depends on the savings at stake. With a low deductible and no incentives from an insurer or employer to travel, a patient may have little motivation to make a trip. Any result from the Washington reform push is unlikely to affect medical tourism, Keckley said, because it won't lower costs enough to erase price gaps with foreign care providers. By Tom Murphy, The Associated Press Elizabeth Kunz left her dentist's office this spring with a mouth full of problems and no way to pay for them. The South Carolina resident went out of her way, literally, to find a solution, which turned out to be in Central America. Her trip to the tropics is part of a health insurance experiment for trimming medical costs: overseas care. As Washington searches for ways to tame the country's escalating health care costs, more insurers are offering networks of surgeons and dentists in places like India and Costa Rica, where costs can be as much as 80% less than in America. Until recently, most Americans traveling abroad for cheaper non-emergency medical care were either uninsured or wealthy. But the profile of medical tourists is changing. Now, they are more likely to be people covered by private insurers, which are looking to keep costs from spiraling out of control. The four largest commercial U.S. health insurers — with enrollments totaling nearly 100 million people — have either launched pilot programs offering overseas travel or explored it. Several smaller insurers and brokers also have introduced travel options for hundreds of employers around the country. FIND MORE STORIES IN: South Carolina | Costa Rica | PricewaterhouseCoopers | Southern Methodist University | Aetna | Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association | Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu | Frequent flyer program Growth has been slow in part because some patients and employers have concerns about care quality and legal responsibility if something goes wrong. Plus, patients who have traditional plans with low deductibles may have little incentive to take a trip. But a growing number of consumers with high-deductible plans, which make patients pay more out of pocket, could make these trips more inviting. In the meantime, the insurance industry's embrace of overseas care has had a pleasant side effect at home: some U.S. care providers are offering price breaks to counter the foreign competition. This domestic competition and the slumping economy have led to slower growth for medical tourism over the past year, as patients put off elective procedures that involve big out of pocket costs, said Paul Keckley, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Last year, the center estimated that 6 million Americans would make medical tourism trips in 2010. But Keckley has since shaved that projection to about 1.6 million people. Still, that more than doubles the roughly 750,000 Americans who traveled abroad in 2007, the last year for which Deloitte had actual numbers. Keckley expects the medical tourism industry to recover, as more health insur

Insurance company: Tower Life, how good is it? My new employer offers medical insurance through this insurance company Tower Life (www.towerlife.com). Does anyone out there have experience with this company? How good is the coverage provided by their PPO policy? I just want to have an idea of how good this insurance is because I have never heard about Tower Life. My experience has been only with bigger medical insurance companies such as Cygna or United HealthCare. Any input would be appreciated. I am a little worried about Tower Life. I don't want to have crappy medical. Thanks.

I need a hip replacement and my insurance won't cover it . Doctors deemed Medically Nec. My Ins denies cov.? I had United Healthcare for six months . My employer changed so I had to get new insurance but with Golden Rule (which is a sister company from united health) . My whole application was submitted with wrong info, including Mother's Maiden name, what to do there? I have been told by two Doctors that a Hip replacement is medical necessary. My Insurance is denying coverage because they say it is pre-existing although I have a form stating I had prior coverage. But, due to that fact that they submitted the wrong information creates a big problem. What can I do ? any information that will help me get this surgery would be greatly appreciated. Thank You

Is it legal for my health insurance company to make me pay mine and my husbands deductible before they pay? My husband and I am covered by a health insurance plan with united healthcare through the company my husband works for. Our deductible is $3500. per person. The plan requires that we meet the deductible for both insured members (myself and my husband) $3500. x 2 = $7000 even if I am the only one who received medical treatment before they pay any benefits at all. They do say they apply some charges to my deductible but some of the charges does not apply toward deductible. Is this legal and do other insurance companies work the same way?

If health care is so great in the USA why in the hell IS Americans ? Crossing the Southern and Northern border to get health care ? NACO, Mexico (Reuters) – Retired police officer Bob Ritz has health insurance that covers his medical and dental care in the United States. But every few months he drives from his home in Tombstone, Arizona, to this small town in northern Mexico to avoid the healthcare costs that aren't paid by insurance.How will the republicans explain this ?

United States vs. Canada? Canada is infamous for its peaceful, drama free society. It's close to never at war and/or controversy, no one has a bone to pick with them, the ppl are friendly and I heard the crime and racism are superbly low, FREE healthcare goes to all of its citizens and for those this applies to--pot is actually legal. Canada sounds like a virtual Wonderland whereas America seems riddled by war, controversy, racism, terrorism, poor job market, high cost medical insurance and too may unisured citizens, amongst other faulty systems. Even inspite all of that, I enjoy American culture and prefer being a US citizen than anywhere else; but I know it's not just me when I say the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence? FYI-- my question was based on things I've heard about Canada. Thanks for everyone's input to clarify things for me.

What kind of insurance would help me afford this medical procedure .. Please HELP? Ok. I am a 25 years old full time student at this private university and I have United Healthcare insurance through my school but the thing is that it can not help me enough with the procedure I need to have . I am supposed to be have a spiral eteroscopy which involves general anesthesia that would most likely amount to 14,000 $ and given the fact I would be responsible for 20 % of the cost, which would be like 2,800 , I figured that I COULD NOT afford it at all since I am TOTALLY independent trying to make ends meet alone ... Would you know of ANY INSURANCE that would help me as far as the cost of such a medical procedure is concerned ??? I would be so grateful for all the hints and answers I live in Los Angeles county , California ... Thanx a lot !!!

Is there anyway to get around exclusions in your insurance policy? I have United Healthcare and my particular policy excludes any surgery for obesity. I was hoping to have the bypass done, but since it is excluded.... I would have to pay for it out of pocket, and I cant afford that. I barely make enough to make my bills, none the less add a surgery. Can anyone tell me if they make exceptions to exclusions? Or is there a way to get around them? I really need this surgery if I want to be alive in another 10-15 years. I am submitting a letter of medical necessity from my doctor and a bariatric surgeon. I am can show a family history of comorbidities. I dont have any comobidites yet, but I will soon. My a1c is on the high end of normal. And my cholesterol is normal... but my ldl is on the high end of normal. I am getting a sleep study done to prove I have sleep apnea... but I dont know what else I can do. Any suggestions? And in advance to those that will say go on a diet... I have been on dr supervised diets with no sucess. I also know for a fact that they do cover this procedure on other policies. I have a friend who has UHC that had it done a year ago in March. Her coverage did not exclude it. So I know they do cover it if you have a certain policy. However, when I spoke with the guy who sold our company the insurance, he explained to me that exclusions are chosen by the company that buys the policy... which would be my employer. And while they were trying to keep down costs, they excluded it because since I work at a gym everyone else, besides me, is thin. So they never expected to have to use it... so why pay for coverage that they will never need? And while I understand that.. it is too late to change the policy... because then it would be a preexsisting condition... and still not covered.

Is there anyway to get around exlcusions in your health insurance? I have United Healthcare and my particular policy excludes any surgery for obesity. I was hoping to have the bypass done, but since it is excluded.... I would have to pay for it out of pocket, and I cant afford that. I barely make enough to make my bills, none the less add a surgery. Can anyone tell me if they make exceptions to exclusions? Or is there a way to get around them? I really need this surgery if I want to be alive in another 10-15 years. I am submitting a letter of medical necessity from my doctor and a bariatric surgeon. I am can show a family history of comorbidities. I dont have any comobidites yet, but I will soon. My a1c is on the high end of normal. And my cholesterol is normal... but my ldl is on the high end of normal. I am getting a sleep study done to prove I have sleep apnea... but I dont know what else I can do. Any suggestions? And in advance to those that will say go on a diet... I have been on dr supervised diets with no sucess.

I don't know what to do with my huge medical bill?!? I went through United Healthcare's website and selected a psychiatrist from the list they have. Now I find out that the woman charges at least $250/session and I'm a student--I can hardly pay to sit around and do nothing. I don't know what to do! The insurance covered some of it but won't cover all of it. Out of the $750 bill I have now, they're saying they won't pay $603 of it! Does anyone have any experience with this? Please help!!!

I am considering gastric bypass/anyone who has done it plz give some advise? I have United Healthcare....anyone with this insurance done the surgery? Was the process long, and hard? Do they make you jump thru hoops? How are you feeling now? Did you have medical issues before the surgery and do you still have them?

So my printer won't work with my computer...? And basically the old computer that works with the other computer can't work email or facebook. so i couldn't think of what else to do other than copy my paper on here because for whatever reason yahoo answers works on that computer. so please don't flag this question!! hahah i guess my question could be, do you think this paper is any good for last minute? lol 9/8/09 Block B4 G3b The Right May Not Agree, but Universal Healthcare Is a Right There is much anticipation throughout the United States concerning the healthcare reform issue. Considering we are in an economic recession, many Americans are hoping that things can be done to improve the economy; healthcare reform is something that many are hopeful will better our economy. However, others feel that it would go horribly wrong, and ultimately bankrupt our country. Economy aside, I would hope that many realize the importance of healthcare. In my opinion, it is a right to all humans. Considering the issue from a political standpoint, it is clearly obvious that healthcare is a right. Currently in the United States, we are a federal republic with democratic principles under a capitalistic economic system and socialism for needed services. These services include the military, public education, police, and welfare. So it should be a surprise that we are lacking socialism with needed services in our medical system for the average American citizen. What is even worse is the hypocrisy that has been in use; the very ones who pass those laws against universal healthcare are the ones enjoying a social medical system. Also, the Preamble to the Constitution states that the United States government will “establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, […and] promote the general welfare.” All these objectives can be related directly to enforcing universal healthcare, and because they are in the Constitution, it obviously means that health care is a right of the American people. Obviously, our founding fathers weren’t dealing with quite the same economic crises that we are dealing with today, so many could argue that those aspects of the Preamble are irrelevant because they would only work if the economy was good. Yet research shows that 50% of all bankruptcies are due to medical bills, and half of those bankruptcies had medical insurance that ran out. So it can be inferred that universal healthcare could actually help the economy, not hinder it. From a scientific standpoint, it would seem silly that healthcare could only be a privilege. Researchers all over the globe work tirelessly to find vaccines and cures to fight off cancer, AIDS, and many other diseases. If a new vaccine is found, does it seem fair for the vaccine to only be administrated to those who the government deem appropriate, those who have “honored their privilege?” Perhaps the government would approve of someone who desperately needs that vaccine, and that does not seem like a fair thing to do. In my mind, all life should be deemed as “winners.” All of us who are alive were the ones were the fastest sperm chosen by the egg. That is a miracle in itself, and I think that the government should do all it can to preserve that life. Therefore, it is an inalienable right that all life should be protected.

Are there any Democrats who believe that medical tort reform will help lower medical costs in the US? The best physicians are here in the United States. This is where they can get a decent pay check because we don't have socialistic national healthcare! (Only problem here is that they have to pay sky-high malpractice insurance premiums.) We really need to make tort reform a political issue in 2008. It is the only way to get healthcare costs down. The majority of doctors don't like to charge ridiculous fees. Reforms do not have to forbid lawsuits in legitimate cases of malpractice. But good reform measures would prevent $65 million lawsuits when a much, much lower amount would suffice.

Did anyone see that piece that WGBH did on Health Insurance around the world? Did you know that Japan, and Germany has a better health insurance system than the United States? Why can't we develop a system that is just efficient? Obama's is the closes to a universal plan, but it doesn't set the prices for healthcare, which needs to be done e.g., doctors in Germany can only profit up to 80,000 dollars a year and cost is monitored via government. Japan's government monitors their peoples healthcare system, while keeping cost at a low premium e.g., they use an ID card which a patient would carry that hold all his medical history on it. This cuts administration cost dramatically. If you loose your job in Germany, you don't have to pay anything for health cost, and your health plan stays the same. When compared to our COBRA plan, it seems too good to be true, while it is! Obama if he is going to be a true answer to America's revolution, should study these systems and come up with something to save healthcare, because it is becoming a PIG-OF-COST on American families who just cannot see a way out, while trying to stay above the line of health. Obama, you will be the next president, but what will you do to make a difference? what will your legacy be as the first Afican-American President? Make the reforming of the bust-up healthcare system your task!

Hybrid health insurance system for the United States? Disclaimer: First, I'm a physician from a third world country so I may not be 100% familiar with some of the problems/controversies that the US healthcare system has, but this is based on what I understand from the news reports On one side of the debate are the people who cant afford private insurance. * No treatment, we die. Simple On the other side are the people who are against universal health insurance. Their reasons are more complex like: * who's going to pay for it? more taxes probably * this will drive private insurance out of business * when government health insurance is a monopoly because private insurers are out of business, then it will not be inclined to improve itself because of lack of competition. what if it decides to enact harsh requirements to cut costs? If its a monopoly you have no alternative. Its too late I propose a hybrid healthcare system based on my own country's healthcare system. * There is some sort of universal or semi universal health insurance but private insurance still exists as a sort of upgrade or total replacement. If you can afford it and you want it you can purchase an "upgrade" * This universal health insurance still has a small annual fee * Visits to the doctor will be partially covered so you have to pay a small fee to the doctor when you visit the clinic. For patients that have to be confined in the hospital, the coverage is also partial so whats left is a small fee to be paid by the patient. This small fee exists so that the human psychological reaction of "its free, lets abuse it" wont happen. * how partial is partial coverage? Make it socialized. By default say only 50%. But you can ask to be re-classified, all dependent on your income. A social worker will investigate you and the amount you eventually pay will be dependent on your income. A rich guy pays a large percentage of his hospital bill but a homeless person only pays a few dollars. * There are 3 kinds of hospitals: "pay" and "charity" to use the terminology of my country. The 3rd category is "pay" hospitals that have a separate wing or building that is run as a "charity" hospital * Pay hospitals only accept people who either pay in cash or who have the "upgraded" private health insurance. As to their organization, infrastructure and the equipment, it would resemble a current run of the mill US hospital. * Charity hospitals pimarily cater to poorer people who do not have private health insurance and only rely on the government universal health insurance but they in theory will accept anyone even those who have private insurance and those who pay in cash because they are rich. * To reduce costs, some services in charity hospitals would be removed (like in no frills budget airlines). - In my country laparoscopic surgery is so expensive compared to the savings regained in productivity and shorter hospital stay so old fashioned open surgery might be standard but you would need to compute the cost/benefit ratio for your own situation. - Frills like airconditioning, TV and private rooms would go. Charity hospitals in my country have large wards with > 50 beds per ward, 2-3 nurses per ward, open to recieve fresh air and mosquito netting and bug zappers for mosquito control. Fresh air and electric fans would cool the patients in summer and if you have snow, then the windows would close and since the building is insulated, minimal heating is required. The ward would look like a US hospital in the 1920's or ww2. - Being ugly is not a health hazard so aesthetic surgery would not be covered. Reconstructive surgery would be covered of course. - Surgeons would use cheap nylon or silk sutures to close the skin. The trade off for lower price is a worse looking scar. But if you want a better looking scar then go to the pay hospital. - No more meals in bed so unless you are too weak to move, you eat in a self service cafeteria or ask a relative to fetch you the meal - since private doctors are expensive, residents (doctors in training) and nurses in training (they both have lower salaries) would primarily be used. Of course, each resident/nurse and each patient eventually has an experienced private doctor/nurse that oversees all the medical treatment. * the ICU should be more or less the same in pay and charity hospitals except maybe for a worse nurse/doctor to patient ratio With all the frills gone, there is a powerful incentive for people to work hard so they can buy private insurance. But no one dies because coverage can be universal. The money saved by removing the frills enables more poorer people to be treated so what do you think???? * oh and to reduce costs, the number of beds and number of staff would be cut, so expect long lines in a charity hospital a british politician (an MP??) on fox news said that his country is stuck with universal health care because of beaurocratic inertia and. the people are now addicted to it and would rather riot in the streets than accept a total overhaul of their health system which would have good long term results but cause short term pain. That is why they cannot change, because the voters are dumb.

What do we do about unexpected medical bills? My husband and I have been with Blue Cross for the past year. His company decided to switch to United healthcare. My husband was told we would have blue cross until the end of January. I came down with strep and had to go to the doctor. They gave me a shot and did some lab work while I was there. I also had separate lab work a couple weeks ago because I'm on accutane. I also had a couple prescriptions filled. I found out after all of this that our insurance ended the end of December. Our new insurance has a $3000 deductible- so even if it's retroactive I'll still be paying out of pocket for all my medical care this month. So......I'm guessing all the bills could be as high as $2500. ( Labs are apparently very expensive) Hopefully I'm wrong about how much it will all cost. If I'm right though......what would be the best way to pay it? We could probably only afford to pay $100 a month and I'm assuming they won't let us break up the payments that much. What the heck should we do? We've always had such good credit. My stomach is in knots. :(

Can I be billed for the phone call (99441) I made to physician if we saw him that same day? Here's the deal. I took my son to the doctor for an office visit (99214). That same day about 11 hours later I made a phone call to their answering service where I spoke with the nurse practitioner on call about the related medical service my son recieved (allergic reaction to meds), I just recieved a patient statement stating that they have billed me for the office visit (which is fine) with insurance pending for that payment. Then the other line states for that same day they billed me for (99441) phone call from patient to physician, and it states that I owe them this charge because it says insurance is NOT pending for this charge. I just started doing billing and I don't know how phone calls work exactly. All I know is, I thought they couldn't even bill me within 24 hours for the phone if it's related to the office visit. Also, why would I get charged for this and insurance not? I have United Healthcare.

How much do doctors make in Canada? I've thought of going into psychiatry or pathology one day...just as reference I guess. I'm gay, but I can't get married in the United States. However, it is legal in Canada. I'm also a third year medical student. Also, the policies as related to healthcare just seem more fair up north...its a wretching experience to watch people be denied healthcare that would likely save their lives because they have no insurance. If possible, put this average salary in both Canadian monetary units and the equivalent in US dollars.

Do you have $300,000 saved for healthcare? According to the NCHC: Retiring elderly couples will need $200,000 in savings just to pay for the most BASIC medical coverage. Many experts believe that this figure is conservative and that $300,000 may be a more realistic number. If this is the case, do you believe poor people deserve to die because they can't save that amount of money in their lifetime? Also, how do you feel about this fact: Although nearly 47 million Americans are uninsured, the United States spends more on health care than other industrialized nations, and those countries provide health insurance to all their citizens. Why can other industrialized countries provide healthcare for all it's citizens while spending less than America does on healthcare (and America still leaves 47 million people uninsired)?

Why is it impossible for a Bipolar I diagnosed person to get health insurance? I am a 26 year old, fully functioning, working, female adult who just happens to have a Bipolar I diagnosis that I got at the age of 21 while still in college. It so happens that I was on my parents healthcare until the age of 23, and then was uninsured. I have had several high paying jobs with group benefits since then, but I recently quit the last one to return home to help an ailing family member with a family business. Because it is a company of under 6 people, there is no group insurance plan. I have money and am proud that I earn my own wages. I have NO problems paying ridiculous amounts for health insurance, provided that they will cover prescriptions and everything but co-pays. My current insurance plan is crap and will not cover any psychiatric treatment, will only cover regular medical expenses (broken arm, stitches, etc) after I've paid $500 out of my own pocket, and no prescriptions. I have applied (and been denied) for health insurance already from: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, United, and a couple of other major health insurance agencies. They all reject me immediately because of the Bipolar I diagnosis. I have appealed this rejection a few times because I have never been hospitalized as an inpatient, I have never hurt myself, etc. It seems very unfair to me that they randomly reject me without viewing my case file. My psychiatrist is even willing to write a letter on my behalf and I have had insurance agents personally appeal to underwriting, to no avail. I have had NO problems with my disorder since I've been medicated, which was December of 2003. Any suggestions here? I really need health insurance... at some point I'd like to have children, and nevermind the fact that I just want to be covered in case of emergency. Thanks! Some additional details: I *did* qualify for COBRA and paid it, the last payment they did not receive in the mail so they cancelled me. I appealed it several times and lost it. My state does have a high risk pool but I was told I did not qualify. Any more information on this is appreciated. I make too much money to qualify for Medicare or prescription assistance. Thanks!

Where do you stand with universal health care? *Note: I put this here because I wanted to get responses from those that have spouses and families My husband and I watched Michael Moore’s “SICKO” last night and I have to say it’s quite disturbing. Of course we didn’t really need a documentary to tell us that our healthcare system in the United States is out of control, but it certainly put things into perspective. I look at what I have to pay for health insurance and how I still end up having to pay insane dollar amounts even WITH medical insurance. And I know what to expect for those that have no health insurance because my husband went through a stage of having to wait his 90 days before being granted health insurance. To which we never used because the deductible was far beyond anything we could afford. So just curious, what are your views on universal health care? Or what are your views of SICKO? (If you have seen it) I’m looking for both positive and negative views here. I’m curious to hear where other people stand. And also, please state what country you live in the event you are living elsewhere. And what types of coverage you have in your country or at least how it works. Bottom line: Do you pay? If so, how much? Medicaid/Medicare is an option if you qualify. And I’m a married woman with children and I do not qualify…. I went to college, have a degree, have a great job! I have BCBS insurance through my job. Group health insurance. I was paying $400 a MONTH for my son who was a newborn just to have coverage. And I paid it, because I couldn’t let my baby have no health insurance. I have coverage and I’m not in favor of universal healthcare, but I’d be interested to look at ALL sides of it and weigh the good, bad and the ugly. So I really don’t think job/no job vs insurance/no insurance, in favor or not, is the greatest of assumptions. But you’re still more than entitled to believe as you would like as we all have our own stance on the issue. Funny you mention that…I haven’t changed jobs in 6 years because I have good health insurance and a good retirement plan. And I am positive that I can make more money elsewhere…..but you weigh out your options. This is mine….

Want to be apart of a activist group for Universal Healthcare? It is everyone helping everyone? Please email me at mandi_85reform@yahoo.com with any of your medical horror stories or if you would like to become apart of this expanding activist group. Don't be fooled, it is NOT socialized medicines.. the stipulations of Universal Healthcare is different from country to country. This is not survival of the fittest. Our country as one of the lowest rankings for Healthcare for an Industrialized nation, yet our doctors get paid the most. Does that sound ethical? In other countries with Universal Healthcare you are given bonuses and incentives as a doctor for providing quality services and helping to keep your people healthy. Here in the United States you are denied from a doctor or hospital, or even for a life altering surgery if the funds are not at your expense, and unfortnately it is the Insurance companies job to drop you as conviently as possible. I will explain the details of this organizaton in repsonse to your emails, given that I will have a lengthy writing space.

I had a question about annual deductibles....? I had 2 medical procedures done in the same year (2 months apart). I had been on the insurance for a few years (United Health Care Group). They are having me pay in full for the 1st x-ray (statement says they are counting it towards my annual deductible) and then they are paying in full for the 2nd identical x-ray at the same IN-NETWORK hospital stating that it's a covered expense. I phoned UHC & they say both procedures were under the correct limits to be covered but when the case is reviewed it comes back as my responsibility. Both instances were filed under the hospital billing side. I just don't understand why they decided to pay for one & not the other. I have spoken with other United Healthcare Members that have had the same situation occur & they also don't understand UHC's methodology of selecting when to charge an identical covered in-network procedure (in the same business year) towards the annual deductible.

Breast reductions and paperwork? What's with all the paper needed to get United Healthcare to pay for breast reduction? I was asked by my plastic surgeons office for more letters from my doctor and OBGYN regarding letters stating medical necessity. Is this normal? I already had them send their chart notes. They are all giving me a hard time getting a letter. Though they all agree that I need a reduction from my 44DDD or larger to a C cup. Do these insurance companies really think it is cosmetic? Pictures of my enormous ones and the rash and indentions aren't enough? A colleague had it done with the same measurements as me and she didn't need anything to get covered by United Healthcare. Any incite to this is greatly appreciated.

How do I make the right choice when choosing medical insurance plans? I just started working for Wells Fargo. I'm about to enroll for benefits for 2010. I just need help on choosing the right plan that is suitable for me, and practical (moneywise) being that I just don't wanna pay for a service I wont use. I had aetna with the last company I worked for. It was great. This time, Im offered: Health net of California, Health Net Silver Network, United Healthcare PPO, United Healthcare Consumer Directed Health Plan, and Kaiser.. Im not very familiar with how insurance benefits work so I need some advice. Im 25 years old, making $10 an hour, plus quarterly commission, part time. (20-30 hrs) a week. I currently see my doc for my ADD med, and general stuff, as in if I were to come down with a bad cold turned into a sinus infection, I would call him for an antibiotic. Other than that, Im pretty healthy, with no other health problems. So if you are familiar with health insurance benefits please advise me of what carrier I should go with, PPO and HMO? How different are they? I hear PPO is better, but is it suitable for me? because im sure it may cost more... Im going over all these plans. And Im undecided, and need advice. Please Help me! I'd appreciate it..

My COBRA ends soon. Need to find individual health ins plan with a 0 deductible and 0% "co-ins"...? - Seems like all health ins for individuals have huge "deductibles" meaning i have to pay $2k-$4K of medical costs before the insurance kicks in. I want a $0 deductible like my current ins (which is thru old employer thru COBRA.) - Seems like they all also have a huge "co-insurance", 10%-20%, which (i believe but am not certain, which if true means that the nomenclature "co-insurance" is GROSSLY misleading) means that the ins covers only 80-90% of bills, and I have to pay the remaining 10-20%. These plans are @ $500/month plus all those deductibles and "co-ins" will come out to $10K/year!! My doctors don't take most of the individual plans I've found except united healthcare and oxford. I'd pay $1K for a simple plan that simply covered everything. Help! Does anyone know of any such plans I can get in NYC? TIA

Hatch usually works with Dems on health care, did you see why he pulled out of negotiations? "Hatch was one of a handful of Republicans involved in negotiations with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) before dropping out two weeks ago..... “The Democrats want a public option and they’re going to have a public option in the final bill,” Hatch said in reference to a proposal to create a broad government-run insurance program. He predicted that even if Baucus manages to pass a healthcare reform package with a membership-run co-op insurance plan instead of a government-run program, he would lose out to liberals in negotiations between the Senate and House. “He’ll be crushed in the middle,” Hatch said of prospective Senate-House negotiations, adding that Democrats are intent on creating a system of “socialized medicine” in the United States. Hatch pointed to what he considered major problems with Democratic healthcare reform proposals: · They make no effort to curtail medical malpractice lawsuits, which Republicans claim cost $100 billion a year. · Pending legislation could result in drastic cuts in Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals. Hatch said that doctors could see their reimbursements go down 25 percent and hospitals could see a 35 percent drop. “The real problem is their ideas are out of this world,” he said of the Democrats’ healthcare proposals. “They’re saying they’re going to get $400-plus billion out of Medicare and Medicare is in debt right now. “They’re going to pay doctors 25 percent less and going to pay hospitals 35 percent less and they think that system is going to work.” A reform plan put together by House Democrats calls for $500 billion in Medicare cuts over the next decade to help pay for the cost of covering about 45 million Americans currently without healthcare insurance. But this does not sit well with Republicans and conservative Democrats given Medicare’s projected insolvency within the next decade. In May the Obama administration announced that Medicare is running out of funding faster than projected. Obama administration officials predict that Medicare’s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will become exhausted by 2017. Defenders of the House healthcare bill say the legislation would reinvest nearly $300 billion back into Medicare to increase payments to doctors. But that would still result in a net reduction of about $200 billion, which would be used to pay for expanded insurance coverage. Hatch’s strong opposition is a troubling sign for Democrats because he has been party to some of the biggest healthcare bills to pass Congress in recent year. He joined with Sen. Edward Kennedy in 1997 to create the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover the kids of working-class parents who did not qualify for Medicaid. Hatch also teamed up with Democrats to pass legislation expanding stem cell research in 2007, one of the first priorities of Democrats after they regained control of Congress. Before the Democratic take-over, Hatch sided with Democrats in pressing former President George W. Bush to accept legislation that would have expanded SCHIP by $35 million over five years. Bush vetoed the legislation. Hatch voted against an expansion of SCHIP when it came up for another vote earlier this year because Democrats rewrote the bill and excluded him from having input. Hatch said the version that passed in January made “a mockery of the original intent by expanding CHIP to cover people for whom the program was never intended.” The bill expanded health coverage in some parts of the country to the children of families earning up to $88,000. What do you think? Stonecold, the problem with the insurance industry is that the govt gave them preferences creating monopolies. I agree we need reform and I will look at that one. I like Ron Paul's too. I just can't stand what the Dems are pushing. But I don't think the govt has the right to mess with ins for those of us who don't want their plan, now or after we lose our current plans Why don't they just address preexisting conditions?

Did you know Obamacare transfers most gov't power to the president&destroys 4th,5th,5th,6th,9th,10thamendments? amendments? The following is an analysis by a retired constitutional law professor: To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession. The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled. However, as scary as all of that it, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated. If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed. The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people and the businesses they own. The irony is that the Congress doesn’t have any authority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with. I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care. This legislation also provides for access by the appointees of the Obama administration of all of your personal healthcare information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital. All of this is a direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide. If you decide not to have healthcare insurance or if you have private insurance that is not deemed “acceptable” to the “Health Choices Administrator” appointed by Obama there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a “tax” instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment. However, that doesn’t work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the “due process of law. So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much out the original ten in the Bill of Rights that are effectively nullified by this law. It doesn’t stop there though. The 9th Amendment that provides: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people;” The 10th Amendment states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control. Michael Connelly Retired attorney, Constitutional Law Professor, Ret. Carrollton , Texas

Veterans Paying for Wounds? I'm curious to know how other people feel about this topic. I recently received an e-mail from my Service Officer, a retired United States Marine, about President Obama's plan to have United States Veterans pay the Veteran's Administration (VA) back for medical treatment they receive. The plan wouldn't bill the veteran directly, but would instead bill their private insurance company. In return, the veteran's insurance rates would go up, making them pay for the wounds they received when going into battle for the United States, and, depending upon insurance company, they would have to pay deductibles. Wasn't the Veteran's Administration formed to take care of these veterans in the first place? If this plan goes through, wouldn't it make more sense for the veterans to just skip over the VA and go straight to a private clinic, since they have to pay their insurance anyway? And what about those veterans who can't afford private insurance, so they only have VA Medical? I want to know what others think of this, if I'm missing anything, and what the details are. I may be receiving some of these benefits soon,a s I can't afford private insurance and healthcare, and I would like some answers. @ PJ - The point isn't about the insurance companies - it's about the veterans having to pay the insurance comany rather than having the VA pay.

Do you believe Americans are Jelious that We Canadians have the greatest Universal Healthcare system worldwide I have never waited more than 1 hour to see a doctor. i needed surgery on my hand after an accident at work. I was seen in under 5 minutes and in surgery within an hour. No cost to me. In the united states this would have costs over $140,000 according to my doctor. With 60,000,000 ( Sixty Million) american without insurance, they probably would have lost their hand if they had no insurance. I get preventative care ANYTIME I want. No lines. ( No cost ) I get Health and Diet advise from a dietician ( No cost ) My mother needed hip surgery last year. Surgery was scheduled 1 week after doctor told her she needed surgery ( No cost) My back hurts from moving furniture. I called my doctor yesterday and My appoiintment is tomorrow. ( No cost) Actually I can go to the doctor anytime I want. hardly ever any long waits. The most i ever waited was 1 hour at a doctors office, clinic, or any other medical facility. I'd be jelious if I was an american. God bless Canada Sorry about the typo in my question. That American Fake propoganda

Survive in America DIE in Europe!!! Just how much better is American MEDICINE?? ALOT!!!!!?

Can Anyone Provide Me With a Reasonable Argument Against Universal Health Care for ALL Americans? Universal Health Care provides coverage for every citizen. Doctors are guaranteed payment. Doctors can receive merit pay if they get their patients to lose weight, quit smoking, lower their cholesterol, etc. There would be no HMOs to DENY LIFESAVING procedures. There would be no HMOs to DENY Coverage to those with preexisting medical conditions. There would be no more co-pays for doctors visits or prescription drugs. We could replace Medicaid and Medicare which cost over $300 Billion per year. Combine that with the $92 Billion we can save by ending Corporate Welfare and we could provide every American with Health Care and Dental Care. If you have money and want to opt out and buy your own insurance, you can do that too! There are currently 47 million Americans without Health insurance. The United States spends more on Health Care than countries that have Universal Health Care and those countries cover EVERY citizen. Where's the down-side to Universal Healthcare? We either pay for it through higher taxes or we pay for it by ending Corporate Welfare. The US Government gave out $92 BILLION in US Tax Payers money in 2006 alone to companies with profits in the millions and billions of dollars. Why isn't that money being used to take care of ALL Americans, and not just the rich? If we could cover every American with $90 billion dollars, then we wouldn't really need Medicaid and Medicare would we? That's another $300+ billion the US would be saving per year. Can you say TAX CUTS?!!? So not only do we cover EVERY American but we have $300 billion to give back to the people in tax cuts. That's win-win in my book! There are LINES NOW! Has anyone ever gone into an ER and not waited for a few hours? Unless you're bleeding, etc. you WAIT. Sometimes you have to WAIT to see a doctor here too. If you're afraid of there not being enough doctors, then let's allow foreign doctors into the US who can practice medicine up the US standards. That measure alone would save another $80 billion per year or about $800 per family. (http://www.ConservativeNannyState.org) STOP TRYING TO SCARE PEOPLE! Our current system is BROKEN. We'll never know how Universal HealthCare will work here in the US unless we TRY! The US pays MORE NOW than countries with Universal Health Care and those countries cover EVERY citizen. Do people who PAY HMO's ALWAYS USE their Coverage? NO! Should they get a refun? NO! But they still keep their coverage just in case. In the RICHEST country in the world, NO ONE should be without Health Care! STOP trying to SCARE people with "doctor shortages" and "waiting lines." We all wait NOW anyway. And we don't even KNOW for SURE that there would BE waiting lines. STOP trying to SCARE people with "doctor shortages" and "waiting lines." We all wait NOW anyway. And we don't even KNOW for SURE that there would BE waiting lines. You can't just make up facts. We're all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts. If anyone can provide me with sources with unbiased, non-partisan, reasonable, logical fact based cases against UHC, I'll gladly take a look at them.

If you could help make decisions on health care reform and changes, what would they be? We all know that healthcare in the United States has many problems. What do you think we can do to help solve this health care crisis? Do you think we should have a nationalized health care system? If so- why or why not? Do you think individuals who do not take responsibility for their own health such as smoking, using illegal drugs, alcoholism, and obesity, should pay more for health care insurance since they overburden the system? Other insurance companies (such as car and life) base your rates on risk, why not health insurance? Why should someone that takes care of themselves pay the same as someone who does not? The insurance companies tell us that 65% of all the individuals seeking medical treatment could be avoided if people would just take care of their bodies. Obesity is out of control which leads to diabetes, which leads to additional health care costs etc...What should we do as a nation? How could we pay for a nationalized health care program?

Did you see "Sicko"? How would you have dealt with this situation? yesterday, the local volunteer fire department had their monthly fund-raising breakfast. We met up with our neighbor and went there for breakfast. Over breakfast we talked about SICKO. A guy sitting at the other end of the table started with the standard republic kook-aid rhetoric. "Can't pick your own doctor....bureacrats managing your health...socialized medicine...doctors would get out of medicine...yadda yadda yadda" I started asking him a few questions - his answers are in bold Who pays for your health insurance now? "employer, with an employee co-pay" If for what ever reason you no longer have a job, would the employer continue to provide health insurance? "no" What would you do, could you afford health insurance for yourself and family? "uhh..uhhh..." Any medical problems that would be considered pre-existing? High blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes? "Yeah, but.." Assuming you could afford an individual plan - you would be denied coverage because of those pre-existing conditions. In a Universal healthcare type coverage - you would still have health coverage. Now about picking your own doctor - let's say you want Dr. Jones, but Dr. Jones is not within your current healthplan's network - can you still go to Dr. Jones without paying 'out of network' fees or needing a referral or pre-approval? "no" then you really can't pick your own doctor can you? With Universal healthcare, all doctors are included. Now, let's say you have a particular medical problem, your doctor wants to send you to a specialist or for a special test - either you or your doctor has to contact the insurance company for pre-approval and it could be denied because either they won't cover the cost of the test or because the particular specialist is not 'in-network'. So you still can't PICK YOUR OWN DOCTOR. he snorts the quality of healthcare will go down - me: the united states is ranked 37th in the world, just above Slovania in terms of healthcare services for it's citizens. there won't be any doctors, they'll stop practicing because they can't make any money - me: well, let me ask you this do you want to be treated by a doctor whose motivation for being a doctor is to make money, or to provide the best he/she can in keeping you healthy? right now, they get bonuses from insurance companies by NOT recommending certain treatments/drugs/procedures - or on the flipside get bonuses from drug companies by prescribing stuff you don't need. Don't know about you, but when I see a doctor I would want to see one that is concerned about the health of his/her patients, not one that is concerned about the health of his/her bank account. I don't want some bureaucrat making my medical decisions me: who makes them now? some bureaucrat at the insurance company - they decide which doctors you can or cannot see, which procedures you can or cannot have, which medications you can or cannot have, which medical conditions they will cover or not cover. these bureaucrats at the insurance companies get bonuses and promotions by DENYING YOU SERVICES or COVERAGE, and they come out and tell you their first responsibility and obligation is to the STOCKHOLDERS. Our healthcare system is based on concern for profits, not people. ----------- I may not have changed his mind, but I did see alot of people around us nodding their heads. I did tell the guy to go rent/buy SICKO, watch it, do some research on his own and then make up his own mind. As we were leaving, one woman came up to us, asked for the name of the movie again, said she wanted to watch it, then told us how her husband lost his job a could of years back and they had no health insurance until he found another job, she was scared out of her wits that during the interim time that she, her husband or kids would need medical attention and how would they pay for it.

Michael Moore’s SiCKO misses facts.? SKiPO Michael Moore’s SiCKO misses facts. Michael Moore’s new movie, SiCKO, should be called “SKiPO,” since it skips over so many vital facts en route to government medicine. An engaging and surprisingly funny Moore explores a grim topic: America’s problematic health-care system. Moore effectively diagnoses one of its key ailments. HMOs and other managed-care companies often earn billions by just saying, “No” to victims of grave illnesses. Moore introduces us to real men, women, and children who this industry has failed. Bankrupted by cancer- and coronary-related medical bills, Donna and Larry Smith move into their grown daughter’s home storage room. An Oregon man accidentally saws off two fingertips and must re-construct either his middle finger for $60,000 or his ring finger for only $12,000. Tracy Pierce waits for his insurer to approve a promising bone-marrow transplant to treat his kidney disease. The company refuses, and he soon dies, widowing his bride, Julie, and leaving Tracy Jr., 13, fatherless. These are the bitter fruits of America’s private, third-party-payer system. Not quite socialist, not quite capitalist, it creates endless distortions as review boards and other gatekeepers essentially hide doctors from patients. Moore and other universal-health advocates would exacerbate this problem by making Uncle Sam the ultimate third-party payer. While promoting this prescription, Moore overlooks many facts that would balance his otherwise well-crafted film. For now, its leftward tilt makes the Leaning Tower of Pisa look like the Washington Monument. Milton Friedman observed, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” Sadly, there’s no such thing as free health care, either. Universal health care’s finances must come from somewhere. “Somewhere” turns out to be taxpayers’ pockets. Britons, Canadians, and Frenchmen purchase their “free” coverage through their taxes. In America, 44.7 percent of health expenditures came from tax-funded government spending in 2004, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In Canada, that figure was 69.8 percent; while in France it was 78.4. Fully 86.3 percent of British health spending was taxpayer-funded. These countries also endure high overall tax burdens, largely due to government medicine. In 2005, OECD reports, taxes as a share of GDP stood at 41.2 percent in Canada, 41.9 percent in Britain, and 50.9 percent in France. America has it relatively easy, with just 31.7 percent of GDP devoured by taxes. Of course, for many Americans, the trade off is lower taxes vs. higher payments for health insurance. This cost varies according to employment contracts, health circumstances, and more. Still, “free” medicine is as beautiful and realistic as a unicorn. Moore claims 50 million Americans lack health insurance. The Moving Picture Institute’s Stuart Browning challenges that oft-repeated “fact.” In a case of dueling documentaries, Browning’s nine-minute film, Uninsured in America, deconstructs the more common “45 million uninsured” soundbite and finds that 9 million of these people earn over $75,000 annually and can buy coverage but don’t. Some 18 million are healthy, 18-34-year-old “young invincibles” whose priorities exclude insurance. “If I’m out eating, I want to eat good food,” Faye Chao, 26 and uninsured, told Browning. “There’ve been times I’ve been in New York, and I’m spending at least $800 a month just going out.” These Americans also turn to local clinics for treatment when necessary. For instance, Chandra Nalaani, 27 and uninsured, visited San Francisco’s Lyon-Martin Women’s Health Services. “I got an annual exam,” Nalaani said. “They tested me for a bunch of things…In my case, because I wasn’t making much, it was free.” Of the uninsured, 14 million fail to enroll in Medicaid and other low-income health programs for which they are eligible. Even if these numbers somewhat overlap, Browning estimates that just eight million Americans chronically lack coverage. Moore’s 50-million-man standing army of the uninsured thus is a Potemkin force. While Moore glows like a Jack-O-Lantern about the wonders of the British National Health Service, Gordon Brown sees massive room for improvement. Just days before becoming Great Britain’s brand-new Prime Minister, Brown told Labour Party colleagues on June 24: From everything I have seen going around the country, and from everything I’ve heard, we need to do better, and the NHS will be my immediate priority. We need to and will do better at insuring access for patients at the hours that suit them. We’ll be better at getting basics of good hygiene and cleanliness right. Better also at helping people to manage their own health. Better at ensuring patients are treated with dignity at all times in the NHS. Better at providing the wider range of services now needed by a growing elderly population. And while implementing our essential reforms, better at listening to and valuing our staff. Moore’s insinuation aside, HMOs are not solely the brainchild of that oft-flogged bete noir, Richard Milhous Nixon. In fact, the HMO Act of 1973’s sponsor was none other than Senator Edward Moore Kennedy (D., Mass.). In 1978, as the Institute for Health Freedom recalled, Kennedy sang HMOs’ praises: As the author of the first HMO bill ever to pass the Senate, I find this spreading support for HMOs truly gratifying…HMOs have proven themselves again and again to be effective and efficient mechanisms for delivering health care of the highest quality. HMOphobes, including today’s Ted Kennedy, somehow fail to mention that HMOs once were the Left’s answer to America’s earlier medical challenges. SiCKO dramatically features a man stitching shut a deep cut on his own leg. Though he lacked insurance, this was unnecessary. “Every American hospital is required to provide emergency care to all comers, regardless of ability to pay,” says Cato Institute healthcare analyst Michael Cannon. The 1986 federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act makes such services mandatory for anyone arriving within 250 yards of a U.S. emergency room. Thus, a trauma surgeon would have sutured this man’s wound. Yes, the hospital either would have absorbed this procedure’s cost or spread it across the bills of the insured (another cause of medical inflation). These cross-subsidies notwithstanding, he would have received professional treatment. Moore shows Michiganders driving into Canada for “free” medical attention. What he leaves unseen are the Canadians who come to America for treatment. Canada, along with only Cuba and North Korea, forbids its citizens from paying doctors for private medical treatment. In a kind of therapeutic Underground Railroad, Vancouver’s Timely Medical Alternatives, Inc. helps Canadians avoid lengthy medical waiting lists by arranging for their treatment in American hospitals. It says its clients can be operated on within seven days through its U.S. partners rather than six to ten months under Canadian government medicine. “Five or six years ago, seven out of ten Canadian provinces, representing roughly 95 percent of the population, had contracts with American companies for cancer care provided in the United States,” says the Manhattan Institute’s Dr. David Gratzer, a Toronto physician. “Today, some patients from over-subscribed Canadian urban medical centers are sent eight hours away to underused rural medical facilities for cancer care, much like someone going from Manhattan to Buffalo for chemotherapy.” Another drawback of high-tax-funded “free” government medicine is its limited modern technology. Cato’s Michael Cannon and Michael Tanner found that in 2000, there were 13.6 CT Scanners in America per million people. There were 8.2 million such devices per million Canadians and 6.5 per million Britons. Lithotriptors use sound waves to pulverize kidney stones and gall stones. While America had 1.5 of them per-million citizens, Canada and Britain had, respectively, 0.4 and 0.2. The paucity of such equipment creates lines and delays. Vancouver’s Fraser Institute estimated a median wait in 2006 of 4.3 weeks for a CT scan and 10.3 weeks for an MRI. SiCKO’s most revealing footage captures Moore’s pilgrimage to Karl Marx’s grave in London’s Highgate Cemetery. Single-payer countries “live in a world of ‘we,’ not ‘me,’” Moore says. “We’ll never fix anything until we get that one basic thing right.” Moore deserves credit for being so amazingly candid about his ideas’ truly socialist roots. Still, a major conundrum haunts this clamor for the kind of government medicine that would make Marx misty. While workers theoretically would own the means of medication under universal care, in reality, politicians would be in charge. The same liberals who denounce FEMA and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (a single-payer showcase) for their embarrassing incompetence want Uncle Sam to conduct bypass surgeries, deliver babies, and perform vasectomies. How puzzling. America has just one federal government. Sometimes the sensitive, caring, weepy Democrats run things; Sometimes the cold, racist, iron-hearted Republicans rule. Universal health care would mean that American medicine — from the Left’s perspective — now would be in the scheming hands of those who “lied us into war” and gleefully drowned poor blacks in New Orleans’ attics after Katrina. If Hillary Clinton had nationalized health care in 1993, American hospitals and clinics would be controlled today by Dr. Dick “Double-Barrel” Cheney and his boss, Chimpy McHitler, M.D. If that doesn’t shiver the timbers of government-medicine supporters, they should visualize Dr. Rudy Giuliani with a scalpel in one hand and the universal health-care budget in the other. Unless America scraps elections and simply yields power permanently to bleeding-heart Democrats, Michael Moore’s fans should remember that every two to four years, universal health care could fall into the clutches of cruel Republicans. Government-medicine boosters could rue the day their collectivist dream came true.

"The Welfare State's Attack on the Family" Looking for more info to support these facts, links to more studies The Welfare State's Attack on the Family Most people listening to libertarian ideas are thrown off by the thought that private charity, in absence of government programs, will handle problems involving truly helpless people. Charitable organizations are active but no one knows for sure how much donations would increase in a tax-free society. When a person becomes old without savings, what is he or she supposed to do without socialist programs such as Social Security? The forgotten institution of charity here is the family. When libertarians talk of charity, we don't just mean the Salvation Army, but taking care of your relatives as well. When my brother and I were babies, my grandparents stepped in to take care of us while my mother and father worked. My parents in turn provided for the whole household living under one roof to save money. When my father moved to the United States and made more money, he made sure that my grandparents would be taken care of. During the Balkan War, members of my family were forcefully removed and became refugees due to the conflict. When they lost everything, guess who took care of them? The whole family together sent money and whatever supplies that they could. So was the rule everywhere before the welfare state: your parents who took care of you financially as a child — you may need to help them in the future. This basic element of family life seems to be mind-boggling to supporters of the welfare state. Proponents of the welfare state constantly speak about our responsibility to society through redistributionist taxes. I have no responsibility to society as a whole, to some stranger I've never met. I personally feel that I do have a responsibility toward my immediate family. Programs like TANF ("Temporary Assistance for Needy Families"), Social Security, and unemployment insurance take away our responsibility to the family and place it in the hands of the state. They crowd out our sense of moral responsibility. Family was an integral way of caring for individuals as a whole for centuries. Supporters of the welfare state forget the past. Before the advent of Social Security, what happened to people who lived past 65 years? Did these people just starve to death from hunger by the tens of thousands? No. Did a huge wave of charitable organizations come to their rescue? Not always. So, how did they survive? Everyone can agree that there were no mass deaths of 65-year-old people recorded in the Great Depression before Social Security took effect. These people survived under a basic principle in life. You take care of your kids, and one day, they will take care of you. In the past, having children was an investment in your future. You knew that one day your children would take care of your needs as you took care of theirs. This created many incentives that produced a healthy family. For one thing, you had to be somewhat nicer to your children and make sure that you instilled good values. Children without a good work ethic or good values are not likely to perform well in the job market. A parent would have to teach these values to children to insure his or her own needs at a later time. Responsibility to the family ranked highly. Without this ingrained in a child, he or she might grow up one day and never return the nurturing given by parents early in life. With government attempting to smooth over every mistake in life, we get very different incentives. If your parents are entirely subsidized on welfare, how much do they really care about your future? Parents usually care for their children and want the best for them. But parents who know that they either raise their child right or don't eat in the future will try much times harder to make sure their child stays away from drugs, crime, and other bad decisions. The standard abortion excuses also play a major role in the issue. The welfare state has destroyed the culture of hard work and family. I cringe every time I hear someone talk about poverty as an excuse for abortion. I don't want to discuss here the rights and wrongs of abortion, but how can you make an excuse that you are too poor to have a child and you have to abort? During much harder economic times, families were having ten or twelve children. Huge families were not uncommon. Today, these abortionists want me to believe that with economic conditions a hundred times better than before, they can't afford to have a child. They're going to have to do better than that. It's not easy to have a child whether you are rich or poor. At any point in life a baby is difficult to raise and deal with. Even with a college degree, a young mother will have just as much difficulty as a teenager. These are facts of life. Raising children is hard work! The welfare state has reinforced the idea that if anything is hard, it must be wrong. Doing the right thing is not easy. Difficulty does not justify immoral actions. Sure, taking care of your elderly parents is harder on you than having the state do it. But is it your moral responsibility? Yes. It is not the responsibility of some other taxpayer who does not even know your parents. Anyone who would leave it to strangers to care for their elderly parents should be ashamed. Before the welfare state, there existed incentives to have children and insure your own future. Now, we have incentives to break the family apart. TANF actually gives more money to single moms. This may seem like a great program to help single mothers in need, but in reality, the program makes it easier for the man in the family to leave. It reduces the man's practical responsibility to stay and raise the child. The program creates more single mothers! And some day, it will be the government, not his offspring, who will provide for the man who left. This brings even fewer incentives to raise kids properly. Unemployment insurance has also undermined society. During the Great Depression, there were great movements of people to find jobs. If there was a job somewhere, people went. Now, with unemployment and welfare people stay in the same city watching everything around them rot and decay. Government housing keeps them complacent as they beg for yet more assistance. When times get tough, people will move to get jobs. The Great Depression has already proved this. Did millions die without welfare or unemployment insurance? No. Does it improve people's lives to subsidize their staying in one place? No. I can speak from experience. I've seen charity and love within my own family overcoming all obstacles in our times. Being born in former Yugoslavia, my family was accustomed to scarcity and socialist poverty. But I saw the family working together to achieve the greater ends of each member. This was not a socialist kind of responsibility. A family member cared for you at a point in time; later you cared for them. 6 My father's mother spent all her savings of thirty years to send my father to medical school. There was no government help there. When, years down the road, she had to retire because of breast cancer, guess who paid her bills and medical treatments. My aunt and uncle also assisted by living with her and taking care of her on a daily basis. There was no dependable national healthcare. There was no subsidized retirement home or social security. The children she gave birth to and raised responsibly made sure that she was well taken care off until her final days. Each was fulfilling his responsibility of a child to his mother. The agenda of the state is to break up the family. The more you depend on the state, the more you justify its existence, and the larger it grows. The idea that people can provide things for themselves either individually or through the family frightens the state. It delegitimizes its role. The role of the family is dangerous to its survival. Movement away from the welfare state is movement toward better family values and better family cohesiveness. The death of the family is the life of the state.

Would the Mexican government stand for illegal aliens on its soil demanding such entitlement? The open-borders entitlement mentality has only grown deeper since the last time this issue went national with the case of Jessica Santillan. The ideologues who believe that America should be the medical welcome mat to the world have prevailed. Via the Los Angeles Times: Ana Puente was an infant with a liver disorder when her aunt brought her illegally to the U.S. to seek medical care. She underwent two liver transplants at UCLA Medical Center as a child in 1989 and a third in 1998, each paid for by the state. But when Puente turned 21 last June, she aged out of her state-funded health insurance and was unable to continue treatment at UCLA. This year, her liver began failing again and she was hospitalized at County-USC Medical Center. In her Medi-Cal application, a USC doctor wrote, “Her current clinical course is irreversible, progressive and will lead to death without another liver transplant.” The application was denied. The county gave her medication but does not have the resources to perform transplants. Late last month Puente learned of another, little-known option for patients with certain healthcare needs. If she notified U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that she was in the country illegally, state health officials might grant her full Medi-Cal coverage. Puente did so, her benefits were restored and she is now awaiting a fourth transplant at UCLA. Puente’s case highlights two controversial issues: Should illegal immigrants receive liver transplants in the U.S. and should taxpayers pick up the cost? The average cost of a liver transplant and first-year follow-up is nearly $490,000, and anti-rejection medications can run more than $30,000 annually, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which oversees transplantation nationwide. Donor livers are also in scarce supply. In California, nearly 3,700 people are on a waiting list for livers, according to the network. Last year, 767 liver transplants were performed in the state. More than 90% of the organs were given to U.S. citizens. Donor livers are generally allocated through a geographically based distribution system on the basis of how sick the patients are and how long they have been on the transplant waiting list. Immigration status does not play a role in allocating organs. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-liver13apr13,1,6190565.story