I loved the "coughed up." Could have sworn it was cleverly intentional. Hmmm.

* * * *

Anectode time. I've basically liked my coverage. Because I never needed it till recently.


I'm not gonna bother to recall what kind of specialist is doing my throat-stretching procedures. It took 2 months to get an appointment with him. Nothing to do with insurance, just how busy his practice is. This is in Los Angeles, so I imagine it's both easier, and more difficult, to get in to see a doctor in this town.

But this is where my love of my insurance kicks in. I'm gonna have some giant tube with a funnel on the end shoved down my esophagus to stretch it. Oh, that's covered. But if I don't want to be wide awake during that procedure, that's up to me to pay for.

That's right, anethesia not covered. Oh, unless you go through a giant rigamorole appeals, begging, threatening process. Then it is. And I need the procedure done 3 times. Have to beg and plead, and threaten for the anethesia each and every time.


Don't get me started on my prescription drug plan. I think I'm going to have to start paying something out-of-pocket for a better one come next year. My doctor has me on over-the-counter meds because NONE of the half-dozen or so prescription drugs to treat my oh-so-rare condition of acid reflux are covered.


So yeah, I'd be one of theose people willing to roll the dice on something else. I've just put my toe in the water of more and more common use of health care as I ease into late middle-age ... and I'm unhappy enough to try something else.

More personal (and I mean more personal): My coverage at the time meant my total cost for my vasectomy was around $80. Back when I was uninsured in college an unneeded trip to the emergency room to be told I had a bad cold cost $1,200 total for 40 minutes of time.

And yet with what is supposedly very good dental insurance I spent almost $2,000 to get my wisdom teeth removed.

Though in the absence of comprehensive insurance/health care reform there is one law I'd get behind:

1. If you have insurance and use medical services that accept that insurance then all bills and negotiations should go through the insurance company. They can haggle about what will be covered and not and then the insurance company pays the doctor/hospital everything and seeks to collect the remainder from me. Lani needed a small procedure last year and insurance covered most of it but we received about 6,000 separate bills which we dutifully paid and then got refund checks on a third of them because the insurance company also paid them.

Been there (back when I had insurance) I think I'm still getting various bills for my hernia surgery from over a year ago.

Does this insurance discussion need its own thread? (It's not that much about Obama for the last few pages.) Don't care either way myself.

That would be a gastroenterologist. I had this done many times prior to my surgeries.

[Lucy Van Pelt] THAT'S IT!!!! [/Lucy Van Pelt]

WHO and The World Almanac population stats I suppose.

Assuming WHO is correct in at least their numbers and assuming that a higher life expectency is desireable then I how could most people not want to have US medical care over their own?

In other words, just your opinion and guess.

What part?

Did you know that Obama is going to close all the banks on September 24th so he can replace all our money with a new "One World" currency? It must be true because a relative of mine got an email form somebody who heard Glenn Beck say so! :rolleyes: