--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <feste37@...> wrote: > > I had cataract surgery in one eye a year ago, and it cost about $10,000. I > couldn't figure out why it was so expensive. The surgery takes about 15 > minutes, I think. I was in and out the hospital in about 3 hours. I have a > high-deductible insurance policy, so I ended up paying about $5,000m and the > insurance paid the rest. I would like to see a Medicare-for-all system in the > US. It is much more efficient than health care for profit. In surveys I have > seen, people who live in countries that have socialized health care are far > more satisfied with their health care than those who do not.
I must say, the health care 'system', what little I know about it, in the US of A sounds terrifyingly expensive. My husband and I pay a grand total of $108 per month here in Canada and have virtually free access to most health care. I also have some extended health coverage due to owning a business and it costs me an extra $285 per month for my husband and I and that covers chiropractic, optometry, counselling, travel, dental (and the list goes on). We pay virtually nothing in Canada for health care as individuals and I feel very fortunate to have access to that type of system. Remember, that eye procedure I had recently in England which was one and a half days of tests and finally an intense retinal tear laser procedure was FREE! (Not to the British taxpayers however.) Imagine that scenario in America. My eyeball could have probably fallen out and unless I had proven I had insurance no doctor would have likely touched me with a ten foot pole. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Susan" <wayback71@> wrote: > > > > > > The most recent issue of Time Magazine is devoted entirely to one topic > > (first time ever an issue is about 1 topic) and one author: Steven Brill on > > the cost of health care in the USA. It is truly a fascinating and mind > > blowing issue. Brill spent 7 months researching and writing the issue. The > > gist is that the pricing of health care here is entirely unregulated, > > inconsistent and with markups of 10 and 20 and 50 times the real price of a > > service. Medicare has the real data and provides reasonable payment rates, > > but otherwise the markups are humongous for the privately insured and > > especially for the uninsured. Our 'non-profit" hospitals rake in billions > > in profits and their CEO's earn way more than the president of the > > university system they represent. The profit margins in these hospitals are > > terrific. So just as important as the question about who is to pay for > > what - is the question of how much things should cost to begin with. Check > > out the issue - it has a wealth of information and I think and hope it is > > going to create a stir. Brill wrote that these costs are destroying our > > economy - along with other problems, of course. > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > This is a sobering article by a physician that should give > > > those idiots on FFL who claim that everyone in America has > > > health care pause...but will not, because they're idiots. > > > > > > What do you do when you need an operation to save your life, > > > but the only way to pay for it is to go to prison? > > > > > > http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/02/on-purposely-getting-arrested-to-get-life-saving-surgery/273282/ > > > > > >
