Fuck the insurance companys and the American health care system.

[jmcb420]

I can't believe this shit.
I had to go to the pharmacy this afternoon to pick up a prescription for my girl. She has no insurance, 2 precsriptions (Vicodan and flexerol) cost under 12 dollars.

While I was there however, I witnessed something that has me so fucking pissed I just want to kill people.

An older gentelman, I would have to say at least 80 years old was in to pick up a prescription that is part of his cancer treatment. Last month it cost him just over 13 dollars american. He was informed by the pharmicist that his insurance company no longer covered this medication and he would have to pay full price: $113.86 for a 30 day supply of medication that he needs to live, basicly.......

He asked if the pharmacist would contact his insurance company and make sure there was no mistake. After a minute of begging this worthless bitch behind the counter to do it she replied "That is not my job sir, have a good day"

He started to walk away and I approached him and offered him my cell phone to use so he could get in touch with his insurance company. He accepted, and after a very short discussion with them gave me back my phone and told me that he was told by the agent that it was not the policy of that company to inform anyone when they change what medications they cover.

This guy was in tears. I was just fucking blown away by how cold this was handled.

So I did the right thing because if I didn't I'de never be able to live with myself, and I purchased the prescription. The guy was so fucking happy it killed me. He asked me for my phone number and told me he would pay me back as soon as he could.

Within the hour I was contacted by his daughter (also very old). She came by my house and paid me back in full, with much thanks. (she even brought me fresh baked cookies, no shit)

I can't believe that in this day and age a person as obviously old and frail as this man was is made to shoulder the cost of a life saving medication. There is no fucking excuse for this at all, and before I go to bed tonight I will say a prayer that whoever made this all possible dies a horrible death and rots in fucking hell.

[MikesTraffic]

I give you mad props for what you did bud. I must say that the health and insurance business here in the states sure seems like it is out to destroy the client by fucking them over as much as possible. We can't afford any decent medical plans though as much debt we are getting into.

[WarChild]

That's why it is everyone's duty to choke slam anyone they ever meet that works from an HMO. I suggest you follow it up by power bombing their limp body, preferably through a glass table, while everyone in the room watches on. Only when we as a collective break enough douche bags in half and there's noone left for insurance companies to hire will we stop our liberal distrubition of pro wrestling finishing moves.

[WarChild]

Oh and if anyone tries to interfere with the morally righteous distribution of desroyed spines, hopes and dreams, choke slam them too. In the words of the righteous George Bush "You're either with us or against us.".

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by MikesTraffic

I must say that the health and insurance business here in the states sure seems like it is out to destroy the client by fucking them over as much as possible. We can't afford any decent medical plans though as much debt we are getting into.

Mike, I agree with you. We can't afford any decent medical plans though as much debt we are getting into, but fuck the debt. we all know its going to exist and that wont change.
Someone that old shouldn't have to fucking care.

[spunky99]

health care shouldnt be a for profit business

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by WarChild

In the words of the righteous George Bush "You're either with us or against us.".

I'll be on the other team.

[WarChild]

Originally Posted by jmcb420

I'll be on the other team.

That's because you're a terrorist.

[MetaMan]

fuck that is sad, looking around the world i just dont know what is happening. people walk around like zombies, everyone is out for themselves. a world of pure selfishness has taken over.

but every little bit each person does, DOES make a difference.

[DWB]

Originally Posted by spunky99

health care shouldnt be a for profit business

Amen.

There is NO excuse.

[PersianKitty]

I would have done the same thing.

Let's hope that whatever pencil pusher came up with the changes.. get some fatal disease that his own insurance won't provide coverage or prescriptions for.

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by WarChild

That's because you're a terrorist.

No, i'm an American with an opinion. Just like you.

Also, I would have to bet if that guy were your father / grandfather you may be slightly upset or just plain pissed.

My politacal views have no bearing on this at any rate, WarChild. Neither do yours.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to strap on my suicide vest, there is a starbucks down the road thats gotta go........

[Brujah]

Damn socialists.

[Tam]

I watched a similar thing last Friday..... this older lady, she was barely able to walk, and you know she just had to be living on Social Security, which as we know is very fixed... one of her pills had gone from $4 last month to over $100 this month from last month and no one bothered to tell her a damn thing. She paid for it in cash, but she had to use her grocery money to pay for it. It was on that $4 plan last month and was removed from that sometime in the last month...... and another man behind her, couldn't have been a day younger, his meds were over $300 for a month supply.... it's just insane.

I have no insurance either and the meds they initially put me on for Diabetes in May of 2007 was almost $300 for one of them and it was because of ONE ingredient in them, without that ingredient, Actos, the pills were on that $4 plan..... I go to my Dr and beg him to take me off that multi ingredient one, which had horrible side effects and put me on just the one, which was helping me just as well, if not more so than the one that was $300. He pitched a huge bitch fit and told me if my blood work came back ok, he'd do it, but warned me of the complications of doing this.

I later found out that this medicine he HAD me on, one of the side effects was death..... WHAT THE HELL!!!

I am on the $4 one and doing fantastic on it. But I did accuse him profoundly of being in the hip pocket of the Pharmaceutical (sp?) companies..... they HAVE to be to pull shit like this. Giving people, ESPECIALLY old people, medicines that cost so much when a much less expensive one will do just as well, in some cases better.

BRAVO to you for doing the right thing. the world needs more people like you!! Seriously!!

[WarChild]

Originally Posted by jmcb420

No, i'm an American with an opinion. Just like you.

Also, I would have to bet if that guy were your father / grandfather you may be slightly upset or just plain pissed.

My politacal views have no bearing on this at any rate, WarChild. Neither do yours.

Now if you'll excuse me I have to strap on my suicide vest, there is a starbucks down the road thats gotta go........

Dude, there's this new thing going around called a sense of humour. You might want to check one out, they're kind of neat.

After you pick one up, go back and re-read my post. See if maybe you think it was a little tounge in cheek.

Please don't call me American. It's not true and it's not flattering. Thanks.

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by MetaMan

every little bit each person does, DOES make a difference.

Well said.

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by WarChild

Dude, there's this new thing going around called a sense of humour. You might want to check one out, they're kind of neat.

After you pick one up, go back and re-read my post. See if maybe you think it was a little tounge in cheek.

Please don't call me American. It's not true and it's not flattering. Thanks.

WarChild,
I do believe I have in fact made an error in judgment, and I do hope that you will accept my sincere apology.

I'm just a little worked up.

[WarChild]

Originally Posted by jmcb420

WarChild,
I do believe I have in fact made an error in judgment, and I do hope that you will accept my sincere apology.

I'm just a little worked up.

Fair enough.

For the record, I totally agree with your original post. It's really a shame.

[MetaMan]

let me get back in here

it just pisses me off at the lack of compassion people are capable of even displaying. we are all humans.

even like holding the door open for someone. and when someone does not say thank you i almost flip out. people are selfish and walk around like if it's not their problem who cares.

[aico]

I think you got it backwards....

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by MetaMan

let me get back in here

it just pisses me off at the lack of compassion people are capable of even displaying. we are all humans.

even like holding the door open for someone. and when someone does not say thank you i almost flip out. people are selfish and walk around like if it's not their problem who cares.

I know exactly where your coming from, Meta.

It kills me to admit that after I left the pharmacy and got in my car to drive away the first thought I had was "I'm not getting that money back....."

Kinda like holding the door for the ungrateful..... Except I got my money back.

And some cookies! REALLY fucking great cookies. I should call this lady back and ask if I can buy some more these things are great!

[halfpint]

wow just wow... mad props to you for doing the right thing ..You just got my respect 200%

More peeps like you would make the world a better place to live ..

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by aico

I think you got it backwards....

Who, How, and Why?

I welcome open discussion on this topic. Not that were gonna solve the worlds problems on GFY, but we're all gonna be old as shit one day and alot of us are going to have to deal with problems like this unless we find a way to fix em'

Does anyone know of any advocacy groups for this sort of thing? I actually feel compelled to do what I can to help the peolpe who will fall victim to this sort of thing in the future. I've really never been so pissed about something like this.

[aico]

Originally Posted by jmcb420

Who, How, and Why?

I welcome open discussion on this topic. Not that were gonna solve the worlds problems on GFY, but we're all gonna be old as shit one day and alot of us are going to have to deal with problems like this unless we find a way to fix em'

Does anyone know of any advocacy groups for this sort of thing? I actually feel compelled to do what I can to help the peolpe who will fall victim to this sort of thing in the future. I've really never been so pissed about something like this.

The title... Insurance companies and the American Health Care system fuck you.

[IllTestYourGirls]

Insurance and medicare/aide are the number 1 reasons health care is so expensive. Socialism in any form does not work.

[CarlosTheGaucho]

This is a topic I am trying to avoid at all costs as far as it always leads to an argument.

- incredibly overpriced meds
- having to consult every treatment with the insurance company that often declines even very urgent cases
- people that are not eligible to health insurance and can't get insured

Those are the things I just can't accept.

[Tom_PM]

Very nice of you and even nicer to be able to say so, so thank you for the opportunity!

My prescriptions last time I bought them: $208.96.

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by aico

The title... Insurance companies and the American Health Care system fuck you.

Originally Posted by CarlosTheGaucho

This is a topic I am trying to avoid at all costs as far as it always leads to an argument.

- incredibly overpriced meds
- having to consult every treatment with the insurance company that often declines even very urgent cases
- people that are not eligible to health insurance and can't get insured

Those are the things I just can't accept.

Neither of you will hear a word of argument from me.

[Tam]

Originally Posted by MetaMan

let me get back in here

it just pisses me off at the lack of compassion people are capable of even displaying. we are all humans.

even like holding the door open for someone. and when someone does not say thank you i almost flip out. people are selfish and walk around like if it's not their problem who cares.

It's so bad in some areas around here where I live. in a SMALL community, that when someone DOES say thank you, we nearly freak out. Most of the time they just treat it like you owed it to them, why should they thank you for a damn thing. lol

[kane]

I deal with this stuff on a weekly basis.

My mom is 68 and is on social security. She has insurance and gets extra "help" from medicare for her prescriptions. This insurance costs her around $150 of her $1200 a month social security. Her prescriptions then cost, normally, between $3-$6 each. Recently they decided that she had too much income (apparently $1200 a month is wealthy) so they stopped the extra help and her medicine went up to around $10-$20 per prescription. She takes about 6 different things so it was about $90 per month increase. After many calls and much filling out of forms she is back on the help plan, but same deal, they just stopped it and didn't say anything.

One of the problems is because we are the only industrialized nation in the world without some kind of price protection on medicine so the pharmaceutical companies are free to rape us at their will. I have asthma and one of the medicines I take costs $319 a month. That is at costco and is the cheapest I can find it. Since I have asthma I cannot buy health insurance that will cover anything asthma related so I have to pay for it out of pocket. I can buy the exact same medicine online from a non-us based pharmacy for $90. The second medicine I take costs $39 at costco (again cheapest I can find) and I can buy it online for $6. for a 90 day supply that would mean: US price: $1074. Internet non-US price: $288 (or less than the monthly cost of one medicine) and it is the exact same stuff.

Another problem is that pharmacies can charge cash customers whatever they want. Most insurance companies have a ceiling. This is the max price an insurance company will pay for a medicine. For example lets say the max price for your medicine that the insurance company will pay is $120. If you have a $10 co-pay the pharmacy charges you $10 and the insurance $120 for a total of $130. Now someone comes in and wants to get the medicine and pay cash they can, and often do, charge them more. They may charge them $150, $160 or more. Just call around to pharmacies and ask for the price of a prescription. Many of them will ask you, "The cash price?" it is because they have different prices for cash customers.

[marketsmart]

Originally Posted by jmcb420

WarChild,
I do believe I have in fact made an error in judgment, and I do hope that you will accept my sincere apology.

I'm just a little worked up.

ah fuck him.. goddamn barrel ass canadians...

i wish they would all go tubing over niagra falls...

[MetaMan]

Originally Posted by Tam

It's so bad in some areas around here where I live. in a SMALL community, that when someone DOES say thank you, we nearly freak out. Most of the time they just treat it like you owed it to them, why should they thank you for a damn thing. lol

frig i know how you feel, i normally speak up actually, but i dont let some of these losers get me down, i figure they must have pretty miserable lives if they cannot even be able to display some common courtesy.

[kane]

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

Insurance and medicare/aide are the number 1 reasons health care is so expensive. Socialism in any form does not work.

There are many more reasons why medical care in this country is so expensive and.

Here are a few (in no specific order):

1. medicine is drastically overpriced. Pharmaceutical companies have our leaders in their pockets and can charge whatever they want. If you are sick, you will pay the price and they know that.

2. Many people avoid preventive doctor visits. What I mean by this is simple. If someone has insurance and they are getting sick they go to the doctor. The doctor sees them, diagnosis them and gives them some antibiotics and away they go. In a few days all is fine and it cost around $200 or less for the whole thing (only a small portion of which is paid by the patient.) If they don't have insurance they wait, hope for the best and eventually end up in an emergency room where they get a full work up to make sure they don't have pneumonia or something like that. They miss a couple of days of work now and have about $1500+ tab. If they don't pay it, it gets passed on. This happens every day because millions either have no coverage or are under-covered and the cost ends up passed on to the hospitals and doctors out there so they have to charge more. This is why when you go to the hospital they charge you $30 for little plastic pitcher of water and $10 for a couple of aspirin. They overbill those with insurance to pay for those that don't have it.

3. We are a nation of unhealthy people. More and more of us are getting fat and getting diabetes and getting other illnesses like high blood pressure and things that go along with that. I'm not blaming any one person, I have struggled with weight my whole life and work hard to try to eat right. It is just a reality. The more out of shape and generally unhealthy we are the more it will cost down the road.

4. Doctors get sued so much they have to pay outrageous prices for insurance. This cost is passed along to the patients.

5. We are getting older. The baby boomers are starting to retire and I read the other day that one of the fastest growing businesses in the country elderly care. This will continue over the next 10 years. The older this generation gets the more they rely on heathcare and medicines to keep them going.

6. People don't die. The social security program was created under the idea that people will die. Back when it started life expectancy wasn't nearly what it is today. You might retire, get social security and within 5-7 years you were dead. Now people are living well into their mid and late 70's and draw social security for 15+ years. Many of them are of poor health and 30 years ago wouldn't have lived as long, but modern medicine helps them keep going. This is also expensive. When you add in that many baby boomers were one worker households it means that a guy got married and had a wife and kids and he worked and she stayed home. So he retires and even if he dies, she gets his social security so it continues to get paid out to someone that never paid into it. I'm not saying they should stop this practice, just pointing out that with longer life expectancy and paying for two people even though only one actually paid in it becomes a drag on the system.

My point in all of this is that you shouldn't just wave the socialist flag and say that is our problem. We have many different issues with the healthcare industry and you might even argue that one of them is that the market has been allowed to run wild and raise costs as they see fit and now we are all paying for it.

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by kane

I deal with this stuff on a weekly basis.

My mom is 68 and is on social security. She has insurance and gets extra "help" from medicare for her prescriptions. This insurance costs her around $150 of her $1200 a month social security. Her prescriptions then cost, normally, between $3-$6 each. Recently they decided that she had too much income (apparently $1200 a month is wealthy) so they stopped the extra help and her medicine went up to around $10-$20 per prescription. She takes about 6 different things so it was about $90 per month increase. After many calls and much filling out of forms she is back on the help plan, but same deal, they just stopped it and didn't say anything.

One of the problems is because we are the only industrialized nation in the world without some kind of price protection on medicine so the pharmaceutical companies are free to rape us at their will. I have asthma and one of the medicines I take costs $319 a month. That is at costco and is the cheapest I can find it. Since I have asthma I cannot buy health insurance that will cover anything asthma related so I have to pay for it out of pocket. I can buy the exact same medicine online from a non-us based pharmacy for $90. The second medicine I take costs $39 at costco (again cheapest I can find) and I can buy it online for $6. for a 90 day supply that would mean: US price: $1074. Internet non-US price: $288 (or less than the monthly cost of one medicine) and it is the exact same stuff.

Another problem is that pharmacies can charge cash customers whatever they want. Most insurance companies have a ceiling. This is the max price an insurance company will pay for a medicine. For example lets say the max price for your medicine that the insurance company will pay is $120. If you have a $10 co-pay the pharmacy charges you $10 and the insurance $120 for a total of $130. Now someone comes in and wants to get the medicine and pay cash they can, and often do, charge them more. They may charge them $150, $160 or more. Just call around to pharmacies and ask for the price of a prescription. Many of them will ask you, "The cash price?" it is because they have different prices for cash customers.

you know,
I cant believe I made it 30 years and never paid this much attention. I had no idea so many people were dealing with this so often, i'm just shocked.
I have spent the last few hours searching for some sort of group that deals with this and works to help the people, cause if I find that group, im in. Funny enough, I cant find a single one that is not funded by the Gov. Go fucking figure.
This is a sad day for me, it really is.

[Tam]

Originally Posted by MetaMan

frig i know how you feel, i normally speak up actually, but i dont let some of these losers get me down, i figure they must have pretty miserable lives if they cannot even be able to display some common courtesy.

Well being the Rude Bitch I am, sometimes, if they catch me in a mood and I have done something nice for them and they give me a stupid look, I'll look at them and smile and say something like "Oh, you are more than welcome" and walk off, but I am extremely nice about telling them how welcome they are. lmao

I didn't get to be rude bitch for nothing. lmao

[tony286]

you did a really good thing kudos to you.

[pocketkangaroo]

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

Insurance and medicare/aide are the number 1 reasons health care is so expensive. Socialism in any form does not work.

Yeah, being able to pick up a phone and dial 911 to have a cop come help out sure doesn't work in this country.

[pocketkangaroo]

Originally Posted by MetaMan

fuck that is sad, looking around the world i just dont know what is happening. people walk around like zombies, everyone is out for themselves. a world of pure selfishness has taken over.

but every little bit each person does, DOES make a difference.

It's really depressing when you look at it. We have people who care more about buying an extra car or staying a couple more terms in power that they'd give up thousands of innocent lives. We have no problem eradicating entire species in parts of the world so that we can buy oil for a couple cents less.

Just sad to see that we have the ability to do good and instead choose to be fucking assholes for purely superficial reasons.

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by spunky99

health care shouldnt be a for profit business

Thank Reagan. He changed that shit back in the 80's.

[Dirty Dane]

jmbc420: You did the right thing!

[$5 submissions]

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

Insurance and medicare/aide are the number 1 reasons health care is so expensive. Socialism in any form does not work.

Please elaborate.

[JD]

very cool man.

[Ron Bennett]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Thank Reagan. He changed that shit back in the 80's.

1980s? ... try the 1940s and you're more in the ballpark of when for-profit healthcare really took off.

While it's in vogue to blame Reagan for many things, this isn't one of them.

Nixon had a chance to nationalize the entire (VA and Medicare already are) healthcare system back nearly 40 years ago, but instead supported the big money interests of the healthcare industry with the introduction of HMOs.

Ron

[JamesK]

Originally Posted by tony404

you did a really good thing kudos to you.

Yep, that was a heroic thing to do.

[andy83]

nice thing u did! Respect & Kudos to ya!

[Mutt]

no country can afford the cost of top notch healthcare for all its population - the Canadian system has major flaws, and the American system has major flaws. Whether it's the government paying for it through taxes or people paying for health insurance the cost is just too high to give everybody what they need and want.

it's only going to get worse as the population continues to age and medical advances are made which keep the sick living longer.

I'd be for socialized medicine as long as we reward and fund those who are in research trying to find new drugs and treatments.

[- Jesus Christ -]

If you want to see who is to blame, pick up your bank statement and walk to the mirror. The government worships at the same alter you do.

If you can't see the blood dripping from your own hands you are blind.


"We must become the change we want to see in the world."
-Mohandas Gandhi

[jmcb420]

Originally Posted by Mutt

Whether it's the government paying for it through taxes or people paying for health insurance the cost is just too high to give everybody what they need and want.

I agree, but........
This guy was old as dirt, Mutt.

I have to think that after a certian point in life you should be taken care of, cost be damned.

I live in a country that spent around 65 million investigating Clintons blow job (but only around 12 million on sept. 11), Spends between 7 and 10 BILLION dollars a month in Iraq and Afganistan, and is considering bailing out a few major businesses who wouldn't need bailed out if thet knew how to run a business in the first place to the tune of a few extra billion dollars.

this guy should not have to worry about his medicine.

[pocketkangaroo]

Originally Posted by jmcb420

I agree, but........
This guy was old as dirt, Mutt.

I have to think that after a certian point in life you should be taken care of, cost be damned.

I live in a country that spent around 65 million investigating Clintons blow job (but only around 12 million on sept. 11), Spends between 7 and 10 BILLION dollars a month in Iraq and Afganistan, and is considering bailing out a few major businesses who wouldn't need bailed out if thet knew how to run a business in the first place to the tune of a few extra billion dollars.

this guy should not have to worry about his medicine.

Well said. The true sign of a country's greatness is how they treat their sick, disabled, and elderly.

[onlymovies]

This is a thread close to my heart. Went through all the redtape and got a first class, hands on lesson in the american health care system while caring for my girls sicks father for 2 years until he finally past.

I'm not going to get into detail about the gripes that we dealt, but i'm curious on some points of view.

The american health care system is fucked....Canada's national health care has flaws from what i can tell just from people complaining about that. I don't know much about it, so i can't really form an opinion.

What is the best solution? What country is doing it right in your opinion? Obviously nothing is perfect, but what's the closest and why?