Just like government and politics, the entire health care system in the United States is riddled with problems that created more and more an all encompassing money hungry system that explores the cost of health care beyond any reasonable limits. And it not just the fault of the final care givers, is every company that supplies the medical profession with equipment and supplies. This is nothing new, we all know this. But just how bad has it gotten? Most of us well only get a small glimpse of the scope of the problem. And it all filters down to the people. The actual cost to simply have health insurance is out of sight. The cost to use the insurance is even worse with deductibles, copays, limits of coverage, and every popular 80/20 splitting of the bill. Insurance... You can't afford to not have it... You can't afford to buy it... And you can't afford to use it. And, if you don't have the right kind of premium insurance that pays top dollar for service, you are going to wait until there's a open time between those with premium insurance, so you can get your procedure done. A good example, myself. I had an aortic aneurysm that could rupture at any time and kill me... Was told not to lift anything heavier than a pencil... Yet I had to wait from November until March to have the aneurysm repaired... I basically had the cheapest insurance available. Premium insurance verses expensive cut rate insurance. While this may not always be the case, it certainly felt this way for me.
We've all heard how the government spends $300 for a $20 wrench of which I'm sure this is mostly true. I just got some insight into what the hospital bills Medicare. I need a knee brace, so the hospital doctor placed the order, I went to the Hospital orthopedic center to get the brace, everything went fine, I got the brace and was told that Medicare will only replace the brace every five years. Okay, it will never last that long but I hope I don't need it to. I was also told that this was an $800 brace, and that's why Medicare will only replace it once every five years. Nice brace, but not $800 nice. I had this very same one before, it's really helpful. But the $800 price billed to Medicare... The exact same brace can be bought from Amazon for $180. Just one little piece of the Heath care pie that costs everyone more and more money. The only bright spot for me on this one... I'm on the good side of this deal... I got what I need for free... While someone else, everyone else pays their part of this $800 brace.
The same situation is true of prescription Pharmaceuticals... It's completely out of control with prices... But that's another story that I'm sure you all know far too well.
We've all heard how the government spends $300 for a $20 wrench of which I'm sure this is mostly true. I just got some insight into what the hospital bills Medicare. I need a knee brace, so the hospital doctor placed the order, I went to the Hospital orthopedic center to get the brace, everything went fine, I got the brace and was told that Medicare will only replace the brace every five years. Okay, it will never last that long but I hope I don't need it to. I was also told that this was an $800 brace, and that's why Medicare will only replace it once every five years. Nice brace, but not $800 nice. I had this very same one before, it's really helpful. But the $800 price billed to Medicare... The exact same brace can be bought from Amazon for $180. Just one little piece of the Heath care pie that costs everyone more and more money. The only bright spot for me on this one... I'm on the good side of this deal... I got what I need for free... While someone else, everyone else pays their part of this $800 brace.
The same situation is true of prescription Pharmaceuticals... It's completely out of control with prices... But that's another story that I'm sure you all know far too well.
