Taylor Swift

[Deebs]

I think many, many specialties are giving free care - I just happen to know the numbers for EM. First, EMTALA has to be revoked (for a multitude of reasons). Then, either Universal healthcare or back to a county back-up system, similar to how it was in the 70's. We're at a point where there is no simple solution. Massive changes need to happen.


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[rufflesanddots]

Worked on a case where the ortho surgeon got stiffed like $100K after performing three surgeries on am uninsured patient. Patient kept claiming they'd pay a percent of settlement following an award. Got an award (not enough to even cover one surgery, but still) and started dodging the surgeon. Couldn't even set up a small monthly payment plan, it just became "I gotta take care of me." Awful. I hated the case.

ETA: I love Taylor Swift. Like, love. If it wasn't $80 for a concert ticket I would totes be singing along with a bunch of tweens. Shake, shake, shake...

[JaneDoe]

Dh provides a lot of free care too. Beyond that, this past call weekend he actually had to pay for a patient's medicine because the hospital pharmacy wouldn't release it to the patient on a Sunday without prior authorization from insurance. The patient had a corneal ulcer and needed to get started on fortified antibiotics immediately. It was faster for Dh to pay for the medicine than to deal with the insurance prior authorization red tape. Dh could have used Taylor Swift that Sunday to deal with the hospital and insurance.

[Pollyanna]

There should be Universal healthcare!

Oh shoot me.

[Vanquisher]

Oh shoot me.

I still love you even though you're conservative!

[Pollyanna]

I still love you even though you're conservative!

[MAPPLEBUM]

Dh provides a lot of free care too. Beyond that, this past call weekend he actually had to pay for a patient's medicine because the hospital pharmacy wouldn't release it to the patient on a Sunday without prior authorization from insurance. The patient had a corneal ulcer and needed to get started on fortified antibiotics immediately. It was faster for Dh to pay for the medicine than to deal with the insurance prior authorization red tape. Dh could have used Taylor Swift that Sunday to deal with the hospital and insurance.

WOW! I'm sure it happens more than I know but wow. And good for him.

[Meenah]

Big surprise, I'm with Heidi and Kris!!!!!

[JustRightKelly]

There should be Universal healthcare!

👏

On a side note, did you know you can choose the skin tone of your emojis now!? 👏👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏🏻


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[HouseofWool]

Oh shoot me.

Why are you opposed to universal healthcare?

[ides]

Dh does loads of free care too. It's really annoying that his pay is based on what you bring in less overhead yet are forced/required to give free care. Also being pushed to produce more, more, more. Sick of my dr being screwed.

[SoonerTexan]

Why are you opposed to universal healthcare?

Well for me, the idea sounds possible in theory, but I cant imagine it would go well in execution. All I can imagine is VA style care for all, unless you are wealthy enough to opt out. Even the county hospital here that serves as the "safety net" seems to function better. DH said he doesn't really see truly bad care there, but wouldn't want himself or a loved one to be a patient at the VA.

I think it is interesting to look at historically...universal health care was introduced in post WWII or later in countries that already had a pretty established welfare system. Think about Britain in 1948...they had NOTHING before. Life sucked...it was bad. There were people in workhouses just a few decades before. Anything was going to seem better than nothing and now it is the norm. I just think we are too used to privatized health care in this country and so much else is built around it that trying to suddenly dismantle and rebuild it just isn't going to work.

Not that long ago, someone I know needed to have a gyn procedure (don't know the details, but it appeared to be urgent) done ASAP, but had no health insurance and couldn't afford the doctor she had seen to diagnose the issue. She was a Dallas county resident, so I suggested to look into Parkland and the coverage they offered. She said she heard it can be too long of a wait (don't really know if that is true) and really wanted her doctor to do the procedure. We're too spoiled for universal health care to work here. I don't think most of the non medical community advocating for it really know what it means.

[Vanquisher]

Taylor Swift

Roosevelt and Truman both tried to pass a national health insurance plan. Just saying.

Without universal health care, it is private insurance companies creating a giant mess. My Canadian friends love their care. We have a fucktastic mess in the U.S. It needs to be fixed. Universal healthcare is the only answer.

[rufflesanddots]

I had a DVT and bilateral PEs in 2009, which ultimately resulted in me leaving law school and thus giving up my student health insurance. Since this was pre-ACA, I was too old to get back on my parents' plan and no insurer was willing (or compelled) to take me, no matter how much I was willing to pay. Thankfully I was on some sort of insurance when it happened. But, even with my student health insurance, I still ended up paying $7,000 OOP. As a student. Yeah.

I left school in early October, meaning I had approximately three months to find a job with benefits and get through the insurance waiting period. I had to take the first thing I could find, which was very low paying with very expensive insurance (of course). It was an awful time.

Had coverage been universal I wouldn't have had the $7,000 debt for a health crises. I also wouldn't have been forced to take the first job that offered me benefits so I could get back on insurance ASAP without a gap in coverage. I would absolutely pay more in taxes and be inconvenienced/less "spoiled" so that people don't have to suffer that stress and indignity. And I count myself as a lucky one! It's not like I had to declare bankruptcy due to $100K in med expenses, and at least I could find a job. But that doesn't happen to everyone.

I know that DH and I will eventually pay a boatload in taxes. He and I come from different socio-economic backgrounds and his family is more conservative than mine. We met right before my DVT/PE (as ACA was getting talked up) and so he was with me through it all. It took something personal happening to someone he loved to understand why expanded coverage was needed. His family finally understood, too. I really hope that universal coverage is introduced in my lifetime.

[SoonerTexan]

My point is I cannot fathom how you can retrofit something like that in to a system that is already so entrenched. No matter what, it isn't going to look like it does elsewhere because we aren't starting from the same place.