Screw the healthcare debate

[Preacherman0]

I went to the doctor today to get refills on some prescriptions and to get antibiotics for a sinus infection, and to talk with the doctor about some issues I've had with depression.  I'll start with the fact that the attendant when I made the appointment insisted that I tell what the problem was "so that the doctor can allot the proper amount of time."  Well, I lied.  I'm in a small town and I'm not about to announce to anyone--doctor or otherwise--that I have depression.  It would take about 37 minutes for that to be all over town.

I go in and tell the doctor right away that I need to talk to him about issues that I did not share with the attendant.  He was in such a rush to get out of there that he just wanted to write prescriptions and be done with me.  I guess since the collected my copay when I walked in that they weren't concerned about the service they offered.  Apparently I didn't fit into his schedule.  I finally just said, "I need to talk to you about this.  Do you not have time for me today?"  He finally calmed down and actually tried to be helpful. 

I get my prescriptions, including a couple of refills on sinus medication, and head to the pharmacy.  Total:  $151.  So I pull out my medical savings card, but no...the card will not pay for those prescriptions.  So I pull out the debit card even though this will send our account into the red, and I pray that my overdraft protection will kick in.

I go back to the office and call the insurance company.  After ten minutes of the automated system, I finally get to an attendant.  He hangs up on me.  Same routine again...and again he hangs up on me. 

I'm not convinced that the Obama health plan is anything better.  I'm not sure I trust the government to "improve" anything, and I sure as hell don't know how this country is going to pay for this plan.  But for all the yahoos yelling and screaming at town halls and insisting that we keep our current system, I say:  SCREW THAT!  I may not trust the gov., but I sure as hell don't trust insurance companies or doctors to keep our best interests at heart.  These jerk-offs can yell all they want to yell, but I fail to see how our current format is so great.  I'm paying more in premiums, more in copays, more in everything, and the return gets less and less every year.  I'm sick and tired of all the misinformation about "death squads" and "rationing" health care.  In case you missed it, we already ration it--to those who are young, to those who are healthy, to those who can afford higher premiums or work for companies big enough to buy decent coverage.  And the rations are going to get smaller and smaller.

I don't mean to insult the conservatives on the board, as I know most of you are thinkers and not knee-jerk reactionaries.  And I am not convinced that the president's package is all that great.  But if we keep listening to Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and the big-money docs/pharmaceutical reps/insurance companies, it's all going to crap anyway.  I don't think that doing nothing is the answer.

Oh, and for all those who want "choice" in your coverage?  The pharmacist told me that insurance will often increase copays for brands that are not their "chosen" brand.  So who the hell has the choice in health coverage now?

[leighclay]

I'm not convinced that the Obama health plan is anything better.  I'm not sure I trust the government to "improve" anything, and I sure as hell don't know how this country is going to pay for this plan.  But for all the yahoos yelling and screaming at town halls and insisting that we keep our current system, I say:  SCREW THAT!  I may not trust the gov., but I sure as hell don't trust insurance companies or doctors to keep our best interests at heart.  These jerk-offs can yell all they want to yell, but I fail to see how our current format is so great.  I'm paying more in premiums, more in copays, more in everything, and the return gets less and less every year.  I'm sick and tired of all the misinformation about "death squads" and "rationing" health care.  In case you missed it, we already ration it--to those who are young, to those who are healthy, to those who can afford higher premiums or work for companies big enough to buy decent coverage.  And the rations are going to get smaller and smaller.

I don't mean to insult the conservatives on the board, as I know most of you are thinkers and not knee-jerk reactionaries.  And I am not convinced that the president's package is all that great.  But if we keep listening to Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and the big-money docs/pharmaceutical reps/insurance companies, it's all going to crap anyway.  I don't think that doing nothing is the answer.

Oh, and for all those who want "choice" in your coverage?  The pharmacist told me that insurance will often increase copays for brands that are not their "chosen" brand.  So who the hell has the choice in health coverage now?

My sister & dad are pharmacists, and boy howdy, would they agree with you.  People say they don't want someone else controlling their health care, but "someone else" already is!!  The insurance companies have you by the short hairs!
And, they can go back and audit a pharmacy, and retro-actively deny claims, withholding future repayments until the insurance company feels they've been repaid.

Your pharmacist is right.  They will increase the copay on drugs that they don't get kickbacks on.  They just sent me a letter telling me that they were going to advise my doctor to switch my blood pressure medicine to another that was in their "formulary".  That just means the other drug company gives them more money.

The government can't be any worse than the insurance companies.