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Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Debate and discussion of current events and political issues across the U.S. and throughout the World. Be forewarned -- this forum is NOT for the intellectually weak or those of you with thin skins. Don't come crying to me if you become the subject of ridicule. **Board Administrator reserves the right to revoke posting privileges based on my sole discretion**
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TC Talks
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Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by TC Talks »

Let's hope the medical crisis about to hit covid patients triggers another discussion about single-payer healthcare.

Get ready for more medical bankruptcies...

Is this another part of the grand herd immunity plan BMW?
One coronavirus survivor manages her medical bills in color-coded folders: green, red and tan for different types of documents. A man whose father died of the virus last fall uses an Excel spreadsheet to organize the outstanding debts. It has 457 rows, one for each of his father’s bills, totaling over $1 million.

These are people who are facing the financial version of long-haul Covid: They’ve found their lives and finances upended by medical bills resulting from a bout with the virus.

Their desks and coffee tables have stacks of billing documents. They are fluent in the jargon of coronavirus medical coding, after hundreds of hours of phone calls discussing the charges with hospitals, doctors and insurers.

“People think there is some relief program for medical bills for coronavirus patients,” said Jennifer Miller, a psychologist near Milwaukee who is working with a lawyer to challenge thousands in outstanding debt from two emergency room visits last year. “It just doesn’t exist.”
NY Times
For Kristian Trumpers are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
-Romans 16:18

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bmw
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by bmw »

Wait a minute....you were spouting off just a few months ago about how Obamacare is the best thing since sliced bread.
TC Talks wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:39 pm This is great news! Think about how many people will get covered.
The American Rescue Plan broadens the subsidies available under the Affordable Care Act for comprehensive health insurance — increasing them for people who are already eligible, and providing new assistance for people with incomes previously too high to qualify. The top set of maps, drawn from calculations made by the Kaiser Family Foundation, show how much the changes will reduce what people pay for health insurance around the country, depending on their location and age.

The changes mean small adjustments for some Americans and very substantial ones for others. For anyone earning around $19,000, subsidies will now be generous enough to sign up for a typical plan with no monthly payment. For someone earning over $51,000, new subsidies could lower premiums by as much as $1,000 a month in the country’s most expensive markets.

Some groups still won’t qualify for help: undocumented immigrants, and poor Americans in states that have not expanded Medicaid under an option provided by the Affordable Care Act. But a large majority of uninsured Americans can now get financial help buying insurance, according to Cynthia Cox, a vice president at Kaiser.

“What this law will do is make it so the majority of uninsured citizens are eligible for free or low-cost coverage,” she said. “This won’t bring us to universal health care, but it will bring us closer to universal eligibility for subsidized health insurance — for two years.”
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craig11152
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by craig11152 »

. A man whose father died of the virus last fall uses an Excel spreadsheet to organize the outstanding debts. It has 457 rows, one for each of his father’s bills, totaling over $1 million.
I would be curious why an adult son is responsible for a parents debt
I no longer directly engage Rate This :lol
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TC Talks
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by TC Talks »

craig11152 wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 5:24 am
. A man whose father died of the virus last fall uses an Excel spreadsheet to organize the outstanding debts. It has 457 rows, one for each of his father’s bills, totaling over $1 million.
I would be curious why an adult son is responsible for a parents debt
These bills certainly will be a liability of the father's Estate.
For Kristian Trumpers are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
-Romans 16:18

Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
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TC Talks
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by TC Talks »

bmw wrote: Fri May 21, 2021 11:38 pm Wait a minute....you were spouting off just a few months ago about how Obamacare is the best thing since sliced bread.
We don't have a single payer system at the moment. Was this part of your Grand Plan? Bankruptcy? Well thought out!
TC Talks wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:39 pm This is great news! Think about how many people will get covered.
The American Rescue Plan broadens the subsidies available under the Affordable Care Act for comprehensive health insurance — increasing them for people who are already eligible, and providing new assistance for people with incomes previously too high to qualify. The top set of maps, drawn from calculations made by the Kaiser Family Foundation, show how much the changes will reduce what people pay for health insurance around the country, depending on their location and age.

The changes mean small adjustments for some Americans and very substantial ones for others. For anyone earning around $19,000, subsidies will now be generous enough to sign up for a typical plan with no monthly payment. For someone earning over $51,000, new subsidies could lower premiums by as much as $1,000 a month in the country’s most expensive markets.

Some groups still won’t qualify for help: undocumented immigrants, and poor Americans in states that have not expanded Medicaid under an option provided by the Affordable Care Act. But a large majority of uninsured Americans can now get financial help buying insurance, according to Cynthia Cox, a vice president at Kaiser.

“What this law will do is make it so the majority of uninsured citizens are eligible for free or low-cost coverage,” she said. “This won’t bring us to universal health care, but it will bring us closer to universal eligibility for subsidized health insurance — for two years.”
[/quote]
For Kristian Trumpers are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
-Romans 16:18

Posting Content © 2024 TC Talks Holdings LP.
km1125
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by km1125 »

Going to a single-payer system would be a H U G E mistake unless you fix the healthcare COSTS first. (probably still be a h-u-g-e mistake then too though).

Most of the reason that our healthcare costs are absurd is actually due to employer-provided heathcare systems. The patient is pretty much isolated from the true costs and really has no reason to question or even try to understand them. The true costs are the negotiated costs between the medical providers and the healthcare "insurance" program, not the 'advertised' costs or even those that show up on an invoice.
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craig11152
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by craig11152 »

TC Talks wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 7:28 am
craig11152 wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 5:24 am
. A man whose father died of the virus last fall uses an Excel spreadsheet to organize the outstanding debts. It has 457 rows, one for each of his father’s bills, totaling over $1 million.
I would be curious why an adult son is responsible for a parents debt
These bills certainly will be a liability of the father's Estate.
But not a liability for the son generally speaking. If the estate doesn't cover the costs then the bills are written off they don't fall to the kids.
A man whose father died of the virus last fall uses an Excel spreadsheet to organize the outstanding debts. It has 457 rows, one for each of his father’s bills, totaling over $1 million. These are people who are facing the financial version of long-haul Covid: They’ve found their lives and finances upended by medical bills resulting from a bout with the virus.
Unless there is some very unusual circumstance those debts can't be passed on to others unless they "cosigned". So to me its poor journalism to stick that guy in as an example without further explanation.
I no longer directly engage Rate This :lol
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craig11152
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by craig11152 »

km1125 wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 7:46 am Going to a single-payer system would be a H U G E mistake unless you fix the healthcare COSTS first. (probably still be a h-u-g-e mistake then too though).

Most of the reason that our healthcare costs are absurd is actually due to employer-provided heathcare systems. The patient is pretty much isolated from the true costs and really has no reason to question or even try to understand them. The true costs are the negotiated costs between the medical providers and the healthcare "insurance" program, not the 'advertised' costs or even those that show up on an invoice.
According to some statistics I've seen 30% of health care costs are directly related to billing, and bickering back and forth between insurance providers and and health care providers.
My wife works in billing for UM school of dentistry. They have 15 people working on billing full time. The Hospital probably has 100 plus.
And the old mantra that we are the only 1st world country without national health care is true.
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bmw
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by bmw »

I may surprise a few of you out there, but I'm actually in favor of a LIMITED single-payer system. Basically, single-payer for only catastrophic coverage. Because the way the law is written, you basically already have catastrophic coverage (ie, the hospital must treat you if you have life-threatening injuries regardless of your ability to pay). So I would view this more as a tax to cover what hospitals must already provide.

If you want anything beyond catastrophic coverage, I say then buy it yourself.
bmw
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by bmw »

TC Talks wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 7:30 am Was this part of your Grand Plan? Bankruptcy? Well thought out!
:lol You're one to talk - your political party is the one driving our entire country towards bankruptcy (I'll concede here that the Republicans aren't much better in this regard). And if you think you're going to close the deficit by raising taxes on the rich, well, good luck with that one.
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craig11152
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by craig11152 »

bmw wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 9:44 am I may surprise a few of you out there, but I'm actually in favor of a LIMITED single-payer system. Basically, single-payer for only catastrophic coverage. Because the way the law is written, you basically already have catastrophic coverage (ie, the hospital must treat you if you have life-threatening injuries regardless of your ability to pay). So I would view this more as a tax to cover what hospitals must already provide.
The thing is you still get billed and you are still responsible for the bill. They will work out a payment plan you can afford which means in theory you could pay forever.
I no longer directly engage Rate This :lol
Deleted User 14896

Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by Deleted User 14896 »

TC Talks wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 7:28 am
craig11152 wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 5:24 am I would be curious why an adult son is responsible for a parents debt
These bills certainly will be a liability of the father's Estate.
I suppose the point could be pondered that if you raised your children to be planning on a windfall after your demise ... just sayin'.
Deleted User 14896

Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by Deleted User 14896 »

bmw wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 9:46 am ... if you think you're going to close the deficit by raising taxes on the rich, well, good luck with that one.
Like that is ever going to happen. All that is nothing but hot air for the moment. Congress is all millionaires.
Yeah, Sure, keep believing they're going to actually raise the taxes on themselves.
Pass the bowl, I want to hit what you're smoking.
km1125
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by km1125 »

bmw wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 9:44 am I may surprise a few of you out there, but I'm actually in favor of a LIMITED single-payer system. Basically, single-payer for only catastrophic coverage. Because the way the law is written, you basically already have catastrophic coverage (ie, the hospital must treat you if you have life-threatening injuries regardless of your ability to pay). So I would view this more as a tax to cover what hospitals must already provide.

If you want anything beyond catastrophic coverage, I say then buy it yourself.
I might get on board with that, if it weren't for that absolute abomination of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA), There's plenty of folks (I'd suggest mostly medical providers) milking that system for all it's worth. That kind of program SHOULD have minimized the medical accident-related costs to insurers and SHOULD have provided better auto insurance rates than any of our neighboring states.

What was the reality though?
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TC Talks
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Re: Got COVID? Enjoy your medical bills

Unread post by TC Talks »

bmw wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 9:46 am
TC Talks wrote: Sat May 22, 2021 7:30 am Was this part of your Grand Plan? Bankruptcy? Well thought out!
:lol You're one to talk - your political party is the one driving our entire country towards bankruptcy (I'll concede here that the Republicans aren't much better in this regard). And if you think you're going to close the deficit by raising taxes on the rich, well, good luck with that one.
I don't recall you complaining about the h*ge deficit created during the Trump administration. Amazing that deficits all of a sudden become important.
For Kristian Trumpers are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
-Romans 16:18

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