I am a retired male who with his wife had seven children. Through
all our years and even today, we never had health insurance. In
the late sixties, my son had to have surgery on his ears, the doctor
bill alone was $2000.00. It took some time granted, but we paid
it and all the other bills incurred until all our children left
home. In the 80's I needed a small operation on my heart and guess
what, the $15,000. 00 bill got paid , again by us.
My fathers father, my father, and myself have gone through all
our lives with no insurance for health, yet we survived . I don't
have a college education nor did I ever make $30,000.00 a year.
We had to do things differently true, but we did it. Try putting
money aside for a rainy day and you'll be surprised how much you
really have. Stop living paycheck to paycheck. THIS WORLD OWES YOU
NOTHING so don't expect it.I didn't and things are fine.
Thank You,
Jim;
* * *
Health Care Waste -V.A. Hospital
I am a neurosurgeon, very well trained, same pedigree as sen frist
. Am retired largely and spend some time each week helping the neurosurgical
residents at the university run a large clinic . Yesterday we wasted
50,000dollars on unnecessary mri tests, and we do it every week!
The clinic is at the va hospital,where the load is so heavy that
all clinic visits are required to have these expensive tests prior
to beeing seen. Hardly any are required to diagnose the patient.
Almost all of the referrals are unnecessary; simple things like
low back pain that the referring physicians should be able to treat
with a simple program of exercises done at home.
Of course there are no primary care physicians in the system, they
have been replaced by nursing assistants, physician assistants etc.
these people instead of being able to understand and evaluate the
problem order expensive tests,mris and ask for neurosurgical consultation
via the very extensive computer system in the va where all these
garbage opinions are filed.
It has been a long time since I have seen a service connected illness..
This is a very expensive, very inefficient but given free to veterans.
We subsidize a lot of bad behavior. In the private sector large
deductibles for expensive tests are the answer. The patient must
appreciate the true cost of medical care and play a much greater
role in controlling cost. Right now, the evaluation of low back
pain, the single biggest health care expense in the country cost
about twenty fold what it should. . ja Maxwell, md.
* * *
I agree with your attitude and thinking regarding the insurance
issues to a point. However there is another angle. The finger pointing
should also go towards those who created this mess. The money hungry
unscrupulous insurance companies.
Years ago Workers did not go out and solicit insurance companies
to come in and help them pay for doctor/ health expenses. They paid
their bills themselves with local agreements. Insurance companies
sold the idea to Businesses looking to attract good workers. Then
the Insurance companies sucked everyone into the idea of easy pay,
low doctor fees, and low co-pays for drugs.
Now the Insurance companies have become larger and more powerful
than the Business that gave them a chance. Unions also promoted
insurance, and now the Insurance Giants are putting the squeeze
on everyone. The workers should not be penalized for being sold
to and stuck by the insurance companies.
In addition, when I accepted my $30,000. position the deal came
with $xxx.paid insurance. If my company now wants me to pay more
for insurance, that is a pay cut. period!! I was not offered a position
where I could decline insurance and have a different pay scale.
$40,000. + no insurance.
The Business and the workers need to ban together with the health
industry and kick out the Insurance robbers. Granted I could pay
for a $220. doctor bill, but why should I when I am paying an insurance
company to handle it as agreed. I don't feel entitled. I am paying
for the insurance out of my pocket, and quite frankly I am paying
more than enough.. The problem is that we have gotten stuck with
Insurance. As much as they say they will, hospitals make it very
difficult to get service without insurance. Thanks for listening
keep up the good work.
Dan
* * *
Rush, you need to know that once you hit 65 you no longer have
the opportunity of going to the doctor and paying the bill. If the
doctor allows you to do that he will be denied the opportunity of
serving any other Medicare patients and I don't know what all else.
Esther
* * *
I wanted to commit on the health issues. I'm a small business owner
in Virginia. Health insurance increase for our company 18% this
past year. We could not absorb this amount so we chose a lower plan
with a higher deductible.
My company had to make a choice. So do other companies and I can't
believe that employees feel like the companies should make arrangements
to please the employee. I don't want this to sound harsh but where
does it say that the company must absorb or make arrangement to
accommodate every employee.
Unions in this country have sent the wrong messages to the people.
People in the United States are spoiled and live above their means.
Diane
Something has to be done about insurance deductibles. We are retired
from General Motors. My husband just turned 65 so his coverage will
now be better than mine. At the moment a $200 raise in our deductible
would be really hard to take. It is now so high that there are services
we just can't get, because we can't afford the deductible. $200
isn't much, but added to what we already have it is horrendous.
I think President Bush is correct in starting with lawsuits. If
all these frivilous lawsuits were thrown out before they got to
court, expenses would go down. Unfortunately, I don't see that a
reduction in costs would reduce our costs. Once these clinics and
hospitals get a high dollar amound out of you, they will never lower
it.
A good example of our deductible: Last year I got food poisoning
on vacation in another state. I finally went to the hospital. Most
of the hospital expense was paid by the insurance company. The doctor's
services were another matter. It took us over a year to pay them
off. The whole time they were phoning us as writing us letters,
because they wanted more each month than we could afford to pay.
I think deductibles should be based on your salary and not a standard
amount for each family. When we were working our deductible would
have been no big deal. Now that we are retired it is a big deal.
Chris & Howard
* * *
US Verses UK Healthcare
About 6 years ago I worked in Texas with a couple from the UK.
His wife was involved in an auto accident while on vacation that
injured her severely. She received over 500 thousand in health care
benefits from our company which included many operations to enable
her to walk again. Her husband commented to me that if they lived
in the UK, she would have never received the health care she needed
to walk again. Another one of his comments on the differences between
the US and the UK was that he never realized how much wealthier
people were in the US.
I have had many Canadian friends that moved to the US to make more
money. Although they talk about how great the Canadian health care
system is, none of them are seriously ill and had to wait for an
expensive operation. I think their opinion of US health care would
change then.
Hugh
* * *
HMO Legislation
Rush, First the American worker does have a say in choosing a health
provider. They can just lobby the company they work for, for no
H.M.O. control. Just let them (workers)pay for the higher premiums
themselves. If they want to be able to sue for damages, and are
so concerned about the injured patient , the attorneys should be
limited to a 10 % Fee only, no matter the cost. As a matter of fact
Attorneys should be limited to that amount on everything anyway.
The Democrats should be tarred and feathered for helping the greedy
Trial Lawyers for the campaign money they have received, and putting
the people last. My brother died at the hands of a local hospital,
but because the greedy lawyers could not make a killing for themselves
( because my brother was not married or had legal kids ) he was
not worth helping. So much for their heart felt thoughts about the
injured patient and their rights.
Jeff
* * *
HMO Legal Fees
Here is a suggestion for the proposed HMO legislation:
Index legal fee percentages downward for plaintiffs' attorneys
in HMO litigation (just as federal income taxes are indexed upward
based on income earned). Many federal statutes set legal fees. This
should take some incentive out of plaintiffs' attorneys gambling
on "run-away" juries rendering outrageous verdicts, and
it would encourage more reasonable settlements. By spotlighting
this proposed legal fee indexing on your program, focus on the TRUE,
greedy intent of the trial lawyers will become apparent. Thus; Republicans
can make hay out of this as they push for support for their own
version of a Patients' Bill of Rights.
John
* * *
DOWN WITH THE: Patients Bill of Rights
I think that the reason liberals support the patients bill of rights
legislation is because they intentionally want to submarine the
existing health care system, making it nearly impossible for small
businesses to provide health car for average workers, due to high
HMO costs. That way they can use it as a campaign ploy in the next
election, by guaranteeing national health care for all if they are
elected and Bush is ousted.
Conservatives must fight this legislation not on the grounds that
it is the "Lawyers bill of rights", but on the grounds
that it will undermine the very fabric of our health care system
today. Keep up the good work and Thank You for being there for the
silent
majority!!!!!
Regards,
Mike
* * *
As a registered Nurse and the owner of a Home Health care company.
I read the proposed bill as a DOOR CLOSER for me and my company.
1. Is it true that, just because I provide health insurance for
my employees ( plan sponsor ) I would be subjected to litigation
if an employee is harmed or not treated correctly by a doctor in
that plan? This sounds nuts to me. Why would I be responsible for
what another health care professional does or does not do?
2. My company provides HOME INFUSION THERAPY,a very different from
regular home health care. This industry is a very valuable tool
in health care today, for many reasons. For more good reasons then
bad. Yes we are used as an alternative to hospital stays but that
is a good thing. I am looking forward to the time when this bill
is passed and every time an HMO is sued, my company will be dragged
in as a co-defendant. ( Sue everyone its the American way )
I do agree with some aspects of this bill. Yes, HMO'S should pay
their bills on time every time. If I provide a service which is
covered, then I should be paid in a timely manner. They should not
be in the game of holding my money just so there books look good
to there shareholders. In New York, there is such a law, but this
law has no teeth and are just laughed at by the insurance companies.
Most Respectfully
Robert
* * *
Similar to the New York Cell Phone ban, the Patient Bill of Rights
is turning into another foot in the door technique. By allowing
unlimited $$$ lawsuits against insurers including HMO's will cause
a multitude of problems. Some insurers will go out of business,
costs will increase, fewer employers will cover employees, etc.
This will give the liberals the opportunity to again bring up a
national health plan which cannot be sued, will break the bank,
and will not be what the American people want once they get it but
of course we won't be able to get rid of it.
> Laury
* * *
McCain's pullback from the Patients rights bill has a great deal
to do with email, letters, phone calls etc. from Constituents. We
Arizona Republicans don't like what's going on and are saying it!
(From: Martin - Chandler, AZ)
* * *
In today's WSJ article, "Senate May Tie Jobless Health Care
to Trade Deal,"by Neil King Jr., suggested that both the Republicans
and Democrats may provide health care coverage for workers who lost
their jobs because of imports.
I am a 52 year old, software engineer, who has been unemployed
since the end of November of 2001. I have over direct 25 years of
experience and am well qualified for any engineering job. Since
we have allowed (and still are allowing) many technical foreign
workers into this country (of young age) who have displaced me (and
other American engineering citizens, do you think they intend for
me to get health care coverage? Or is this a contradiction in terms?
Of course no matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to find (most
likely they are hiding the facts) how many foreign workers are working
in software engineering jobs and how many American engineers (with
similar skills) are out of work.
I know this is a sensitive subject for all of us. The government
will only coin us as xenophobic but the fact still stands about
Americans being displaced by foreign workers.
Best Regards,
Fred
* * *
Some Comments on current thinking about Health Care
Would you buy your groceries through an FMO (Food Maintenance Organization)?
Would you rely on bureaucrats at the government and/or the FMO make
selections and bargain for you?
The HMO provides all of the down side features of Socialized Medicine
at a much higher cost and ultimately it gives less control by the
people who pay for it and use it. The people are the source of the
funds; nothing is free. Market forces and only market forces can
keep prices in line and quality up.
Insurance is to pay for large and/or unexpected expenses, not to
pay for normal day to day outlays whether for food, medicine or
other items. What would the premium be for a home insurance policy
that covered burned out light bulbs? How many insurance adjusters
does it take to change a light bulb?
Getting medical coverage at the company store has distorted the
public's notion of the costs and the nature and proper use insurance.
Why not adjust government policy to reverse this arrangement?
The medical savings plan is the only useful suggestion that has
been put forward. I can understand why the HMO's, many insurance
companies, and those who clamor for an even larger government role
in our lives would oppose such plans. Why do liberals and the liberal
media oppose such plans?
Sidney
* * *
Why is it the responsibility of employers to pay for health insurance?
These payments are really additional salary.
Employers should take the money that they now spend for employee
health insurance and add it to employees' salary. Employees would
buy their own insurance and hopefully be more prudent with their
expenditures. They should also be allowed to deduct the full cost
of health insurance on their tax returns.
Perhaps with the addition of personal responsibility we would be
able to reduce the cost of health care.
Irv
* * *
IF YOU, FOR A MINUTE, DO NOT THINK THAT THE INSURERS AND/OR THE
GOVERNMENT ARE NOT RUNNING MEDICINE TRY THIS--CALL UP A PHYSICIAN'S
OFFICE AND ASK HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REMOVE A MOLE FROM YOUR
HAND. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET A PRICE WITHOUT GIVING OUT YOUR
INSURANCE INFO. EVEN IF YOU SAY YOU WANT TO PAY CASH--TRY IT!
* * *
Health Care
I THINK THAT CLINTON AND FRIENDS, AS WELL AS SOME REP. HAVE INVESTED
IN HEALTH CARE STOCKS. THEN THE GOVERMENT WILL BY THEM OUT .
Regards,
ROSS
* * *
Canadian Health Care System
I just returned from a visit to Quebec this week. I'm a physician
in the US Navy, so I'm very familiar with the American health care
system. My visit to my 93 year old grandmother in a Canadian hospital
was enlightening.
Currently the nurses in the entire Provence of Quebec are on strike.
Since the Provencial Government employs all health care workers,
the nurses are on strike against the government. The Prime Minister
of the Provence has called the parliament to session for a vote
and is threatening the nurses with fines and jail time.
The issue is mainly pay, as the Canadian dollar has eroded to $0.67
US dollars and dropping rapidly, and with it is their purchasing
power.
Also, all the Emergency Room physicians in the provence served
their 60 day notice to quit effective 30 July and all the hospital
pharmacists in the provence served their 60 day notice effective
30 August.
While all this labor unrest is happening, the provencial government
has approved expanded access to physicians in the States for patients
unable to obtain specialist care in Canada. Between the strike and
the unavailability of equipment (such as MRI's) and specialists,
the Canadians wait for months for care routine in America.
It suprises me (not really) the mainstream American press does
not cover the problems in the medical system they have held up as
an example of how American health care should be run.
Dr. Gauron
* * *
Your stance on healthcare is your right. However; other people
that currently can't get healthcare thats affordable also have their
rights too. Maybe a system that lets people opt for the care they
want would be better.
Such as:
1. If you want the best possible treatment you can opt not to be
taxed but you absolutely will not be allowed to use the system governed
by thegovernment.
2. If you can't afford healthcare you can opt for a mixing of the
current SS taxes and medicare taxes as well as a small %tax to be
taken out to cover your needs.These wouldn't take anything away
from you and people with your stance, but may offer a solution to
people who can't do it.
My cost for insulin dependent diabetes are great, and yes as an
IBEW member my healthcare is covered by our insurance, self funded.
And I try in every way to save them money on my cost, that way the
plan will exist for everyone.
But, without this insurance I couldn't do my treatment right. And
there are people out there with my condition that can't even afford
the basics for proper care. Its these people who the idea of gov
healthcare are trying to cover. There is absolutely nothing wrong
with that and I would be willing to be charged a few more dollars
to help those people out, lets say its not a right, but will do
it as a charity through the government.
Rush, even if its a socialist concept there is a plus side to national
health that very rarely gets addressed. The fact is in our currentsystem,
treating symptoms is better than curing.A lot of these countries
with national health are finding cures faster than us to keep their
cost down. Cure for 100,000 or treat symptoms for 50 years at 1,000,000.
Which makes more sense. Friend, a lot of my thoughts are liberal
when it comes to people, and a lot of my thoughts are conservative
when it comes to business. That makes me middle of the line and
thats pretty much where the majority stands. Thanks
* * *
Health Care
I see it is very important to the liberals to allow the suing of
HMOs. All this will do is increase the cost of health insurance
and leave even more people uninsured. I have one question - Shouldn't
the elderly also be allowed to sue the Medicare system for improper
care? Seems like the same thing. Time to look in the mirror isn't
it! Medicare has a lot more problems with coverage than HMOs with
their DRG payment system. Looks like everyone is struggling to control
costs. Adding more cost is not the solution.
Tim L
* * *
Health Insurance
Rush,
Listen to you pretty regularly, and I wonder if you can really
connect with seniors that are locked into having to be unsured under
the HMO system. You probably don't even know anyone that has no
choice, but let me share with you some info.
My husband and I live in Altamonte Springs, Fl., and have been
here for a year. We enrolled in Humana Gold Insurance for Seniors
and the monthly cost was deducted from our Social Security checks.
We had to pay $10.00 for visits to our provider, and $25.00 if we
were referred to a specialist. Drugs were $5.00 for generic drugs,
and $15.00 for non-generic drugs. It just so happens that there
are no generic drugs available for the meds we need to take.
On, or about January 5, 2000 I called to renew a prescription for
my husband, and the druggist told us that the insurance company
would no longer pay for our drugs because we were not "registered"
in Humana's new plan, that we knew nothing about. The druggist said
that we were only covered for generic drugs and he could not fill
any of our prescriptions. I called the the insurance for information
and after two days finally got through. They were overwhelmed by
phone calls from people like myself who had not received any previous
info about this change. Well, Humana informed me that we would have
to enroll in a plan that would cost $29.00 per month, per person.
Plus, our prescriptions would now cost $20.00 per prescrption with
a limit of only $1,000 per year. That is quite a bit when you are
on a limited amount of money.
I called Blue Cross, and their policy for seniors is not open to
new enrollees until Nov.,2000, and their charges are $160.00 per
person each month, and only covers $600.00 of meds for the year.Another
company called AvMed had the same charges, and may be accepting
new enrollees in March or April.
But the problem is.....not everyone can afford to have independent
coverage. As I listen to you when you discuss this issue you sound
so firm in your opinion re this subject, but I am convinced that
you really don't understand. We are not looking for a "hand-out".
Nor are we trying to give our Doctors less money than they deserve.
But what are the masses to do? If we go with the government plan
of Medicare there is no option for prescription coverage.
You have come up with so many "solutions" for so many
problems that plague our society, let me hear your opinion on this
problem.
Thank you,
Barbara Levy
* * *
HEALTH CARE
RUSH,
I LISTEN TO YOU SHOW EVERYDAY. WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOVERNMENT
HEALTH CARE, TELL THEM TO LOOK AT THE VA HOSPITALS AND HOW THEY
ARE RAN. THEY ARE PUT ON A YEARLY BUDGET WHICH GETS DECREASED EVERY
YEAR, WHEN THAT MONEY IS GONE THEY DO NOT GET ANYMORE NO MATTER
IF IT IS BED PANS THAT ARE NEEDED.
FORMER CAPE GIRARDEAU RESIDENT.
LINDA ESTES
* * *
I saw this and wanted to throw -up!!!!! "Clinton said his
proposal was prompted by a new federal report linking staffing shortages
at nursing homes to bedsores, malnutrition and dehydration among
patients. (AND WHO IS TO BE BLAMED? Let me state my background.
I work for the State of XXXXXXX and had worked for Medicaid for
over 20 years. THE FEDS AND STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE TO BE BLAMED FOR
THE NEGLECT AND LACK OF STAFF. PLEASE - Check the HICFA regs. MOST
NURSING FACILITIES ARE COMPLIANT AS LONG AS THEY MEET THE MINIMUM
STANDARDS ! THE REGS ENCOURAGE NEGLECT!!!!!
NOW THIS NEXT QUOTE SOUNDS SO TYPICAL OF CLINTON: "As a result,
the president wants Congress to impose financial penalties on homes
'"that are endangering the safety oftheir residents."
' WE HAVE FINANCIAL PENALTIES!!!!!!!!!!!! SOMETIMES THEY ARE ENFORCED.
WHEN I FIRST READ THE HEADLINE AND I THOUGHT "WOW!" hE
IS ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING GOOD! THEN I READ ON AND NOTICED HE
WAS PASSING SOMETHING THAT IS ALL READY ENFORCED. (Sound familiar..."Let's
pass more gun laws to stop the killing!"....yuck..and throw-up!!!!")
I
ONLY HOPE hE IS REALLY SINCERE. YET IT ONLY REMINDS ME OF HE PAST.
HE TELLS PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR. THE PUBLIC WILL READ THE
NEWS RELEASE AND THINK HE IS DOING HIS JOB. IN FACT HE IS PLAYING
ON THE IGNORANCE OF THE PUBLIC. I CAN HEAR JIM VARNEY AS ERNEST
P. Whorl(sp?) SAY "SURPRISED??????!"
* * *
Health Plan
Dear Rush,
I'm an American citizen living in Canada, and you are my only source
for accurate American news. Unfortunately, I'm only able to catch
snatches of your radio show from the Buffalo, NY station I listen
to. But after listening to you talk about health care reforms this
week, I had to share my opinion and what a government controlled
health care system is like here in Canada.
I live in Ontario, and our health plan is called OHIP (Ontario
Health Insurance Plan). It's wonderful to walk in and out of the
doctor's office and never pay a dime. It's great to take my child
to the ER, or to have whatever tests the doctor ordered done, all
at no charge.
No charge up front, that is. It all comes out my pocket in the
form of taxes. Income up to $29,590 is taxed at 17%, $29,590-$59,180
pays %5,030 on the first %29,000 plus 26% on the rest. Income over
$59,180 pays $12,724 on the first %59,000 plus 29% on rest. That's
just the income tax rates. I pay 8% PST (Provincial Sales Tax) plus
7% GST (Goods and Services Tax) for a total of 15% tax on almost
every purchase I make (most groceries are exempt). My husband and
I make about $125,000 between us, but we lose half of that to taxes.
I guess if the medical system, the postal system, and everything
else the government controlled worked, it might be worth the huge
tax we pay. But nothing governments run works. I work in the medical
field and I would be out of the country immediately if I were seriously
ill. People wait for months to begin chemotherapy. It has become
so bad that OHIP is paying for people to go to the states for treatment.
The minimum wait for an MRI, no matter what the diagnosis, is 6
months. In the Niagara Falls area, where I live, it's almost impossible
to find an OB/GYN so good luck to the expectant mothers. Doctors
are leaving in droves because their salaries are capped and everything
they do is controlled by the government. And that's just the tip
of the iceberg.
This is where liberal politics will take America. Keep preaching
conservatism, Rush. Americans have no idea what the liberals will
do to them. Perhaps if more Americans took a look at where liberal
policies have taken Canada, and other countries, they would fight
back!
Thanks for sharing your wisdom and humour with us!!
Teresa
* * *
Insurance was meant to protect people from "Catastrophe",
not to pay for bandaids!! It was to save losing your house or business
or whatever you worked your life to aquire. Unions have subverted
this concept. Free health care was tossed into Public Service contracts
as a cheap"at the time" add on. The current insanity was
never allowed for !!!
Thankyou, Bob
