tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post115468783522013585..comments2023-10-23T12:23:54.134-05:00Comments on Larry James' Urban Daily: My mom and dad's combined hospital stay. . .Larry Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-36478316765363001882008-08-31T13:47:00.000-05:002008-08-31T13:47:00.000-05:00Hi. I like your blog. Fortunately, I did not ever ...Hi. I like your blog. Fortunately, I did not ever have a chance to deal with <A HREF="http://combined-insurance.pissedconsumer.com" REL="nofollow">Combined Insurance</A>. But I heard a lot of stuff about it. I also read a lot. There is this great site www.pissedconsumer.com, where you get a lot of customer reports on this or that company. There you can find a lot about Combined Insurance as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1155161932930170062006-08-09T17:18:00.000-05:002006-08-09T17:18:00.000-05:00Tina, thanks for this post. Your case needs to be...Tina, thanks for this post. Your case needs to be heard across the nation. You are right. The fact is we have a fight on our hands here. We must insist on change. It is the way of faith.Larry Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1155161561104632432006-08-09T17:12:00.000-05:002006-08-09T17:12:00.000-05:00James, my son gets Medicaid through the Katie Beck...James, my son gets Medicaid through the Katie Beckett waiver. Every year we have to reapply for it. My son has autism and we take him to weekly speech therapy and occupational therapy sessions. While we do have private insurance, it is limited in the number of therapy sessions it will cover (75 for BOTH speech and OT, not 75 for speech AND 75 for OT).<BR/><BR/>The state of Georgia, in the last two years, has tried three times to limit children's access to Medicaid. Two years ago they attempted to force Katie Beckett families to pay premiums for their coverage. Last year they severely restricted the qualifying criteria for the waiver, resulting in nearly 2000 families losing their Medicaid coverage. We were one of those families. We appealed, and we got our coverage back.<BR/><BR/>Now, Georgia has decided that no child who receives therapy can get more than two hours a month without prior authorization.<BR/><BR/>Most kids need more, MUCH more, therapy than that. <BR/><BR/>We are lucky that our therapists are willing to fight the battle with Medicaid in order for the kids to keep getting therapy. But many, many other therapy places will not be willing or able to continue fighting the battle and will decide to no longer take Medicaid. That leaves plenty of families out in the cold with no way to get and pay for the therapy they need for their children.<BR/><BR/>How do you convince a government that they can either pay for medical care now, when these kids can be taught how to live a normal life (or as close to it as possible) or later, when these kids may have to be institutionalized and the taxpayers pay for their care?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1155052600738055962006-08-08T10:56:00.000-05:002006-08-08T10:56:00.000-05:00all I can say is Thank God for democrats! yes, th...all I can say is Thank God for democrats! yes, this country should have universal health care!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1155033818456470072006-08-08T05:43:00.000-05:002006-08-08T05:43:00.000-05:00Anonymous 1:09, good qeustion. Many people do cho...Anonymous 1:09, good qeustion. <BR/><BR/>Many people do choose to purchase supplemental insurance who also are part of the Medicare program. I expect that most do not. I know my parents have no such additional insurance and they do very well with only what Medicare provides. Mrket mythology is very strong in the US against the real value and benefit of government, single payor insurance.Larry Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1155017341939500002006-08-08T01:09:00.000-05:002006-08-08T01:09:00.000-05:00Isn't it necessary to have supplemental insurance ...Isn't it necessary to have supplemental insurance in addition to Medicare?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1154991652938984802006-08-07T18:00:00.000-05:002006-08-07T18:00:00.000-05:00Krister, thanks for the post. I believe that SF is...Krister, thanks for the post. <BR/><BR/>I believe that SF is making a smart move. A single payor system would save this nation a minimum of $45 billion annually in admin overhead alone. <BR/><BR/>Then, the benefit to the overall well-being of our communities would be staggering from an economic point of view. Our medical care might not be as exotic, but it would produce a much healthier populace. There is no debate about that. <BR/><BR/>When capitalism drives medicine, people aren't as well.Larry Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1154991482218477352006-08-07T17:58:00.000-05:002006-08-07T17:58:00.000-05:00Larry, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on ...Larry, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on San Francisco's recent decision to move to universal healthcare.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1154979191510114832006-08-07T14:33:00.000-05:002006-08-07T14:33:00.000-05:00Matthew, thanks for your post.Currently, in the US...Matthew, thanks for your post.<BR/><BR/>Currently, in the US, health care is bought and old like cotton, oil or men's clothing. Market forces determine its pricing and it is available to those who can afford it based on what they can afford. What you are able to pay or have paid for you (insurance) determines the quality, accessibility and outcomes of what you receive. The standard varies based on your income. That is what I mean by it being like a commodity.Larry Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-1154973192254777402006-08-07T12:53:00.000-05:002006-08-07T12:53:00.000-05:00I'd like to read more about how health is treated ...I'd like to read more about how health is treated as a commodity. I think that would be interesting.Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17980181582122445265noreply@blogger.com