New Healthcare plan affecting us?

[nurseyo420]

With so much going on in the news about the new healthcare plan, I'm just wondering how does everyone think it will affect healthcare professionals?

[cougarnurse]

Somehow, I am just getting a bad feeling about the whole thing. Don't ask why, I just am.

[nurseyo420]

Yeah, I'll admit I'm not fully educated on all aspects of the bill, but don't other countries have the public option for insurance and its worked really well for them?

[hppygr8ful]

Originally Posted by nurseyo420

With so much going on in the news about the new healthcare plan, I'm just wondering how does everyone think it will affect healthcare professionals?

Almost everybody here knows I'm no fan of the current president and even less happy about the current health care reform as proposed by the house bill 3200.

I would advise that anyone with questions to download and read the bill. It's about 1300 pages long and if you cut through the legalese there's enough there to make any thinking person take pause.

While not mentioning "death panels" in so many words the bill does give a health care committee broad discretion to limit or continue care in end of life cases.

While nothing in the bill requires you to take a "Public Option" neither is there anything in the bill that requires an employer to provide coverage to new employee's - so if you are fired or change jobs you will be forced into a public option as independent insurance companies will be forced out of business.

Employer's who currently offer health care to employees will have the option to discontinue coverage and pay a tax to the government of approximately $1000 per person employed. (Current cost of health care benefits for a employer is approx 12,000 annually for a employee +family of 3) You do the math.

If you are one who chooses not to have insurance but pay out-of-pocket as you go. You will be forced to buy insurance or pay an additional tax of approx $8000.00 annually to pay for healthcare you may not ever need.

While the currently language of the bill does not offer health care coverage to illegal aliens the Supreme court has stated that they cannot be denied care. The money has to come from somewhere. Unless we are going to get serious about deportation and returning the blue collar job market to American Citizens.

As many as 70% of the current legislature admit to not having read the bill or fully understanding what’s in it.

If you have any faith in the government being able to manage the nations healthcare look at how well they’ve done with medicare, medicaid and the VA!

These are just a few points to consider.

Peace and Namaste

Hppy

[cougarnurse]

The Medicare bit just started after Kennedy, didn't it? (About 40 years ago....)

As for the 'death panels'....we have Hospice for crying out loud!

Just an aside, I read an article in the paper some time back. The writer had said that the Unions didn't expect people to start living so long. (Of course, look at all the new technology lately.....) I half expect things to end up like 'Soylent Green'. Scary thought at the end.

[nurseyo420]

The illegal alien arguement seems to be a hot topic on this bill, but.....

I remember several times working in SoCal and providing "free" healthcare to pregnant ladies who had prenatals in spanish from mexico. We were not giving out free healthcare then? With emtala laws I cant ask about citizenship when a baby's head is hanging out.

And what about the people we're already paying for that's clogging up the ER for a toothache?

Just playing devil's advocate here but as a taxpayer, I would rather pay for the uninsured's toothache in a doctor's office than in an expensive ER visit.

[AmandaWIRN]

Originally Posted by nurseyo420

The illegal alien arguement seems to be a hot topic on this bill, but.....

I remember several times working in SoCal and providing "free" healthcare to pregnant ladies who had prenatals in spanish from mexico. We were not giving out free healthcare then? With emtala laws I cant ask about citizenship when a baby's head is hanging out.

And what about the people we're already paying for that's clogging up the ER for a toothache?

Just playing devil's advocate here but as a taxpayer, I would rather pay for the uninsured's toothache in a doctor's office than in an expensive ER visit.

Most definitely we are already providing free care for illegal aliens... I saw it in every state I've worked in- illegals coming to the ER for both emergent & non-emergent conditions. EMTALA laws require ER's to see EVERY patient, regardless of alien status or ability to pay. Do these people ever pay their hospital bills? Of course not...

The uninsured have always abused ER's, and used them as their primary source of healthcare. Most clinics require insurance or a copay up front. ER's cannot refuse service to anyone based on their inability to pay, so they come to the ER for their earaches, sore throats, and chronic health issues. This puts a strain on the whole system, making wait times longer for those with true emergencies. And do any of these people pay their ER bills? Of course not....

And as a side note, I have found that the patients who are getting "free" care are usually the most demanding, self-entitled, and unpleasant to deal with...

[amberdouglas]

Amanda,
Don't forget that they are also the ones that write down everything you do and threaten to sue at every turn.

[nurseyo420]

True Amber, if I'm not mistaken I think the bill does cover medical malpractice too. Which will help limit the amount of some of these frivolous law suits.