From: SUPERVISOR@SWEEP.FO.UKANS.EDU (Phil Endacott)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Health services and retired workers
Date: 30 Dec 92 15:23:48 GMT
Reply-To: SUPERVISOR@SWEEP.FO.UKANS.EDU (Phil Endacott)
Originator: wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com

Index Number: 26899

[Note from Bill McGarry - forwarded from he Geriatric Health Care
 mailing list by Patt Bromberger]

>Date:          Fri, 18 Dec 1992 09:30:45 CST
>from:          Marilyn Jacobson <MAJACOBS%NDSUVM1.BITNET@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu>
>subject:       RE: Health services and retired workers

>I believe we need to have nationally provided health care.  Some
>would call it socialized medicine.  Current health policy provides
>for the healthy, the employed, and for a portion of the medical
>care for those over 65.  In addition, medicaid is provided for
>the poor who are categorically eligible, who live in states
>that provide differing amounts and kinds of medical care.  I
>believe we need to provide basic medical care for all citizens,
>similar to the educational benefits all citizens are entitled
>to receive.
>

Just some musings. . .

Dr. Phillips and I can remember going to our Physician and the
receptionist NEVER ASKED FOR AN INSURANCE CARD!  We had a true
Doctor/Patient relationship.  The Doctor provided the best service he
knew how and he charged what the traffic would bear.  Sometimes the
Doctor was paid with a freshly dressed pig or perhaps a new tub of
apple butter!!  He didn't care if we had any kind of insurance or
not.  He NEVER FILED A CLAIM TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY.  He simply told
us what his charge was and we either paid him in full or paid what we
could at the time of service and promised to bring in the balance
"next Friday when we got paid".  Now if we were smart, we had
purchased a "medical insurance policy".  When the Doctors bill was
paid in full, he would stamp it PAID and THEN we would fill out an
insurance claim form and send it to our insurance company for
reimbursement of our paid medical bill.  Of course we knew exactly
what we were entitled to.  A broken arm would pay $80.00 (even if the
Doctor only charged $60!!).  If we were hospitalized, we would be
reimbursed $22 per day!!  If these scheduled payments in our
insurance contract weren't quite enough to cover  our actual
medical costs, WE HAD THE OPTION OF PAYING A SLIGHTLY HIGHER PREMIUM
TO PURCHASE THE "DELUXE" SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS.  If I drove a truck
and delivered coal and Dr. Phillips was a high school teacher, the
Physician knew what our incomes were (approximately, anyway) and he
charged accordingly.

The key difference between then and now is that the Doctor/Patient
and Customer/Insurance Co. relationsips described above NO LONGER
EXIST!!  The Doctors of today deal directly with the Insurance
Companies!!  You, the patient/customer, have lost all of your
bargining power--you are just a number.  BUT, you still pay the bill
with the sweat of your brow!!  When companies began to include
"medical insurance coverage" as part of your work compensation
package, life became easier for the insurance companies.  They only
had to sell a contract to your boss--they no longer had to
hustle/compete for your individual business.  You just lost control!!

The best way for the Federal government to "fix" the soaring medical
costs in this country is to tax to the fullest ALL MEDICAL INSURANCE
PREMIUMS paid by companies/states/governmental agencies as part of
their employee compensation packages.  This will result in companies
dropping out of the insurance business, and paying their employees
the equivalent premium as taxable income to the employee.

Wow!! $600 BILLION a year to boost our economy.  You say, "but if I
don't buy insurance, I will have to go bankrupt if I have to spend
week in the hospital!  Well, if you take a narrow, short term view,
this is true.  But in the long term, only 1% of the US population can
afford to purchase medical service at the prevailing prices.  Thats
going to be lots of EMPTY Doctors offices and lots of empty hospital
beds!!  Medical providers/insurance companies will have to compete
once again for your income.  I can guarantee you that prices for
medical service will COME DOWN, not continue an exponential rise year
after year.

Did you know that Ford Motor Company pays more for employee medical
insurance per car produced than they do for all the steel that is
used in the manufacture of that car??   Think about it . . . Phil---

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