Messing with a Good Thing - Children’s Health Insurance

[Armon]

People keep bad mouthing Unions and they have no ideal what would have happened if it weren't for the unions. Unions came about because the companies were exploiting their workers. They paid them next to nothing and rented them company housing and they had to buy their stuff from the company store. Of course everything cost more than they made so they were always in debt to the company store. My wife's cousin is a doctor and he has gotten filthy rich off the backs of the poor sick people. He owns cars, houses, a jet airplane and has his own pilot, among other things. Doctors charge way to much for their services. Where is the compitition? They don't care if you die. If you can't pay for their services they won't treat you.

[Bernardd]

People keep bad mouthing Unions and they have no ideal what would have happened if it weren't for the unions. Unions came about because the companies were exploiting their workers. They paid them next to nothing and rented them company housing and they had to buy their stuff from the company store. Of course everything cost more than they made so they were always in debt to the company store. My wife's cousin is a doctor and he has gotten filthy rich off the backs of the poor sick people. He owns cars, houses, a jet airplane and has his own pilot, among other things. Doctors charge way to much for their services. Where is the compitition? They don't care if you die. If you can't pay for their services they won't treat you.

That's half the story. People chose to leave the farms (or their home countries) and move to the American urban centers. They weren't forced to work in the factories. And let's not forget what these factories (and so called Robber Barons created and how they completely changed the way Americans live).

But I will agree, unions did serve a noble purpose ... years ago. They certainly protected the workers having to work in dangerous environments where safety should have been more important than profits.

[Bernardd]

My wife's cousin is a doctor and he has gotten filthy rich off the backs of the poor sick people. He owns cars, houses, a jet airplane and has his own pilot, among other things. Doctors charge way to much for their services. Where is the compitition? They don't care if you die. If you can't pay for their services they won't treat you.

I have to wonder...how much did your wife's cousin pay in order to complete medical school? How much did he earn as an intern...or as a resident? How many hours of his life has he dedicated to studying etc.? And now, he actually provides a service to cure the sick ... and you don't like it? How much does he pay in malpractice premiums thanks to "patients" who exploit people like your wife's cousin?

Doctors should be paid triple what they're being paid right now.

[Armon]

Bernardd you are obviously a doctor. My wife's cousin didn't pay anything for his education, his father paid for all of it. How much he earned as an inter or a resident doesn't justify the amount he is earning now. Malpractice insurance premiums have nothing to do with it. He pays the premiums and he is still filthy rich. Doctors pay is part of the trouble with health care costing so much. They should probably get half of what they are getting now.

[pegmo]

Doctors pay is part of the trouble with health care costing so much. They should probably get half of what they are getting now.


This sure sounds like envy/jealousy to me. As a Christian, I would take a hard look at why you respond to your wife's cousin and his situation like you do.

[Bernardd]

ME!? A doctor? Now that's awesome!! and clearly inaccurate. However, I have a few friends and relatives who are deoctors and -- from my perspective -- they work, work, work, work, work. Now, I don't know your wife's cousin ... and perhaps he is everything you claim. But this should be no reason to indict all doctors. Clearly, they provide an invaluable service and they spend almost a decade simply going to school. ANd not just school...but Med school. Med school is an extremely demanding and expensive endeavor, and like I said, they perform an important service. But since good old dad flipped the bill, your wife's cousin was very fortunate.

This is not to say that other people don't work hard. I have 2 other friends that took risks and went into business for themselves and both are extremely well-off. Okay, they're rich. But they also spend 80-100 hours each work working and stressing over their business. In my opinion, they are entitled to every penny they earn.

Unlike these people, I chose education as my field of study and became a teacher. Hence, I do little work and earn a little paycheck. Would I like to be filthy rich? Of course. But then again, many doctors aren't filthy rich.

[OnceWasLost]

Doctors pay is part of the trouble with health care costing so much. They should probably get half of what they are getting now.

A couple of thoughts and a question;

1) If you are a sick person, in need of help, the person is not going to come to you for treatment. He/She will go to him, and if they are made whole, they will feel that whatever the cost, it was well worth it. The market will correct the problem if he is outside what is an acceptable fee for his service. Do some research and you will see that doctor's pay has little to do with the cost of care.

2) Do you suppose someone, or some group should determine what a doctor can be paid?

[can4christ]

I highly doubt that WM has 8 million openings right now, but I'd be interested in hearing what you know about their healthcare benefits.

Issachar
.................................................. .................................................. ....

I worked for Wal-Mart back in 1991 as an extra part time job while my husband was in the hospital. My mom works there now. She started working for Wal-Mart 1 week after she finished chemo therapy for cancer. She works part time and had to wait 2 years for health insurance, well it's been 2 1/2 years and she was diagnosed with a new cancer last month and they are covering her fully.

She is 63 yrs old and she only pays $90.00 a month for health insurance. They are also very good about time off and giving you the hours you want.

[Cd4u_2]

Bernardd you are obviously a doctor. My wife's cousin didn't pay anything for his education, his father paid for all of it. How much he earned as an inter or a resident doesn't justify the amount he is earning now. Malpractice insurance premiums have nothing to do with it. He pays the premiums and he is still filthy rich. Doctors pay is part of the trouble with health care costing so much. They should probably get half of what they are getting now.

I wouldn't talk like that until you walk in his shoes.

Dealing with body parts and risk yourself getting sick is no easy task. I was a nurse aide, and I know what it is like. Even as a nurse Aide, I wished I was paying alot higher for the jobs I do.

Being a doctor is MENTALLY stressful.

go ahead, go to college and be a doctor and then decide for yourself.

[can4christ]

I'm wondering if you are as adamant about all the things the gov't does without constitutional authority? The list is very long.

While it is true that "the free market is the answer", there is no free market in healthcare. Insurance is not free market. Though voluntary as opposed to gov't taking the money, economically, it works the same way as socialism. Many pay in for the relatively few that need it. If there was no such thing as insurance, the healthcare system would have to charge whatever the market could/would bear. THAT is free enterprise. Do you think that corporations voluntarily started paying healthcare benefits for it's workers? Not. Without unions (which were started by socialists) and strikes, there would be hardly any, if any, companies paying a penney of one's health insurance.

You say your doctor told you that under gov't programs the gov't would dictate the prices of services. That is very true. But you know what? Insurance companies do that all day, every day too. Many folk have been stuck with medical bills because of the doctors fees vs. the insurance company dictating what the doctor or hospital should charge.

Any entity on this earth that is "of the world", will be corrupted. It doesn't matter if gov't runs it or (so called) private groups run it. Insurance companies have on staff, people who's job it is to go through the small print with a fine toothed comb looking for a loop hole that will let the company decline payment on a claim. Bankruptcys and foreclosures are significantly up due to medical costs of individuals. Those costs would never be where they are without insurance, whether from private or gov't. Both are anti-free enterprise.

Issachar
.................................................. .................................................. ....

I am as adamant about all the things congress does with out Constitutional authority. They have no authority for social security, education, healthcare, minimum wage, national parks, oil drilling, welfare, EPA, IRS and the most dangerous and detrimental to the U.S A. the Federal Reserve among others.

I agree with you about health insurance in general, it is the main cause for escalating costs. I remember back in the 60's and 70's, most people did not have insurance and it was relatively cheap to receive health care.