Monday, April 13, 2009

Healthcare delema

In looking at the problem of healthcare here's a bit of a breakdown of where we stand at present. The U.S. spends $2 trillion dollars each year on healthcare. We have 50 million without healthcare at present and that number is expected to go up as unemployment rises. The average cost for those with coverage (including employer payments) is $12,000 per year. And now for the 800 lb. guerilla that no body wants to talk about but was discussed at the White House today. That would be the fact that as people age and are headed for that dirt nap they usually land up in the hospital or at some hospice. All the costs of this are covered under Medicare. You can just imagine the amount of money that's spent when grandma spends a month or two in the hospital before her passing. But we don't give it any thought and never see a bill. Stop to remember that in the next ten years the population will hit retirement. That adds up to over one third of the population. I recall being in the hospital some years back and one night cost some $11,000. I was thankful I had insurance at the time. I did have to pay a couple of hundred of that but it wasn't a bank breaker. Now having been out of work for quit a while now I have no idea what I'd do.

It's easy to see the problem with people moving to the last days. Even at $5000 per day someone spending a month in the hospital would run a bill of $150,000 or more. So universal healthcare would be a benefit for both the worker and the employer. If we all had the same coverage as our congressmen it would work. And don't let them (congress) fool you into thinking you should pay thousands in premiums. They don't pay very much in premiums (about $100 per month). They pay a co pay of 10% of the total bill. That on top of making $174,000 a year along with pension and social security. So there they expect us slobs to pay several thousand dollars for a COBRA that we can't afford. (I know they just gave a 65% deal off the COBRA) but that one came too late for me and even still it was still cheaper to just pay as you go in my case.

So here's what's going on with healthcare right now and something you can investigate.

Healthcare for America Now

5 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

I wouldn't note normally a typo, but when it's in the title, it shows up in my RSS feed - it's dilemma.

Demeur said...

Well good at least I have your attention. Spelling never was my forte but with the lack of traffic I'll take anything I can get. Often it's just that I compose very late at night and forgo spellcheck. Lazy me.

jmsjoin said...

I am a firm believer in universal health care though I am all set. One of our friends calls it socialism and hates Obama' I do not care what it's called we need it.
I think it is a great idea to make congress use the same system then they will make sure it works!

Tom Harper said...

I liked John Edwards' idea, when he was still a candidate. He was planning to revoke Congress' health care benefits until "socialized medicine" was available for all Americans. That's the key. Congress and the general public should have the same health coverage, whatever that coverage is.

Since so many countries have better health coverage than the U.S., and pay less for it, we need to find out what they're doing. Our version isn't working.

BBC said...

I'd like to see a health care plan everyone can agree on.

But I don't think that is going to happen being as everyone wants to live forever.

If you ask me it would be pretty damn expensive.