Comments on: A Student’s Perspective on the Health Care Debate

By: Tricia Reed Quinn

Tricia Reed Quinn — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:51:57 +0000

I agree that health care must be fixed. When I broke my wrists in Roma, I was x-rayed, examined, casted, and given several shots at the hospital. We started to leave the hospital when I realized we hadn’t paid anything. I walked back to the doctor’s office and he told me there was no charge. The only thing I paid was for 3 prescriptions at the farmacia–about $25. Fortunately, we had travel insurance. When we got back to the States I used my Blue Cross/Blue Shield Federal health insurance (pretty good insurance on the scale of things) for my visits to the orthopedic clinic. Then I had to spend several weekends sifting through tons of paperwork to get reimbursed by the travel insurance for the Roma meds, the BCBS deductible, and the items not covered by BCBS. Just one of the reasons I’d like to live in Roma again. Also, the travel insurance was a godsend–it allowed Bill and me to change our flights at no extra cost. The only thing I would have done differently is to have asked that the discharge papers specify that I needed to fly first-class!

By: Scott Coleman

Scott Coleman — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:20:24 +0000

@Jim Smith is what happens when ideology trumps common sense, pragmatism, empathy. The amount of waste incurred by both you, Jon, and the health care system that took care of you during this is a travesty. What a silly little charade it really is to not be able to admit that we could be doing things better. If Singapore can why can’t we? I highly recommend taking a look at what Singapore does btw. They spend 3.7% of GDP on healthcare compared to our 15% and get vastly better care in the process. ~10% of our GDP is spent needlessly on a broken system. I pay taxes but that doesn’t help me understand why we waste so much money. Nobody is asking to government to pay for the entire population’s health care. Conservatives continue to refuse to realize that they’re already literally paying out of their own pockets when one of the 40 million people who doesn’t have health care goes to the hospital. Those bills are payed by increased premiums, taxes and an inflationary health care system. I vote we put @Jim Smith at the gate and have him decide who does and who doesn’t get to see the doctors …and pray that he’d realize the human condition isn’t as neat and black and white as he thinks it is.

Also enjoyed reading this transcript today: http://www.pnhp.org/blog/2009/06/10/house-help-committee-hearing-on-single-payer/

By: J. Lange

J. Lange — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:50:01 +0000

Whoa, I am really glad you shared this and certainly excited that you are still among the living. I know that it faced with the same situation, I couldn’t pay because my Dad lost our insurance after 30+ years in a factory rendered him disabled and Medicare is a horribly broken situation. We get by, so far, but I know I am one broken bone or one scary brush with an infection away from ending college.

Anyways, here’s hoping the best for you (and your liver)!

By: Jim Smith

Jim Smith — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:35:13 +0000

Sounds like you got a hell of a deal! Any idea what doctors make? Think of all the work that went into your drugs and tests. I think you should be grateful and not expect the government to pay your way. You already get free tuition. One day you will pay taxes and understand, until then quit your bitchin.

Glad you are better.

By: adrienne margaux

adrienne margaux — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:05:29 +0000

damn, sorry to hear about that shit! i had mono once, during an important art competition, and it suckkkkkkkkked. and that would be an understatement.
….you ever wonder if the universities sometimes set students up to financially fail? because sometimes, it sure as hell seems that way.