Reply #28: my son's 6 month stay in 1991 at chla cost almost a cool million... [View All]

[unapatriciated]

my share of cost with what was considered excellent insurance was 20k (and that was just the first year).
He went on to have many stays in chla for a ten year period.
He is now 30 and on SSI and medicare and fights every day to get his medication and follow-up care for Dermatomyositis.

I had to sell my home and take out credit card loans to cover the many medical expenses (such as medications and physical therapy) that my insurance would deny but later cover some after numerous letters and phone calls.
It took me until 2006 to pay off those loans.

Yes now is the time for Single Payer Universal Health Care

edited to add:
http://action.citizen.org/t/6693/content.jsp?content_KEY=5722

Get the Facts on Health Care Reform

Myth: Single-payer would cost too much.

Fact: Because of our patchwork system of private insurance, more than 30% of every health care dollar is spent on administration rather than on care. This includes underwriting, marketing, billing, denying claims, profit and paper-pushing that is foisted on hospitals and physician offices. By eliminating private insurance, a single-payer system would reduce administrative spending by roughly half (nearly $400 billion annually). These savings are enough to provide every American with comprehensive health insurance, without increasing total spending.

Myth: Single-payer would cost businesses too much.

Fact: Because a single-payer system is more efficient than our current system, health care costs would be lower, and businesses that already provide health care benefits would save money. In Canada, the three major auto manufacturers (Ford, GM and Daimler-Chrysler) have all publicly endorsed Canada's single-payer health system from a business and financial standpoint. In the U.S., Ford pays more for its workers' health insurance than for the steel to make its cars.

Myth: Lines for care would be extremely long.

Fact: In countries with single-payer, urgently needed care is always provided immediately. People in these countries may have to wait for some elective procedures like cataract removal or knee replacement for arthritis, but because the U.S. spends double what they do on health care -- and would continue to spend this much under a single-payer system -- access to care here would be better and our waits would be much shorter.