Today I had a little taste of universal health care

[RoseMead]

A little background:

My husband has two daughters from two previous relationships. He has legal custody of one and de facto custody of the other one (mother left when she was two and is content to see her a couple of weekends a month). We are low income, but in the past we haven't had medical cards for the kids, because the older one was covered on her mother's insurance and the baby had a medical card through her mother.

Over the past year, mom with insurance lost her job (and thus insurance) and mom with the medical card moved to another state. So for the first time, we are dealing with the kids' medical cards ourselves.

Today, I took older daughter to have her eyes checked and order new glasses. The last time we did this it was on her mom's insurance, complete with co-pay. While we were in the waiting room, younger daughter's former kindergarten teacher was also there, taking her son for a check-up. She was at the window sorting through different insurance cards she had - one wasn't taken by the doctor, another she wasn't sure included her son, and so on. It took her several minutes just to get that sorted out.

We, on the other hand, just handed the medical card to the office clerk, she photocopied it and gave it back to us...and that was it! We didn't even have to stop at the window on the way out. Everything was covered - including two pairs of glasses, and it was the least hassle I've ever had at a doctor's office in my life.

As I left the office, I couldn't help thinking, This is what it's like in Canada. (In general, I admit I don't know the specifics of Canadian vision care.)

Why can't we have this here for everyone? WHY is this too much to ask?

Anyway, just thought I'd share that little story.

[Cleita]

1. Were you doing this with Medicaid or Schips?

You weren't specific.

[RoseMead]

2. Sorry, Medicaid

I haven't dealt with Schips.

[KoKo]

16. ahh...that's a Government Program...that might be replaced ...so your experience

with MediCaid...will have some revisions.

[RoseMead]

17. Figures. n/t

[eilen]

5. In NY Medicaid will also pay your cab fee to and from the Dr office.

Some adults have "spend downs" -- an amount they have to pay before Medicaid will kick in. Medicaid will also cover only certain medications. For regular preventive care I think it is very good so long as you have a Dr that takes Medicaid patients.

On the Dr. side, Medicaid is not so good, they are compensated about $6.00 for seeing a patient.

[RoseMead]

10. I haven't dealt with adult Medicaid.

And this was my first experience with the kids' program. It surprised me how easy it went today.

I do know it's hard on doctors. I understand that under a true single-payer system, doctors' overhead costs for insurance processing are expected to go down, so I would hope doctors would do better with universal single-payer than they do with the current Medicaid.

[bobbolink]

21. And that's the difference. We adults can go...fish. Most drs won't take it for adults anymore.

In my state, we haven't had dental care ever, and the rest is going down the tubes.

Oh well, at least I don't have that long left to live.

[RoseMead]

23. I understand. I feel that way myself, sometimes.

I hope you're around for a long time. :hug:

[bobbolink]

27. I'm sorry you experience the same thing, and I'm angry that so many of us are in this boat.

I'm pulling my hair out, trying to figure out how to get "progressives" to care.

:(

thanks, RoseMead! :hug:

[aquart]

3. Did you see Sicko?

We are like this because one day Nixon and Ehrlichman had a little conversation which they preserved on tape. You should hear it.

[RoseMead]

Saw it. I was thinking of it

the entire time I was in the doctors's office.

[Clintonista2]

4. Unfortunatlely, vision/dental care is not covered in most provinces in Canada

But in regards to basic health care, that is pretty much what it's like in Canada. You hand in your health card, they swipe it through a machine, and you're good to go from there.

[RoseMead]

8. I remembered reading that England's system

doesn't include dental, but I wasn't sure what limitations there were in Canada. All the Canadian people in Sicko seemed pretty pleased with their health care, I do remember that. :)

[bobbolink]

22. Teeth are expendable, donchaknow.

[sarcasmo]

6. My wife has had Three surgeries in the month of May.

It has really made me appreciate her health care. Everyone deserves full health care coverage. The three surgeries will cost us $1500 out of pocket, which is a lot if you have insurance, if you don't have insurance those three surgeries are a nightmare. Thanks for the article and it should be one of the top three topics debated this campaign season.

[RoseMead]

11. I hope your wife has recovered or is recovering well. :)

I've been without regular insurance for ages. I've resisted applying for Medicaid myself, because I'm one of those people who has no problem with other people getting assistance, but I feel guilty if I do it. Silly, I know.

[sarcasmo]

14. She has only been two weeks since last surgery but is slowly recovering.

Apply, you don't want to have something happen with no coverage, the only thing they can do is tell you No.

[RoseMead]

19. I know. I'm about ready to do it.

I turned 40 on the first, and I'm starting to feel less than invincible.

[sarcasmo]

25. Turning 40 on Sunday.

[Yael]

7. This should not be optional. We MUST get UHC.

The idea that people are profiting off of others being denied coverage just infuriates me.

[RoseMead]

13. A friend and I were discussing this recently.

We have a mutual friend who votes Republican because she thinks Democrats want to take her guns away, but also complains about problems with her health insurance. I half-jokingly said that I'd be willing to vote for a gun in every household if I could have single-payer, universal healthcare to go with it. And I say that as someone who really doesn't have much use for guns.

[kenny blankenship]

9. Because this is America

and God will be angry if it is not Hell to be poor here. What's the good of being rich if the not-rich have a tolerable & secure life?

[RoseMead]

12. I know. It takes all the fun out of looking down on others.

lol Cultivating a feeling of holier-than-thou superiority is a cherished pastime for too many in this country.

[Indenturedebtor]

18. But it's their fault and they deserve to be punished! n/t

[TrogL]

15. I've got Blue Cross through my employer

...but you can get your own, just doesn't cover as much.

In your case it would have covered the eye exam and the first $400 of glasses. I need progressives so I end up paying a bit.

[jwirr]

20. Those of us who have dealt with government medical programs

know why the single payer plan is better. It really does work.

[applegrove]

24. Vision isn't covered under Ontario Health Insurance Plan. You can

have an eye chart done by a family doctor but getting a prescription costs money out of pocket.

[OneBlueSky]

26. the myth perpetuated by the right wingers is that competition is good for healthcare . . .

and will ultimately result in better care and lower prices . . . as usual, experience has proven that the results of competition in healthcare are just the opposite -- far worse care, and out of control prices that line stockholders' and executives' pockets with healthcare dollars that that should be going to actually providing healthcare . . .

in short, the current healthcare/insurance system is a racket designed to make a small number of people very rich at the expense of the rest of us . . .