Life after January 1: The new world of the newly insured

by confuzzled dude Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:37 am

"If it was a relief for Blair to finally have insurance, it was a relief for Hamilton, too, who grew up in Breathitt and worried often about fragile patients like Blair who were so often neighbors, old classmates, former teachers or distant relatives in the close-knit county. He was used to answering late-night calls from patients panicked over chest pains but afraid to go to the emergency room lest they incur thousands of dollars in bills and wind up with their name published in the newspaper, which is how the local for-profit hospital went about collecting bills.

“I’m always hearing, ‘I don’t want to get my name in that paper,’ ” he said.

On this day, though, he was slightly less worried, because Blair had insurance. He ordered a chest X-ray, prescribed medicine for the cough and adjusted one of her 13 prescriptions, pills that ran her about $100 a month before Jan. 1 but were about $2 each now."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/life-after-jan-1-kentucky-clinic-offers-early-glimpse-at-realities-of-health-care-law/2014/02/01/a25c506a-8ad1-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html?hpid=z1

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sun Feb 02, 2014 12:14 pm

confuzzled dude wrote:"If it was a relief for Blair to finally have insurance, it was a relief for Hamilton, too, who grew up in Breathitt and worried often about fragile patients like Blair who were so often neighbors, old classmates, former teachers or distant relatives in the close-knit county. He was used to answering late-night calls from patients panicked over chest pains but afraid to go to the emergency room lest they incur thousands of dollars in bills and wind up with their name published in the newspaper, which is how the local for-profit hospital went about collecting bills.

“I’m always hearing, ‘I don’t want to get my name in that paper,’ ” he said.

On this day, though, he was slightly less worried, because Blair had insurance. He ordered a chest X-ray, prescribed medicine for the cough and adjusted one of her 13 prescriptions, pills that ran her about $100 a month before Jan. 1 but were about $2 each now."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/life-after-jan-1-kentucky-clinic-offers-early-glimpse-at-realities-of-health-care-law/2014/02/01/a25c506a-8ad1-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html?hpid=z1

There is a downside too. Some of these poor patients - forgetting this is all subsidized - demand a referral and to see a "specialist" for anything and everything. One can count the number of neurologists, neurosurgeons even in cities (other than the big ones on the coasts). It takes 6 months to a year to get an appointment with a specialist in some areas. Also, expect many in these specialties not taking this insurance. The patients don't understand the limitations and demand to see one just bcz they have "insurance". It will take 3 to 5 years to see how the cost pans out in all this.

by confuzzled dude Sun Feb 02, 2014 1:39 pm

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
There is a downside too. Some of these poor patients - forgetting this is all subsidized - demand a referral and to see a "specialist" for anything and everything. One can count the number of neurologists, neurosurgeons even in cities (other than the big ones on the coasts). It takes 6 months to a year to get an appointment with a specialist in some areas. Also, expect many in these specialties not taking this insurance. The patients don't understand the limitations and demand to see one just bcz they have "insurance". It will take 3 to 5 years to see how the cost pans out in all this.

-> Here is an excerpt from that article highlighting arguments from both sides. I personally think in the short term will cause a spike but will be cost effective in long run.

"This is the world that many critics of the new health-care law have worried about, one in which the sick and the poor expand the ranks of Medicaid while other Americans see premiums rise, policies canceled or favorite doctors booted out of networks.

Supporters of the new law argue that another scenario will unfold in places such as eastern Kentucky, in which the sick and the poor get insurance, seek treatment for long-neglected illnesses and prevent other health problems down the line, ultimately saving the health-care system billions in emergency-room visits and other costs."

by nevada Mon Feb 03, 2014 2:19 pm

My Pakistani neighbors are happy with Obamacare. They are a self employed couple with a small business. They make less than 90k combined income so they qualified for a govt subsidized insurance plan.
Unrelated to the topic - they had invited me over for dinner last night. Biryani and goat curry they served was awesome.

by confuzzled dude Mon Feb 03, 2014 3:48 pm

nevada wrote:My Pakistani neighbors are happy with Obamacare. They are a self employed couple with a small business. They make less than 90k combined income so they qualified for a govt subsidized insurance plan.
Unrelated to the topic - they had invited me over for dinner last night. Biryani and goat curry they served was awesome.

Good to know. Cal has state run exchanges so they probably didn't run into the snags that others did with that website.

OTOH, you're running the risk of being labelled as Pseudo/Isalamic seculur/terrorist sympathizer.

by truthbetold Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:00 pm

nevada wrote:My Pakistani neighbors are happy with Obamacare. They are a self employed couple with a small business. They make less than 90k combined income so they qualified for a govt subsidized insurance plan.
Unrelated to the topic - they had invited me over for dinner last night. Biryani and goat curry they served was awesome.

Pakis are the best goat curry makers in the world.
of bestest is published by granddaughter of nizam from his kitchen. if i can find it i will post.it.
paradise biryani available across many us cities is good.

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