All day today, as I worked away at my desk, I listened to passionate debate about the proposed health care reform plan by Obama. First of all, I will say that I do believe we need reform in the health care system. To some extent, the government would have to be involved. However, in my opinion, the government should not "become" health care. In all honesty, the majority of the problem lies in the insurance companies, employers, and lazy individuals who are sucking our government aid dry when they are fully capable of working and gaining their own benefits.
As a person working in health care, I feel I'm aware of some things that most citizens who do not work in health care are not. For that reason, I feel it is important that I voice my opinions honestly. While rumors have circulated and emotions run high, I find myself more fearful for our country. Listening to discussions between regular citizens of our great country and the leaders that represent them, it seems as if there is a great divide between what it means to represent a group of people and what it takes to get re-elected to office.
First of all, while your doctor does set charges for certain procedures and visits, the insurance companies are the ones who regulate the charges. For instance, a while back we began giving a certain injection in the office. After receiving payment from the insurance companies for this injection, we realized they weren't even covering the cost to administer it. Therefore, we had to raise the cost of the injection in order to get the insurance companies to reimburse us enough to cover the injection and pull a small profit. When a charge is increased, it isn't because the physician is becoming greedy...it's because the insurance companies refuse to pay the amount that would cover the injection thus increasing the cost to not only the insurance companies, but self-pay patients themselves.
Secondly, the doctor is not your insurance company and does not have the responsibility of knowing your benefits. It is important that you know what benefits you have through your policy and be aware of what deductibles and coinsurance (out-of-pocket) expense you have to pay. In my personal opinion, out-of-pocket expenses should be regulated. The high cost of insurance itself should be enough. However, I can't even begin to count the number of times someone has gotten angry over a bill because they didn't know they had a deductible and feel we should've informed them. Know your insurance plan inside and out! If you are unsure if your insurance company will pay, call and ask.
Thirdly, the government needs to desperately regulate the health care they provide now. I don't know how many times I've seen people with Medicaid who could be out working a job and obtaining benefits. Instead, these individuals suck the well dry! I worked for a social security lawyer...I met the clients...most didn't deserve or need any sort of welfare or disability. They simply needed to stop being so lazy and get to work.
Lastly, a doctor's real detriment is his overhead. The problem these days is every insurance company and employer wants paperwork, paperwork, prior authorizations, and more paperwork. However, someone has to fill that out. Therefore, you don't get the care and time you need with your physician because they are too busy jumping through hoops to please your insurance company. Not to mention, the need to hire more people increases to get these things accomplished and thus increases the doctor's overhead forcing doctors to have to decrease the amount of time spent with a patient and double book leaving you in the waiting room for an hour simply to make enough money to pay his employees and keep the lights on.
The government should set in motion law that would force insurance companies into certain submission. This should be what regulates the rates of the policies, reimbursement for the physicians (which should be 80% of all charges, if you ask me), patient's out of pocket expenses, and the fine print policies of every insurance company (such as pre-existing conditions).
For those without coverage, the medicaid system should be revamped. To be covered by such a government policy, the individual should represent need for health care, inability to obtain the benefits of health care through a employer, and be offered a plan at minimal cost. However, this should not be indefinite and should be re-evaluated on a regular basis to ensure individuals aren't cheating the system.
I could go on and on all day...but I'll have to pause for now. I'm getting typers cramp and my brain is going a mile a second...much more to come!
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As a person working in health care, I feel I'm aware of some things that most citizens who do not work in health care are not. For that reason, I feel it is important that I voice my opinions honestly. While rumors have circulated and emotions run high, I find myself more fearful for our country. Listening to discussions between regular citizens of our great country and the leaders that represent them, it seems as if there is a great divide between what it means to represent a group of people and what it takes to get re-elected to office.
First of all, while your doctor does set charges for certain procedures and visits, the insurance companies are the ones who regulate the charges. For instance, a while back we began giving a certain injection in the office. After receiving payment from the insurance companies for this injection, we realized they weren't even covering the cost to administer it. Therefore, we had to raise the cost of the injection in order to get the insurance companies to reimburse us enough to cover the injection and pull a small profit. When a charge is increased, it isn't because the physician is becoming greedy...it's because the insurance companies refuse to pay the amount that would cover the injection thus increasing the cost to not only the insurance companies, but self-pay patients themselves.
Secondly, the doctor is not your insurance company and does not have the responsibility of knowing your benefits. It is important that you know what benefits you have through your policy and be aware of what deductibles and coinsurance (out-of-pocket) expense you have to pay. In my personal opinion, out-of-pocket expenses should be regulated. The high cost of insurance itself should be enough. However, I can't even begin to count the number of times someone has gotten angry over a bill because they didn't know they had a deductible and feel we should've informed them. Know your insurance plan inside and out! If you are unsure if your insurance company will pay, call and ask.
Thirdly, the government needs to desperately regulate the health care they provide now. I don't know how many times I've seen people with Medicaid who could be out working a job and obtaining benefits. Instead, these individuals suck the well dry! I worked for a social security lawyer...I met the clients...most didn't deserve or need any sort of welfare or disability. They simply needed to stop being so lazy and get to work.
Lastly, a doctor's real detriment is his overhead. The problem these days is every insurance company and employer wants paperwork, paperwork, prior authorizations, and more paperwork. However, someone has to fill that out. Therefore, you don't get the care and time you need with your physician because they are too busy jumping through hoops to please your insurance company. Not to mention, the need to hire more people increases to get these things accomplished and thus increases the doctor's overhead forcing doctors to have to decrease the amount of time spent with a patient and double book leaving you in the waiting room for an hour simply to make enough money to pay his employees and keep the lights on.
The government should set in motion law that would force insurance companies into certain submission. This should be what regulates the rates of the policies, reimbursement for the physicians (which should be 80% of all charges, if you ask me), patient's out of pocket expenses, and the fine print policies of every insurance company (such as pre-existing conditions).
For those without coverage, the medicaid system should be revamped. To be covered by such a government policy, the individual should represent need for health care, inability to obtain the benefits of health care through a employer, and be offered a plan at minimal cost. However, this should not be indefinite and should be re-evaluated on a regular basis to ensure individuals aren't cheating the system.
I could go on and on all day...but I'll have to pause for now. I'm getting typers cramp and my brain is going a mile a second...much more to come!
