Tax Burden? I will Send you My Bill

......7.07.06...........I lost my insurance coverage over a year ago after pretty much having it most of my life. I can see now that i took it for granted. Recent experiences have opened my eyes to the "other" side of the American medical system. And it is a mess. The insurance companies aid in deciding what medicines and doctors should charge (and even, in some cases, what they can prescribe). . When the insurance companies say they can raise the price, most do. So, it has nothing to do with "real" cost. Hospitals are businesses for the most part. There are people who work for them who have a sincere desire to help people, but the entity is a business. And they will not hesitate suing anyone for money they didn't get because they overcharged or you did not have insurance. And they do not care. It is now becoming more and more common place for people to have very large medical debts on their credit report. I worked very hard to keep my credit report clean. It is destroyed now. I have to wonder how many people die, or how many people are suffering from inadequate or no health care. I was given a list of "free" clinics (or ones that will work with those who don't have insurance) from two local hospitals (one in Independence and one in Shawnee Mission), but after calling them could not get in unless I had AIDS or was pregnant (which neither is a problem for me). And that was a general response from those that actually answered the phone. Then I was referred to doctors that i could not afford......and that list is very long. American politicians want to spend time debating issues like a war across the ocean, the price of gas, and their own salary increase while there are many Americans across the country that just want to be healthy. And, anyone who says that health care for everyone is just to much of a tax burden is more than welcome to pay my medical bill.

Medicaid? For Who?

medicaid protest

.....07.06.06.....In order to make it even more difficult for the people who need help from Medicaid to get the help they need, Federal legislators have passsed a law requiring more ID: A birth certificate. When you are poor, do you carry one around with you? Do you have one handy? But even more important....can you afford to get one? You came to get help through Medicaid because you don't have the money to afford medical help. Now you have to come up withmore money you don't have. Just more indication of how far out of touch most legislators are with the subject of health care.

American Health Care: A good Way to Die

.......[c]2006 by
Richard L Zorek......7.05.06...........
That's just the way it is. There may be people on the staff that have true compassion for people and their health, but the hosptal as a whole it nothing more than a business out to make money. And not just a little money. A lot of money. An overnight visit at Shawnee Mission Hospital here in Kansas City cost $15,000. That didn't include the tests or doctors....that was just the stay. Shouldn't I have gotten room with a fridge and a pool and suana for that? Ot steak dinner with wine? I could have gotten the same care at the Motel 6 and just walked over for my tests. That would have only cost me about $60.