[BITList] Bitter Pill: The Exorbitant Prices of Health Care

[x50type at cox.net]

Hugh

Sorry to hear of the bereavement. Harking to the zilch cost of the hospital care; I have been unable to find any recent stats on the cost per day of intensive care in the US, all I can say is it’s bloody expensive.

I think we have all heard how ridiculously expensive and badly broken US healthcare is, it is so broken that I think it is beyond anyone’s ability to fix it. 
not helping is the republican attitude towards the 45 million who don’t have health insurance because they cant afford it. incidentally recent stats show a widening gap between those at the bottom and those at  the top. 46.2 % or so live on or below the poverty line of $23,050, 0.3% make more than $23,000,000...........a google search will reveal more stats. on US poverty.

The republican attitude towards the poor is that they are irresponsible for being poor, and the government should not ‘reward’ irresponsibility – as if being poor and being unable to pay for medical insurance is a personal choice......................................‘nuf said.

Because the cost of healthcare is so expensive, it is no surprise that the No.1 cause of bankruptcy is medical expense..

10 Leading Causes of Bankruptcy
Percentages represent reasons an individual files bankruptcy. Sources were combined to average top reasons Americans filed.

Medical Expenses (42%)
Recent studies have shown that 42% of all personal bankruptcies are a result of medical expenses. The study also reveals that 78% of those who filed had insurance.

Job Loss (22%)
Millions of Americans are unemployed, which makes them much more likely to file for bankruptcy. Unemployed individuals often pay for insurance out-of-pocket.

Uncontrolled Spending (15%)
Credit card bills, large mortgages, and expensive car payments contribute to bankruptcy. Uncontrolled spending habits can put Americans on a path to filing.

Divorce (8%)
Legal fees, child support, alimony and the burden of providing for a household on one income can result in ample financial stress. Divorce rates are nearly 50% in America.

Unexpected Disaster (7%)
Unexpected disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes can be nearly impossible to prepare for. If a homeowner is without insurance, this can possibly lead to bankruptcy.

Avoiding Foreclosure (1.5%)
An individual can spend a life time preparing to purchase a home. Just to avoid foreclosure, some Americans will file for bankruptcy to re-organize debt.

Poor Financial Planning (1.5%)
Not having a sound financial plan can lead to bankruptcy. Financial experts recommend establishing savings for expenses that could lead to debt.

Preventing Loss of Utilities (1%)
Along with home foreclosure is the risk of losing utilities. Keeping lights on and a house warm can be a factor for someone to file.

Student Loans (1%)
Student loans won't be eliminated like other unsecured debt, but it may be possible to consolidate student loans with a bankruptcy.

Preventing Repossession (1%)
If a creditor repossessed your vehicle, filing bankruptcy may force them to return the car, and any other personal property that may have been repossessed.

The US answer to universal healthcare [the affordable care act – or ‘Obama care’] is slowly coming into effect and although it is the law of the land now, republicans continue to fight it tooth and nail, in fact their choice of presidential candidate Mitt [effin stupid name] Romney declared that on the first day of his presidency he would strike down the affordable care act – this from a bastard who pays no tax on his >$1.75 million per MONTH.

Up the rich and fuck the poor – ain’t capitalism grand!



colin














From: HUGH 
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2013 10:47 AM
To: BitList 
Subject: Re: [BITList] Bitter Pill: The Exorbitant Prices of Health Care

Saturday afternoon,

Colin,

My wife's brother was taken to hospital in Greenock here last Friday/Saturday, suffering from a very very sore knee. He died on Monday night of streptococcal septicaemia and multiple organ failure and was cremated on Thursday. For all but the first few hours he was on life support, 24/7 dialysis, blood and plasma, and a cocktail of antibiotics, with 3 staff in constant attendance. Cost up front to us = zilch.  Our problems seem small when I consider USA health care.

Hugh.


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