A question about Medical Insurance: Is this fair?

I don't know about other states, but in the state of New York, a poor person with no income can get free medical insurance (Medicaid). This insurance is absolutely free, so expensive drugs and medical services cost nothing. Examples: 1. Drugs which cost hundreds of dollars are completely free for Medicaid recipients. 2. A medicaid recipient who receives standard or emergency medical services recieves a bill of $0.00. However, people with jobs, even those with low income jobs, can't receive Medicaid. Do you think this is fair?

Well here in Florida you can pretty much buy any drug for $3 generic, as long as it's not something insane like cancer pills, and the whole hospital thing is lame, just don't give em your social and you get free treatment since they can't deny you, or just claim you're illegal. It's not really fair, but it's not something you can simply fix over night.

*This reminds me of some local guy robbing a Wells Fargo to simply get into prison so he could get free chemotherapy because he didn't qualify for medicare.

Personally I don't think so.

Would you rather these poor people have no insurance, go to the emergency room, be treated and not be able to pay, so the hospital system has to pay, which gets passed on to other folks through higher prices.

Either way isn't fair.

Fairly certain Medicaid still requires co-pays on many drugs. Plus the biggest difference is those on Medicaid are often very limited as to which Doctors accept that form of coverage, so although the care is "free", medical providers that will actually attend to them tend to be in 'lower income' areas and getting any sort of help isn't always very easy. SaintLeonidas

Would you rather these poor people have no insurance, go to the emergency room, be treated and not be able to pay, so the hospital system has to pay, which gets passed on to other folks through higher prices.

Either way isn't fair.

kabphillie

I think that working people with low incomes should also qualify. If you have no income and are a Medicaid recipient, once you obtain a job, even a low income one (minimum wage), your Medicaid is cut. That's not fair.

[QUOTE="SaintLeonidas"]Fairly certain Medicaid still requires co-pays on many drugs. Plus the biggest difference is those on Medicaid are often very limited as to which Doctors accept that form of coverage, so although the care is "free", medical providers that will actually attend to them tend to be in 'lower income' areas and getting any sort of help isn't always very easy. Fightingfan

[QUOTE="kabphillie"]

Would you rather these poor people have no insurance, go to the emergency room, be treated and not be able to pay, so the hospital system has to pay, which gets passed on to other folks through higher prices.

Either way isn't fair.

Laihendi

because dying because your poor is way more fair.

I think that working people with low incomes should also qualify. If you have no income and are a Medicaid recipient, once you obtain a job, even a low income one (minimum wage), your Medicaid is cut. That's not fair.

BluRayHiDef

Since you are working, isnt that where health insurance comes into effect, including the now-mandated government health insurance?

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"][QUOTE="SaintLeonidas"]Fairly certain Medicaid still requires co-pays on many drugs. Plus the biggest difference is those on Medicaid are often very limited as to which Doctors accept that form of coverage, so although the care is "free", medical providers that will actually attend to them tend to be in 'lower income' areas and getting any sort of help isn't always very easy. SaintLeonidas

Here is an article explaining why some medical institutions don't accept Medicaid.

[QUOTE="kabphillie"]

Would you rather these poor people have no insurance, go to the emergency room, be treated and not be able to pay, so the hospital system has to pay, which gets passed on to other folks through higher prices.

Either way isn't fair.

Laihendi

Here is an article explaining why some medical institutions don't accept Medicaid.

BluRayHiDef

[QUOTE="Laihendi"][QUOTE="kabphillie"]

Would you rather these poor people have no insurance, go to the emergency room, be treated and not be able to pay, so the hospital system has to pay, which gets passed on to other folks through higher prices.

Either way isn't fair.

Guybrush_3

because dying because your poor is way more fair.

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]

I think that working people with low incomes should also qualify. If you have no income and are a Medicaid recipient, once you obtain a job, even a low income one (minimum wage), your Medicaid is cut. That's not fair.

XaosII

Since you are working, isnt that where health insurance comes into effect, including the now-mandated government health insurance?

Interesting, I guess different states handle it different, I typically visited my doctor in Naples, and I had medicare as a child, and if you simply google 'Naples Florida' there's no low income what-so-ever in that city. Personally I don't see the point in health insurance(unless for surgeries, which is sketchy, they typically don't even cover dental), I much rather just pay my doctor 125 bucks and go to CVS and get my generic meds for $3, since I maybe go to the doctor once every two years.Fightingfan

Once every two YEARS? Jesus Christ man, until about a year ago I was at the doctors 48 weeks out of the year (not all week, only on Mondays). Now it's somewhat less, but every two years?? Sounds like a dream to me. Hopefully you'll never have to see the point in health insurance, but personally I can't see anything being more relevant.

On-topic: people able to work should pay their way, but those who've been dealt a sh!tty hand and are fighting against constant illness should be lent some assistance. Or at the very least, not looked down upon by those who've had the biggest blessing life could ever give them.

[QUOTE="Guybrush_3"]

[QUOTE="Laihendi"] Charity should be voluntary. That means people who can't afford medical care shouldn't be given medical care unless someone voluntary offers him/her an opportunity to receive medical care as an act of charity.Laihendi

because dying because your poor is way more fair.

I don't know how Obama Care works, but I doubt that a company/ employer would dish out money to take care of a minimum-wage employee's medical expenses. The employee would cost the company/ employer too much money and would't be worth hiring.BluRayHiDef

Well... Thats kinda how insurance works, even for low wage workers. Even low wage workers pay for the insurance during times when they aren't sick.

I'm not terribly familiar with how corporate insurance policy rates work, but i dont believe they simply jack up the price if several employees use the insurance. The point of having the insurance is to use it.

As far as the government manded insurance works, anyone not under employer healthcare has to pay either $95 a year for an individual, or $285 for families. That will be to cover insurance.

At that point, medicaid will be provided for far less individuals.

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"] Interesting, I guess different states handle it different, I typically visited my doctor in Naples, and I had medicare as a child, and if you simply google 'Naples Florida' there's no low income what-so-ever in that city. Personally I don't see the point in health insurance(unless for surgeries, which is sketchy, they typically don't even cover dental), I much rather just pay my doctor 125 bucks and go to CVS and get my generic meds for $3, since I maybe go to the doctor once every two years.MirkoS77

Once every two YEARS? Jesus Christ man, until about a year ago I was at the doctors 48 weeks out of the year (not all week, only on Mondays). Now it's somewhat less, but every two years?? Sounds like a dream to me. Hopefully you'll never have to see the point in health insurance, but personally I can't see anything being more relevant.

On-topic: people able to work should pay their way, but those who've been dealt a sh!tty hand and are fighting against constant illness should be lent some assistance. Or at the very least, not looked down upon by those who've had the biggest blessing life could ever give them.

What about minimum-wage workers? They can't even afford the average cost of living, so how do you suppose they'd be able to afford medical insurance?BluRayHiDef

Where are you from Blu? You always link articles to my home town in your threads, the Fort Myers/Naples/Estero area, quite scary.Fightingfan

Yes, it's fair imo.

I know I would rather be middle class and paying for insurance than broke with free care.

It needs to be expanded since Obamacare doesn't mirror it.

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"]Where are you from Blu? You always link articles to my home town in your threads, the Fort Myers/Naples/Estero area, quite scary.BluRayHiDef

FYI, I'm not against social programs. However, I think they should be implemented more fairly.BluRayHiDef

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]FYI, I'm not against social programs. However, I think they should be implemented more fairly.LJS9502_basic

Its totally fine to disagree and have conservative principles, but as you noted, no one has actually attacked him and put words in his mouth like "i bet he hates poor people." His ideas aren't ass backwards, like most conservative view points, and he's asking for more information.

And plenty of middle class and upper class people take advantage of social programs, especially education.

[QUOTE="BluRayHiDef"]FYI, I'm not against social programs. However, I think they should be implemented more fairly.LJS9502_basic

[QUOTE="Guybrush_3"]

[QUOTE="Laihendi"] Charity should be voluntary. That means people who can't afford medical care shouldn't be given medical care unless someone voluntary offers him/her an opportunity to receive medical care as an act of charity.Laihendi

because dying because your poor is way more fair.

It is fair for someone to die if they have no means of living and there is no one who actually wants to help them.Laihendi

I think that working people with low incomes should also qualify. If you have no income and are a Medicaid recipient, once you obtain a job, even a low income one (minimum wage), your Medicaid is cut. That's not fair.

BluRayHiDef

[QUOTE="Laihendi"][QUOTE="Guybrush_3"]

because dying because your poor is way more fair.

JoGoSo

[QUOTE="Laihendi"][QUOTE="Guybrush_3"]

because dying because your poor is way more fair.

JoGoSo

[QUOTE="JoGoSo"][QUOTE="Laihendi"] It is fair for someone to die if they have no means of living and there is no one who actually wants to help them.Laihendi

[QUOTE="SaintLeonidas"]Fairly certain Medicaid still requires co-pays on many drugs. Plus the biggest difference is those on Medicaid are often very limited as to which Doctors accept that form of coverage, so although the care is "free", medical providers that will actually attend to them tend to be in 'lower income' areas and getting any sort of help isn't always very easy. Fightingfan

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"][QUOTE="SaintLeonidas"]Fairly certain Medicaid still requires co-pays on many drugs. Plus the biggest difference is those on Medicaid are often very limited as to which Doctors accept that form of coverage, so although the care is "free", medical providers that will actually attend to them tend to be in 'lower income' areas and getting any sort of help isn't always very easy. sSubZerOo

[QUOTE="Fightingfan"][QUOTE="SaintLeonidas"]Fairly certain Medicaid still requires co-pays on many drugs. Plus the biggest difference is those on Medicaid are often very limited as to which Doctors accept that form of coverage, so although the care is "free", medical providers that will actually attend to them tend to be in 'lower income' areas and getting any sort of help isn't always very easy. sSubZerOo

That's not entirely true. Medicaid doesn't necessarily cover every medicine. Furthermore, many doctors won't take medicaid. It pays them very little compared to medicaid or other insurances. So many doctors choose not to take it because they lose money on every patient seen with it. But regardless, if the problem is that working class people get screwed, then you should strive to make the system better for them instead of trying to equalize it by making it worse for medicaid recipients.

I think that working people with low incomes should also qualify. If you have no income and are a Medicaid recipient, once you obtain a job, even a low income one (minimum wage), your Medicaid is cut. That's not fair.

BluRayHiDef

If it's completely eliminated, that is a problem. However, as people make more money (i.e., increase to a lower income job from no job) it makes sense that they should put forth more as income rises, eventually to the point where they cover their costs at a certain income level deemed enough to support themselves.

Would you rather these poor people have no insurance, go to the emergency room, be treated and not be able to pay, so the hospital system has to pay, which gets passed on to other folks through higher prices.

Either way isn't fair.

kabphillie

That's what happens anyways. Hence Romney/Obamacare.

[QUOTE="JoGoSo"][QUOTE="Laihendi"] It is fair for someone to die if they have no means of living and there is no one who actually wants to help them.Laihendi

Not every tax payer wants to pay taxes. Yet the government forces them anyway. And if you refuse still, specially designated people will come by your house, and take all your sh[size=1].[/size]it! And the house, too!

Can you believe this?! Those blood sucking commie-fascist pigdogs!

Personally i think it's stupid that we even pay "medical bills" , if someone doesn't have enough money you'll just leave him to die?. It should be free for everyone.