I carry a private HSA compatible insurance plan via a big name company for myself and the kids. While we have $2000.00 individual deductibles or a combined $6000.00 deductible for family, our monthly premiums are only around $300.00 total. We use a lot of preventative measures to stay healthy and find we need very little medical care. We have an urgent care or doctor’s office visit once or twice (total among the three of us) every 12-36 months, which may cost us on average $200 (every 12-36 months). The insurance card itself grants us some great discounts even for non-covered things. For example, I have a hypothyroid condition. Blood labs would cost $100+ every three months because I have no lab coverage. However, the discount (contracted rate) with my insurance company brings that $100 down to $10 and literally saves me 90%. My point is that it has saved us many thousands over the years to pay less out in premiums and we still have routine physical exams and well-child exams covered 100% and catastrophic coverage to protect us. Okay. Enough unsolicited advice.

The insurance billing nightmare sucks. As I am also a health care provider and a provider for a couple dozen private insurances, I am also familiar with medical billing. It’s often a nightmare from every angle and a massive time sucker to achieve the goal of getting claims reimbursed and reimbursed CORRECTLY. God forbid a “mistake” is made from any angle–like submitting something that SHOULD NOT have ever even been submitted. Good luck on that one!

NBC POLL: PLURALITY OPPOSES PUBLIC OPTION

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/08/18/2033674.aspx

I guess we can’t agree that a “strong plurality” of Americans want a public “option”, but I am not entirely opposed to the idea myself. I don’t want anyone to die because they don’t have money. I’m not a bad guy, really. I just have VERY strong reservations about turning over the healthcare system to a bunch of idiots in Washington that care about nothing but getting re-elected. I see first hand everyday how both Medicare and Medicaid make everyone’s life extremely difficult and create so much red tape that it’s nearly impossible to take care of patients the way they should be cared for. When you throw in a THIRD government sponsored healthcare plan, it will make things even worse. I genuinely believe that anyone who would use the “public option” will eventually get healthcare that is far below the standards offered to others. It will create a MUCH larger gap between the “haves” and “have-nots”. Rich people will get MRI’s and surgery because they can afford it. The “public option” folks will get the substandard care that Medicaid patients get now. Maybe worse. If you can convince me that we can provide exceptional healthcare to everyone without increasing taxes, I could get on board. Right now, I just don’t see how it’s possible (unless we just keep printing more money).

Go to question 34a: http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/090617_NBC-WSJ_poll_Full.pdf

Though we can’t agree on anything when it comes to health care, can we at least agree that the public option is something a strong plurality of Americans want?

With that, I’ll stop hijacking Otis’ comment thread.

I agree, the current system does not work perfectly. There is no TRUE private sector insurance. With a government mandate of employer-provided coverage, it completely destroys the concept of a free market. Customers are not allowed to choose their insurance. This leaves folks like you and Otis out in the cold to buy a product the insurance companies don’t even want to sell. Much like a contractor that gives you a HUGE bid so you won’t hire him because he really doesn’t want your small job. The insurance companies don’t want to deal with individuals. It’s just too much effort for very little reward. However, if we ALL had to find our own health insurance (like we do with car insurance, homeowners, and EVERYTHING else in our lives), the free market could work.

And please don’t feed me the Obama line of “public option to compete with the private sector”. We all know the private sector could never compete with a government plan that is funded with a bottomless pit of taxes and doesn’t ever have to turn a profit.

76% of Americans want a public insurance option to compete with the private sector and drive down costs but we’ll never, ever get it. The health insurance industry and the drug companies have spent decades lining the pockets of legislators on both sides of the aisle to make sure it never happens. After all, why give the people what they want when it would cost the insurance companies a hefty portion of the potential 44 million new customers who will be forced to buy insurance under this new legislation?