Don’t confuse the charges you see on your EOB with what actually gets paid. Typically, insurance co.s negotiate payments at a fraction of the charge. The problem is that the guy with no insurance gets the whole bill. I believe there is a law that states that providers can’t CHARGE different amounts, but obviously they can accept different payments. This is bad law in my opinion. I have been successful in negotiating with hospitals and labs to accept the amount they negotiated with my insurance co for claims that were denied for various reasons (all within the language of my plan, not some insurance co. conspiracy).

As far as standardization, the scope of that project is too huge to fathom. If you could diagnose and treat every ailment by referring to a standardized algorithm, there would be no need for medical doctors.

I think Washington has gotten to big for it’s pants. If you look back in history at the real cause of the Civil War between the states. It was mainly over the taxes on the southern states.They were taxing the people till they were going broke and losing everything.It got bad enough the states started pulling out of the union. They wanted the states back in for the tax money that Lincoln decided to fight to free the slaves was the excuse he used to force the states back into the union.By the way you will not find the truth in a public school library but it is in the public city library to get the true history. History does repeat it’s self. The ones running Washington right now don’t care how many laws and taxes they dump on us. It is a little over the line to put someone in prison for not having healthcare. It might take another civil war to end this.

Have we reached a point of saturation on the length of bills?

It’s all wealth redistribution. It’s the price of living in a civilized society. I would rather have a representative government regulate it than let greed regulate itself. If more of us had actually passed down the benefits and tax cuts given on the theory of “trickling down” opportunity and enterprise, liberals today wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. But we didn’t. Too many let their avarice deceive them and let our country down. They took the money, made sure they got their cut, and blew off the guy down the line. Thank you for your charitable donations.

Socialized medicine be damned as well as every one that voted this in and their supporters!!! Read the fine print folks…If they pass this bill this is the beginning of the end for America. Obama hasn’t made one single good move since he’s been in office and this will be a catastrophe just like every other decision he’s forced down our throats. Impeach him now!!! He is not even a legal US citizen!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oAVo_ktur8

after reading all the post i must say i find some very interesting things said, but much more that wasn’t said.

1) i support abortion in limited cases and yet i find my self agree with those of you who are pro-life this bill should force you pay for other who want an abortion. sadly though this is how taxes work, i don’t support the wars we are engaged in and the innocent lives our solder have killed aka “collateral damage” but my taxes pay for it nothing i can due about that its the nature of taxes.
2) i support health care reform, but like any bill congress passes it is influenced by special interest groups and mainly for their gain or at the very least their consent is needed for thing that are in public interest. with this in mind i fear no health care bill really be popular among the people but this is it. we get the health care bill they want us to have or we keep the current system. i will chose the lesser of two evils, a choose that politics always gives it’s voters.

You should ask a lawyer.

This is how it will begin. “Socialism” Controlling our health care opens the door for many more intrusions of our freedoms. What will they takeover next????

Well Pelosi gets to kill her babies with abortion with her health care bill. This is the most corrupt government that this country has ever had. The people has said no to this health care bill and anykind of government run health care bill.This is more than a health care bill it is a communist take over of our country.Pelosi , Obama, and Reid has already proved they are against the people our constitution and all of America with the way they run Washington. They have totally ignored what the Majority of the people and passed bills the people said no to. Besides they have bankrupt and cause unemployement to sky rocket and causing people to be kicked out on the street and hungry. This is pure communism at work to over throw America.

Why can’t you apply for Medicade? There ARE programs out there, unless you make too much money. Do you?

Any body can copy & space OLD MAN

As it should.

How abot a racist Catholic School System.

I agree with JTaylor76 wholeheartedly! This bill is a waste of time and wastes taxpayer’s money.

Reduce supply chain costs, stop government price fixing, open competition across state lines, eliminate Medicare fraud, punish frivolous torts, stop illegal immigration/amnesty, increase HSA limits, give individuals the same tax benefits as employers, put consumers in charge of payment – not insurance companies, allow friends and family group plans. I’m sure I forgot something and people have ideas that haven’t been vetted.

There’s so much that can be done to limit government while putting the patient – doctor relationship first. This bill creates an unsustainable, government run entitlement welfare program that is unsustainable.

I’m glad to see only 18% support this bill so far, even though Pelosi doesn’t care what the people really want.

You know – I gotta tell ya
I really don’t understand the mentality of the ‘patriots’ of this country that are so opposed to everyone being covered by healthcare by proclaiming that they don’t want to pay for someone else’s family – and in the same sentence – claim that we are a “christian” nation. Well, I disagree. I don’t think there is anything “christian” about this nation! Freedom is defined by the ability to carry a gun around and speak hatred toward your neighbor under the guise of ‘free speech’. But when it comes to helping somebody, the message becomes “get off your @ss and do it yourself”. Now, where in the bible did jesus tell his followers to do that??? And this paranoia about the ‘big bad government’ taking over our ‘freedoms’. Don’t worry, the corporate conglomerates are more that happy to do that for us. Did people forget that its the insurance and pharmacuetical companies that got us here in the first place? Americans are infamous for their short-term memory.

Why does the site log me out when I try to vote on this bill?

There are 305 million people in the U.S. divided by $400 billion/year that means every American would have to pay approx $1,311 a year. Good thing they made it clear and easy to comprehend that it is fairly cheap, otherwise it may have been propaganda.

“It may be surprising to some that even close to half of Americans support the concept of new healthcare legislation when far fewer than half appear to believe that such a new bill will benefit them personally. Others may argue from a positive perspective that Americans are willing to support the idea of legislation that, while it doesn’t help them, may help others.” from <— http://www.gallup.com/poll/123989/Americans-Healthcare-Reform-Five-Key-Realities.aspx

for all you who give this a not vote this may shock you to think some percentage of American’s are for a health care bill that isn’t in their immediate self-interest. whether you are for or against it i would like to take a moment to remind of such self-sacrifice we are still capable of as a collective whole acting individually. for those in doubt Gallup polls are highly actuate predicting every presidential election after FDR except Truman because they didn’t poll a week before election day.

3) i support this bill because it deal with something i have heard no one talk about and that is adverse selection and genetic discrimination. think about it insurance company don’t want to cover unhealthy people so all they have to due is deny people who are prone to disease based on their genetic information. only health people will be covered if insurance companies got their way. not so fast,right, the genetic info non-discrimination act prevents this right. unfortunately the devil is in the details. →http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-493&version=enr&nid=t0%3Aenr%3A446<— this section makes the definition of what counts as a a genetic test to exclude Phenotype tests. in other words when actually develop the genetic disease they can legally discriminate and deny you.
it no reform is implemented not only are cost going to go to keep going up, but most of us won’t get basic insurance anyway when we need it. assuming they want to maximize profit.

Aren’t you required by law to have auto insurance? or pay an uninsured motorist fee?

It reminds me of a B&W movie I have seen so many times!
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington!

Even here on this page the opposition is about 10 – 1!!! The spread has changed each day. When I started keeping track just 5 days ago it was 6-1.

Please go here, we must not give up the fight! Get involved!!!
http://www.changethecongressin2010.com/index.html
http://freedomtorch.com/home.php
http://www.fairtax.org

I NEED THIS BILL. My family needs this bill. We have massive amounts of debt from a back reconstruction that my husband needed in Feb. Our “comprehensive” Blue Cross plan has been a disaster. We have a LIFETIME cap in physical therapy of $2000. LIFETIME! Any further rehab he may need must be paid out of pocket and he is only 39 years old. Our medical debt sits at 40,000 today and is growing.

Essentially, we are faced with bankruptcy because we were stupid enough to have a health emergency. So much for the good ole’ USA being all about freedom and choice. I don’t want these corporations managing my health care. They are fleecing America and laughing all the way to the bank.

Weird. once I commented, the problem was resolved, so, nevermind.

This is totally ridiculous. The Russian prime minister totally told us not to do this ,but you know we can’t listen!

YOU ARE ALL INSANE!!!! First of all you said save a couple hundred bucks (yeah right) and get a lawyer on retainer to handle my health insurance issues?!?!?!?!?!?!? or maybe i should spend my valuable free time reading books about insurance law?!?!?!?!?! And insurance companies just like all other companies make money by keeping costs down (thank you captain obvious) however in this case keeping costs down means not paying claims and using thier buying power to pay care givers less for treatments. Who wins in this system? Healthcare is a right not a privalege for those with means to attain it. Every other civilized nation in the world has some form of government run healthcare and I would love to debate the merits of a socialized health care system. However that is not what is being proposed so its stupid to bring it up. There is no precedent for saying that simply offering a public option will cause a government take over of our health care system.

Any health care is better then none. Thanks Big G. lol