4 ms·

"Especially post Obamacare, where so many are now insured and go the same doctors and hospitals everyone else goes to." Have you ever had to deal with the heal

"Especially post Obamacare, where so many are now insured and go the same doctors and hospitals everyone else goes to." Have you ever had to deal with the healthcare system from the bottom? Even with "Obamacare" it's a nightmare. Unless you have fairly high quality health insurance, you tend to be limited in which doctors you can go to. So, no, the poor aren't suddenly going to the same doctors as the upper middle class. And the doctors that work with those cheaper insurance plans seem to, in my experience, have more patients and less time to spend with each. Quality of care is less, because it's an operation designed around high turnover rather than developing a relationship with each client, as is more common from a 'good' doctor, which tend to only accept better insurance plans.

cmdrfred 11y ago
Also if you gave a chronic condition like asthma you might be on 3 medicines with a 75 dollar copay a month each. Many people have to make due without, that might increase mortality right there.
- bryondowd 11y ago
  Good point. I know someone who was born with HIV. They can maintain the condition indefinitely, but the combination of drugs comes to over $200 per month in just co-pays. This person was born to it, and you can blame the parents for being irresponsible, but this person had no input. Now this person has to consistently maintain insurance and a steady income significantly above what most people need or risk being unable to afford medication and face terminal illness. Fortunately this person was raised by people capable of meeting her needs, has worked consistently since adulthood, and is working toward future security, but if things had been stacked the other way, this person could easily have not reached adulthood, or not survived much beyond that. So, certainly being poor vs being rich makes a difference beyond individual habits.

cmdrfred 11y ago

Also if you gave a chronic condition like asthma you might be on 3 medicines with a 75 dollar copay a month each. Many people have to make due without, that might increase mortality right there.

bryondowd 11y ago
Good point. I know someone who was born with HIV. They can maintain the condition indefinitely, but the combination of drugs comes to over $200 per month in just co-pays. This person was born to it, and you can blame the parents for being irresponsible, but this person had no input. Now this person has to consistently maintain insurance and a steady income significantly above what most people need or risk being unable to afford medication and face terminal illness. Fortunately this person was raised by people capable of meeting her needs, has worked consistently since adulthood, and is working toward future security, but if things had been stacked the other way, this person could easily have not reached adulthood, or not survived much beyond that. So, certainly being poor vs being rich makes a difference beyond individual habits.