5 ms·

From this side of the Atlantic, or really probably from any country that has some form of assured health care, the notion that you could have to go without insu

by brrt 12y ago

From this side of the Atlantic, or really probably from any country that has some form of assured health care, the notion that you could have to go without insulin in the states is... baffling. Utterly baffling. Best of luck with it!

themartorana 12y ago
It's baffling to a lot of us on this side as well...
ars 12y ago
Every state, as far as I know, has some kind of program to make sure no one has to go without. The trouble is not paying for it, there is help, the trouble is they make it a huge pain, with annoying paperwork.
marincounty 12y ago
It's embarrassing. For years a lot of Americans just hoped they didn't get sick. Obamacare has helped, but people are falling through the cracks. Insurance companies took advantage of the bill, and raised rates to the point where some/many unemployed people can't afford private insurance, or qualify for medi-cal. (To all the Obama naysayers--he tried. By the time Republicans got through scaring people, he needed to include private insurance companies, just to get something passed. And something is still better than what we had before--Nothing! No insurance--own house--get sick--go to hospital--get jacked up bill--can't afford to pay--hospital lawyers eventually receive judgement on lawsuit--eventually attach home--quietly evict you! This scenario is still possible. I hear about these earnest individuals(without assets) and refusing to declare bankruptcy still struggling to pay off their medical bills. Go ahead, but just know the rates they charge you were padded, and you are paying the highest rates they can charge you? Even if you pay cash, and they half the bill(antidotal stories I have heard on the fact machine) you are still paying way more than anyone with collective bargaining agreements(Insurance companies). Don't be a hero? It's a rigged system. Yes--I have a bit of anger towards the medical system.
- Turing_Machine 12y ago
  "To all the Obama naysayers--he tried. By the time Republicans got through scaring people, he needed to include private insurance companies, just to get something passed. And something is still better than what we had before--Nothing!" That's an...interesting...spin. The Democrats had the votes to pass any bill they wanted. They passed that one. Sorry, you don't get to blame it on "Republicans".
  - caseydurfee 12y ago
    "The Democrats had the votes to pass any bill they wanted." Do you honestly believe Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh (among many others) would vote for any bill Obama wanted? That's not factually true, so I'm wondering why you believe it.
    - Turing_Machine 12y ago
      Those people aren't "Republicans".
      - Turing_Machine 12y ago
        I also noticed the attempt to change what I actually said -- "any bill they wanted" to "any bill Obama wanted", which I didn't say. They had a majority in both Houses and could thus have passed any bill they, collectively, wanted (in fact they did it without a single Republican vote, and without allowing any amendments or even very much debate). They passed that bill. Obama then signed that bill. That, my friend, is factually correct. Why this desperate attempt to make it somehow the fault of "Republicans"? How about taking some responsibility?
        cbd1984 12y ago
        > Why this desperate attempt to make it somehow the fault of "Republicans"? They're the ones trying to make something created by the Heritage Foundation seem "Socialist".
danielweber 12y ago
This adds nothing to the conversation and is just used to start a flame war about health care.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 12y ago
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- mkaziz 12y ago
  Flame war? I doubt there can be much of a flame war when just about everybody agrees.
- rodgerd 12y ago
  Health care US style is enough of a barrier to contracting and start-ups that it seems a pretty reasonable topic for a site focused on exactly those groups of people.
- lotsofmangos 12y ago
  We are talking in a thread about insulin costs and generics. Trying not to mention how things are funded is a bit like Basil Fawlty trying not to mention the war.

by brrt 12y ago

themartorana 12y ago

It's baffling to a lot of us on this side as well...

ars 12y ago

Every state, as far as I know, has some kind of program to make sure no one has to go without. The trouble is not paying for it, there is help, the trouble is they make it a huge pain, with annoying paperwork.

marincounty 12y ago

It's embarrassing. For years a lot of Americans just hoped they didn't get sick. Obamacare has helped, but people are falling through the cracks. Insurance companies took advantage of the bill, and raised rates to the point where some/many unemployed people can't afford private insurance, or qualify for medi-cal. (To all the Obama naysayers--he tried. By the time Republicans got through scaring people, he needed to include private insurance companies, just to get something passed. And something is still better than what we had before--Nothing! No insurance--own house--get sick--go to hospital--get jacked up bill--can't afford to pay--hospital lawyers eventually receive judgement on lawsuit--eventually attach home--quietly evict you! This scenario is still possible. I hear about these earnest individuals(without assets) and refusing to declare bankruptcy still struggling to pay off their medical bills. Go ahead, but just know the rates they charge you were padded, and you are paying the highest rates they can charge you? Even if you pay cash, and they half the bill(antidotal stories I have heard on the fact machine) you are still paying way more than anyone with collective bargaining agreements(Insurance companies). Don't be a hero? It's a rigged system. Yes--I have a bit of anger towards the medical system.

Turing_Machine 12y ago
"To all the Obama naysayers--he tried. By the time Republicans got through scaring people, he needed to include private insurance companies, just to get something passed. And something is still better than what we had before--Nothing!" That's an...interesting...spin. The Democrats had the votes to pass any bill they wanted. They passed that one. Sorry, you don't get to blame it on "Republicans".
- caseydurfee 12y ago
  "The Democrats had the votes to pass any bill they wanted." Do you honestly believe Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh (among many others) would vote for any bill Obama wanted? That's not factually true, so I'm wondering why you believe it.
  - Turing_Machine 12y ago
    Those people aren't "Republicans".
    - Turing_Machine 12y ago
      I also noticed the attempt to change what I actually said -- "any bill they wanted" to "any bill Obama wanted", which I didn't say. They had a majority in both Houses and could thus have passed any bill they, collectively, wanted (in fact they did it without a single Republican vote, and without allowing any amendments or even very much debate). They passed that bill. Obama then signed that bill. That, my friend, is factually correct. Why this desperate attempt to make it somehow the fault of "Republicans"? How about taking some responsibility?
      - cbd1984 12y ago
        > Why this desperate attempt to make it somehow the fault of "Republicans"? They're the ones trying to make something created by the Heritage Foundation seem "Socialist".

danielweber 12y ago

This adds nothing to the conversation and is just used to start a flame war about health care.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
mkaziz 12y ago
Flame war? I doubt there can be much of a flame war when just about everybody agrees.
rodgerd 12y ago
Health care US style is enough of a barrier to contracting and start-ups that it seems a pretty reasonable topic for a site focused on exactly those groups of people.
lotsofmangos 12y ago
We are talking in a thread about insulin costs and generics. Trying not to mention how things are funded is a bit like Basil Fawlty trying not to mention the war.