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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

Have you priced medical insurance recently?

Posted By: AnnuderMT on 2009-06-17
In Reply to: If Joe Legal is married and has 2 children - ()

The $1000 may be a little exaggerated, but 6 years ago when I wanted to get a policy that covered merely 1 daughter and I, the quoted rate was $700/month. Even through work, a family policy runs around $600/month just for the medical, probably another $50 combined for the dental/vision. Between copays and prescriptions (even generic), you can add a little bit more to that. So while I agree that $1000 might be high, $700 would likely be a low conservative estimate. And, as noted, I'm basing my numbers on 5 years ago; since it's regularly on the news that the cost of policies has gone up, the $1000 may not be too far off.


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Employer provided medical insurance

originated, I believe, during FDR's New Deal.  When wages were capped, employers found a way to circumvent this by providing ''sickness insurance'' for their employees, thus giving them a raise without violating the wage caps. 


Another example of government meddling.  Had they not imposed wage caps, employers would have been able to keep paying their employees and give raises to enable them to afford their own healthcare.  But instead, we grew the employer-provided healthcare system we have now and people experience ''job lock,'' unable to move to another employer because of pre-existing conditions which may not be covered by a new company's insurance plan. 


Of course it's income, always has been.  Same as use of a company car, or executive housing provided by a company (both of which are taxable to the extent they are used outside of actual business activities.)   I'm amazed nobody until now has taxed insurance.


Does this constitute a new tax on people earning under $250 thousand (or $235 thousand, or whatever the new number is?) 


President is going after overblown insurance charges, crooked insurance plans, .....sm
crooked hospital systems that have become quite prosperous "businesses" on the backs of the elderly, but he is NOT AGAINST the eldery getting good solid care, that is political hogwash and propaganda, you wise up and read up, and I don't mean from Fox or Coulter of Limbaugh or one of the Pub sources......

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=av1lMcI6E1no&refer=home

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
and my mother recently said to me (sm)
It doesn't matter who wins...when it is time it is going to happen, regardless of what we do. If he is meant to be in office he will be. God's plan will come to pass no matter what.
What was it I just read recently...
... somewhere, about how yet another large chunk of the porkulus was going to install a guardrail around a particular reservoir.

Only one problem... the reservoir is dry, and no one goes there.

Maybe it was this one. If so, it's been canceled. Thank heaven for the occasional wiser head....

http://www.propublica.org/ion/stimulus/item/politics-get-a-stimulus-at-100-day-mark-616

The deficit is coming down. It is down by 18 billion just recently

how do you know no one has anyone serving over there.  You have no way of knowing that.


UCLA released a study recently that said...
that the New Deal probably prolonged the depression by at least 7 years. Are you sure that socialism is what the market needs--it is my thought that this problem was well on its way before Bush came into office--caused by the interference in the market that was already in place.
Right. A friend of mine belonged to a union recently.
nm
Yeah, well 1 million protested our Govt recently too.
nm
I think Gore has turned off enough people recently that most Dems don't even support him.
Thank God he was not elected. 
Another aspect of the medical...

...is that with each job cut that is announced, more than likely there is another American who becomes uninsured (since many can't afford to pay COBRA payments).  So if we had 47 million people previously uninsured, that number has increased by a few million or so (at least) since it was last researched.


I believe that medical represents a HUGE cost to companies, which is another reason I don't believe medical coverage should have anything to do with employment.


As you pointed out, for overseas auto industries, medical insurance isn't part of employment.  Those countries are way ahead of us in terms of medical care for their citizens, and as a result, they have the upper hand in competing against us.


Medical was part of it......... sm
The foreign car workers have, I believe, national insurance coverage so that does not figure into the workers' benefits from the company. The figure being negotiated with the UAW was the amount that the foreign companies pay their workers. I don't believe health care would be a part of the package for the UAW.
what does all this have to do with Medical Transcription?
I just have to ask this question. Since when did this become a political opinion debate forum? I thought the whole purpose of this forum was for us to be able to talk to each other about our jobs, give ideas on equipment, companies to work for, etc. Now we are going to debate whether you are better to be a republican or a democrat, support Obama or not. This is ridiculous. This has nothing to do with our jobs whatsoever.
Who makes your medical decisions now?
Socialism does not always evolve into dictatorship. France is not a dictatorship, nor is Canada, and the 3 Scandanavian countries have had socialized medicine, socialized transportations, socialized education for about a century. Unlike this country, they have never started a single war, have no race riots, no poverty to speak of, very low rate of unwed pregnancies and STDs, etc.

"Socialist" Germany before WWII? What on earth are you talking about?

All socialism is all the people sharing the burden of public goods - schools, streets, sewer systems, military defense, etc. We are the only developed country in the world that does not share the cost of health care and education for its entire citizenry.

There are so many half-baked statements in your post, it would take a book to answer them all.

Again, we are the only country that does not pay for the education of its citizens - here we have to go n debt for 10 or 20 years to pay back student loans for a college and/or graduate education. Why do you think we have so many foreign doctors here? Because they come here to make PROFIT - we have the only health care system that is run by corporations and is based on profit, not on care for the patients.

Read a book before you spout off.

What is your opinion regarding medical marijuana?
Although the residents of California voted overwhelmingly to make medical marijuana legal in our state with written recommendation from a doctor, the federal government still considers it a crime.

Should the federal government laws supersede the laws of the State of California against the will of the voters?
No. Medical marjuana is a miracle. nm
.
No one should have to release their medical records...
to run for office. If one has to release them they all should. What is Obama's family history? Is he on antihypertensives? Is he on any kind of mood altering meds? Does he have high cholesterol? lol. That is none of my business, and neither is McCain's medical record.
What about Obama's 1 page medical
1200 pages? Why don't you want to see his?
computerized medical records
Probably a dumb question, but what does Pres. Obama mean by computerizing medical records, and how does that hurt/help us?
"Your" a medical transcriptionist???
It's "you're", dear. But I do believe you're a Republican.
"Your" a medical transcriptionist???
It's "you're", dear.

I don't think you're an MT, but I do believe you're a Republican.
When will McCain release his medical records? sm

(And his tax returns and military records?)  I came across this link while surfing around:  Shouldn’t John McCain Release His Medical Records? 


http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/09/14/shouldnt-john-mccain-release-his-medical-records/


>> John McCain has not yet released his medical records to the public. McCain is 72 years old, and has been diagnosed with invasive melanoma. In May of this year, a small group of selected reporters were allowed to review 1,173 pages of McCain’s medical records that covered only the last eight years, and were allowed only three hours to do so. John McCain’s health is an issue of profound importance. We call on John McCain to issue a full, public disclosure of all of his medical records, available for the media and members of the general public to review. >>


DEA to halt medical marijuana raids.
Supporters of programs to provide legal marijuana to patients with painful medical conditions are celebrating Supporters of programs to provide legal marijuana to patients with painful medical conditions are celebrating Attorney General Eric Holder’s statement this week that the Drug Enforcement Administration would end its raids on state-approved marijuana dispensaries.

Holder confirmed that states will have the final say on use of the drug for pain control.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29433708/

Another great decision by the Obama administration!
Extreme medical situations is NOT what this doctor
--
1) Jobs (and our medical records) brought back from
3) The rich & big corporations pay their fair share.
4) Bring more honesty into the healthcare/HMO industry.
5) Address ILLEGAL immigration... it's out of hand.
6) Incentives for those who come up with clean & viable alternatives to oil & gasoline.
I so agree! And even if it was not a moral issue, what about the medical issues (sm)
that can arise? How dare someone even think of performing any procedure my child without my permission unless it is a medical emergency?
Frist expected to be fined for lying on medical license renewal
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060830/ap_on_go_co/frist_medical_license
oh yea - good point - bringing our medical records back from overseas
Never thought of that one.
poor black men in jail for drug crimes while his wife steals from a medical charity. nm
nm
Health insurance
I'm not sure about that specific point, but in her plan if you don't purchase medical insurance your wages will be garnished. How's that for communism?
Insurance companies.
I agree the insurance companies need a very, very major overhaul, but do you think the insurance companies are going to do that??? If they would there would be no need for a government run system, but the insurance companies will do absolutely zilch, and things cannot contine the way that they have been going.
I'd like to see the insurance companies

You're right about the mtg. insurance
It also irks me that somehow we are being asked for $700 billion to help these companies when $700 billion would go a long way toward ensuring Americans have health insurance - what about that Mr. Bush?
mccain - insurance
The Truth about the McCain-Palin Health Care Plan

"


Barack Obama And Joe Biden Have Consistently Lied To Americans About John McCain's Plan. Their claims have failed every fact-check - from CBS to the Washington Post. John McCain is not going to raise taxes on middle class families. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are the only ones in this race that plan to raise taxes.


Get



OBAMA FICTION
John McCain Will Tax Health Care Benefits For The First Time And Will Be the Largest Middle Class Tax Increase In History.


THE FACTS
This Obama charge is a blatant mischaracterization of the McCain Health Plan. It only focuses on the fact that the value of the employer provided insurance will now show up as additional income for the employees – what he fails to mention – is that John McCain’s generous refundable tax credit ($5,000 for families and $2,500 for individuals) will not only shield millions of families from a tax increase but will actually give them MORE dollars to invest in their health care needs.


The McCain Plan DOES NOT tax:



  • Premiums paid by families and individuals


  • Employers for providing health care coverage


  • Medical expenses like the cost of a procedure or medication


  • Insurance claims

Approach Supported By Obama’s Own Advisor: This is an approach supported by Barack Obama's own Senior Economic Advisor Jason Furman who wrote that "we could scrap the current deduction altogether and replace it with progressive tax credits that, together with other changes, would ensure that every American has affordable health insurance."


Better Than "Members of Congress":  Under the McCain Plan, your employer can provide you with health insurance  as good as a "Member of Congress" (approximately $12,000), and you would pay no  more in taxes – regardless of your tax bracket.  In fact, you would have additional money left over from the McCain tax credit to put in a health savings account.








 
Income Tax Liability

McCain-Palin
Tax Credit

Total Tax Savings
































10% Bracket
(Up to $15,000)
$1,200 ($12,000 x 10%) $5,000 +$3,800
15% Bracket ($15,650 - $63,700)
$1,800 ($12,000 x 15%) $5,000 +$3,200
25% Bracket ($63,700 - $128,500)
$3,000 ($12,000 x 25%) $5,000 +$2,000
28% Bracket ($128,500 - $195,850)
$3,360 ($12,000 x 28%) $5,000 +$1,640
33% Bracket ($195,850 - $349,700)
$3,960 ($12,000 x 33%) $5,000 +$1,040
35% Bracket ($349,700 and Over)
$4,200 ($12,000 x 35%) $5,000 +$800

Where Is The Middle-Class "Tax Increase"?   If you or your family is in the 28% bracket, with an income of $180,000, you could receive employer provided health insurance even better than a Member of Congress, with a cost of almost $18,000, with no increase in taxes. Even the liberal leaning Tax Policy Center, agrees that the McCain proposals will result in a "net tax benefit" of more than $1,200 for an average tax payer. A recent Lewin Group study estimated savings of more than $1,400 per American family – almost three times the savings as under the Obama plan.

O says that he will force insurance
companies to insure preexisting conditions. That sounds like something that will put them out of business to me. No need to buy insurance until you need it. Think of all the lost jobs.
He is not going to mandate that you have insurance -
he is only going to make sure that it is available to everyone whether they have an employer-based program or not.
if you already have insurance you don't have to change - nm
x
Nobody said free insurance -
where did you get that? He said he would make insurance available at an affordable rate for everybody...
But what if you didn't have any insurance...sm
at all? Wouldn't they let you die then because they won't treat you?
But insurance companies already tell us no

What's the difference who says no?  Some insurance companies pretty much say no to everything but wellness visits - and that's simply so they can find out if you develop a condition, so they can drop your coverage on a threabare excuse, or jack your rates to the moon so you'll have to drop it.  Then no other company has to cover you due to it being preexisting.  I don't want to pay for insurance that only covers me if I'm not sick!


At least if there was universal healthcare, even with a wait, they'd have to treat you eventually instead of NEVER.  And do it for free.


How are insurance companies...

...involved in the transcription of patient notes?


That just doesn't make sense.


With health insurance, though

we are all driving basically the same model and we are insuring it for what could possibly happen, not what will or actually does. 


Way back in the 1960s when I first started working, my company's health insurance did not cover single women for most 'female' issues, especially birth control and/or pregnancy-related issues, which has since been deemed discriminatory.  Now you must cover everyone equally for every contingency. 


The only way to individually ajust coverage costs would to be to exclude coverage based on genetic testing and/or family history, or maybe lifestyle issues such as alcohol or tobacco use or risky behavior like sky diving, which consumers have been fighting for years.  This would probably also be deemed discriminatory.


Before canceling your insurance, you

should have checked a few things out.


I feel for you, but a pre-existing condition is NOT uninsurable if you have had insurance for 30 days prior to the illness.


Case in point: We had private health insurance paid for out of our own pockets for 6 years. DH had open heart surgery. In the meantime I got a job with a company, signed up for insurance and they stated a 1 year before they would insure him. Yet, it was less than 30 days since I signed up. All I needed was a Certificate of Insurance from our private carrier, and then no waiting period. I got that, and he is now totally insured under the company plan.


If you did not cancel your insurance until after your problem, you have a way out. Just ask the former insurance company for a certificate of insurance and no one can turn you down.


I'm not trying to be mean or whatever you want to call it, I'm trying to help, so don't take it the wrong way. Best of luck and hopefully, things will turn around for you.


Insurance companies and the politicians they buy..

Doesn't anybody in DC have a conscience?  The system as it stands now is disgusting.  They are literally making billions by killing of thousands upon thousands (maybe millions?) of Americans.  Anyone with half a brain should recognize profit-driven health insurance only serves the best interest of the CEOs of the insurance companies - not healthcare recipients! This needs to change NOW!


I saw my first AMA commercial last night urging people to vote with the millions of uninsured Americans in mind.  I loved it!  It is at least a step in the right direction.  Vote with the healthcare crisis in mind people!


Insurance industry stats

I just came across these stats in an article I was reading.  How can there possibly any doubt that lobbying has single handedly taken over Washington?  Especially in light of the fact that the healthcare plans on the table are pushing for more insured rather than single payer system?  If we don't shove out the insurance companies, how are the prices for our healthcare ever expected to go down, or even stay at the current level for any length of time? 87% in 10 years?  Absolutely ridiculous.  We are not reaping any benefit from it whatsoever.   


"As premiums have ballooned by 87 percent in the past decade, insurance-industry profits have climbed from $20.8 billion in 2002 to $57.5 billion in 2006. During that same period, health-care interests spent $2.2 billion on federal lobbying, more than did any other sector, and as of last month, had flooded the presidential candidates with over $11 million in campaign contributions to keep the present system intact."


MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE
You said it so well! It will bring everyone down too. What about more sliding scale clinics? We have one where I live and the care is quite good. They have patients from all income levels. Maybe we should give more tax breaks to those sliding scale clinics and encourage people with good insurance and lots of money to attend those clinics more often in order that others with less can afford decent care. I wish the Clintons would quit trying to force their health care ideas down our throats. Maybe they want us all to be socialists? By the way in case you have not guessed by now I am a Lifelong Republican, soon to be a right wing independent unless Fred or Duncan Hunter win. No one should be "forced" to get health insurance, especially one of the "crap" varieties that you mention in your post.
Rush has good insurance.
Nice to see Rush has good insurance.  I bet he is up to at least 8 OxyContin a day.  On H & C tonight, he was higher than usual.  He says, "I protect children under 12 years old and "seasoned citizens".  How do you season a citizen?  Salt?  Pepper?  Garlic Salt?  Then fast forward and he says, all the "womens" will vote for Hilliary, he corrected himself and said "women".  It really, really scares me to think people actually listen to him.  By the way, Pakistan is ablaze tonight. 
Insurance companies cont...sm
You made reference to the fact that you already are paying through the nose for insurance premiums and don't want to end up paying even more to cover the uninsured.

I think the general gist of reform is to guarantee access to all, and at the same time, lower the costs for people such as yourself.

Whatever direction health care reform takes it will take government intervention, either in terms of mandating what insurance companies can charge for policies for all people, likely putting caps on prohibitive prescription drugs and windfall profits made by health care providers and hospitals, etc.

What the US spends on health care is far, far above what every other country pays for health care, and that is not because the US has superior care in many cases. It's a profit driven business that has become extremely out of control. It cannot continue in its current business as usual form, as it is no longer working to the benefit of most.
You view of the dem health insurance is way..sm
too simplistic. The idea is to have people pay what they can afford on a sliding scale for private health insurance. You have your private doctor and everything you have with your insurance now, much like people who have been in Medicaid. The only difference is that Medicaid is for the poorest and is free. The Obama insurance would cost what is a reasonable price based on what you can afford. I am not a know it all about this subject, but this is basically what I understand about it. It would not be run like the VA. I think we should bag the VA from the horrors I have heard about them. For shame treating our veterans like that!
indiana has insurance for children
Hoosier Healthwise is a health insurance program for Indiana children, pregnant women, and low-income families. Health care is provided at little or no cost to Indiana families enrolled in the program. The enrolled member chooses a doctor to get regular checkups and health care for illnesses. Other health needs such as prescriptions, dental care, vision care, family planning services, and mental health services are also available as part of the Hoosier Healthwise program.
This public insurance is not free -
it will still have premiums attached to it - it will just be made available to more people.
whose insurance does not pay for birth control?
Mine sure as heck does. It is much cheaper to prevent births than pay for them. It makes fiscal sense.