Medicaid

Laura Zoey - posted on 04/16/2011

I think everyone should have access to healthcare so I feel no shame in having gov insurance for our family. My husband works, and is in college, I worked up til last month and am now stay at home not by choice, I wasn't fired per say, but the lady I did childcare for abruptly decided to not use me anymore. So we have state insurance, and food share. Once my hubby gets this management position won't qualify for food anymore, but the position doesn't ofer insurance so we will remain on the state insurance.

Nikkole - posted on 04/13/2011

yea im glad kids can get it , ill gladly put my tax dollars to something helping kids have insurance :)

Alice - posted on 04/13/2011

In that case they need insurance and if it cost more to have it with him and Medicaid say ok then they need it.

Nikkole - posted on 04/13/2011

@Alice they are married but his insurance costs way to much (they can't afford it) and it's not illegal i have my husbands insurance (for my kids) and Medicaid. At my husbands work i know if you decide not to take the insurance they give you $500.00! But i've asked Medicaid if i didn't have my husbands insurance if i could still get them they said yep as long as we make under a certain amount so we can qualify (well just my kids not us).

Alice - posted on 04/13/2011

Seems to me they would be covered by the father's insurance. It depends on how it was all legally hammer out. I assume they are not married... She has custody and he "just" pays for everything. I am sure he does more than that, don't get me wrong. However, if she has custody. No job, child support is less than a certain amount they would qualify. But it seems to me he would have them on his insurance so they should not be on medicaid. This would be illegal by the way. If they have access to the insurance but getting it from the government.

Alice - posted on 04/13/2011

Seems to me they would be covered by the father's insurance. It depends on how it was all legally hammer out. I assume they are not married... She has custody and he "just" pays for everything. I am sure he does more than that, don't get me wrong. However, if she has custody. No job, child support is less than a certain amount they would qualify. But it seems to me he would have them on his insurance so they should not be on medicaid. This would be illegal by the way. If they have access to the insurance but getting it from the government.

Nikkole - posted on 12/16/2010

I agree quitting school to have kids is not the right thing to do! My husband had to quit college to work more to help support his family his mom was a single mother of 6 kids 2 moved to there grandmas not long after my hubby was born but he has worked since he was literally 9yrs old to help support his family and when we got married he still helped support them but he has worked lower paying jobs because one he had to work a lot and his grades were suffering and he was sleeping in class but then i goy pregnant and now we have 2 kids and he still works had to provide for us but he still helps his mom a lot we are actually taking her house over (shes giving it to us) next year but he is finally going back to school this yr if he dosent get the job with the railroad! But some people just have trouble getting ahead in life but i dont complain about our bills besides health care because we chose to have children and i dont regret it at all and my husband pays a crap ton in taxes so i dont feel like im abusing the system and not to mention i had worked from when i was 13-20 and even tho i get Medicaid for my kids i still pay monthly for it and thats the only help we get but i understand what kelly is saying!

Rosie - posted on 12/16/2010

because i wanted kids with the man i love instead of a jackass who walks out the moment i peed on a stick, and both of us have worked AND PAID TAXES since we were 14.
it amuses me how i LEGALLY qualify for state help, and yet it's MY fault somehow. if you're so goddamned butt hurt about it, petition to raise the income requirements, until our income doesn't fit the requirements i'm not doing nothing wrong.

Sherri - posted on 12/16/2010

$20 a hr that would be a dream. Right now with this economy most jobs are starting at $13-$14 an hr. Yes that is with a degree and almost 10yrs experience.

Kelly - posted on 12/16/2010

Okay, I have not followed this thread closely for a while, but I thought I would click it, I guess I was bored....
Anyway, I can't believe some of you are complaining about $200-300 insurance policies! We pay $1,000/ month for our family of 3. My husband and son are on a $600/month policy, and I am not insurable, so we spend $400/month on my healthcare. (We do not have access to group plans and must purchase private insurance)
Unfortunately, we do not qualify for Medicaid whether I work or not, so I don't work because, well, it just doesn't matter.
I'm torn on the issue, because I know how much I value being able to stay home, and I know how important healthcare is, but I kind of feel that if your family is not earning enough income to support your family, including your medical bills, then you should be doing everything in your power to remedy that, and if you are not, you are abusing the system.
If you know that your husband's job will only support one child, why have 2 or more? If you know you are not qualified for jobs that pay enough to pay for daycare for your kids, why have so many?
I understand hard times--a man who would usually have a job earning enough to support his family having to take a lower paying one temporarily while the economy recovers, but what about the people who just are not qualified for higher paying jobs and will never make more than $20/hour or so? Why would they choose to have kids they cannot support?

Danielle - posted on 12/15/2010

@ Melissa Mato, I have 16 month twins, me and my boyfriend live together, but we are not married. We applied for medicaid as a family, as his income is what supports us,. I do not work as I would be working just to pay daycare and thats it. My bf's work does offer insurance and me and my girls are on medicaid. My bf gets insurance through his work, and we can barely afford that coming out of his check. As long as your not lying to get on medicaid, your not abusing the system. Our worker even tried to get my bf on the medicaid and cancel his work insurance, but we declined for now. If you are lying and things to get in programs, them its abuse...if your truthful then obviously its not

Jill - posted on 12/14/2010

I dont have health care I'm an esthetician. I have exactly zero health benefits. So around 20 is without benefits.

Sherri - posted on 12/14/2010

Jill even with no insurance that is all I pay for my son's Ventolin inhaler as well $20.

Mary Renee - posted on 12/14/2010

My daughter receives free Health Care (in Hawaii, it's call MedQuest) because my boyfriend had Kaiser and I was losing my health insurance since I was graduating from college. Because I couldn't deliver in a Kaiser hospital, Kaiser wouldn't cover her for the first three months. I got on MedQuest when I was pregnant to ensure she would be covered her first three months. I don't feel like I'm abusing the system. I pay taxes, my boyfriend pays taxes, and my daughter deserves health care.

Nikki - posted on 12/14/2010

Jill, that is why universal health care is so much better than the alternative. From what I understand Canada and Australia have very similar systems which are much fairer than the US system.

Jill - posted on 12/14/2010

@ nikki
I'm from Alberta and I only pay 5% in taxes.

I pay normally around 20 for my ventolin.

Nikki - posted on 12/14/2010

Your kidding Teresa, that is disgusting.

Stifler's - posted on 12/14/2010

Are you fuckin' serious? We thought $280 a month was ludicrous.

Teresa - posted on 12/14/2010

Nikki, you think $100/week is bad? I know a woman that WORKS for an insurance company and her family's medical insurance costs over $1000/month!! I think that is insane.

Sherri - posted on 12/13/2010

No even without insurance full price used to cost me $20.

Stifler's - posted on 12/13/2010

I've heard Canadas is better or something. Are ventolin inhalers really $150 in the USA???

Sherri - posted on 12/13/2010

Great thanks Barb. :)

Barb - posted on 12/13/2010

Sherri, i'm cutting and pasting your questions into the thread. They are good questions and it's good to compare apples to apples.

I'll post my answers to them on the new thread.

Barb - posted on 12/13/2010

I'll go ahead and start a new thread

Nikki - posted on 12/13/2010

I am pretty sure the Canadian system is similar to Aus Sherri, I have a few Canadian friends, Ill ask them and get back to you.

Nikki - posted on 12/13/2010

$100 a week is ridiculous for health care, I can't believe you have to pay that, it's disgusting, I don't know how a normal family would cope. Ok, here is what we pay. So for instance say your income for argument sake is $500 a week, you would pay 12% tax, that includes all your health care, free public schooling, roads, infrastructure, defence, government facilities all paid for in whole. Earning $500 a week you would be classed as a low income earner therefore at tax time you would more than likely get a large percentage of you tax back in your tax return. So from out of your pocket, not much at all, if you take out private health insurance for a few dollars a week you get even more tax back. I think in this wage bracket you would also be eligible for a health care card, which means if you require prescriptions you won't have to pay over $5.00 and you get free dental care. So on average once you take your tax return into consideration you pay around $1500 annually in tax which covers ALL your medical needs.

Sherri - posted on 12/13/2010

Ours isn't going to be run like yours in Aus. though it will be run like the Canadian version. I am anxious to hear from Canadians as to how it works for you in Canada. Can you pick any doctor you want, see a specialist anytime you want, get a mammogram or see an OB anytime you need too. Just call an get an appt. within an hour for a sick visit? How long are your wait times in a waiting room of a doctors office. I want all the nitty gritty.

Jess - posted on 12/13/2010

Once the community has a wider range of options to choose from the Health Insurance companies will have no option but to step up and give better value for money, offer better policies.... actually pay out on those policies and be more customer focused rather than profit driven. * I work in insurance, and I know for customers there is nothing better then a good dose of healthy competition*

If you pay $100 a week now to your insurance company and that only covers 2 people, your tax each week to cover the changes shouldn't be that much and it would cover your whole family !

Because the universal health system doesn't cover dental I have "extras" cover for like $12 a month ! And that includes optical, which medicare actually covers the cost of the optometrist so you only ever pay for the products you buy and for low income earners here in aus that is sometimes free ! My insurance paid $150 towards my prescription sunglasses the other day. The optometrist had a deal going and I got a $400 pair of glasses for $150 !!! And I paid nothing for the optometrists time.

Someone was saying they paid $100 for heart burn medication.... I nearly fell out of my chair reading that. $4.60 is all I would have to pay for that same medicine. I saw on a documentary and an asthma patient in the us was paying like $150- $200 for an inhaler.... $4.60 here !!! Just crazy the difference.

Here in Aus, the private health companies have to fight for their customers. When you are offered a free system, you need something pretty Wow to get to you to pay out of your own pocket. The companies here under cut each others premiums, they give you bonus's and cancel waiting periods, they will do anything for your business and the best thing is they actually pay claims !

I don't understand why this a something American's don't want ?

Stifler's - posted on 12/13/2010

People will still have private health even if it's introduced. The universal health system doesn't provide dental or optical or physio so having private health is worth it for some people so they will still pay for it. The Medicare levy in Australia is $1000 a year if you're making over $70 000 and single so they get private health ($3000 a year) so they don't have to pay it.

Barb - posted on 12/13/2010

Sherri, i'm sorry to hear it is such a rough time right now. If it's any consolation, 3 of the 5 factories we contract with have brought back product lines from China and Mexico to make again here in the U.S. :) That is a good sign for our economy! 2 because of quality issues, and 1 because demand was high for products made in the USA.

I agree taxes will increase when universal healthcare is established. But i don't believe it will be as much as you are paying now between what is being taken from your husband's check and your co-pays.

I believe that the new system will be like the insurance i have now. Everyone will have insurance. You can have insurance through your employer if you wish, a private company if you like, or you can buy into the government insurance companies at a rate dependent on your income and of course if you make under a certain amount, you don't pay anything at all. Public demand will set the standards for what the insurance companies do. If one insurance company denies coverage of something, you should have the right to switch to another company.

Is it perfect as it stands? no. Did civil rights happen overnight? no. I'm afraid this is going to be a long drawn out process, but will be well worth it for our children.

Sherri - posted on 12/13/2010

Okay due to the economy my husband was required to take a job that made far less then he was making for a couple the private insurance is $100 a wk for family insurance it was going to be $200 a wk we couldn't afford the family rate especially when is only bringing home less then $500 a wk as it is. This is why my children are not on private insurance.

Barb - posted on 12/13/2010

Sherri, i wasn't trying to pick on you or make you reveal things you didn't want to. I honestly wanted your perspective to be able to compare your two insurance companies.

I still don't understand why you can't have your boys on your private insurance and use medicaid as a secondary insurance, especially if you prefer the private over the government.

I do hope you realize that nothing scares the private insurance companies more than universal healthcare. This would mean the end of billion dollar profits for them. They will do everything in their power, no matter the lie, no matter who it hurts, who they have to buy, cheat or steal from, to keep universal health care from happening.
Take for example the whole "DEATH PANELS" *insert scary dramatic music here* what did those turn out to be? A new medicare benefit.

Before, if you wanted to talk with your Dr about your advanced directives, you had to pay for it yourself, now medicare will.
Advanced Directives are what you and your dr discuss you want done in case something happens to you and you are unable to communicate what you want done.
Example, you are 95 and dying of cancer, you go into cardiac arrest, you have in your advanced directives you don't want to be revived or put on life support, you want to be let go.
Or, another example, you want them to do everything medically possible to save your life, even if that means keeping you on machines indefinitely, no matter the cost to your family's finances or emotional state.
It was called "DEATH PANELS" *da da de DUMMM* because Dr's were given a bonus for following through with the AD. No matter the outcome of the AD but it was spread through the media that he was getting a bonus for talking grandma into signing a DNR order.

Then you see the commercials put on during the news and you realize their biggest sponsors are the insurance companies.. hmmmm.

When healthcare becomes universal, i believe most of your problems with medicaid will go away because everywhere will take it. I believe the problems you are having with medicaid will be fixed with universal healthcare. If everyone is on it and the monopoly is with the government then you will have a choice of dr's, so if you don't like what one dr is saying, go to another one, demand a referral, demand a new drug, it IS your right to do so.

Nikki - posted on 12/13/2010

Here here Jess, well said xxx

Jess - posted on 12/12/2010

I have a spare room at my place, your very welcome to move in Joy and we can go steal rubber gloves at the very well equipped world leading PUBLIC hospital in my town.

No point flogging a dead horse though, if people can't see the forest for the tree's then I'm not going to try and force them !

I do hope America does catch up with the rest of the developed world and get a fair medical system for all!

Stifler's - posted on 12/12/2010

Jess Lyn you took the words out of my mouth. I don't mind paying the tax so everyone can have free or at least cheap healthcare. I don't even mind paying private health on top of it so I can go to the dentist for a free check up twice a year and get glasses for free and stuff.

Joy - posted on 12/12/2010

Jess Lyn, I wish I could hug you right now! I read your last post twice and it makes me want to jump up and down on my roof top and say "YES!!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!"

It's definitely fear that I think keeps a lot of Americans resistant to such a huge change. I think the right wingers did a great job when they started talking about "socialized" healthcare because they brought the word "socialism" into the mix and a lot of Americans think if we went to universal healthcare we'd be one step away from communism. So not true. I know that. You know that. A lot of people know that. But you try and tell someone who survived WW2 and Vietnam that "socialized health care" has very little to do with "socialism" and that's another story.

Maybe one day the US will evolve. I hope so. And I know that I and a lot of people I know will be right there voting to make it happen. Either that, or I'm friggin' moving to Australia lol

Jess - posted on 12/12/2010

Sherri, Its very clear that your scarred of something you know very little about. I have no doubt that huge health insurance companies *which you pay premiums to, which they can increase at will, and not necessarily pay anything back on*, anyway, I'm sure those companies pay millions of dollars to create these website whether they are self branded or not to scare the crap out of you so you will oppose universal health care ! And thats exactly what they are doing.

The thing about universal health is its shared by everyone, so yes there can be waiting list's on NON urgent procedures, but those patients still have options. If your not prepared to wait you can either have private health insurance and use the private system, or you go "intermediate" which is where you use the public hospital and pay the surgeon privately for their time. The waiting list is for the surgeon's time.

I don't know of ANYONE who has been wait listed for an urgent procedure and Australian patients certainly aren't dropping like fly's. My daughter needed an MRI but couldn't get that until her heart was checked by doing an ECG. The public hospital didn't have a doctor free until February 2011, but because it was urgent THEY paid for a private doctor, it cost the hospital over $400 and they didn't ask me to contribute a cent. Universal health care isn't about second quality care, its not about making people wait. Its about making quality health care available to EVERYONE. Those who are wealthy enough to afford private health are encourage to use it, but its not forced.

For a country the size of America, $700 Million is a drop in the ocean. Perhaps some the banks that were bailed out could foot the bill !

Its crazy that anyone would appose universal health care. Take it from people who live in countries that already have it ! My taxes are just fine and I'm very happy to be able to walk into any hospital/doctor and get top quality care for free.

Joy - posted on 12/12/2010

I'd pay higher taxes to guarantee that if I got sick or needed medication that I'd be able to afford it. As it is, we're paying out the keister for insurance through Blue Cross / Blue Shield and the last time my husband was at the doctor, he was having heartburn big time. They gave him a prescription of Nexium. Off to Walgreens we went and AFTER our insurance, they still wanted to charge us almost $100. For 30 pills. A one month's supply shouldn't come anywhere near that. My aunt and uncle are in their 80's and they have like 3 or 4 insurance policies....one picks up slack the other doesn't...and so on. They still (with all the heart medication, high blood pressure meds, etc) end up paying about $1000 a month out of pocket just for medication that is medically necessary to keep them alive. And that's ON TOP of what they already pay for their health insurance (their multiple policies). Sherri, you have to at least see that our system is flawed beyond repair. Someone earlier said something like "how can you not like something you haven't experienced?" I agree. When something is as broken as our healthcare system is, I'm not gonna tempt fate and say it can't get any worse....but at the same time, it's time to maybe try something else. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. We're way beyond that point with our healthcare in the States. If Canada or Europe or Australia or Timbuk Tu (sp) can do it better? Why not give it a whirl?



You know what worries me? If it's this bad now, in 2010, when my son is 3.....what is it gonna be like for him in 2040, when he's 33? Will he and his children face worse? I really want for him (and all of our babies) to have a fair shot at getting proper medical care. We are citizens of this country. We pay taxes. Our elected leaders make boucoup amounts of money. Along with many other things, I think that entitles...yes ENTITLES us, as citizens, to have our health taken care of by the government. That's how I see it.



*Side note: If someone does want to start a new thread on this, that would be great. Just basically to discuss the problems with the healthcare system in the US and to see how open people really are (or aren't) to trying the systems that are successfully in place in other countries. I still can't start new topics :(

Sherri - posted on 12/12/2010

Actually I read the same thing from a few sites that happened to be the last one I read. Also it wasn't an insurance company I got that from too. There was also something similiar on the CBS site as well.

However, once they impose a tax there is nothing to stop them from continuing to raise it at will. From experience I know darn right well that is what will happen till the citizens are just working to pay the gov't in taxes. No thanks.

Nikki - posted on 12/12/2010

The link doesn't work, did you get the info from that link? if so what a surprise, an insurance company trying to save their own arse by scaring the crap out of people.

I am interested to hear how Canadian's feel about their health care system?

I know for me personally I would rather pay higher taxes than money to greedy insurance companies.

Sherri - posted on 12/12/2010

They say it will insure all American's however, there are large downfalls as well such as:



However, they are trying to mimic Canada's healthcare system. The largest concerns are that to do that our taxes will go up tremendously, also to stay in budget the US will need to limit the number or referrals to specialists and diagnostic or surgical procedures it can perform by placing candidates on a "waiting list," forcing patients with life-threatening illnesses to wait their turn. Canadian patients suffer the consequences of this delay to receive necessary treatment with an increase in their mortality rate for treatable conditions such as breast cancer.



They are also saying that to even put this into motion it is going to cost somewhere in the range of 700 million that will effect Americans with much higher tax rates.



www.insurancespecialists.com

Nikki - posted on 12/12/2010

I was referring you your earlier posts Sherri.

The system in the US isn't going to be the same as ours Emma, hopefully eventually they will get a fairer system, but it's too complex just to implement a whole new system in this kind of economy.

Stifler's - posted on 12/12/2010

Wouldn't the new system in the US be the same as Australia where every doctor has it and stuff?

Sherri - posted on 12/12/2010

No I am completely answering Barbs question thanks Nikki.

Nikki - posted on 12/12/2010

But Sherri that is not universal health care, this is where I think you get confused, you are comparing it to medicaid; which it is not. This was my whole point, I really don't think you understand what universal health care means, otherwise I can't imagine why anyone would have anything against it.(compared to the alternative anyway) It is simply a better system than the US healthcare system, which in my opinion is a disgrace.

Sherri - posted on 12/12/2010

No Barb I actually think dealing with the Medicaid is a pain in the A**. You can't go to any doctor or dentist unless you were already a patient there. As very few places will just accept Medicaid patients and I want to go to the pediatrician or dentist I want not only the ones that may accept us. I can't get certain medicines that the doctor really wants to prescribe I have to try 2 different medications first and if those don't work then they MAY approve the one he really needs. I can't get my youngest into a dentist right now because he wasn't already a patient in a dentist office first and now no dentist office in the area will except him. Even the dentist office my older two are already patients at. It really is quite Horrible compared to private insurance if you must know.

Stifler's - posted on 12/12/2010

I can't follow what is going on here!

Sherri - posted on 12/12/2010

About Emma

Stifler's - posted on 12/12/2010

I'm confused.

Barb - posted on 12/12/2010

Sherri, you said your boys have medicaid and you have private insurance. So you have one of each. You have Government insurance and you have private insurance at the same time, so you stand in a position of comparison to be able to share your experience with us if you choose to do so.