For those of you who think "Mandatory Health Insurance" will be great

[Crazy Dave]

Take a hint from those of us already getting it voluntarily. Last week I thought the insurance company was only going to pay around $4100 out of my $7300 emergency room bill. Well today I get the great news that they are only going to pay $1900 out of the total bill. Of course I can contest it and dispute it for six months as I had to with a surgery that was even approved for my oldest son. It finally took my employer at the time threatening to cancel the company's policy with them but I can only imagine that as soon as we're forced by law to buy it they will never pay shit and even more people will die for life saving surgeries the insurance companies declare "experimental".

Edit - Got what I thought I was going to pay (around $3200) confused with what I thought the insurance would pay at first (around $4100).

[qb]

1. It does sound like a terrible plan.

The politicians get to pretend they're doing something about health care.
The insurance companies make out like bandits.
The people get screwed.

[China_cat]

2. I've been wondering how they are going to force

someone like me to have insurance when no company will insure me? At least not for less than almost twice what we make.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. What?!? You'll pay for this!

How dare you to be unacceptable to insurance companies? :sarcasm:

[China_cat]

11. Ever since the last insurance cancelled me

because the officials at the colisseum where I collapsed called EMS without getting the insurance company approval first. Of course, they had conveniently forgotten to let policy holders know that they could no longer use emergency services unless they were unconscious. If you were awake and could talk you either had to get a referral by your pcp or phone authorization (and you'd better be recording it or they'd deny you called) to call EMS or use a hospital ER.

They cancelled me and left me with an almost $8000 bill for 10 hours of 'treatment'.

[Crazy Dave]

4. Just like with "mandatory" car insurance

If you're a high risk you'll pay out the ass for health insurance or pay a fine.

[China_cat]

12. Or not drive. That's easy, you have plenty of alternatives there.

With your health it's pay out the ass (with or without insurance) or die.

[KitchenWitch]

8. 20 year survivor of cancer here

I feel ya.

[Crazy Dave]

9. That's great and I'm glad you had a chance at survival

But I really don't think the odds will be that good for Americans 4 - 5 years from now.

Doctor: You're going to die of cancer unless you get $200,000 of surgery and treatment.

Patient: But my mandatory health insurance will only pay up to $20,000 and that's only after I pay my $2000 deductible and my 20% co-payment up front.

Doctor: Next victim, oops, patient please.

[KitchenWitch]

10. Yeah, I know.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. You forgot the "single-payer, not-for-profit" part. n/t

That's the question nobody has answered for me either. If I have no job, no job prospects, and pre-existing conditions, what do they do then? Throw me in the poorhouse?

[Crazy Dave]

6. I think they're going to do the "Logan's Run" thing

Once we've outlived our usefulness to society, like paying into the insurance companies profits, paying into social security, taxes, etc. When it's time for us to collect they'll snuff us.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. I hear you - it's pure bullshit.

"Universal healthcare? I know how we can do that - make it illegal to be uninsured!"

"But, Sen. Dave, won't that force the insurance companies to take out policies on everyone who wants one and potentially drive the companies into bankruptcy?"

"No, Steve, not 'uninsurABLE' - we make it illegal to be uninsured! The insurance companies can still maintain their own criteria of insuring; it'll be up to the idiots to figure out how to carry insurance. And if they don't, we fine them!"

"Sweet! I'm gonna go out and buy a million shares of American Family".

"You'd be a dumbass not to. I'm coming with!"