Health Insurance -- How much would Senator Johnson's Treatment Cost the Average American vs Senator?

[Dems2002]

I know very little about healthcare costs except that a recent visit to the ER for Food Poisoning cost me $800 and that was WITH insurance.

So, I think that Senator Johnson's situation could provide a bird's eye view of the state of healthcare and the different amounts people pay depending on their coverage.

How much would a person without insurance pay for Senator Johnson's care? (Or would they even receive it?)

How much would a person with Blue Cross PPO pay for Senator Johnson's care?

How much would a person with Kaiser pay for Senator Johnson's care?

How much would a person on Medicare Pay for Senator Johnson's care?

How much will Senator Johnson have to pay?

How does the recent Bankruptcy bill affect any of the above people?

I know this is horrible, but it's an opportunity to spotlight the excellent healthcare that Senators have, and compare it to the unequal state of healthcare in our country.

Best,

Dems

[antigop]

1. don't know about Johnson -- but here is info on Cheney's pacemaker costs

http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/07/04/cheney/index.html

[madrchsod]

2. right now i`d say about 85 thousand

and that`s a low estimate. by the time he leaves the hospital and rehab it maybe 175 to 225 thousand dollars. one night in icu and a stress test cost me 15,000 dollars and my hospital rates are far less than a hospital in washington dc.

[bryant69]

3. You'd also have to look at how much it would impact them

Take the cost as a percentage of yearly income, for example.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[DaveJ]

4. No need to dance around the issue...

We need Universal healthcare. We should not spend every day worrying about when the day will come that we will be financially ruined because of an illness. This unjustness MUST end.

I'm not whining or conspiratory when I make the very real observation that this lack of health coverage is the way the rich control the rest of us. They *know* that a very large portion of us *will* be wiped out by healthcare costs -- which makes us powerless -- and they are fine with that.

I'm not going to blame the Democrats for the fact that we don't have health coverage in the U.S. If the Republicans pushed for it too, we'd have it.

But again, it's not so much that we don't have healthcare -- we do, just no coveragte -- so the system is 'designed' to ruin us financially.

I can't believe Americans put up with it.

[bobbolink]

5. I agree, it's what we need. No doubt there. But, you're more generous than I am.

"I'm not going to blame the Democrats for the fact that we don't have health coverage in the U.S. "

I appreciate your generosity on this.

I am past being that forgiving. My own Dem rep won't bother to educate herself about Universal Health Care, even with many of us talking with her and her staff about it. She is in a very strong and safe Dem area, and could very well sign on to HR 676, but, as I said, can't be bothered.

Just read some of the snarky comments on this forum about Universal Health care, and these are supposedly Dems who are attacking each other on this issue.

Yes, I can blame Dems. We could have been much further along on this, but.....

It will obviously take much more suffering and many more deaths--with poor folk, once again, taking the lead in those columns, before people are willing to come down from their lofty perches of "pragmatism at all cost" and work hard for what's right.

:( :cry:

[sandnsea]

6. More than one way to get universal care

I don't really give a shit whether some insurance company gets money as long as every person has health care. If stupid Americans are willing to pay more in taxes to provide a subsidized insurance program for low-income folks - fine by me. Whatever it takes to get every person health care. That's what those who won't come down from their lofty perch of 'single payer' can't seem to get through their heads.

[bobbolink]

11. So, you're a big fan of the PHARMCO prescription "plan" because it "works"?

[sandnsea]

12. IF it worked

I honestly wouldn't give a shit if people wanted to spend their tax money paying pharmaceuticals for the program. My problem with the plan, at the moment, is that it doesn't work. When people see they're paying too much for it, they'll demand changes. You have to start with something and it isn't going to be single payer. That's just the way Americans are.

[bobbolink]

14. There you have it. You will all have to learn the hard way that

these compromises won't work.

Unfortunately, it's us poor folk who suffer for that learning.

But, those deaths don't matter.

[sandnsea]

18. Let's see - medicine or no medicine

If people have medicine, the program works. It may be incredibly expensive to wealthy taxpayers, but it works. Once the 'doughnut hole' is fixed, we will have a prescription drug program that helps everyone with their medication. And, in fact, there is an additional benefit for people under 150% of poverty. It's better than what we had, and when people recognize how expensive it is, and that there's better options for less money - then they'll start pushing for that. It's just the way this country works. We rarely take gigantic steps, like single payer, all at one time.

[DaveJ]

7. I didn't know...

Yeah, I'd have the same animosity toward any politician that doesn't support health coverage, Democrat or Republican. I just assumed that in general Democrats supported it for the most part, and never hear of a Republican that did.

If the same portion of Republicans supported it as Democrats I'm fairly certain it would pass.

Isn't it disgusting that we pay for their full coverage yet they don't support ours.

[bobbolink]

10. "Isn't it disgusting that we pay for their full coverage yet they don't support ours."

DANG!! Wish I'd said that to her in her Town Hall Meeting!

Is your Rep. on the co-sponsor list of HR 676?

Yes, Heinz was a Rep. who used to support these kinds of bills. He was a Republican, but a very decent guy. Ms. Heinz-Kerry comes by her liberal views honestly.

sigh...

[WernhamHogg]

9. What I can't believe

What I can't believe is Americans who side with the insurance industry on this issue. More than once I've heard remarks about "the free market" regarding health care and most shockingly, comments about "dying is a natural part of life" and "no one lives forever" to excuse the fact that the US does not have Universal Healthcare. These are usually people who do have insurance, but who are one serious illness away from losing EVERYTHING (despite the false sense of security they have regarding their health insurance). Many of them are quick with some story about "a guy in Canada who had to wait 5 years for an operation" while they totally ignore the countless stories from this country about people who ARE covered who STILL end up getting screwed by the insurance industry.

Still, I was in my 20's before I even found out that there are countries in the world that has Universal Healthcare...

[Nite Owl]

8. I sincerely hope that Sen Johnson

will come out of this ok for his own sake and that of his family I also hope that this can help to bring the whole issue of health care to the forefront to be discussed in a more honest way. The Congress has to somehow increase their empathy quotient and realize just what would happen to most of us in a health crisis. The way things are structured now many would simply die or if lucky just go into bankruptcy and be an indentured servant to the corporation for the rest of their lives. With all the money that is spent on the Pentagon and bridges to nowhere that is not considered 'wasteful' we could have this coverage for all of us not the just the ruling class. This is the real 'pro life' movement and should be presented and discussed as such. The dems have to stop being afraid of being called names and stand up for us.

[judaspriestess]

13. sadly I am an American without insurance at the moment

I'm signing up with cobra to extend my benefits, its going to cost me $250 a month to do this. I have been without insurance for most of the year. Its awful.

So many politicians are detached from health care cause they don't have to deal with the realities of needing it. They have health care at their beck and call. There is a physician at Capital Hill! This has to change.

[bobbolink]

17. THen you are a prime one to work on HR 676.

Join your state organization working for Universal Health Care, and do what you can to work on the state level.

Lend your support in getting your Rep. signed on to HR676.

Talk to all you meet who complain about health care and refer them to HR676.

You can affect much.

[REP]

15. Kaiser - $0

My Kaiser policy is no co-pay with inpatient surgery; $10.00 co-pay with out-patient surgery.

[LostinVA]

20. Mine would be $50, with a different carrier

However, for ten years I worked full-time but had no health insurance. It was horrible.

[Vinca]

16. I don't know, but a whole lot of us would be dead

because we don't have health insurance.

[northzax]

19. it would cost me nothing

once I am hospitalized, my cost is zero. But then, I have insanely good health insurance. After a month out of work, I would drop to 80% salary on disability, however.