CNN poll: Are you happy with your health insurance coverage?

[Judi Lynn]

Are you happy with your health insurance coverage?
Yes 61% 98985
No 33% 52925
Haven't had to use it 7% 10666
Total Votes: 162576

www.cnn.com

Right hand column, lower part of the page....

[ShortnFiery]

1. They need to question those who've had a major medical illness IF they are

happy with their insurance companies? How about all those who go bankrupt who have insurance?

[Craftsman]

5. I am happy with my insurance and have a daughter with a major health issue

So far this year we have run up $14000 in bills and have paid $300 out of pocket.

[zbdent]

12. and you would still have your insurance, should you choose it, under "Obamacare" ...

unless your EMPLOYER decided to drop your insurance provider when it came to re-up it ...

[Craftsman]

17. Which could happen.

I am friends with the HR guy and he told me the the company owners where I work for have had a discussion on dropping all health and dental if a public option is out there. Up the pay some but pocket the majority of the money. They will be looking at the law to see if they can get away with it.

[zbdent]

18. and I remember an "argument" a while back where the businesses were saying

"we could pay you more if we weren't obligated to give you insurance options ..." ... riiiiiight ... like they'd pay you more ...

[Craftsman]

23. Like I said they will throw you a bone but keep the steak for themselves.

[ShortnFiery]

22. Guess what? VERY FEW people are as fortunate as you, thousands declare

bankruptcy. :eyes:

[Craftsman]

24. He asked an honest question and I answered him honestly.

[ShortnFiery]

27. And you are, not unlike the ultra-rich, are one of the FEW people who are protected.

with regard to health insurance. So, screw the rest of us? :shrug:

[paulsby]

30. im very happy

i've posted specifics. i just got out of surgery, am in physical therapy twice a week, etc.

i've had over 30k of medical bills so far this year. my yearly max is $400 and that's all i've paid (and all i can pay for the year).

i get 60 physical therapy appt's free, and 60 massages, etc.

they also have a very good website where i can look up specialists by specialty and zip code who are preferred providers, check on claims, etc.

they are very good. i support universal healthcare, but i know no public plan would come close to giving me the benefits i have under my private insurance, for which my employer pays about 11k a year

[hunter]

32. How much did you and your employer pay in premiums?

The insurance companies start to get real cranky when they start paying out more for you than they take in from you.

Hit them for $14,000 a few years too many when you are only paying them $12,000 and trust me, they'll figure out a way to shake you loose if they have to. But usually if you are that sick or injured you'll lose your income, won't be able to pay their premiums, and they get rid of you that way.

They're usually a little more careful when it comes to kids, first of all because kids don't tend to get seriously sick and are tremendously profitable, but mostly because dumping parents out on the street because their kids have major health issues makes for bad press and difficult legal situations. Sometimes it costs less to pay the medical bills of a sick kid than it does to pay some super sleazy law firm to defend the unethical and illegal actions of an insurance company.

[Craftsman]

45. Total of my health care for 6.75 years is over $300000.

This include $200000 in NICU for premature twins during a difficult pregnancy.

[hunter]

58. It sounds like you do have good insurance.

I had good insurance for a few years.

My wife and I didn't have good insurance when our kids were born but we didn't know it. We thought we had an 80/20 plan with a cap, but there were some complications during both deliveries and our insurance paid about 60% and refused to pay more. We couldn't come up with the difference. Getting dunned for medical bills does not reduce the stress of being a new parent! Eventually we were able to negotiate with the hospital and others to write off the outstanding debts. We also borrowed some, more than we could afford which was a huge mistake. I learned by bad experience to negotiate directly with the providers, agree to pay them ten dollars a week for the rest of your life if that's all you've got, and never ever let a loan shark (credit company, whatever) "help" you out. Don't let the hospital see your credit cards either. If you are sitting in the ER and you know you've got something horrible, or a doctor gives you some very bad news, immediately cut up your credit cards and deposit them in the nearest sharps receptacle with the used hypodermics and stuff. (Okay maybe that's hyperbole, maybe not...)

BTW, our kids are very healthy and almost out of the nest. Time really does fly; little kids become volatile teenagers so soon, but that's fun too if you don't go crazy.

For a few calmer years my wife and I had pretty good insurance, or maybe my expectations of insurance companies had been drastically lowered.

But then it was our misfortune to be hit by the kind of stuff that randomly falls out of the sky. My wife became seriously ill, ran a COBRA plan to the end, and was forced into our state's high risk insurance pool. At about the same time my chronic health problems (the result of some unfortunate genetics) were becoming worse, and I was priced out of the private health insurance market.

As things stand now my wife has very expensive and not-so-good group insurance through her work, and we are both uninsurable through private plans. We miss very much the days when we both belonged to strong unions and had good insurance.

[rhett o rick]

33. Is it a government run plan, like Medicare or Fed Emp Health Benefits or veterans benefits? nt

[FLDCVADem]

48. Federal Employees Health Benefits

is NOT a government run plan.

And non-VA veterans care, though paid for by the government, is not government run either.

[rhett o rick]

52. It depends on the definition of government run.

First let me explain that I am not pushing FEHB as a robust public option. But via the FEHB the government negotiates with private health insurers as to what is covered and what the acceptable fees will be for Federal employees. The government also pays a portion of the premiums. Federal employees get their health insurance from private insurers but via a government run FEHB. Not as good as Medicare but still better than no government involvement.

My point was that there are a lot of people that are satisfied with their health care because they already benefit from a government run program.

[rhett o rick]

53. So what's your point? nt

[iamjoy]

6. It's Still Irrelevant

I have had a major illness and am still happy with my health insurance. That's not the point, though.

If 90% of the people in this country are very happy with their insurance and the other 10% are literally dying for lack of coverage, we need reform.

Sadly, I think many people are happy with what they have and don't give a crap about the others, or they assume if the majority are happy things are fine.

[ShortnFiery]

25. Tell that to the THOUSANDS of families who declare bankruptcy based on

having insurance and still being unable to pay.

But, it's not relevant because it doesn't happen to you? :(

[iamjoy]

49. That's Not What I'm Saying

I am saying that the percentage of people happy with their insurance is irrelevant because the system is catastrophically failing so many. While to imply that only people who have never been sick are happy with their insurance isn't entirely accurate, I don't agree with using a survey showing a majority of people are happy with their coverage as an excuse to take no action.

It doesn't matter if the people who are happy have had claims are happy or not, I'm concerned more about the ones who aren't happy.

[JeanGrey]

47. I have to say that my health care has been fantastic.

It paid over 500,000 for a liver transplant and we paid $1400.00 total. Now it is paying a fortune in cancer treatment, of which we pay no co pays, but the insurance is high, 1,000 a month, but it's worth it considering the benefits. My drugs alone would be thousands a month.

[Doctor_J]

2. Polls like this are so biased as to be useless, except for propaganda

For example, anyone watching Cable "News" is likely to be a right-winger.

[FLDCVADem]

16. Or for example

someone on a left leaning website will provide a link so that we can all go over and "DU this poll".

Don't get me wrong, I always go over and click the DU approved option, but what good does it really do, other than make it more unscientific than it already is?

[paulsby]

34. this is a CNN poll

do you have actual evidence that "anybody" watching CNN is LIKELY to be a rightwinger?

i am certain that is the case with fox. i have no idea with CNN, but off the top of my head, im not going to accept it w/o data

[Doctor_J]

44. Yet you will accept CNN's results

Good on you! You are well on your way to becoming one of King Glenn's subjects

:thumbsup:

[paulsby]

46. nice strawman/lie

i didn't say i would or wouldn't accept their results.

nice strawman.

all i said was that i didn't accept your ASSERTION that you have yet to support, that watchers are LIKELY to be right-wingers.

nice evasion, but the internet never forgets. read back. let's see if you have intellectual honesty, or will continue to evade.

oh,and please cite where i said "i accept CNN's results" or anything remotely suggestive of same

tia

[Doctor_J]

55. OK, let's put it this way

Most people who avoid Con News Network and the other propaganda factories are likely to be those who reject right-wing lies such as those proffered by CNN. I have found that Cable "News" addicts, even those at DU, are brainwashed to a large extent. Furthermore, on the second day of statistics class, anyone who's still awake will discover that internet polls are irretrieveably biased, as the mere act of participating indicates that one has an axe to grind. Finally, having read through this thread, I can determine that this particular poll is nothing more than a push-poll for the pro-private insurance morans.

[paulsby]

56. i notice you did not retract your statement

i told you you were lying.mistaken, asked for an offer of proof, and you completely ignore it.

you claimed that I MADE A CERTAIN CLAIM.

i asked for an offer of proof or a retraction.

i will sit by and see if you have the intellectual honesty to simply admit i did NOT say that i accepted (or did not accept) the results of CNN poll. the reality is that i made no such statement of judgment either way.

waiting...

because you have not responded, i am not addressing the rest of what you wrote, because i don't abide by dishonesty/intellectual dishonesty/evasion.

i'll assume it was an oversight unless not confirmed by either offer of proof or retraction

waiting...

[Lorien]

3. Kick nt

[rucky]

4. Follow up: Would you be as happy if your employer didn't foot the premiums?

[create.peace]

7. K & R it's being freeped! nt

[Maru Kitteh]

8. NO! I absolutely HATE my coverage. It's awful.

[Lorien]

31. Mine too, but it's the best I can afford

because I'm self employed. :-(

[Maru Kitteh]

57. It's all we can afford too. :-(

[trueblue2007]

50. I hate mine too. GOT DENIED 2 TIMES. Mine is some horrible supplemental thru AARP

It's the only thing I could find. Costs me almost $200 a month.

I WANT GOVERNMENT OPTION NOW !!!!

LET PEOPLE BUY INTO MEDICARE FOR EVERYONE!!

[undeterred]

9. No option for the 47 million uninsured.

[inna]

10. frankly, i can't believe that many people are happy with their coverage.

:shrug:

[HelenWheels]

11. Happy now but

if the public option doesn't go through you can bet the insurance companies will run wild with rate increases. Then those people should be polled.

[RoadRage]

13. I am.. i'm happy with my coverage..

But then again, I work for a great company that only charges me $280 a month (family of 4) and covers almost everything for 90%. Of course, i'm only one job loss away from no longer having this policy...

The problem is my dad didn't have a good policy.. he had a prudential policy that wanted him off due to a bad heart - so they doubled his monthly insurance premium every year. By the time he passed away in 2006, he was paying over $4,500 a month. A MONTH. My stepmom lost her house after he passed away because she couldn't afford the 2nd mortgage that they took out to pay his insurance premiums.

Anyway - CNN's poll question is slightly misleading. Am I happy with MY covereage right now? Sure. Am I happy with other friends & family members who I care a lot about? No. Do I want healthcare changes in this country ASAP!? YES.

[sarge43]

14. Yeah, I'm happy with my coverage.

Am I happy about the way I had to get it -- 20 years of indenture servitude in the service, plus subject to recall for the rest of my life? Hell no.

Am I happy about the lack of health insurance coverage for millions of Americans? Of course not.

Complex problems can't be summed by a binary question.

[Cleita]

15. They forgot the last option. "I have Medicare and love it".

[Vinca]

20. Oops . . . sorry. You beat me to it. I should have read the posts first.

[Vinca]

19. How many of the insured are on Medicare??

[guitar man]

21. I'd be happy if:

A: It didn't cost so damn much and

B: If I didn't have to spend 2-3 hours on the phone every 3rd time or so someone in my family has to go to the doctor trying to get them to pay for things they are supposed to be paying for. I'm paying a premium for their "product", is it too much to ask them to stand and deliver?

[LeftinOH]

26. Sure, I'm happy with it- as long as I'm employed, which could change at any moment. n/t

[fascisthunter]

28. what a bunch of bullshit

[rhett o rick]

29. Terribly written. Should have qualified it for only those not currently on a government plan. nt

[HughMoran]

35. Fuckin' liars

I'm going to have to put a few of these liars in the hospital myself.

[quiet.american]

36. What health insurance coverage?

I will say this -- when I did have insurance, I used it for knee surgery - the only halfway major health issue I'd ever had under UnitedHealthcare insurance.

Immediately after the surgery, I started receiving one or two notices each day through the mail from UH. The notices essentially went something like this:

Declined: coverage for anesthesia, you owe $3,000, you can apply for appeal
Accepted: coverage for anesthesia, you owe $0
Declined: coverage for anesthesia, you owe $2,000, you can apply for appeal
Accepted: partial coverage for anesthesia, you owe $1500, you can apply for appeal

For each billable part of the operation, I received similar accepted/not-accepted notices.

In the end, I must have received 60-75 letters from UH regarding billing on this operation. Fast-forward to about a year later, they finally paid the hospital bills in full and sent me a check for something I had paid, but that had been double-billed.

I'm not sure the word "like" is what I would use for my experience with them, as I know I'm just damn lucky it all turned out okay in the end.

[otohara]

37. Yikes

this needs help.

[Critters2]

38. Will you, or your employer, be happy when rates have doubled in the next 10 years?

My employer is doing al it can to pay premiums. I may be happy now, but if it goes away because it becomes too expensive, well, thenm not so much.

People are so short-sighted.

[Leftist Agitator]

39. Where's the option for "What Health Insurance?"

The fucking Corporate Media.

:mad:

[donco]

40. Yes,very happy with

the VA.

[intheflow]

41. They forgot the "I don't have insurance" option.

What a bullshit poll. Not that I'm surprised.

[recoveringrepublican]

42. Yes, I'm thrilled with my coverage, BUT I am willing to give it all up for single payer! Even if it

cost me MORE!. Our part of insurance went up to an entire $120/month. We have a $250 individual deductable and $500 for family. Co-pay are $20, and I rarely pay more than $2 for any kind of medication needed. My maternity is 100% covered, no co-pays, as are my yearly pap smears.

But it's not worth it to me if someone else goes without preventative care. I don't like hearing about anyone waiting and waiting and waiting to seek care because they can't afford it. Stories like "well we didn't catch it in time" piss me off.

I'm not willing to give up my coverage for anything that just shoves more $$ into the pockets of the insurance company. I might go along with a Public Option, but that still doesn't thrill me.

[GreenPartyVoter]

43. I have Medicaid and am satisfied, but I can't vote in the poll because there is no choice for that.

[tabbycat31]

51. they need an option for the uninsured

[mzmolly]

54. How does this question pertain to expanding coverage? The assumption is that those who are happy

will have to change!

:grr: