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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Ap, I can't speak to their actual hardware and software robustness but I can speak to their
employee protocols. The wife won't even look at my chart because she could lose her job
for doing so.
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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I went to the local Veterans office to get my Veterans ID card. I just wanted to get 10% off at Home Depot and found out that all this time I have been eligible for Veterans Health Care. Agent Orange exposure. I guess I should have checked with them a bit earlier:-) All you Vietnam Vets should check, might save you some money.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Veterans health care has been remarkably good for my father. True socialized medicine actually. I have heard horror stories in the news but my dads experience has been quite good. He does live in a town with a VA hospital which I'm sure makes a difference.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
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Re: Roger Brown's post. Here's a list of Agent Orange exposure sites from the VA.
•Exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam
Exposure on land in Vietnam or on a ship operating on the inland waterways of Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975
•Blue Water Veterans
Possible exposure on open sea ships off the shore of Vietnam during the Vietnam War
•U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Ships in Vietnam
List of ships and boats with operations in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975
•Korean Demilitarized Zone
Exposure along the demilitarized zone in Korea between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971
•Thailand Military Bases
Possible exposure on or near the perimeters of military bases between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975
•Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside Vietnam
Possible exposure due to herbicide tests and storage at military bases in the United States and locations in other countries
•Agent Orange Residue on Airplanes Used in the Vietnam War
Possible exposure of crew members to herbicide residue in C-123 planes flown after the Vietnam War
- See more at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/index.asp#sthash.tFAkUzxb.dpuf
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Norton
Social climber
quitcherbellyachin
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Sketch, explain how "open enrollment" requires people to switch health care providers
you can't
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EdwardT
Trad climber
Retired
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Sketch, explain how "open enrollment" requires people to switch health care providers
you can't
Someone claimed "open enrollment" requires people to switch health care providers?
Back when the new system was being implemented, a lot of people had to leave their old plans. But as of 1/1/15, all of the plans excluded from Federal or State programs were discontinued.
Is that what you're talking about?
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujò de la Playa
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Take agent orange and die!!
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Seriously, Reilly?
I've heard nothing but horror stories about Kaiser.
Kaiser is the largest private health insurance provider in the US. They come to that position by way of patients making a voluntary choice to receive their care there, and renew every year.
Back in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, the single best prognostic factor predicting you would live longer was that you were a Kaiser patient.
In this ranking of hospitals in LA, 2 of the top nine are Kaiser Hospitals.
5 of the top 9 are research hospitals, so 1/2 of the top private hospitals are Kaiser.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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So what is the source of all the bitching about Kaiser, then?
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Kaiser is an HMO, not just an insurance company. They control everything, hospitals, doctors, medical offices, etc. That can be good and bad. Good in that its efficient and they think about long term health/costs. Bad in that instead of doctors making decisions about your health care and insurance companies paying the bill, the insurance company is part of the decision making process. Of course that's a simplified way of looking at it, even a standard insurance company will only pay for things in certain ways/amounts.
I've had both kaiser and blue shield and both have had their pluses and minuses. But I will say Kaiser has been more affordable.
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Lorenzo
Trad climber
Portland Oregon
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I think you are deluding yourself if you think insurance companies don't make decisions based on bottom line whether they are HMO's or you get your care through a private doctor and hospital.
But I personally have gotten better treatment from the HMO.
I had coverage through blue Cross back East. You had to go to a participating Doctor. When I dislocated my shoulder and sought repair surgery because it was dislocating on a regular basis, the doctor they sent me to asked if I could brush my teeth and comb my hair with the arm. When I said yes he said I didn't need surgery.
I had to come up with ten grand of my own to get the surgery. ( 20 years ago, so probably double that today)
I just had emergency surgery for a knee I split open in Tuolomne under Kaiser. The bill at Mammoth hospital was $14 grand. Kaiser paid all but $90 of my copay. A follow-up MRI when I got home also cost me $30. My rehab is costing me $30 a week.
And I was asked what my expected level of recovery was when we laid out my care plan.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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I think you are deluding yourself if you think insurance companies don't make decisions based on bottom line... 1+
It's all about money, not patient care.
I've even been told by hospital managers that I should not care how patients are treated, I should concern myself only with costs.
I've been told by other hospital managers: "It's just business."
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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So what is the source of all the bitching about Kaiser, then?
Because they are the largest, they are going to have the largest number of bad outcomes. Every system has some. Most of the time, when I hear of a Kaiser problem, it is usually a problem with the doctor's decision....not the system. You are going to have doctors make wrong decisions no matter where you go. The largest systems will have the most, and publicity over them will make it seem that they have more problems than others, but as a percent, they are undoubtedly lower.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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I think a high percentage of the 'bad outcomes' are due to people who are looking for a bad
outcome and a reason to sue. The unending litany of nut cases I hear about, seemingly
nightly, is frankly sad and frightening, especially in that I am hearing about OB patients who
clearly should not be contributing to the gene pool. I've offered to come administer reality
checks gratis but my offers are as yet unrequited.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Check out supertopo if you want a bad outcome and unending litany of nutcases...rj
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Watch it, RJ, let's not get personal.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Mar 10, 2015 - 04:51pm PT
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the doctor they sent me to asked if I could brush my teeth and comb my hair with the arm. When I said yes he said I didn't need surgery.
I had to come up with ten grand of my own to get the surgery.
I've finally learned that you need to inflate your symptoms or you don't get care. Both my son and I were sent home during abdomen pain with "it's just a bug" and we both had appendicitis, which wasn't treated until two weeks later we ran a high fever.
Probably a lot of people are such complainers that they take that into account, so when someone actually honest or with a high pain tolerance comes in they don't realize they need to take it seriously.
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dirtbag
climber
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Mar 23, 2015 - 09:53am PT
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Happy birthday, ACA. It was passed five years ago today. Thanks to the ACA, millions more Americans are now insured.
God bless Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and President Obama for improving the lives of millions of Americans.
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crankster
Trad climber
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Mar 23, 2015 - 11:06am PT
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