Cheap HMO's

[Romulus111VADT]

Ten Top Indicators that your Employer has changed to a cheaper HMO:

10. Your annual breast exam is done at Hooters.
9. Directions to your doctor's office include "Take a left
when you enter the trailer park."
8. The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.
7. The only proctologist in the plan is "Gus" from RotoRooter.
6. The only item listed under Preventative Care coverage is "An apple a day."
5. Your primary care physician is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month.
4. "The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network- charges" is not a typo.
3. The only expense covered 100% is embalming.
2. With your last HMO, your Prozac didn't come in different colors with little M's on them.

And the number 1 sign you've joined a cheap HMO:
   
1. You ask for Viagra; you get a Popsicle stick and duct tape.

[ozzy72]

Hmm, Romulus are you trying to tell us something about healthcare in America. 'Cos I'm not taking a job there now that I've read this!!!!

Ozzy

[Romulus111VADT]

HMO's suck....the insurance companies play God and decide if you really need the treatment. If in their divine eye's you don't need the treatment...they refuse to pay for it. If you die, then it's , "Oh well, we saved some money".  All HMO's should be outlawed and criminally prosecuted.

Medical treatments are some of the best in the world in the US....but you need to be Bill Gates to pay for it. Even the insurance is so high priced that 40% of Americans can't afford it.  :-/

[ozzy72]

Gosh! Now that is ludicrous. Seem to remember Hillary Clinton going on about this a while back. Maybe she had a valid point.... :-/

Ozzy

[Oso]

Nah! She wanted to Socialize it. Which would have made it worse.

[Romulus111VADT]

Insurance in the US is a racket. If you are lucky and have a good employer...your costs can be quite low...like $10 to $25 per pay period. But 80% of employers have you paying from $100.00 for single, $250.00 per couple, or $500.00 per family for coverage per month and some these payments are every 2 weeks.

Individual premiums start at the $250.00 (single person) range for cheap insurance and go up to over $1,000.00 per month for a family plan for 80% to 90% coverage. Then you have deductibles that range from $100.00 to $2,000.00 depending on if it's single or family...this is your out of pocket expense depending on the amount of your coverage.  Then you have a co-pay for each doctor and this varies for what type of doctor, from $10.00 to $25.00 each visit.

That's not the best of it...most require a primary doctor that you must see to get permission to go to others. This was especially useful in my circumstance...I had to go to a doctor that was totally clueless at orthopedics so he could "refer" me to a doctor I've been seeing for 11 years. Of course I had to pay for 2 doctors (the co-pay). Really saved me a bunch! NOT!!!

Are you confused enough yet?

[Hagar]

Insurance is a racket. Period.......!
I have no idea what HMO stands for but assume it's some sort of compulsory medical scheme. You don't want to know about the pension plan problems in the UK. In any other business it would be called fraud.
Interest payments are so low right now that advice from financial experts is to keep your savings (if you have any) under the mattress.

[tvale80]

Health Management Org

[SilverFox441]

You Americans always make me appreciate OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) when you talk about HMO's.

OHIP covers most health needs, my union coverage fills in the dental and prescription drugs.

A much more sane system if you ask me.

[Romulus111VADT]

Nationalized insurance will never be allowed in the US. The insurance industry and their special interest money that is donated (more like bribe money) to politicians, will see to that.

Oh we do have Medicaid...our governmental insurance for the poor and elderly. It covers some of the medical needs, some of the time and never more than 80%. So people are forced to purchase supplemental insurance to cover the remaining amounts. Medicaid also covers prescription drugs. This is a joke! Most of the elderly that are on Medicaid are forced to decide between food and paying the co-pay (if not the entire amount) that Medicaid will not cover on their prescriptions that keep them alive. Pretty lousy system in my view.

To top it all off...the Medicaid death benefit that is paid towards funeral expenses is a whopping $255.00, which won't cover anything except maybe a nice floral arrangement. You see our government is part and parcel with the insurance industry. They screw you your entire life and get one last screw in before your buried.

The funny part is...millions of people are buying their prescriptions in Canada at up to an 80% savings for the exact same drug. The pharmaceutical companies are pissed and are trying to get this practice outlawed! I wish we did have the Canadian system! At least it regulates the costs!

[SilverFox441]

What's really funny is the number of Canadians buying thier prescriptions south of the border because tehy are cheaper!

There must be a scam going on here somewhere.