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Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/14/2012 02:29:33 AM · #526

Originally posted by kawesttex:

I will stick by my 'Food Stamp' platform for Obama.

I'm sure you will, even if (or maybe because) it makes no sense. Most of the states with the highest food stamp use are red, so those electoral votes went to Romney regardless of what the individual counties did.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

11/14/2012 07:54:29 AM · #527

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

Originally posted by mike_311:

here's a good starting point, figure out why healthcare costs so much in the first place and fix that problem. making everyone have healthcare doesn't solve the bigger problem, it just rearranges who pays for it.

As a healthcare worker in billing ...

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

11/14/2012 08:28:24 AM · #528

Originally posted by GeneralE:

As a healthcare worker in billing ...

I heard an interview with one private practitioner who said he had to hire three people just to handle billing issues (filing claims, appealing denied claims), primarily because there are so many different insurance programs, each with their own rules and forms. Can you say what proportion of employee time at your facility is devoted to insurance billing as compared to actual patient care? [/quote]

That's somewhat hard to say, as it would vary for each provider based on the types of services they provide, since some services require a far more lengthy authorization process than others. What I mean is that a surgery takes a ton more paperpushing than labs or most outpatient services, which fall under different categories of service. Inpatient vs outpatient surgery further adds to the complexity. The demographics of the patient base also can dictate things, since Medicare is a behemoth in and of itself when it comes to needing special processes done, and other government programs can be equally picky about things. It also depends how much you can streamline your process and automate things, so the bigger the more efficient because you can specialize processes to deal with this instead of having a couple individuals muddling through the constantly changing murk that is the insurance world.

If I were to throw out a random guess, I'd say perhaps 20-25% of staff time is spent on clerical work (excluding HR). It's hard for me to say with much veracity though, because I work on-site with the patients themselves and serve basically as the link between the clerical side and the clinical side. We have an entirely separate off-site facility that primarily does clerical/administration work, which I have only on occasion visited and shadowed at. This large facility served our two hospitals and a number of clinics, which each also have their own on-site staff. I say served because we have greatly expanded and are still finalizing the structure of integration as of yet.

11/14/2012 08:41:32 AM · #529

Good read about rising insurance premiums caused by Obamacare

Digipixer

Canon Power Shot SX10 IS

11/14/2012 08:50:03 AM · #530

Here's some good reading for scalvert,

//www.ct.com/news/advocates/latest-news/wtxx-corporate-welfare-in-connecticut-is-expensive-and-poorly-tracked-20111116,0,202233.story

Message edited by author 2012-11-14 10:08:13.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

11/14/2012 09:06:33 AM · #531

fixed link

Message edited by author 2012-11-14 09:08:03.

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

11/14/2012 09:45:04 AM · #532

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

Good read about rising insurance premiums caused by Obamacare

Insurance rates have been rising for so many years. You can't pin it on Obama. When I started working at a job where benefits were offered I paid $10 a week for family coverage with copays of $5 to go to the doctor/ER/prescriptions. When I left my last job I was paying $700 a month for family coverage with copays of $60 to go to the doctor $35 for a prescription and $150 for an ER visit. This was long before Obama. The last 5 years I was at that job from 2000 through 2005 my costs went up by 15 to 20 percent each year. Bush was president then. Was it his fault?

kawesttex

Apple iPhone 11 Pro

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/14/2012 09:55:44 AM · #533

Originally posted by Kelli:

Originally posted by cowboy221977:
Good read about rising insurance premiums caused by Obamacare

Insurance rates have been rising for so many years. You can't pin it on Obama. When I started working at a job where benefits were offered I paid $10 a week for family coverage with copays of $5 to go to the doctor/ER/prescriptions. When I left my last job I was paying $700 a month for family coverage with copays of $60 to go to the doctor $35 for a prescription and $150 for an ER visit. This was long before Obama. The last 5 years I was at that job from 2000 through 2005 my costs went up by 15 to 20 percent each year. Bush was president then. Was it his fault?

It wasn't Bush's or Obama's fault. You would have to look at the Democratic control in the House and Senate.

11/14/2012 09:56:20 AM · #534

My point is...Obama said that this plan was going to lower the cost of healthcare. By putting all of the uninsured on the healthcare system the money has to come from somewhere. So cut benefits and charge more because we have support the uninsured..

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

11/14/2012 10:00:03 AM · #535

The 1 thing that was never touched on that would lower costs drastically. Get rid of frivolous lawsuits. Kelli we have already talked about lawsuits previously. For instance, did you know that a parent can sue an OBGYN doc up until their child turns 21. If anything is wrong with the child up until the kid is 21 it is automatically the docs fault

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

11/14/2012 10:43:58 AM · #536

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

I'm pretty sure no one agrees with frivolous lawsuits. But doctors should be held accountable for birth injuries that result in a child needing medical care for the rest of it's life, such as cerebral palsy. But who draws the line at what is frivolous? I'm pretty sure right now it's up to the judge whether to throw a lawsuit out or not.

"What exactly is a birth injury?"

Birth injuries, also sometimes called birth traumas, are injuries suffered by a baby during birth. Birth injuries are different from birth defects, which are health problems the baby had before birth, due to genetic abnormalities or exposure to harmful substances. A birth injury is a physical injury a baby sustains as a result of the birth process. For example, bruising of the babyâ��s scalp is very common during birth, simply because the birthing process can put lots of pressure on a childâ��s head. This is one of the most common types of birth injury and doesnâ��t cause long-term harm. But other birth injuries, like cerebral palsy, cause permanent, lifelong disabilities.

Some birth injuries canâ��t be avoided, even with the best medical care. But in many cases, birth injuries are caused or worsened by mistakes doctors make during delivery. When doctors and other health professionals make mistakes so severe that they fall below the standards for good medical care, they may have committed medical malpractice. If your family has suffered a birth injury because of medical malpractice, you have a right to sue the professionals who committed the malpractice. link to article

eta: It appears the statue of limitations on birth injuries is 2 years. So I'm not sure what you are talking about with the up to 21 years thing.

Message edited by author 2012-11-14 10:48:07.

11/14/2012 10:47:27 AM · #537

Originally posted by Digipixer:

Here's some good reading for scalvert,
//www.ct.com/news/advocates/latest-news/wtxx-corporate-welfare-in-connecticut-is-expensive-and-poorly-tracked-20111116,0,202233.story

Totally agree with that one. Tax incentive for companies is just as stupid as tax cuts for the rich. Giving business owners more money (especially when they already have money) does not, will not and cannot create jobs. Consumer demand creates jobs. Raise demand and you create opportunities for business growth. Diverting money away from the working classes for "job creator" tax cuts does the exact opposite.

11/14/2012 10:50:25 AM · #538

Originally posted by kawesttex:

It wasn't Bush's or Obama's fault. You would have to look at the Democratic control in the House and Senate.

The rise in healthcare costs is an almost perfectly smooth upward curve. There is no apparent correlation to congressional party control.

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

11/14/2012 10:53:24 AM · #539

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

My point is...Obama said that this plan was going to lower the cost of healthcare.

This has been explained to you many, many times already. The ACA's primary cost saving measures such as provider exchanges have not gone into effect yet. Until that happens, you're whining about a disappointing sunset at noon.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

11/14/2012 12:04:41 PM · #540

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

So what does this mean for those who are uninsured? If you're following what I've already said, it means the uninsured are given a bill for MORE than an insurance company is ever charged.

this is problem, why do insurance companies get to pay negotiated lower rates? money is money to the provider, no matter pays the bill.

blindjustice

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/14/2012 01:03:26 PM · #541

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

OK-blame the lawyers, but know this- frivolous lawsuits don't get very far, especially in the field of Med-mal, where doctors police themselves, and their potential involvement in lawsuits.

More importantly, the total cost, is relatively low.
true cost of med-mal

and that is taking this article on face value- who knows how much "defensive" medicine is going on. Isn't the motto better safe than sorry a good one to have when it comes to our health?

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

11/14/2012 01:11:01 PM · #542

Originally posted by mike_311:

this is problem, why do insurance companies get to pay negotiated lower rates? money is money to the provider, no matter pays the bill.

For the same reason that Hertz pays less for a Ford Focus than the best deal you could negotiate on your own at the dealer. It's the power of collective bargaining, of buying in quantity.

You know what's scary? Imagine how high our premiums would be if the insurance companies paid full-ticket price...

ON the other hand, the "full price" is a fiction anyway, just like the "retail price" you see on a piece of clothing in the mall, right above the "discounted price" is also a fiction.

So the real issue isn't why the insurance companies get to pay "less" for a procedure; no, the real issue is why we have to pay MORE if we are not insured. The hospitals need to make a profit, and clearly they're managing to do so at the rates they charge insurance companies, so why do they fleece the rest of us?

I'm just rambling, ignore me...

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/14/2012 01:43:22 PM · #543

I grabbed some numbers from the US Treasury website; to me they seem to indicate that the national debt (as a percentage) consistently rises faster under Republican administrations than under Democratic, with the outstanding debt almost tripling under that arch-conservative (what 11 tax increases?) Reagan and nearly doubling under Bush the Younger ....

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

11/15/2012 12:02:00 AM · #544

Originally posted by scalvert:

Originally posted by kawesttex:
I will stick by my 'Food Stamp' platform for Obama.

I'm sure you will, even if (or maybe because) it makes no sense. Most of the states with the highest food stamp use are red, so those electoral votes went to Romney regardless of what the individual counties did.

Red states and government payments, let them secede

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

11/15/2012 05:02:10 AM · #545

Why are we even arguing about this?

blindjustice

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

11/15/2012 08:30:33 AM · #546

Originally posted by Cory:

Why are we even arguing about this?

agreed; and if Government handouts are good enough for a hypocritical, hack novelist icon, they are good enough for everyone.

Rand, Socialist

Message edited by author 2012-11-15 08:48:20.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

11/15/2012 09:20:08 AM · #547

Ya know...I know the states will never be able to seceed. It is not exactly illegal but it has to be approved by a large majority. I do hope that this will send a message to washington. A message the there are a bunch of Americans that are fed up with our govmt and our president. Seeing how divided this pres has already made us...I would not be surprised if we ended up having another civil war. This one won't be like the last one though. It would not be North vs South... As the main catalyst of the last one was money...the same would be true. By the way I do hope that it doesnt come down to this. Our country is severely divided....we have a pres that is continuously surrounded by controversy...and tons of people out of work or just losing money. That is my 2 cents

Kelli

Canon EOS-D60

11/15/2012 09:53:31 AM · #548

Originally posted by cowboy221977:

I say LET"EM GO! //abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/states-with-most-signatures-to-secede-took-millions-in-federal-money/

eta: But we should put up fences to keep them out once they're gone!

Message edited by author 2012-11-15 09:54:02.

11/15/2012 09:59:13 AM · #549

Obamacare

This is the way the country is going to head. Higher prices and more people trying to find second jobs.