[Beetle01]

Fine, let's take it from the top.

(1) - Your point disregards the fact that insurance costs now are less than half the 20 thousand mark we are all headed for.

(2) - 10 thousand times less huh, is this supposed to be a serious post? So what you're telling us is that if Jane U (uninsured) Doe, goes to the ER once a week to get treated for an imaginary, or real, case of sinusitis. Just for the sake of demonstration let's say it costs $100 dollars for each visit. But, if she had insurance it would only cost one penny for that same visit. WOW! Thanks for clearing that up for me.

(3) - You're talking about TORT Reform here, making my and everybody else's insurance go through the roof along with the government take over of one sixth of the entire American economy under the overreach of ObamaCare is like shooting a mosquito off your nose with a 12 gauge. Republicans have brought this up thousands of times and the electorate is too comfortable to take a position on TORT Reform.

(4) - Again, nobody goes untreated in this country. Regardless, I've listened to a lot of doctors speak on the matter and they say (and have written a number of good books on the matter) there are far better ways to improve the system. I personally prefer Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery Dr Ben Carson at Johns Hopkins Hospital point of view about all of this. For the record, I've never come close to indicating on here or anywhere, that I am for not treating sick folks.

Freedom doesn't mean utopia. Contrary to the "Great Society" vision of the liberals of Lyndon Baines Johnson's day, we will never be in a position to 'buy' all of the problems of the American citizenry.

(5) - Circular logic. Like playing hot potato. You pass that potato on and the next guy still gets burned. You're not changing a thing with federally mandated health care except that those who are forced to pay will have the full faith and force of the federal government of the United States of America to contend with on bill payment, and they don't take many prisoners.

1) I think it is very hard to project costs, based off current costs. I am of the belief, and I may be wrong, that if hospitals and doctors don't have to make up the costs of treating the uninsured, that the overall costs of treatment/procedures will go down? If insurance companies are paying less for treatments, won't the cost of premiums likewise trend downwards? Have insurance costs not already double in the last 7 or 8 years anyways? Obviously some type of change is needed.

2) She gets a CT of the head, every single visit, that alone is $1,000 dollars, then you have the radiologists, ER MD's, hospital fees, blood work, urinalysis, medications, x-rays, and on and on, and I estimated her bill was somewhere between 5k low end to 9k high end, per visit, then you multiply that by her 40 or so visits a year (I'll use 5k), which is around 200k in medical costs a year.

Now, if she is established with a family doc, she would likely only need to visit the doctor a few times a year. Check ups, etc.. because the family doctor can start her on a regimen of medication, medications that can be refilled, and are for more than a week. So the visit which costs 100 bucks a few times a year, we'll say 400 dollars total, is far less than what it costs for her treatment at the hospital. 200,000/400= 500, so yeah my 10,000 times less was an exaggeration, but let's not focus that, and instead focus on the important issue that concerns us all, the cost. Like I stated, one way or another we are paying for that woman's ER visits, whether it's through tax funded reimbursements to the hospital, or increased costs for our care, which on also increase the costs of our insurance. My health insurance is 100% free, and if I stay within my hospital, it is all 100% free. Obamacare will have no effect on me at all. However, I do want to see change, so that people who don't have the benefits I do through their job, can still receive the high quality care they deserve, without breaking their bank account. I have seen families absolutely destroyed financially because a family member has a disease, not to even mention the added emotional stress this adds to an already devastating situation.

3) I did not bring that up, to say that it should be changed, I put that in there, so those that were reading would understand why a patient would receive the same tests for the same complaint, even if they come in every week.

4) There may be other solutions, I am about to read a book by Dr. Ben Carson - America the Beautiful. Not sure if he will discuss this in that particular book or not. However, TRT, feel free to add those ideas to this discussion. One thing about me, is I am not the type of person who is unwilling to change their mind on a subject, I can be convinced to see a different point of view. I really like Dr. Carson, and if he ever becomes a serious candidate for office will look more into his stances on different issues. I'm sure that book will help in that regard.

5) I would much prefer a solution that doesn't involve the federal govt, if you can show me a solution that allows for the care of all individuals, brings the cost of healthcare back down, helps stabilize the healthcare industry, and doesn't involve the government. I have no doubt that I would support that solution.