On Thu, 5 Jul 2012 06:49:00 -0600, Bruce wrote:



Ahem. I think my point is being missed 8^)

Let me start again... If I catch some 'bug' that does not respond to the
usual home remedies, high fever, delirium, body covered in pustules, skin
rotting off, AND I decide I should seek the advice of a professional......


OK, that's different and yes, a doctor should be seen.



Locally, getting an appointment can take weeks (meanwhile my oozing pustules
are staining the couch). Go to the ER and I get nailed with a fairly high
deductible (thought weighing the cost of that against getting the couch
cleaned might be a wash). For me, it's either suffer and wait or fork out
some dough.

That situation sucks. The facilities we use operate much better. The
doctors keep open one or two slits a day for such things. If your
primary car physician can't see you, they send you to Urgent Care
where they will see you within a couple of hours. Even on a Sunday.

Should none of those be available for any reason, we have two walk in
clinics in town, one is open 7 days a week.

Before Medicare, my wife did go to the ER. After treatment, the
doctor gave her a choice, she was borderline for admitting but he
would put her in the hospital if she wanted. She elected to return
home, thus saving the insurance company a bunch of money, but costing
me $100 co-pay for an ER visit. If admitted, there was no co-pay.




This is with a fairly standard employer provided policy. For the
Medicaid folks, there is no penalty for going to the ER. Sure, they could
schedule with their primary and face the same wait a me, but since the cost
for an ER co-pay is only a few bucks (should they even eventually have to pay
it), why not go there? No skin off their back, the tax payers and me through
higher insurance rates pick up the tab.

We have Medicare and a good supplement. There are no additional costs
out of pocket so we can go wherever we want for any reason. Nice to
know you have the option, even if never used.




It's fairly clear that the middle class get screwed whenever the government
decides to play charity with someone else's money.


Yes!