ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Wouldn't surprise me. 

OlderThanDirt wrote:

 bokey wrote: 
There are many doctors in our area who will not take new Medicare patients, even those with private, supplemental "Medigap" policies.  L's doctor left the group with which she had practiced for several years to start her own "boutique" practice.  L discovered that finding a new doctor that would take her was not easy, and practically impossible without the supplement.  Our cost for the supplement plus Medicare part B is about $650 per month.  Makes me wonder what all those MC deductions from our salaries are being used for.

 rosedraws wrote: 
 It's abused by doctors and is difficult for the elderly to understand.

 It's far from perfect, but is a heck of a lot better then the VA , IRS or SSA in my experience.

ScottN wrote:
This is so well said.

My questions:

- Isn't Medicare a totally successful program?

- Is it really not feasible to run a National Health Care that way?

- What are the current costs to the government, brought on by the uninsured?

sherbeari wrote:


Thanks. My pharmacy checks for generic substitutes already. Of course none of mine are generic yet. I'm not hurting THAT bad yet, it's just one more straw, y'know?

c.

 cc_rider wrote:

 

There is very select list of generic prescription drugs that you may be able to fill at Walmart and Target for $4 each. If you have trouble paying, "needy meds" may be able to help. If you live in CA, you can also get a "California Rx card" .

Just thought I would throw that out there for you.

 cc_rider wrote:



 
 It's a great system they have.  " They" add the shit to our food that clogs our arteries and pollutes our bodies, then "they" charge us astronomical amounts to fix (or better yet, control) the damage  if we want to live .

bokey wrote:

I am planning to leave my current employer in a few months, maybe less. It is very likely I will just go 'bare' for the foreseeable future. I will TRY to put money aside, maybe create another account for the purpose, but I will have $200-$300/month prescription expenses without insurance. Still, it'll be a fraction of what health insurance would cost. My employer pays all of it right now, which is a huge reason I have not had a raise as long as I can remember.

I have arrived at the conclusion health insurers are some of the worst bunch of crooks ever to come down the pike. Besides the brain trusts in Washington, of course.

c.

Health care just keeps getting more and more out of reach for average Americans.
.

Prescription Data Used To Assess Consumers
Records Aid Insurers but Prompt Privacy Concerns
By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 4, 2008


  "When an insurer makes an online query about an applicant, Ingenix or Milliman's servers scour the data and within minutes or less return reports to a central server at the company. The server aggregates the information going back as far as five years, including the drugs and dosages prescribed, dates filled and refilled, the therapeutic class and the name and address of the prescribing doctor.

Then comes the analysis.

Ingenix's MedPoint tool provides insurers a "pharmacy risk score, " or a number that represents an "expected risk" for a group of people, such as 30- to 35-year-old women who have taken prescription drugs, Stenson said. Higher scores imply higher medical costs. "
  (click here)