Text 35921, 49 rader
Skriven 2009-09-10 12:40:41 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
  Kommentar till text 35827 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
Ärende: Universal health insurance
==================================
09 Sep 09 11:12, Robert Bashe wrote to Roy Witt:

 RW>> I'm getting older (69) and my health insurance has stayed pretty
 RW>> much stable. Of course, it goes up when I get a COL increase, but it
 RW>> doesn't go up if I don't. Which will be the case this year and
 RW>> perhaps next. And for another $45/mo I get what is termed 'gap'
 RW>> insurance, which picks up the 20% that my healh care provider
 RW>> doesn't, per medicare rules. In July and August this year, they
 RW>> picked up $250/week, my 20% share, while the primary care picked up
 RW>> $3950/week...not only that, but I didn't have to stand in line or
 RW>> wait six months to get treated.

 RB> I don't either. Age 68, health problems since 1998, private health
 RB> insurance, present premium EUR 473 monthly, stable for the last three
 RB> years and presumably for the forseeable future because of the German
 RB> legal requirement that financial reserves be built up to prevent
 RB> large increases after retirement.

Mine began in 02 with the onset of kidney cancer and the removal of that
kidney in 03. At the time I was between insurance plans and the estimate
for the operation was $22k, which I could have paid out of pocket. I opted
to wait until my employer provided insurance took affect, in three months.
That worked into 5 months before it actually happened. The bill was what
they said it would be, but the insurance company had negotiated themselves
out of paying that much and the total paid came to just under $6k...I paid
nothing out of pocket. At the time, my employer matched what every
employee paid in premiums. That doesn't happen anymore these days.

 RB> Except for EUR 250 a year deductible, _all_ medical expenses are paid
 RB> 100%. That includes a semiprivate (2 bedroom) hospital room, a
 RB> private (one bed) in case of accident. Dental care is naturally
 RB> included (dental replacement - crowns, implants and the like - are
 RB> reimbursed 80%, plus 5% a year up to 100% if I go to the dentist
 RB> twice a year), as are eyeglasses except for the frames (standard EUR
 RB> 100 for them).

We get all of that.

 RB> My health insurance is expensive, at least for German standards, but
 RB> "luxurious" - many people (even those half my age) pay as much and
 RB> get less.

I think that's universal...

                R\%/itt

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