Some Thoughts About Health Care - Dallas Cowboys Forum

Hostile · 03-27-2008

EDIT: If you have had luck with any Holistic Medical Procedures would you please PM me about them if you don't want to post. Especially if they are related to the back.

First of all what I say here is not meant to disparage anyone who works in the medical field. Please get that point straight before reading on.

A couple of weeks ago I hurt my back pretty bad at work. I work in an upstairs office. They actually considered using a forklift to get me downstairs to get me downstairs. They were afraid that if I had a spasm on the way down the stairs that I would fall badly. Ultimately I went down the stairs very gingerly with 2 very big guys in front of me and one behind. I was out of work for 3 days and for the next week had to be driven to work and home by my wife.

I'm still not back up to par. My truck had a flat tire this morning and I am not in good enough shape to change it, so I had to have my wife bring me to work again. I've been driving her car ( I can't push in the clutch on my truck yet), but she has to be able to get the kids to school.

Okay, that's the background of where my thinking starts.

My issue with health care is that one reason it is so high is that it is poorly contructed and not very well thought out. The only thing that my health insurance wants to cover is medical bills from a Doctor's Office or hospital.

I find that to be silly. Those types of treatments are usually the most expensive kinds. It is my opinion that holistic healing methods need to be covered by insurance. Chiropractic, Massage, Acupuncture. I even believe eye care and dental ought to be covered by every health plan. Right now if you have those things your insurance rates are outrageously high because it is a premium health care package.

Those are the things that ought to be the first things covered, not the last.

The wait to get in to see a Doctor is often agonizing. Then they want to push drugs and/or surgery. I understand this, but I think that ought to be a last resort, not a first measure.

Think about it for a second. What makes more sense for a health care company to cover. A $200 visit to the Doctor's Office, or a $50 visit to a chiropractor? I'm lucky. I have a chiropractor here in town who charges $20 and no appointment is necessary. I can visit him 10 times for the cost of 1 visit to the Doctor's office where I am only going to get a presecription for an expensive drug and I have to pay that copay and prescription.

I'm frustrated because the medication prescribed to me (Skelaxon, 800 mg) did not work at all. I mean not an ounce of relief. I actually asked a Doctor on this forum if it was a placebo. That's how bad it was working for me.

Last weekend we had family get together's for the easter weekend. The drive to Phoenix just about killed me. Saturday I estimate that I was 30% of how I normally feel. I could barely move. This was 10 days after the injury. My brother-in-law is a Doctor. He took one look at me and knew something was terribly wrong. So I told him the entire story.

He got me 2 prescriptions that were affordable and they are working for me. I am finally turning the corner. I am back to between 85% to 90% of normal. Still some tightness in the back, and I do feel very limited right now. I turned down a chance to play golf this weekend with some guys who are hilarious to go play with. That sucks.

Okay, back to health care and how this all relates. Health care could be very affordable if it encouraged its clients to use holistic methods to heal first. Now I know this would be a difficult thing to get started. People go to the Emergency room for the stupidest reasons ever and think call the Doctor first. I've seen people badly hurt sitting in an Emergency room while frivilous crap is treated. It doesn't make sense to me at all.

You can ask me how I can say that when it is the drugs that helped me this time. My brother-in-law said that acupuncture might have relieved this pressure. I did use chiropractic and depe tissue massage. My health care will not pay for acupncture even though it's only $55. They have no issue paying my Doctor $200, plus part of my prescription price. That just seems backwards to me. It drives up the costs to pay more. Simple economics here.

If they would simply fix their current policies, they could lower costs enough that almost every person who has even a low paying job could afford medical insurance. Mark my words, if they simply give it all away our taxes are going to reach astronimical levels to pay for this stuff. You think things are bad now, wait until the Government that none of us trust are in total control of who we can see and how much it will cost.

One more gripe and this one goes back many years. After the birth of our youngest daughter we were advised not to have any more children. So we decided that the least invasive method would be for me to get a vasectomy. Do you know what kind of hoops I had to jump through to get that procedure done?

First of all they brought me in for a consultation with the Doctor, a physchologist, and someone from my health insurance. I didn't need a consultation, I needed the stupid procedure. I often wonder how much it cost the Insurance for the time all 3 needed to consult with me. It had to be expensive.

So the first question they ask me is "does your wife know you are planning to do this?"

My response was "what the hell kind of question is that?" It turns out their whole line of questioning was about if what I was doing was taking away my wife's reproductive rights. No joke.

I was asked these questions.

"If your wife were to die, or you were to get divorced, would you re-marry?"

"If you did re-marry and she wanted to have children with you, would you have this procedure reversed?"

"Do you realize the cost and pain involved in reversing this procedure if a future wife were to want to have children with you?"

"If you decided not to have this procedure reversed what impact do you think that could have on your new wife if you were to re-marry?"

Now, I don't know about you, but I find these questions a bit offensive. So I got a little snippy with them. Please do not make this about Pro-life versus Pro-choice. I asked them this...

"Are you telling me that my wife could get an abortion without my consent, but I can't get a vasectomy without hers?"

The answer was "yes." I kid you not. What in the bloody hell is sensible about that answer? I wish I could answer that, but I can't.

They also wanted me to re-think my decision and talk my wife into having a hysterectomy instead. That is a far more invasive and expensive procedure than a vasectomy. Their reasoning? I should think about the feelings of that future wife, if my current wife were to die or we were to get divorced.

I don't know about how you folks feel, but I am very much in favor of a lot of men getting vasectomies if they have no intentions of being father figures to the children they are creating and leaving to a single Mom to raise. Unload the damned guns. I think we need free vasectomy clinics and no I am not joking.

If a man decides he never wants to have children, shouldn't he have that right? If I were a single man with no intentions of getting married I would like to think I could go get that procedure done and remove the worry of an unwanted pregnancy. Now, I am not condoning unprotected sex by saying this. I still think both partners should be protected against STDs. But come on, do we need any more unwanted kids in this country? That is a vicious cycle that we need desperately to get out of. All it does is create more poverty and welfare issues which adds to the whole problem to begin with and makes it all so aggravating.

All right, I'll get off my soapbox. Excuse my rant.

Cajuncowboy · 03-27-2008

We have a real problem with health care in this country but not the kind most people think. The costs are high because the system is burdened with people who do not contribute to it. Illegals, people who treat the emergency rooms as all night clinics for the common cold and such puts an undo strain on it. Add the fact that many feel it is their God given right to have medical care, you have people who flat out don't pay their bills.

The answer is in the industry policing itself and getting rid of frivolous lawsuits which once again hammer the financial aspect of the industry.
As for the V thing

But those questions were asked because somewhere, somehow some dope though it would be an easy thing to reverse and sued a DR.

With respect to the unwanted kids thing...

There are none. There may be unwanted pregnancies but there are no unwanted kids. For everyone that is aborted, I can guarantee I can find a home for them.

Jon88 · 03-27-2008

When I was 22 I worked at a four-story furniture distribution facility. My job was to drive an order-picker and stock furniture and also pull it as well. One day I got in a hurry and decided to push a pile of 5 end tables onto one of the racks. Bad idea. It sounded and felt like a tough piece of rubber had stretched in my back. I went to work care, the doctor examined me and told me "You didn't break anything." Whatever. I was out for a week and decided to try that particular job again, but I could no longer do it without re-aggravating the injury. They put me on the ground assembling furniture and taking things out of boxes.

I've had prior injuries to my back before that like bike accidents and accidents on trampolines. I aggravate it every now and then, but for the most part its fine. I'll probably need surgery eventually, but that can wait. Other than knee injuries I can't think of anything worse.

Hostile · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon88

When I was 22 I worked at a four-story furniture distribution facility. My job was to drive an order-picker and stock furniture and also pull it at well. One day I got in a hurry and decided to push a pile of 5 end tables onto one of the racks. Bad idea. It sounded and felt like a tough piece of rubber had stretched in my back. I went to work care, the doctor examined me and told me "I didn't break anything." Whatever. I was out for a week and decided to try that particular job again, but I could no longer do it without re-aggravating the injury. They put me on the ground assembling furniture and taking thing out of boxes.

I've had prior injuries to my back before that like bike accidents and accidents on trampolines. I aggravate it every now and then, but for the most part its fine. I'll probably need surgery eventually, but that can wait. Other than knee injuries I can't think of anything worse.

Backs and toothaches are the ones I can't stand. They are unbearable.

**BrAinPaiNt** · 03-27-2008

Just a question. Did the injury happen at work? If so why not use workers comp in that case?

Just wondering.

Hostile · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrAinPaiNt

Just a question. Did the injury happen at work? If so why not use workers comp in that case?

Just wondering.

No, it's a flair up of an old injury so it would not be covered.

The first time this happened was about 15 years ago and I honestly thought someone shot me in the back.

Jon88 · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hostile

Backs and toothaches are the ones I can't stand. They are unbearable.

I've got a $1000 bill coming up to have a crown put on one of my teeth (no dental insurance). You can't tell me that procedure costs nearly that much money.

heavyg · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cajuncowboy

We have a real problem with health care in this country but not the kind most people think. The costs are high because the system is burdened with people who do not contribute to it. Illegals, people who treat the emergency rooms as all night clinics for the common cold and such puts an undo strain on it. Add the fact that many feel it is their God given right to have medical care, you have people who flat out don't pay their bills.

The answer is in the industry policing itself and getting rid of frivolous lawsuits which once again hammer the financial aspect of the industry.
As for the V thing

But those questions were asked because somewhere, somehow some dope though it would be an easy thing to reverse and sued a DR.

With respect to the unwanted kids thing...

There are none. There may be unwanted pregnancies but there are no unwanted kids. For everyone that is aborted, I can guarantee I can find a home for them.

I understand what your saying. Heck my wife as recently as 3 months ago had to use the emergency room for the flu. The reason being is a doctor who charges $100-$150 per visit wants that money up front. At the emergency room they will bill you. And yes we are paying for it......BELIEVE me. The problem is the Hospitals are allowed to charge outrageous amounts for items such as a single tylenol. For what they charge for one you can buy a family sized bottle at Walmart. They should not be allowed to do that.

heavyg · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hostile

No, it's a flair up of an old injury so it would not be covered.

The first time this happened was about 15 years ago and I honestly thought someone shot me in the back.

Not only that but some states like California WILL NOT recongnize a back injury on a W/C claim. They used to but the Govenator did a W/C reform and put that restriction in.

Jon88 · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by heavyg

I understand what your saying. Heck my wife as recently as 3 months ago had to use the emergency room for the flu. The reason being is a doctor who charges $100-$150 per visit wants that money up front. At the emergency room they will bill you. And yes we are paying for it......BELIEVE me. The problem is the Hospitals are allowed to charge outrageous amounts for items such as a single tylenol. For what they charge for one you can buy a family sized bottle at Walmart. They should not be allowed to do that.

I don't believe illegals should get free healthcare. I'm sorry, but they're making it hard on the people who are in this country legally.

Dallas · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon88

I've got a $1000 bill coming up to have a crown put on one of my teeth (no dental insurance). You can't tell me that procedure costs nearly that much money.

A crown involves...

Cleaning and preparing the tooth w/ a cast and mold.

Said cast is sent off and the gold or porcelin crown is made (thats some pricey material btw)

The the dentist has to clean the area again before placing the mold

Adjustments are made and WALLAH!!! 1000$

The whole procedure is proably about 600-700. My dentist charges me 800$.

Still outrageous.

Dallas · 03-27-2008

Hos -

My insurance covers chiropracty. Are you sure yours does not? That seems odd.

Jon88 · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dallas

A crown involves...

Cleaning and preparing the tooth w/ a cast and mold.

Said cast is sent off and the gold or porcelin crown is made (thats some pricey material btw)

The the dentist has to clean the area again before placing the mold

Adjustments are made and WALLAH!!! 1000$

The whole procedure is proably about 600-700. My dentist charges me 800$.

Still outrageous.

There is a lot of work involved, but it is still outrageous.

Dallas · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon88

There is a lot of work involved, but it is still outrageous.

OutRAGEOUS

Jon88 · 03-27-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cajuncowboy

We have a real problem with health care in this country but not the kind most people think. The costs are high because the system is burdened with people who do not contribute to it. Illegals, people who treat the emergency rooms as all night clinics for the common cold and such puts an undo strain on it. Add the fact that many feel it is their God given right to have medical care, you have people who flat out don't pay their bills.

I think if you're over here illegally, you get treated while the INS or whoever is on their way. That should be the policy.