been struggling the last couple weeks, recovery comes slower as we age...

[Oldspartan]

I have a different take on medical insurance --- Insurance is to make whole. Magnum's injury is an example of a serious and expensive injury that requires insurance and should be paid for without a question or whimper by the insurer. It is serious, unexpected and expensive in relation to an average salary. OTH -- having insurance paying for doctors' visits, not so much. Kind of expecting your car insurance pay for oil changes. It drives cost.

I look at insurance companies as checkbooks. I look at the providers at most levels as the drivers of cost. The provider sends a bill, the insurer makes payment within the terms of a contract.

Just my take.

FTR -- Linda's bills are now plopping into my mailbox. It appears our total pocket cost will be about 1000 bucks. A chunk of change but miniscule compared to what the insurance company is tasked with paying which amounts to more than 10,000 dollars for 6 - 7 hours in the hospital. Not claiming it is unjustified what with all the machinery, nurses, spare parts, and physician talent involved, but the cost is provider not insurance driven. We on the other hand get a pretty good return on her 3000-dollar annual policy that also includes a few thousand dollars of scripts annually, 3 scheduled maintenance checkups annually, laboratory workups, and any number of unscheduled visits as required, (not many).

I have a friend in England who waited several months for a surgery similar to Linda's. Linda's was accomplished less than a month from original diagnosis. I will keep our insurance Thank You.

 

[Oldspartan]

Magnum, that is one nasty injury. I am sorry to hear the medical services near you are so inadequate. I had always thought Mayo to be the Cadilac of healthcare. It almost looks like the bad ending of diabetes.

 

[Lcc86]

I have a different take on medical insurance --- Insurance is to make whole. Magnum's injury is an example of a serious and expensive injury that requires insurance and should be paid for without a question or whimper by the insurer. It is serious, unexpected and expensive in relation to an average salary. OTH -- having insurance paying for doctors' visits, not so much. Kind of expecting your car insurance pay for oil changes. It drives cost.

I look at insurance companies as checkbooks. I look at the providers at most levels as the drivers of cost. The provider sends a bill, the insurer makes payment within the terms of a contract.

Just my take.

FTR -- Linda's bills are now plopping into my mailbox. It appears our total pocket cost will be about 1000 bucks. A chunk of change but miniscule compared to what the insurance company is tasked with paying which amounts to more than 10,000 dollars for 6 - 7 hours in the hospital. Not claiming it is unjustified what with all the machinery, nurses, spare parts, and physician talent involved, but the cost is provider not insurance driven. We on the other hand get a pretty good return on her 3000-dollar annual policy that also includes a few thousand dollars of scripts annually, 3 scheduled maintenance checkups annually, laboratory workups, and any number of unscheduled visits as required, (not many).

I have a friend in England who waited several months for a surgery similar to Linda's. Linda's was accomplished less than a month from original diagnosis. I will keep our insurance Thank You.

We do wait longer on average over here but we don't get declined care because an arbitrary company has decided we don't need it even if a doctor has said we do.

I have a different take on medical insurance --- Insurance is to make whole. Magnum's injury is an example of a serious and expensive injury that requires insurance and should be paid for without a question or whimper by the insurer. It is serious, unexpected and expensive in relation to an average salary. OTH -- having insurance paying for doctors' visits, not so much. Kind of expecting your car insurance pay for oil changes. It drives cost.

I look at insurance companies as checkbooks. I look at the providers at most levels as the drivers of cost. The provider sends a bill, the insurer makes payment within the terms of a contract.

Just my take.

FTR -- Linda's bills are now plopping into my mailbox. It appears our total pocket cost will be about 1000 bucks. A chunk of change but miniscule compared to what the insurance company is tasked with paying which amounts to more than 10,000 dollars for 6 - 7 hours in the hospital. Not claiming it is unjustified what with all the machinery, nurses, spare parts, and physician talent involved, but the cost is provider not insurance driven. We on the other hand get a pretty good return on her 3000-dollar annual policy that also includes a few thousand dollars of scripts annually, 3 scheduled maintenance checkups annually, laboratory workups, and any number of unscheduled visits as required, (not many).

I have a friend in England who waited several months for a surgery similar to Linda's. Linda's was accomplished less than a month from original diagnosis. I will keep our insurance Thank You.

We have private care over here too if people want to go down that route, the NHS is sadly underfunded which causes delays (my tin foil hat says it's on purpose so that it can be at least partly privatised). MagnumMan your leg is looking better, I hope it continues to recover! Seen many horse-related injuries but nothing quite like that. Had a very minor horse related crush injury a few weeks back, in and out of A&E after x-rays within 2 hours but it's still painful so I hope you're okay!

 

[GaryE]

Since I'm fishing my wife out of the hospital today, I'm close to this one. She had an endoscopy, surgery, and a CT within 5 days, and is walking out of there today. The cost? Taxes we paid in all our lives. I went 30 years and barely saw a doctor, but I was glad my taxes went to help others in that period. Now we sometimes need the system, and it works. I had to wait for one surgery, once, but that was because I chose to live in a less populated region with fewer specialists. I had had the same surgery years ago in a city, and it was quick.

I would happily pay higher taxes if I knew they were going to health care and education. Those are the fundamentals of a functioning society. I pay into an insurance scheme, but the surplus doesn't go to shareholders - it goes to care for fellow citizens. I'm good with that - it's just basic civics to me.

Our health care system has been administered by people who want in on private, for profit care, so they underfund to undermine. In my books, it shouldn't be that way, but it is.

In any system though, it would be a slow process to heal that kind of wound.

 

[Oldspartan]

Any comment on my part would need to delve into the differences between individualism and communalism, (not communism). Best not here though.

 

[fishorama]

Your leg is looking much better, Magnum! Remember us old folks heal slowly. Fingers crossed for your speedy healing.

I've dealt with several US forms of health insurance over the years. A few different employer companies w/various coverages, Medicaid for a few years & now Medicare. Except for Medicaid, all had some form of co-payments. Luckily, when my husband had very scary heart issues we were on Medicaid. We paid nothing toward what would have been very high co-pays or for his drugs. Now we pay for $2k for drugs annually at most & a monthly hit from Medicare & supplemental insurance. But that only covers some things. We opted out of an HMO-type plan, the options are not good here & don't cover anything for "out of network" care, meh!

 

[Magnum Man]

it took 6 weeks, but I finally got into "wound care" I was hoping this would be healed by now... but I still have an open wound about an inch, that still weeps... it was not a very pleasant visit, as they put a softening agent on it, and pulled the blood scab off, then there was the lymph scabbing, that had to be scraped off, with a scalpel, then the Dr. proceeded to cross hatch lightly, the open wound, with the scalpel, to make the whole wound bleed... I get to go back in 2 weeks, Dr. said it wouldn't heal, until it looked pink, like raw hamburger on the inside... apparently no infection, just not the right kind of damaged tissue in the open area, to facilitate healing???

 

[TwoTankAmin]

My experience with he health care and insurance could not be more different. I began using Medicare and colletcing my small amount of Social Security when I turned 66. I also have the top of the line Plan F.

Plan F is a specific type of Medigap insurance, also known as a Medicare supplement plan, that offers comprehensive coverage for Original Medicare beneficiaries.

It's designed to help cover out-of-pocket costs in Original Medicare, including copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.
However, Plan F is no longer available for people who turned 65 on or after January 1, 2020, and for some people under 65.
Key Features of Plan F:
Comprehensive Coverage:
Plan F covers a wide range of costs associated with Original Medicare, aiming to minimize out-of-pocket expenses.
Coverage for Part A and Part B Deductibles:
Plan F covers both the Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) deductibles.
No Copayments or Coinsurance:
Plan F typically covers copayments and coinsurance for covered services, resulting in potentially zero out-of-pocket costs for some services.
High Premiums:
Due to its comprehensive coverage, Plan F generally has higher monthly premiums compared to other Medigap plans.
Availability Restrictions:
Plan F is not available for people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, unless they were eligible before that date but did not enroll.
In essence, Plan F is a popular choice for those who want to minimize out-of-pocket costs with Original Medicare, but its availability is limited to those who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020

I also have the top of the line Drug insurance. My SS payment covers my Medicare and excess insurance and drug premiums 100%. I Pay nothing beyond the premiums for Medical but I do have copays for medications. My total medical expenses get me over the line for being able to tax deductions for medical costs.

Even better is the health care I can get. Our local Hospital is excellent. The food there is quite good and it is offered like room service in a hotel. You call the kitchen and order what you want. The kitchen works with one's doctors to make sure foods patients should not have they cannot order. What my local (5 minute drive) hospital does not do, I have a huge medical Hospital center about 2o minutes away. The did my heart bypass surgery.

I have always had an excellent Internal medicine doc for the past 40+ years. I have specialists which include a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, a urologist and an orthopedist. I have excellent rehab facilities which I have used post heart attack, post hip surgery, post arthroscopic knee surgery. My local hospital also treat my prostate cancer.

The only thing wrong with all of this is what Medicare pays compared to what is billed. The two excellent surgeons who did my open heart surgery billed a bit over $4,000 each, medicare paid them in the $700 range. The only reason most doctors accept medicare patients is because their patients with private insurance pay much higher amounts and for the doctors it averages out.

I am very lucky to have quality care available and that i can afford to pay the premiums and the drug co-pays. THe downside is my excellent medical practice was purchased by United Health (which is medical insurance provider via AARP) has ruined the practice. Nobody from the medical staff to the the patients is happy with what United health has done. many of the doctors opted to retire or quite to work elsewhere.

edited to fix my usual typos

 

[GaryE]

That leg is quite an injury. It's going to take a long time. It was a really, umm, creative and different way to get hurt.

I had to see my GP today, just for the things that begin to pile up with age. I'm starting to feel like my old Toyota - for the first 300,000 km, it was cheap to run, but the final 100,000 took a lot of time in the shop. I think my hip has a wheel bearing wearing out. Little things take a lot longer - my nephew could have the same injuries and be out running in a week or two.

The key is to keep doing reasonable versions of the things that get you hurt. That's twisted logic, but bubble wrapped rocking chairs are boring.

 

[MaloK]

Whatever cost is keeping you old boat afloat is better than the new one that have minds of their own.

My last 3 cars are 2010 at most, And if it speaks once, I drill all speakers.

I love the good old clutch and stick that does exactly what I want when I want.

But with this kind of outch ! the clutch would be heavy on long run for sure.

 

[gwand]

My wife and I are about the same age. She was complaining about new aches and pains. ️I told her “the old grey mare ain’t what she used to be”
She told me, I ain’t no stallion!

 

[GaryE]

My wife and I are about the same age. She was complaining about new aches and pains. ️I told her “the old grey mare ain’t what she used to be”
She told me, I ain’t no stallion!

If I mentioned the old grey mare to my wife, I'd be looking at a future in the pet food industry.

 

[MaloK]

My wife and I are about the same age. She was complaining about new aches and pains. ️I told her “the old grey mare ain’t what she used to be”
She told me, I ain’t no stallion!

she kicked on the whiffletree.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

When I was a lad of 3 in 1951 my family moved out of NYC to the suburbs. This meant my dad had to commute by train to the city. This meant a second car to use to get him to the train station and home again each day. He bought a 1938 Dodge with running boards and a two foot long stick shift rising out of the floor.

It was painted the drabbest color of gray and he referred to it as the Old Gray Mare. I found a pic the my old memory says it looked like this:

Some authors have said that the song originated from the performance of the horse Lady Suffolk, the first horse recorded as trotting a mile in less than two and a half minutes. It occurred on 4 July 1843 at the Beacon Course racetrack in Hoboken, New Jersey, when she was more than ten years old.[2][3][4] One author attributed the song to Stephen Foster, although the composer is usually listed as unknown.[2] The archival evidence, however, is that the song originated a few decades later in the nineteenth century as a campaign ditty, composed as an epithet of seven-term Baltimore mayor Ferdinand Latrobe by Democratic political operative and appointee Thomas Francis McNulty.[5]

Popular early recordings were by Prince's Orchestra (1917) and by Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan (1918).[6] Bing Crosby included the song in a medley on his album On the Sentimental Side (1962).

 

[Innesfan]

As Bette Davis famously said, "Growing old ain't for sissies."