Mass. Hospital Sues Over Cost Of Universal Health Care

The New York Times:

A hospital that serves thousands of indigent Massachusetts residents sued the state on Wednesday, charging that its costly universal health care law is forcing the hospital to cover too much of the expense of caring for the poor.

Read the whole story: The New York Times

Comments

[GoodFeathers]

10:13 PM on 07/16/2009

People who says the universal health insurance will cost a lot. They forget one thing. That is, their cost analysis is based on the current "for-profit" system. As soon as the government takes control of the health insurance, the cost will come down drastically. Government is not in this to make profit. Government is for the people, by the people and to the people.

Please visit this site: http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php

[dali partin]

11:34 PM on 07/16/2009

People who say this also ignore the fact that emergency room care is expensive and that the prices we all pay today already factor in the people that can't pay for their ER visit - and the fact that these people had no access to preventative care.

[PaxEterna]

05:02 PM on 07/16/2009

HP has not once posted a comment I have placed that actually tells the public how it goes down in MA, and how much it costs.

I have tried multiple times to put FACTS up here for the public to judge.

I am under the impression that they don't want the public to know.

If they publish this, I urge all readers to investigate what is happening in MA.

The system is BROKEN, and breaking the backs of middle class workers, small business, and it is a bogus system where the insurance industry controls the entire game and those who pay get something, but those who can't pay (we're talking 20% of your income) get steered to third world hospitals, docs, plans etc.

SINGLE PAYER NOW!

[BlackWidowPilot]

06:49 PM on 07/16/2009

The vaunted "Texas At-Risk Health Pool" is no different here in the Lone Star State. Blue Shield/Blue Cross administers the whole racket, and pockets the profits from an ostensibly state run program.

Premiums and deductibles under this system are simply unsustainable.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[4real]

05:01 PM on 07/16/2009

Take ALL profit out of healthcare. Why should anyone benefit because people get sick? The whole system is twisted.

[Chaimirija]

02:44 PM on 07/16/2009

38 million deficit this year

190 million in reserves

[apoyo]

02:10 PM on 07/16/2009

My kid goes to school in Mass. and is required to buy a health insurance plan each year. We have a health insurance HMO but it won't cover her out of state because it is only for local coverage even though it was bought out by a national health insurance company.

Figure that one out.

When you buy auto insurance are you restricted to your local area or are you able to drive anywhere in the country with full coverage?

As long as health insurance companies control health care it will continue to be costly and rationed.

[DanniD]

01:47 PM on 07/16/2009

So when did Mass. get Universal Health Care?

Come on people. Think! It's not illegal...yet!

[jsgaetano]

02:14 PM on 07/16/2009

> So when did Mass. get Universal Health Care?

A year or two ago. Check The Google.

[NoOneSpecial]

12:43 AM on 07/17/2009

They didn't. MA doesn't have a true universal health care system, nor is it anything close to resembling single-payer. They used mandates and kept the for-profit companies in the plan.

[kitkatborn]

01:27 PM on 07/16/2009

In Alachua County, Fl They have a program called "Choices" which is advertised as being for the working uninsured. I'm not familiar with it, just saying.

[BlackWidowPilot]

02:06 PM on 07/16/2009

We have a system here in Texas, the "Texas At-Risk Health Pool." It is to put it bluntly, a scam that puts high-cost premium payments with high-cost deductibles directly into the coffers of Blue Shield/Blue Cross. At no time does one interact with a Texas state employee once you've been drawn in to this State of Texas sanctioned farce of a program.

The costs were for my family and I simply unsustainable.

I remain one of the 47 million Americans shut out of affordable healthcare.

Clearly what the Blue Shield/Blue Cross broker I spoke to seven years ago said still holds true; I'm "...not profitable enough" for the private insurance racketeers, as I am self-employed and have degenerative arthritis.

Clearly in the eyes of the for-profit insurance racketeers, I remain *expendable.*

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[wdw505]

04:21 PM on 07/16/2009

so you want to lower everyone's standard of care to bring yours up......wow

[sandiegoconservative]

07:05 PM on 07/16/2009

And once you get your universal healthcare, don't cry when your tax increase. Or when your other "benefits" decrease, or when the government tells you your ailments fall into their "rationing" strategy. It will come, my friend.

[kitkatborn]

01:17 PM on 07/16/2009

I find it interesting they are paid 64 cents on the dollar as opposed to nothing without this program and they are still complaining?

[jsgaetano]

02:15 PM on 07/16/2009

Typical "fiscal conservatives". No matter how big the handout, it's never big enough.

[Chaimirija]

02:32 PM on 07/16/2009

We agree on something!

[GhostNyc]

01:14 PM on 07/16/2009

I wonder what it would be like if Police officers and Firemen worked along similar principles?

Your home is on fire and the firemen show up and the first question they ask - Do you have insurance? And if you don't have enough- would it be fair to only save a portion of your home?

[katooom]

01:26 PM on 07/16/2009

No. The question should be - "Do you pay taxes", then they decide if they save your home or not.

[wndrwrthg]

02:11 PM on 07/16/2009

There have been reported cases where that exact thing has occurred. Because taxes and fees were not paid, services were withheld, resulting in the loss of property. I cannot give specifics but within the past ten years there have been several instances.

[jsgaetano]

02:16 PM on 07/16/2009

Since conservatives don't want to pay taxes, maybe this plan could work.

Just identify the "fiscal conservatives", and tell the police/fire/ambulance to not respond to them.

[ResistanceisFutile]

01:08 PM on 07/16/2009

In Wisconsin I carry auto insurance protection from the uninsured driver and the under insured driver. Auto insurance isn't even mandatory in this backward state.

I'll be forced to carry insurance under Obama's plan and if I don't I'll be fined $2,500. The only health insurance I can get is through the State of Wisconsin at a yearly cost of $20,000.

I am more concerned with someone injuring me in an auto accident and not having enough medical coverage then with falling ill due to disease.

The point of the comment is that anyway my elected representatives try to help they will and have, in fact, hurt me financially.

[Chaimirija]

02:35 PM on 07/16/2009

Couple other points about WI: at any given time 20% of the drivers on the road are intoxicated...why? you might ask? Because you can get up to...4?...and it is still not a big deal...

[thegreatgiginthesky]

12:58 PM on 07/16/2009

Mandating people to buy private health insurance is not Universal healthcare.

[Chaimirija]

02:36 PM on 07/16/2009

well, Obama said his goal now is universal COVERAGE....

[PWM]

05:54 PM on 07/16/2009

He has to start somewhere.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

12:56 PM on 07/16/2009

This is where State run hospitals come in handy. India has a system where you have private hospitals and government run facilities. People who are poor go to the government run hospitals and the people who can afford private care go to the private hospitals. No harm no foul.

[Sam1234567]

01:14 PM on 07/16/2009

Yeah lets model ourselves after a country that has cast systems, and rampant poverty.

[ywcachieve]

03:35 PM on 07/16/2009

That sounds like the US.

[PWM]

05:54 PM on 07/16/2009

Like the US

[Dynamohum]

03:03 PM on 07/16/2009

Oh that sounds real fair.....NOT!! This if foul and is HARM. Good luck to you if you ever lose a job and are forced into government care!!

[mergina]

12:56 PM on 07/16/2009

The 1st of many. Why is Obama cutting his political throat on this?

[mharg11]

04:21 PM on 07/16/2009

72% of citizens favor revamping the health care system. I don't think that is cutting ones throat. Maybe you would like for it to be, but that will never happen once the health care bill passes.

[wdw505]

04:25 PM on 07/16/2009

not 72% of the voters.......

[sandiegoconservative]

07:40 PM on 07/16/2009

Revamping is different than what is being proposed. I would say 72% of the slobs who don't want to work to take care of themselves would love someone to pay for their healthcare . . .

[GhostNyc]

12:50 PM on 07/16/2009

Are the doctors complaining or the HMO that controls the hospital?

The health care debates over who is covered, who is not, who makes money, who spends it...is all avoiding the main question...how much is your life worth to you? or how much is the life of your child worth to you? Enough to go bankrupt a hundred times over?

Its not health care its extortion.

[jackbauer05]

12:47 PM on 07/16/2009

I meant forced to buy, sorry.