new.morning wrote: > --- In [email protected], Bhairitu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> TurquoiseB wrote: >> >>> I haven't seen it, of course, but given recent >>> discussions of the cost and quality of health care >>> here, it seems an apt time to remind you that I pay >>> not several hundred dollars a month for my health >>> insurance, but 320 Euros *per year*. >>> > > Of course you pay for it through taxes, its not really almost "free". > I pay about $30/month, via corporate plan, that covers virually > everyting. So its about the same end-suer cost as you. And my my plan > pays the rest, so in essence, I am paying for it via lower salary as > are you (after french medical taxes are takn out.) I am not debating > national vs corporate health care, just pointing out that the end-user > costs are similar. > > Try getting a similar plan self-employed. You can't. We self-employed have to take up the slack for corporate plans which are often abused. When I was a corporate manager I had employees going out to see a doctor even they just had the sniffles. I knew then that such abuse would be driving the premiums up. I get charged a surcharge for being overweight and asked my company if they do that for corporate enrollees. They don't. That is not fair at all. After all some corporations have claimed that high costs for healthcare benefits are driving them out of the US. Perhaps it is really not a bad idea to take away the hidden aspects of health insurance from the corporate employee by making it an option. After all if they leave the company the next company's plan won't cover any pre-existing conditions. People should be raging in the streets over this. But they aren't. The only people who hold large protests are the Mexicans over immigration issues or like Bill Maher said "Mexican do the jobs that Americans won't."
>>> An hour-long visit >>> to the doctor costs me 20 Euros. >>> > > Mine costs $5. You are getting ripped off. :) > > I spent a day at emergency room recently for something (nothing > major), had 4-5 expensive tests including a cat scan, was seen by 4 > doctores, and it cost me $0. > > > >>> Drugs you pay $100 >>> a bottle for I pay less than 10 Euros a bottle for; >>> same prescription, same manufacturer, very different >>> price. >>> > > I pay $10/ 3 month prespcription, thus <7 per month. > Again the french seem to be ripping you off. :) > >>> The state of health care in America is a crime. >>> > > Clearly a credible claim by someone who has not lived here for 3 + years. > From someone living here he is not off at all. Newmie, do you work for a health insurance company? If you're working for United Health Care your CEO, William McGuire is ripping you off by taking $124.8 million total compensation. Such are the bandits among the Bush cronies. > > > >
