Can we hear the applause??
This is a good thing. Managed medicare plans bring in private companies with profit motive to send people to only the CHEAPEST care providers and will not pay for specialist if their specific doctor has not written a “prescription” for said specialist. I can’t tell you right now that the insurance/managed care company’s preferred doctor will keep you in their office as long as possible to make sure that THEY get paid and that they don’t lose the business and trust of the “manager” company. Think ‘HMO’s” and remember how well that works for real people.
Anyone notice some key words in there? i.e. COMPANY and PREFERRED DOCTOR. Anyone who cares about quality health care and right to privacy and individual care should pay attention to this issue.
As you know if you’ve ever been hurt at work and actually go to the specified workman’s comp doctor you get a quick fix treatment and suddenly you are at “maximum recovery” meaning that you are as good as you’re going to get and we can refuse to pay for anything else because you’re never going to get better beyond this and NOW we can deny you care. It gets better when anyother insurance company takes you on they can refuse payment on said injured area because it’s a workman’s comp issue. the Bazinga is on YOU!
Manage Care Plans for Medicare are just like this. It saves the state a little bit of money, makes the insurance companies a killing and they do it forcing doctors to give substandard care for more money.
Profit motives NEVER work out for a poor, elderly or sick person. They get taken advantage of and EVERYONE ends up paying in the end.
I do have a dog in this fight, I approve public options and universal health care. Why? I have had foot surgery that added pins, two car accidents(Two careless drivers in 2.5 years they were not my fault), one work injury and one long clumsy ass childhood that has rendered me ineligible for the average insurance policy but I do qualify for the more “affordable” economy package with a HUGE deductible. At the tender age of 25 I have been told I am un-insurable. I have too many pre-existing conditions and a neck injury that is expected to only worsen over time. Now, if I chose the plan I qualified for I would not only have my entire paycheck taken but I would actually be paying an extra thirty or so dollars ON TOP of that. Now how the hell can I pay them MORE when they took my whole freakin paycheck? You guess is as good as mine because after student loans, utilities, car loan, rent and medical bills I have naught a nickle to my name.
Yes I have a biased, angry dog in the fight. I see how monthly my grandparents struggle to pay for basic medications for people with heart problems and cancer and how little benefit they actually receive. This is on top of Social Security. They refuse to ask for help, they won’t tell people how bad it is, but it is bad, and I can’t help. The tiny amount of solace I get from paying into social security is that maybe it’s going to them or someone like them.
Then I remember, the government uses those taxes to help the welfare for the wealthiest Americans and companies in the world. That it’s used so everything BUT social security but sadly I seriously doubt it even goes to education. Why? Everytime I turn around republicans cut education and other “socialist welfare programs” that *gasp* give poor a chance to catch up to wealthy kids.
We need to pay attention when the State wants to put people last and profit margins first. The more they seek to privatize health care the angrier you should be. Stand up and DO something about it.
It’s high time Montanans put THE PEOPLE first and not the profit mongering right.
They do not speak for you, they only care about one thing: Lining their own pockets and zombie economic systems that only benefit the wealthiest of the population. Don’t fall for the hype, fear and fake patriotism.
THINK!!
