Comments about ‘Survey says medical debt is harming families’

Nah, the current system is working great. No need to change.

Going bankrupt is the American dream according to Republicans. Everyone should give it a try.

"Going bankrupt is the American dream according to Republicans. Everyone should give it a try."

Donald Trump as gone bankrupt at least twice and you never saw him targeted by the conservative media because he was wealthy. It's only when people declare bankruptcy because of illness that conservatives seem to notice.

Let me be clear.

Every life is precious.

However, asking one person to pay 1 million dollars for a life-saving procedure is foolish.

That is where our country would come in. To try and ease the burden of out of control medical bills.

For those who say 'but I shouldn't HAVE to pay for little billys heart transplant.'

You should be the first to go through it.

You are free to donate to the medical care of this woman with your money. Nobody is stopping you. Why do you wish to force me to pay? Giving is charitable and benevolent. Taking is stealing.

I could complain like every else about pre existing conditions and high premiums (We spent 28% of our income of helathcare and we did have any big illness) 2 Things could easily change,
1.People who have to pay cash should get the same discount insurance companies do. Why does BCBS pay my dr $71 for my visit but if I pay cash I pay $155?
2.If you are uninsured there should be other options to the emergency room. My neighbor's son needed 4 stitches. They can't get insurance because of a medical condition. Instacare says they have to go to the hospital because they have no insurance. 4 stitches $997 at the hospital , 4 stiches at instacare $250. Why couldn't they just pay the $250? instead they pay $997, Christmas will be a little less this year.

It is not the govenments job to provide health care.

Yes. CHANGE IS NEEDED NOW TO VALUE FAMILIES.

IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE IN AMERICA.

I have a family here in America....

They are so good to me.....

RISING HEALTHCARE COSTS MAKE IT DIFFICULT....

to have families.

Fam’lies can be Happy....

When they are healthy!

That is why we need affordable healthcare,

so everyone can have families.

And avoid Bankruptcy.

Outrageous Healthcare bills are the #1 cause of bankruptcy and Utah is #1 state in Bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy is a HUGE CAUSE of Divorce in America which includes UTAH, and it destroys families.

We should be Christlike and follow the parable of the good samaritan and provide quality healthcare to all families in America.

This will require change and will be worth it!

As a family practice physician who cares, I have seen as much as I can stand of our current health care situation. I do not know the solution, but here are a few facts/ideas.
1.In all of the developed countries, there are more medical breakthroughs than any other country bar none. That bieng said, our primary care outcomes repeatedly fall well below the avg.
2.Our population is more obese, stressed, has poor-no exercise habits, and we eat out most meals. Our population has lost it's accountability. The heart disease, diabetes II, strokes, are mostly conditions brought on by our lifestyle habits.
3. Why does an initial visit with a primary care provider cost ~200-400 dollars less than one with a specialist (when I send them all my notes/suggestions anyway)? Cost for specialists needs to come down.
4. Name one insurance company that is in financial trouble. (CEO's repeatedly make 10-100 million a year) Why do my premiums go up every year when the only claims I have had are for preventative care? We need to adjust the premiums.
5. Why does a surgical stainless screw cost 1000 dollars?

'Why do you wish to force me to pay? Giving is charitable and benevolent. Taking is stealing.'

Guess your not very caritable and benevolent then christan.

It may not be the governments job to provide healthcare, but even the government is feeling the pinch. We have gone from spending 12% of our government dollars on healthcare to 30% on healthcare programs. None of us can afford healthcare as it is now. How on earth does a person prepare for a $300,000 emergency? Who is to pay? We spend more on healthcare than any other nation on the planet and rank like 32nd or 33rd. I don't think we're getting our moneys worth. I don't have any solutions either.

Everything is just fine, no need for any improvements to the health insurance industry. They are paying the politicians good money to maintain the status quo, so why would we want change? I mean, why would we want affordable, reasonable, fair health care?

IF you all feel so strongly about helping those who can't afford an expensive operation,

then why don't you start a charity or charitable foundation to help those people,

(doing it this way is TRUE charity)

Demanding others to foot the bill by FORCE of government is not charitable nor benevolent.

its a fact that Republicans(GOP) contribute to charity far than Democrats and by a wide margin.....asking the Democrats to do something new would mean they might actually have to embrace Hope and Change!

They are much happier carrying a sign stating

" HOPE you are RICH", because I need your change, and if you don't give it to me I will vote for people like Obama who will tax you for it....so either you can give it to me now or I will rob you later"!

When you put the beggars in charge, you end up with what you deserve.....VOTE EVERY DEM OUT OF OFFICE>>>SEND THEM A CLEAR MESSAGE.....GET A LIFE OF YOUR OWN AND STAY OUT OF MY WALLET!

Good article.

My doc says we should have what England has -- "all the care you need, but not necessarily all the care you want." She is against tests and procedures (for rich, middle-class, or poor) if the results won't matter. Why replace a hip on a person whose COPD keeps him or her from going anywhere? Why do any treatments besides managing pain if a person is terminally ill? I admit we sometimes spend a great deal to postpone the inevitable, but I can't quite reconcile my emotions with her logic. I want the best care for myself and my family, but do I have a right to something my sister can't afford? My bro-in-law is self-employed and uninsured, though he has worked hard all his life, just never prospered. My sis is not well, and while I do think I'm my sister's keeper, my husband and I have a large family. We could better afford to pay more taxes than to pay my sister's medical bills. Clearly change is needed,and I think it's possible (somehow), but good discussion requires open minds!

I know some staunch Republicans that went bankrupt due to medical debt, they had health insurance. They don't talk much about their health insurance views anymore.

I am going to have a fun time in your wallets dudes and you can't stop it.

You already rip money out of my wallet for that senseless war in Iraq, so it is my turn to get something back from you.

The House demonstrated their cowardice as well as their agenda to force a soicalized medicine systme upon us rather than address the variables that are causing health care expenses to rise in the US.

First, the ABA is too powerfull to allow for serious Tort reform, and too many of our legislators are former lawyers to allow this to happen.

Second, no one has the courage to honestly and objectively look at how illegal immigrants burden our health care system and drive costs up. Anything but putting our heads in the sand regarding this question is not PC, and therefore will not be resolved.

Third, no one is willing to look at how we can reduce the cost of going to medical school.

Fourth, no one is willing to take on the FDA and the big drug companies which work together to form the equivalent of OPEC or the Federal Reserve

USPS, Fannie and Freddie are prime examples of what happens when we have government trying to run a business, and no one wants to look at the fact that Canada can not sustain and pay for its current system nor can England.

Regrettably, by this time next year, I doubt ANY REFORM will have taken place. Personally I blame Demos. MUCH MORE than Repubs. Demos. (Obama in particular) were elected by a wide enough margin that they shouldn't have been afraid of ANY suggestions the Repubs. made regarding healthcare reform. I don't understand why healthcare CAN'T be improved, in any way, shape, or form without making people mad. Dems, (Obama in particular)could have GREATLY INCREASED their popularity amongst Americans had they not been quite so exclusive with their arguments. Why no tort reform? Why do insurance companies get to have a voice? We already KNOW what they'll say! LOTS of blame to go around on healthcare!
Most important domestic issue of our lifetimes - reduced to a shouting match and political gamesmanship!! BOTH SIDES will LOSE!