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Originally Posted by excon

Hello again, Steve:
Yeah, it's a hard concept to grasp. Here's an exercise for you. Go over to your nearest ER. Count the people waiting. The average visit to an ER costs around $2,000. A visit to a family doctor costs about $100. That's about $1,900 MORE than we have to pay for the SAME services. Multiply that by every ER in your state, and then multiply that by 50. Then multiply that by 24 hours in the day.

I'd say that would be many millions of $$'s, wouldn't you??

excon

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The average charge might be that, but it isn't the cost and the vast majority of those have insurance I bet. It isn't filled with homeless people. The uninsured are what percentage in this country? How many of those are young, healthy adults? How many rarely visit a doctor?

Hello again, Steve:

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and the vast majority of those have insurance I bet.

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Couple things.

I only went once, and I'll NEVER, EVER do that again, unless I'm bleeding like a stuck pig.

Lemme ask you this.. IF you had insurance, and got sick, would you make an appointment with your doctor, or would you wander down to your local ER, where you'll WAIT for HOURS, and hours, and then even MORE hours - only to get a BILL in the $1,000's??? Certainly, NO insurance company in the world is gonna pay it. You HAVE to know that.

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The uninsured are what percentage in this country? How many of those are young, healthy adults? How many rarely visit a doctor?

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You also appear to believe that everybody WITH a home to live in, HAS insurance. That's just wrong.

It IS a good question, though.. I'll use ME as an example.. I've been rich, and I've been poor. When I was poor, I had NO insurance. Part of that time I WAS a young healthy buck. But, part of that time I was an older healthy fellow, who WORRIED about getting sick.

Now, I want you to understand this. When I was poor, I WORKED hard. I PAID my taxes. I HAD a home, and I FULLY supported myself. Yes, I could even eat out now and then... But, for an older healthy person, insurance on the open market was WAYYYYY too expensive.. The ONLY time I had insurance was when I was employed, or when I was rich. When I was SELF employed and NOT rich, which was MOST of the time, I was on my own.

I don't think I was alone, either. In fact, I think there are MILLIONS and MILLIONS of people like me, except they NEVER got rich.

Of those people, what percentage DO I think are young and healthy?? Bout HALF. That leaves the other half very vulnerable, and when THEY get sick, they go to the ER, and you and I PAY for it.

excon

Nice story, but not reality. The questions were simple,

The uninsured are what percentage in this country?

How many of those are young, healthy adults?

How many rarely visit a doctor?

Hello again, Steve:

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Nice story, but not reality. The questions were simple,

(1) The uninsured are what percentage in this country?

(2) How many of those are young, healthy adults?

(3) How many rarely visit a doctor?

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I dunno what's NOT reality about it. It certainly was MY reality, and I wasn't alone. Your reality is just as unreal as mine. It stems from an EMPLOYED person WITH insurance. But, I see my answer was too complicated for you. Ok.

(1) 47%
(2) 51%
(3a) The 51% that are young and healthy rarely see a doctor.
(3b) The 49% that aren't, see a doctor REGULARLY or die very young.

excon

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Originally Posted by speechlesstx

How many of those are young, healthy adults?

How many rarely visit a doctor?

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The point of young people getting health insurance is that those insured young people will then get those periodic exams they don't want to pay out of pocket for now as uninsureds. They will do the preventive dance (or at least have the coverage to do it) to guard their health and not end up with prostate cancer or breast cancer or some catastrophic illness that they have ignored symptoms of and that will cost us (i.e., Medicaid) tons of money when they show up uninsured at the ER.

I don't deal with statistics pulled out your a$$.

Percentage of Americans Lacking Health Coverage Falls Again

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The point of young people getting health insurance is that those insured young people will then get those periodic exams they don't want to pay out of pocket for now as uninsureds. They will do the preventive dance (or at least have the coverage to do it) to guard their health and not end up with prostate cancer or breast cancer or some catastrophic illness that they have ignored symptoms of and that will cost us (i.e., Medicaid) tons of money when they show up uninsured at the ER.

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You are talking about the kids who are ten feet tall and bullet proof? You know, the ones who don't go to the doctor unless they are sick because they think that nothing can happen to them. Right?

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Originally Posted by J_9

You are talking about the kids who are ten feet tall and bullet proof? You know, the ones who don't go to the doctor unless they are sick because they think that nothing can happen to them. Right?

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Yup! Those are the ones! Lots of 'em. And even once they have insurance, they think they are bullet proof and don't get regular or even occasional checkups, but wait until they can't function any longer.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

The point of young people getting health insurance is that those insured young people will then get those periodic exams they don't want to pay out of pocket for now as uninsureds. They will do the preventive dance (or at least have the coverage to do it) to guard their health and not end up with prostate cancer or breast cancer or some catastrophic illness that they have ignored symptoms of and that will cost us (i.e., Medicaid) tons of money when they show up uninsured at the ER.

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So how many people do you feed every day?

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Originally Posted by speechlesstx

So how many people do you feed every day?

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At least nine. Plus whoever my taxes support.

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Originally Posted by speechlesstx

So how many people do you feed every day?

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At least nine. Plus whoever my taxes support.

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So, about 1,500 or more? (just a figure I pulled out of the air)

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

At least nine. Plus whoever my taxes support.

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So how many does the government feed with the same dollars?

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

At least nine. Plus whoever my taxes support.

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So how many does the government feed with the same dollars?

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And where does the government get those dollars?

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Originally Posted by j_9

so, about 1,500 or more? (just a figure i pulled out of the air)

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Lol.

Those young people will be old one day, and may not be as invincible as they once were. You think and see things much differently at 26 than you do at 56, or 86. That's just reality and us older folks know those changes will come, and younger people do NOT. The next generation may not/cannot/don't want to grasp what we tell them, but they will. We all do get reality as we go, at least most of us.

Insurance is not a priority for a young single because they are doing what most of us did at that age, exploring their world and having the best time they can with their friends. The hardest challenge we face is that our kids take responsibility for themselves in responsible ways and don't take dumb chances that will affect them adversely in the future.

Hard to see or explain that to a person whose priority right now is the next weekend party, concert, get together with friends, or the hunt for romance and good times. They just don't listen to the concept that having insurance and not needing it is better than needing it and not having it.

But some people lets face it don't believe in equal protection under the law, or equal benefit either. Now that's a very skewed value system in my opinion, and some end up better off than others. Too bad for the ones who are NOT better off. They are out of sight, out of mind unless it happens to be YOU.

Hello again, Steve:

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I don't deal with statistics pulled out your a$$.

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From YOUR link.

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The percentage of people covered by government health insurance increased to 32.6 percent in 2012, from 32.2 percent. The percentage covered by Medicaid in 2012 was not statistically different from 2011, at 16.4 percent. The percentage covered by Medicare rose over the period, from 15.2 percent in 2011 to 15.7 percent in 2012. Since 2009, Medicaid has covered more people than Medicare (50.9 million compared with 48.9 million in 2012).

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It's equally hard to argue with a fellow who doesn't even read his own links.

I wasn't addressing the dirt poor, OR the elderly. I was addressing the WORKING poor. And, the numbers don't change the argument.

In MY story, I was never poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, or old enough to qualify for Medicare. Besides, the conversation was about the cost of ER visits, and I haven't changed my mind. People who are INSURED with either government insurance or private insurance DON'T visit ER's for their day to day health care needs.

Go to your ER, and ASK the people IF they're covered with insurance. I'm SURE they'll look at you like you're CRAZY.. NOBODY is their right mind would spend HOURS, and then MORE hours sitting in an ER waiting room, when they could visit their family doctor in 20 minutes. I have NO idea why you think they would.

excon

PS> I see J_9 is around.. She should KNOW who frequents her ER.

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People who are INSURED with either government insurance

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DON'T visit ER's for their day to day health care needs.

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I totally beg to differ. People with "government insurance" use the ER as a clinic. I can even pinpoint what days and times they use it. I would also like to point out that they have learned how to work the system so that they don't have to wait hours. They come in with complaints of chest pain, they come in with complaints of shortness of breath. They know that these complaints will get them seen within 10 minutes of arrival.

You don't experience the system, but I do.

If people want to be stupid then they can damn well live with the consequences. Fact is most of us have worked hard and made our own way and we're damned tired of all this faux sympathy and disincentives to take care of yourself. If you NEED help then let's help, but otherwise buck up people and take responsibility for your lives and end this massive expansion of government power. You lefties ought to be ashamed of what you're doing, leave us the hell alone.

Hello again, Steve:

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leave us the hell alone.

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Buck up Righty.. You're SCREWING people as bad as you think we're screwing you..

Sniveling doesn't help.

excon

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Originally Posted by excon

Hello again, Steve:From YOUR link.
It's equally hard to argue with a fellow who doesn't even read his own links.

I wasn't addressing the dirt poor, OR the elderly. I was addressing the WORKING poor. And, the numbers don't change the argument.

In MY story, I was never poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, or old enough to qualify for Medicare. Besides, the conversation was about the cost of ER visits, and I haven't changed my mind. People who are INSURED with either government insurance or private insurance DON'T visit ER's for their day to day health care needs.

Go to your ER, and ASK the people IF they're covered with insurance. I'm SURE they'll look at you like you're CRAZY.. NOBODY is their right mind would spend HOURS, and then MORE hours sitting in an ER waiting room, when they could visit their family doctor in 20 minutes. I have NO idea why you think they would.

excon

PS> I see J_9 is around.. She should KNOW who frequents her ER.

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Government or private, doesn't matter to my point. It doesn't take an extra couple hundred EXTRA bucks PER MONTH per policyholder to cover the percentage of uninsured. Do the math.