Has she been honest about health insurance?

Use this forum to discuss the May 2021 Book of the month, "Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power" by Barbara Galutia Regis PA-C
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ReaderAisha2020
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Re: Has she been honest about health insurance?

Post by ReaderAisha2020 »

I don't really have much experience of knowledge of insurance. My family have not taken it out and they are still able to use the healthcare system as normal. I guess it depends on the situation of people. My father thinks it's not worth it unless the company pays for it
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Post by Katherine Smith »

In my own experience, I did not get health insurance until 2015 after I had my appendix removed. The health care representative at the hospital enrolled my in Medi-Cal which at that time was not as expansive as it is now. I was happy to finally have health insurance even though I would not be using it as much as other people on the same program. Now, Medi-Cal has improved since 2015, most notably the addition of more primary care physicians and a better dental plan, but there is more that can be done to increase health care equity for government funded programs.
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Post by Juliet+1 »

I agree with the author, and I think she is being completely honest. In the U.S. health insurance is essential. And every provider of medical care expects patients to have insurance. It's simply a matter of whether you have public insurance like Obamacare or Medicaid for low-income people or Medicare for those over 65, or whether you have private insurance. Health care has become very expensive; only wealthy individuals could afford to pay the fees.
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Post by Mimi Kenneth »

Health is life so, health insurance is important. The author writing a lot on it is good. In Nigeria for example, many lives are lost because of no money for treatment, but with health insurance a lot of difference could be made especially in emergency situations.
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Post by Joseph Dunn »

I agree with the author, and I found the information highly beneficial. Many in the US experience financial hardships and devastating medical outcomes that could have been prevented with adequate healthcare coverage. Furthermore, insurance plans are diverse and complicated, and it is easy to choose a plan that will not provide the necessary coverage.
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Post by Ruth Naomi »

I have seen friends experience health payment nightmares after prolonged maladies' and are unable to pay the bills. In the long run, the payments may be expensive but at the same time useful.
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Post by Ruth Naomi »

Thokchom Alice wrote: 02 Jun 2021, 00:09 I would say the author is honest regarding the insurance system. Many people have been benefitted though, there are cases in which people come across scams in many places.
There was an instance in the internet lately about people investing in a healthcare insurance company that turned out to be a scam. Turns out, the company had lured innocent lives into "sweet" insurance policies, and in turn amassed millions of dollars.
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Post by Ruth Naomi »

While talking about healthcare insurance, it is wise to always dig deep into the company you're investing in. Some are legit; sadly, others are scams.
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Post by KarFulMar »

I do agree with the author on the importance of (GOOD) health insurance. Medical care, especially in the United States, has become insanely expensive. One short-term hospital stay, or even extended outpatient treatment, could completely bankrupt someone .
However, I do have to emphasize GOOD health insurance. I have seen way too much health insurance plans that were almost useless in the coverage they provided, with ridiculously high deductible and copayment. And sadly, the policies are often written with so much legal and medical terminology and phrasing that the average lay person has next to no idea what they’re insurance even covers. If they get a bill, stating that their insurance didn’t cover something, they simply pay (or try to pay) out of pocket. And I’ve seen so many instances where the procedure was coded wrong, or just filed incorrectly, and should have been paid by the insurance. But the patient just didn’t understand that. Many insurance policies seemed to be designed that way to be confusing by nature. And not just to the patients, but to the Dr offices as well, because there’s no consistency across insurance plans.

So, I agree with the author on need for insurance. But with very necessary cautions included.
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Post by Black Jewel »

I think a lot depends on the health insurance that is offered, or you can afford whether or not it is truly beneficial. Mine currently, is accepted everywhere. But it comes at a huge cost. It is $80/week for the coverage through my work. Plus a $4000 deductable that must be met before it kicks in. So... While I do have the coverage, I don't honestly feel that it is exceptionally helpful unless we meet the 4k first. Some years, visiting the doctor only happens once or twice. Other years, it's far more frequent. But I am shelling out over 4k a year on 'maybe'. Plus having to cover 4k. That's 8k a year coming out of my pocket until it kicks in.

So I basically only carry the insurance at this point on the off chance that our current president takes us back to getting heavily penalized for not having some form of coverage.
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Post by TheMazeRunner »

I have never had a problem with my insurance. Even if the author promoted several insurace companies, I think that could be helpful for someone who knows very little about those things.
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Post by Parahiyo »

I agree with the author. Having good health insurance cover assures good medical care. Honestly, I have personally benefited from one. I don't think that the author is marketing health insurance companies. People should be aware of the insurance companies and their importance, especially in emergency cases.
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Post by Susan Fay »

The author of this book makes it clear in the title, Surviving the Business of Healthcare, that it is the business side of medicine which she deals with. She is brutally honest about the inequalities in Healthcare in the US. She has painted a clear depiction of how different types of insurance work. The book is a good, simple reference book which depicts the pitfalls people can face when they do not have adequate medical insurance. It is frightening.
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Post by TopaAzul062 »

Sushan wrote: 31 May 2021, 23:51
...my topic was the importance of having access to some form of health insurance – whether you’re in the United States or elsewhere. Part of this book delves into insurance, and I am experiencing firsthand the importance of having catastrophic health insurance. I’m also a huge proponent of Health Savings Account (HSA) plans.
(Location 145 in Kindle version of the book)

Do you feel the same as the author about health insurance? Have you had benefits because you had an insurance or had difficulties because you did not have an insurance? Has the author been honest or is she trying to market the insurance companies (she has dedicated three chapters of her book to talk about health insurance.)?
Having insurance is beneficial; however, it is not a one size fits all system. If you have employer sponsored insurance it may or may not cover your medical expenses off the bat as money has to come out of pocket first before the insurance does the rest. If you don't have employer sponsored insurance and have to purchase it on your own, then you're in for a shocker.

The most affordable options, in regards to monthly payments, requires a lot to be paid out of pocket before the insurance can be used. The options that require little to no money out of pocket have a high monthly cost. I had insurance briefly that I had to find on my own because my then job didn't have benefits.

I received an injury at work and had to go to emergency care. I had my insurance card, but it was useless since it was the affordable option. Since it was a job injury, my employer split the cost but my insurance didn't do anything because I didn't meet the deductible.

While it's nice to have, the system isn't balanced. To top it off, the options on the market aren't favorable for all.
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Post by Sushan Ekanayake »

TopaAzul062 wrote: 25 Jun 2021, 21:46
Sushan wrote: 31 May 2021, 23:51
...my topic was the importance of having access to some form of health insurance – whether you’re in the United States or elsewhere. Part of this book delves into insurance, and I am experiencing firsthand the importance of having catastrophic health insurance. I’m also a huge proponent of Health Savings Account (HSA) plans.
(Location 145 in Kindle version of the book)

Do you feel the same as the author about health insurance? Have you had benefits because you had an insurance or had difficulties because you did not have an insurance? Has the author been honest or is she trying to market the insurance companies (she has dedicated three chapters of her book to talk about health insurance.)?
Having insurance is beneficial; however, it is not a one size fits all system. If you have employer sponsored insurance it may or may not cover your medical expenses off the bat as money has to come out of pocket first before the insurance does the rest. If you don't have employer sponsored insurance and have to purchase it on your own, then you're in for a shocker.

The most affordable options, in regards to monthly payments, requires a lot to be paid out of pocket before the insurance can be used. The options that require little to no money out of pocket have a high monthly cost. I had insurance briefly that I had to find on my own because my then job didn't have benefits.

I received an injury at work and had to go to emergency care. I had my insurance card, but it was useless since it was the affordable option. Since it was a job injury, my employer split the cost but my insurance didn't do anything because I didn't meet the deductible.

While it's nice to have, the system isn't balanced. To top it off, the options on the market aren't favorable for all.
I agree with you. Though the author has mentioned many benefits of having a health insurance, people face various problems when they actually try to get their health insurance claims. What we should keep in mind is that health insurances are profit based companies and they do only a business with us rather than providing a service. Seemingly the author has been a little biased towards the health insurance companies.
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