Click here to find the archived letter that generated the following comments:
Anonymous writes:
Me and my wife are both attending college, and barely make enough to feed ourselves. My wife has been bleeding from an irregular period for 6 months, we just about have enough money saved up to go to the doctor finally. She's been going through 6-8 or more pads a day for those six months. 4 months ago we went to the emergency room, they recommended a private doctor and charged us over $500.00 to tell us this. The E.R. doesn't specialize in irregular periods we found out. Every Doctor we called wanted cash up front. Doctors don't care about people anymore. They're just rich money hungry thieves. You would think at least half became doctors because they cared, but the harsh reality is, it's just not true. We'd be lucky if 20% cared about what they do. Most see $$$ heading to college. She's cried countless times because she's so fed up with bleeding all the time. You would think if a doctor heard those tears they would change their mind, but that just isn't the case either. She's actually got so frustrated on the phone with doctors that she would break down, and still they have no compassion. Doctors wonder why they get sued so much. It's simple... People know they charge 1000% over for the services they provide, people know they have enough to cover it. Example: I had some kidney stones removed once, I got the annastetia (how ever you spell it) and a stint stuck up in me. I was in the hospital for a total of 3 hours. They charged me $18,000!!! I'm sorry but the products they used didn't even cost them $1,000, nor was their time worth another $1,000, let alone $18,000... I'm still paying $100 a month on it. I actually hate doctors now, because they turned my wife away without any compassion...
basscastle writes:
When people wake up to the fact that sueing has caused all this then something can be done, Oh don't take me wrong, I feel for people without insurance. You also will find out that the insurance companies own most of the hospitals in America. I'm a vet and use the finest hosp. in the world, the VA medical. Also I live on the lake of the Cherokees (Grand lake). I encourage people to come and drive around the Lake to see where all the money goes to that they pay these doc's, and their 30 foot yachts. The same with Pharmaceutical companies, if they would stop sending the docters on vacations and ski trips, again grand lake and the shangri la resort, they could bring down prices.
can not beleive the ignorance writes:
So, Basscastle, you live on Grand Lake, you must be taking advantage of people as you accuse the doctors. How else would you afford it??? Anonymous, I'm sorry about the six pads a day your wife uses, but just maybe insurance should have been a priority. Do you have money to party, smoke, do drugs, and, buy gas, go to the movies eat out and etc. Health insurance is a necessity, as you are now learning. How many times have you gotten free food, or gas just because you felt you needed it, or deserved it? The truth is most people without insurance, don't pay their medical bills, they are irresponsible there also. Don't blame doctors that don't want to give you free healthcare, or hospitals. They have huge malpractice insurance bills due to the greed of people just like yourself. While doctors are investing years of their lives and thousands of dollars in education loans, people like you were out getting drunk, working at a fast food store. It really is sad when people are so disrespectful to the very people that may one day save your life, or that of a loved one. Don't go to the doctor if you "hate" them. Doctors are trapped in their high overhead cost. They can't afford to treat people free, and then those same people that have self destructive life styles try to get rich by sueing, only causing more defensive medicine. We all pay, doctors have to run alot of tests to rule out every possibility to prevent lawsuites. The healthcare system needs to be commended for the good work they do. Now don't we all know of people the healthcare system has helped. A Grand THANK YOU to all of you wonderful people in healthcare. I'm sorry for those that don't appreciate your help.
Anonymous writes:
TO THE IDIOT WHO WROTE THIS:
"Anonymous, I'm sorry about the six pads a day your wife uses, but just maybe insurance should have been a priority."
Yes, insurance should have been a priority, was, and is. That doesn't mean we can afford it like some Doctor like you who had his way paid through college.
"Do you have money to party, smoke, do drugs, and, buy gas, go to the movies eat out and etc."
Again, you’re an idiot! We don't go to parties, smoke, or do drugs. We don't believe in that kind of stuff. We are however guilty of buying gas, and eating a burger every once in a while. Sometimes the Carl's JR’s Famous Star is cheaper than eating in. As for movies, no, we don't get to do those. As I stated before, we have to pay for college (not our parents) and still manage to feed ourselves. We don't take handouts, I'm too proud to stand in a check out line with food stamps (though pride isn't a good thing). We've never done drugs, smoked, or even drank. Does this make us perfect? No, it doesn't, but it does however I hope speak of our true character.
"Health insurance in a necessity, as you are now learning."
SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD IT IDIOT!!! We've looked into it, and everything is over a hundred a month. There's your world, and then there's our world. There's your silver platter, and then there's the 50 cent plate you buy at Dollar General and eat off of until you can afford the silver one, but when we finally achieve that silver one, we're going to break it in pieces and pass it around to all who are in need. These are not mere words, these are, and have been our plans since High School.
"How many times have you gotten free food, or gas just because you felt you needed it, or deserved it?"
Never, unless you count free food at a family gathering. As for free Gas, what have you been sniffing? As for deserve, no one is worthy of anything he or she gets, every breath is a free gift, and we must make the best of the time we have.
"The truth is most people without insurance, don't pay their medical bills, they are irresponsible there also."
Why don't you try charging what it's worth, and then people "will" pay. But as I stated before, I do pay my bills, and I've got mine down to $13,153. SOME IDIOTS JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR INSURANCE, THEN YOU JUST DON'T HAVE IT!!!
"Don't blame doctors that don't want to give you free healthcare, or hospitals."
I never said anything about free healthcare! We pay our bills. It might not be all at once, but they do get paid!
"They have huge malpractice insurance bills due to the greed of people just like yourself."
NO, THEY HAVE HUGE MALPRACTICE INSURANCE BILLS BECAUSE THEY MAKE TOO MANY MISTAKES & CHARGE A THOUSAND TIMES OVER WHAT THEY (YOU) DESERVE!!!
"While doctors are investing years of their lives and thousands of dollars in education loans, people like you were out getting drunk, working at a fast food store."
AGAIN IDIOT, PEOPLE LIKE ME DON'T GET DRUNK, BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE ME DON'T BELIEVE IN DRINKING!!! As for fast food, at least that's an honest living for those who do spend their lives doing so! It's Doctors like yourself who prove this a thousand times over!
"It really is sad when people are so disrespectful to the very people that may one day save your life, or that of a loved one."
Hey, right back at ya'...
"Don't go to the doctor if you "hate" them."
That's like saying, "don't go to work if you hate it." Sometimes you have no choice. As I said, only 80% of doctors are bad, the good one's work in the E.R. Those are the one's who really care.
"Doctors are trapped in their high overhead cost."
Thanks for enlightening me on this one, heck, I thought they were trapped in their "high overhead" houses, not to mention in themselves, you're living proof of this.
"They can't afford to treat people free, and then those same people that have self destructive life styles try to get rich by sueing, only causing more defensive medicine."
Now see where Medical school can get ya'!
"The healthcare system needs to be commended for the good work they do. Now don't we all know of people the healthcare system has helped.
Actually now that you mentioned it, no. My dad worked 40 years and then retired. He paid into Medicare for 40 years, and when it came time to trust in the healthcare system it let him down. Medicare never once paid for one of his doctor bills. Hospice was there though, I will give them credit!
"A Grand THANK YOU to all of you wonderful people in healthcare."
There he/she goes patting himself/herself on the back.
"I'm sorry for those that don't appreciate your help."
Oh, aren't you so caring. How sweet of a jester. You’re such a kind person...
nes writes:
can not beleive the ignorance
I can't believe you said that. I don't drink, party, or take drugs, and I can't afford health insurance. Most of us can't unless the job pays for it. I don't and have never taken free food or anything else from the state or anybody else. I am 64 years old and went into business for myself because after 38 years with my company I guess I was to old for them and my health insurance was higher than the younger ones even though I had never used it. Did you read that, never used it. I don't know what you did for a living or still do or who you took advantage of but to be as mean and uncaring about the lady who is sick and can't get help I know one thing. I don't want to know you. Nes
Someone with insurance writes:
I have health insurance through my employer and let me tell you, it "ain't" what it used to be. My part of the premium is over four times what it used to be, and it doesn't cover near as much of the doctor bills as it used to. I don't know who to be mad at, the doctors or the insurance companies, or the pharmaceutical companies. I just know it's gotten to the point where the average citizen in this country can't afford good quality healthcare. And I don't see it getting better any time soon. In fact, I think it will get worse before it gets better. My heart goes out to everyone who has to make the decision of whether to eat and pay the rent, or get their prescriptions filled. I have stood in line behind people at pharmacies that just had to walk away when they found out how much their medicine was going to cost. That shouldn't happen to anyone. I don't know the answers, but somebody better figure out what to do about the sorry state of healthcare in this nation.
basscastle writes:
OK Anonymous and cannot beleive the ignorance my wife works as a healthcare administrator and I did until retirement. To make the statement that I have taken advantage of people to live here is as stupid as the person writing it. I retired from the armed forces a nam vet. I know from experince and know several doc. that got their school debts payed for if they would move to certain areas of the country, sure the malpratice insurance is high, and why not the few doc. that made it that way made everyone pay the price. There are some excellent doc, out there but also there are some that are not fit to work on animals let alone people, like the ones that herd people through their office like cattle. I could go on and on but won't.
Heather writes:
I have what most people consider "a good job." I work at a desk, get paid more than minimum wage and get paid vacations. I'm respected for my knowledge and abilities and I'm challenged every day at work. I don't smoke and I very rarely drink and eating out is something I do when I want a $0.98 burrito from Taco Mayo. But what I don't have is health insurance. Between car payments, car insurance, rent, electricity, food, etc I can't afford the $50 from every paycheck that it would take for me to get health insurance. But if you don't have insurance there are a couple of options. There is a free clinic (there was an article about it recently), there is the health department, and there are the minor emergency clinics. I've gone to the minor emergency clinic a couple of times and it's reasonably priced and they won't punish you for not having insurance. There are some options, you just have to be willing to take them and/or look for them. As for everyone else that can afford health insurance, good for you. I'm happy for you. Just don't assume that the rest of us are complete losers because we can't. Most people are shocked when I tell them I don't have health insurance (and that I make less than half of what "under paid" teacher's make).
Tammy Kennedy writes:
The bottom line here is that MOST doctors don't care about the health of their patients, OR public safety, period.
I can prove this because when I offer the doctors the opportunity to know what I know and learn something that really works they only want my services long enough to get better themselves and then, guess what, block the research from getting out to the public (1991).
Yes, that IS THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.
And when I punch through to get my message out to the public, even offering to take care of their children for free because after all, they are the future, well guess what, I get sued, and by the Board no less. When you consider that the first doctor that I ever worked on happened to be this same Board's future president ... well you see what really trips their trigger.
The simple fact is that insurance REALLY IS NOT NECESSARY because when you have something that really works then you don't need to play the same game that everyone else thinks you have to.
Why? Because you don't get sick. Why? Because your body is healing you, and in the end, this is the same fact no matter what. The doctors and health care specialists of all kinds don't heal you; your body heals you.
However when the healing system fails is when you need a little help. If one knows how to get the healing system to work again, well, then they've really got something.
But the bottom line is, that a certain judge (Judge Richard Perry who is up for reelection in 2006) in this town refused to see the difference between what I do and the idiot chiropractors and so, now if you all want to get my preferred services you're going to have to fight for the opportunity. I can still work under the wing of a doctor legally, that is if one of those types will put down their ego long enough to benefit their patient.
And then there is always the legislature and the inevitable law that needs to be written.
I still have my office and you may contact me there; also I plan on holding a community meeting in the near future to get a true cross section of the consensus of the public on the radically needed changes in health care reform.