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Originally Posted by Joan.of.the.Arch
Actually, if I were to guess there is a difference, I would think it is the Congressperson who would get better and more timely prenatal and postnatal care. Do you have evidence otherwise?
A pregnant welfare/Medicaid recipient who finds herself ill in -say- the sixth month of pregnancy probably has to go to an emergency room to get seen. She may wait for hours, coming in only feeling generally horrible and having fever. The Congressperson can probably call her private doctor and be squeezed in right way. The Medicaid recipient does NOT have the same insurance as the Congresswoman. So, maybe the government had to shell out $800 for the Congresswoman's doctor visit, but maybe shelled out $20,000 for the Medicaid recipients' ER visit because ER is expensive (no office visit was offered the woman) and she waited hours, allowing an intrauterine infection to progress dangerously so that she had to be admitted for two days. In this hypothetical example, let us consider the taxpayers lucky that the infection did not cause a premature delivery and subsequent month's stay in neonatal intensive care for the baby....all for want of seeing a doctor quickly.
If on average, more money is spent by the public for a Medicaid recipient's pregnancy and follow-up, rather than on a Congresswoman's, I think it is very likely to be because the system has been "pennywise and pound foolish," not spending money in the efficient and preventative ways.
No one is talking about a big pile of money, exactly. They are talking about the health insurance that the Senators and Representatives get. It is one of their perks....And how in the world do you know that the Kennedys are paying for the Senator's medical care care just now? I would assume that any savvy person who has health insurance, as the Senator does because he is a senator, would use that insurance for all that it will cover. My understanding is that their insurance is a benefit of the employment and that it is totally covered by the employer ---us. The insurance our national legislators get is not the same as what "any other working person gets." My family's insurance for the coming year costs $1300+ per month.
PS Greenback, are you in the military and have government provided medical care when you need it? I would love to hear from someone in the military, especially someone with a family, to hear how well that works or not.
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My example of the pregnant woman was just meant to show that the welfare recipient won't pay a dime for the care receieved even if it isn't the best care. The congress person will certainly get better care but will pay a fair amount out of pocket. Yes they have great health benefits but the idea that they get a free ride is wrong. It would be great to see both get equal care but that's not reality under the best of systems.
When Kennedy was admitted there was talk ( I don't remember the details) of how much it would cost and as I recall the Kennedy's paid huge out of pocket costs for his treatment. I don't know what care he's currently receiv ing or who's paying for what but I'm sure they are paying a large amount for the treatment he's getting. Multi millionaires will always get better care same as they live in bigger houses and drive more expensive vehicles. That he's a U.S. senator means he'll get the benefits from that job but it doesn't mean he gets a free ride. That have great insurance benefits but not free medical care. Is it practical to say that everyone should get the same benefits? I don't think so. I'm not saying the system doesn't need to be fixed but I don't see how we can create a system where everyone gets equal healthcare.
I work for state gov't and I have very good health benefits but I too pay taxes and pay into medicare. I sought out this job for the pay and benefits provided. Should everyone be entitled to these benefits? I don't see how it's possible. Maybe some genious has a great plan to make this happen but I haven't heard it.
I am from a military family. The military is somewhat of a case study in socialized medicine.yesTheir medical care is free. Problem is that most military people are young, fit and healthy to begin with so they aren't much of a burden on the system to begin with. Family members are very quick to go to the doctor for the slightest ailment. The horror stories you hear about the V.A. and particularly Walter Reed are very true. In all too many cases the treatment is sub-par and that's unfortunate. I'm all for making the system better so that everyone benefits but I not sure if it's really possible.
Your insurance cost are high. Do you have an idea how that might be changed? If it would change would you be confident in recieving the same level of healthcare should you need it? Difficult questions to answer.