Is the family eligible for Medicare, Jodi? 

Yeah thats what they are going to do, but I was asking Bruce since he believes Government shouldn't be responsible for our health and it is our own responsiblity what is the answer. More companies are going to do away with insurance coverage and if Bruce feels govt shouldn't, what are his ideas on the problem.

That's why a Tylenol from the hospital costs $8.  It ain't shipping and handling.  If they charge $8, medicare and the insurance companies will reimburse $x.

The hospitals base their policies on getting approval from the Joint Commission on Health Care Organizations (JCHCO, pronounced here in Indiana at least as Jake-O).  If you don't pass you don't get any Medicare bucks.  And hospitals that can't get any Medicare bucks are asking for trouble.

In a sense, we're already getting government-run health care.  Just not affordable government-run health care.

don't cut hot peppers then take a pee

I did that and it made my gonorrhea feel much better!

Kevin maybe we talked about it before, are you in Indiana?

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Aye, Jodi, I'm up in Fort Wayne (along with much-less-frequent poster Thad Studebaker).

I went to get my shoulder looked at, I met with the doctor for 15 minutes, they charged me 350.00 . My insurance paid 125.00, My husband said that they do that because they know insurance will only pay a percentage. I asked what does those that have no insurance do? he said they get screwed.

Not really true.  Most doctors have two rates.  The insured rate and the uninsured rate.  It may be $400 for something if you have insurance but $150 if you don't.  I've never known of any doctor who didn't work with their regular patients that way.  I had a period of 2 years where I had no insurance and found that to be the case every time.

I agree, Don, preventative health care would fix a lot - except that we don't have enough health care personnel!  Send your kids into health care; there's job security and satisfaction as far as the eye can see!

My hospital is also seeing the writing on the wall as far as its health care plan is concerned.  They're cracking down on employee/visitor smoking and offering weight loss plans left and right.  October 4th I am starting one myself.  Yay, me!  Time to celebrate with a bathtub full of twinkies!

Aye, Jodi, I'm up in Fort Wayne (along with much-less-frequent poster Thad Studebaker).

Well hey fellow Hoosier!  I grew up in Marion and we would go to Fort Wayne all the time, we loved the zoo. I live in Muncie now. 

I'm still a firm believer that everyone can afford insurance if they really want it.  People who truly can't are low enough income to get government assistance.  In almost every case it's a matter of people not prioritizing their insurance as being important enough.  Basic insurance is going to run between $100-$400 a month, depending on whether you are single or a family.  A second job or cutting back on some other things can easily make that amount if you aren't living at the poverty level (where you would be eligible for government healthcare any way).

I remember just biting my tongue few years ago when a friend of mine was complaining about having no insurance and not being able to afford it.  Of course he had cable TV with HBO/Cinemax.  He rented movies at Blockbuster all the time in addition to going to a movie every weekend.  He also bought at least a couple of new video games every month.  He actually made enough to buy insurance a couple of times over but couldn't fathom doing without or getting a second job (since he wouldn't have time to play the games, see the movies, etc.).