Long-term health insurance premiums doubling and more

TIDE-HSV

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Oct 13, 1999
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It's something that parents should discuss with their children. Mom started a gradual decline about two years before she died; about 6 months before she passed, she had her defibrillator turned off and told me that she did not want to go back to the hospital. She passed peacefully in her sleep.

It's hard to let go, but in some cases, it's the kindest, most loving thing you can do, regardless of the insurance situation.
We had this situation with my BIL last year. He had expressed more than once his desire to pass on. He was 84, but a worn-out 84. He had had prostate cancer for ten years, but he had lived independently until the last six months or so of his life. He was a greatly religious person. We had a meeting near the end with all of the nursing home staff attending him. We, the family, said that, respecting his wishes, we didn't want any heroic measures taken. Until we said that, I had not realized how tense they all were. It was almost like they breathed a collective sigh of relief and we progressed to discussing ways to make him as comfortable as possible...
 

rolltide_21

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Dec 9, 2007
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NW AL
i read in the paper over the holidays that the hospital in haleyville is closing. it has long not been able to provide much in the way of care beyond triage (i think that is the proper term) but there is now no hospital at all in winston county. there are a lot of chronically sick folks in winston county
There’s a little more to this story. An investor group from TN bought Russellville, Haleyville, and Winfield. For cost purposes they closed the one in the middle, Haleyville. The talk now (a good friend of mine works ER there part time) is they’ll have a free standing ER with transport to the Shoals or Birmingham. They were doing minor surgeries and still had an ICU. But nothing serious was being done there. Most chronic illnesses go to Cullman or Jasper.

Huntsville Hospital tried to buy these three and turn them into good, quality rural hospitals (much like they have in Moulton). But the group in TN wouldn’t sell. Was told they tried to take the deal later, but HH refused.

If you want to see a local, rural hospital that is thriving look at Cullman. We’ve had all three of my children there. They’re independently owned with connections to both Huntsville & UAB. My youngest spent three days in the NICU there in September. His treatment plan came from UAB but was carried out in Cullman. They’re expanding and making a lot of money (according to one Dr. friend who works there.) And the cafeteria isn’t too shabby .


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92tide

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May 9, 2000
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There’s a little more to this story. An investor group from TN bought Russellville, Haleyville, and Winfield. For cost purposes they closed the one in the middle, Haleyville. The talk now (a good friend of mine works ER there part time) is they’ll have a free standing ER with transport to the Shoals or Birmingham. They were doing minor surgeries and still had an ICU. But nothing serious was being done there. Most chronic illnesses go to Cullman or Jasper.

Huntsville Hospital tried to buy these three and turn them into good, quality rural hospitals (much like they have in Moulton). But the group in TN wouldn’t sell. Was told they tried to take the deal later, but HH refused.

If you want to see a local, rural hospital that is thriving look at Cullman. We’ve had all three of my children there. They’re independently owned with connections to both Huntsville & UAB. My youngest spent three days in the NICU there in September. His treatment plan came from UAB but was carried out in Cullman. They’re expanding and making a lot of money (according to one Dr. friend who works there.) And the cafeteria isn’t too shabby .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
thanks, i just saw a blurb about the closing when i went there over for the holidays. i had heard several years ago that the hospital had gone pretty far down hill and was actually surprised it was still open.
 

CharminTide

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Oct 23, 2005
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Medical practitioners don't seem to be competing with each other as in other industries. That's also something I wonder about.

Competition is usually a good thing for the consumer in a general sense.
I don't really have time for a long answer, but purchasing medical care is not like buying a sofa, so traditional market principles don't apply. The gulf of expertise and the degree of urgency is just too great. You can always walk away from the furniture store. But if you try to make medical care a negotiation, the normal consumer doesn't have the knowledge or ability to just walk away in the face of serious illness. When a doctor says you need to schedule a hysterectomy tomorrow before your cancer spreads, most patients don't have the expertise to question that recommendation, and calling around to price various surgical procedures, imaging studies, average length of hospital stay, etc. is not reasonable when one's life is literally at stake. Patients always have the option of pursuing a second opinion to confirm a diagnosis or treatment recommendation (and I get asked all the time to provide one), but it is not reasonable or wise to delay care in many circumstances.

That being said, the enigma that is medical billing is completely absurd.
 

Bazza

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My Mother's buddy, at 89 discovered a lump in her breast. To my amazement, she had it surgically removed. She fell and broke her hip before the incision for the surgery had healed. Now she is scheduling, and I can't believe I'm typing this, a shoulder replacement operation. She says without the use of her left shoulder, she can't move her wheelchair. I suggested a motorized one, but she evidently thinks she will live forever, and needs her body in top working order.
Good for her! :)
 

Bazza

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I don't really have time for a long answer, but purchasing medical care is not like buying a sofa, so traditional market principles don't apply. The gulf of expertise and the degree of urgency is just too great. You can always walk away from the furniture store. But if you try to make medical care a negotiation, the normal consumer doesn't have the knowledge or ability to just walk away in the face of serious illness. When a doctor says you need to schedule a hysterectomy tomorrow before your cancer spreads, most patients don't have the expertise to question that recommendation, and calling around to price various surgical procedures, imaging studies, average length of hospital stay, etc. is not reasonable when one's life is literally at stake. Patients always have the option of pursuing a second opinion to confirm a diagnosis or treatment recommendation (and I get asked all the time to provide one), but it is not reasonable or wise to delay care in many circumstances.

That being said, the enigma that is medical billing is completely absurd.

Thanks - good info and I agree.

But what about when there's not a sense of urgency?

Let's say I want to shop around for a complete workup of my blood and vitals (not sure the right vernacular).

I think most people choose a medical practitioner based on word of mouth and/or by looking in the phone book. Sometimes through advertising - on TV for example.

In a perfect world.....we'd have eBay ratings....or Amazon ratings......or Home Depot ratings. I mention these because I use them all the time way before making a purchase decision.

Due diligence.
 

92tide

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May 9, 2000
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East Point, Ga, USA
Thanks - good info and I agree.

But what about when there's not a sense of urgency?

Let's say I want to shop around for a complete workup of my blood and vitals (not sure the right vernacular).

I think most people choose a medical practitioner based on word of mouth and/or by looking in the phone book. Sometimes through advertising - on TV for example.

In a perfect world.....we'd have eBay ratings....or Amazon ratings......or Home Depot ratings. I mention these because I use them all the time way before making a purchase decision.

Due diligence.
 

Displaced Bama Fan

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Jun 5, 2000
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Thanks - good info and I agree.

But what about when there's not a sense of urgency?

Let's say I want to shop around for a complete workup of my blood and vitals (not sure the right vernacular).

I think most people choose a medical practitioner based on word of mouth and/or by looking in the phone book. Sometimes through advertising - on TV for example.

In a perfect world.....we'd have eBay ratings....or Amazon ratings......or Home Depot ratings. I mention these because I use them all the time way before making a purchase decision.

Due diligence.
There are actually some concierge services that we looked at employing to help control medical costs. If you had to have an MRI you could to XYZ Radiology who only charged 30% of what the hospital's radiology department would. Stuff like that.
 

CharminTide

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Oct 23, 2005
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Thanks - good info and I agree.

But what about when there's not a sense of urgency?
For the most part, people do shop around for that. But nonessential things like breast augmentation surgery aren't what's driving the cost of healthcare in this country.
 

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