Tag: Health

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A television ad blew my mind the other day. An American Health Insurance companies was offering health plans that included Mexican doctors. I thought this had to be wrong. American Insurance companies would never include cross border doctors. I was wrong. I googled it and sure enough I found a Health Insurance company that includes Mexican doctors. Forget the bullshit about being culturally sensitive and giving customers a wider network of doctors. They can’t contain themselves about the real reason. I am betting you already know the answer but just in case you are struggling, I will let you know — it is cheaper. The lower co-pays for using Mexican doctors gave the game away.

Living on the Mexican border, on and off, for the past 30 years, I knew people who have crossed the border for medical care but I always was a little suspicious because there alway seemed to be some horror story attached with the doctor’s visit to Mexico. Plastic surgery gone wrong, dental work that turns into health emergencies. Of course, the same horror stories happen with American doctors every day so why this influenced my thinking is a mystery. I am sure it has something to do with having been told my whole life that American healthcare may be expensive but it is the best in the world

But now that American Insurance companies allow Mexican doctors in their plans, this lays to rest these concerns. Of course, it also raises a big question – why is American healthcare so much more expensive. I mean, any insurance company that includes Mexican doctors has to believe that Mexican doctors are, at least, comparable to American doctors or why would they include them in their plan. They could never publicly say there is a difference in service because to do so would undermine the whole idea of American Healthcare which is price doesn’t matter. The quality is the same, the different prices customers pay only means lower co-pays, lower deductibles. and more doctors in the plan. But the quality is exactly the same.

How, then, can American Insurance companies continue to say that American Healthcare is the best service at the best price when they are also willing to pay for comparable services of Mexican doctors which is a lower rate. It is a contradiction that requires some explanation. I am listening.

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I am about to turn 65 and I will finally get socialized healthcare (otherwise known as Medicare). Yeah.

Except the insurance companies are involved and everyone (otherwise known as people already in Medicare) says you have to choose the right program. Grrrrrr.

I thought I was done with the yearly Hell of medical elections but it seems that the insurance companies have found a way to stay in the game after we turn 65. At this point, I am not going to complain. One, it does absolutely no good because there is no way, outside of rewriting of the American Constitution. And two, all it does is raise my blood pressure which is now something I need to watch.

I do however have a suggestion on the names that might help someone like me choose the write program. Gold, Silver and Bronze are meaningless to me. I know the Olympic medal system and get the idea of Best, next best, and least best but, for some reason, that doesn’t necessarily apply here or, at least, not always. Which means I have to go in and spend some of precious few years of life parsing Health Plans.

Instead of the Olympic medal description, I suggest:

Rich and Hypochondriac

Just Pay the Damn Bills

Poor, young (read here 65 to 70 years of age) and careless.

If would be invaluable aid to someone like me and would also insure that my eyes will be relieved to skip the insurance fine print. This is important because Medicaid does not automatically cover eye care. Grrrrr.

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Medicare is socialized medicine. I think it is important to note this. Every American 65 years and older gets their healthcare paid for by the government.

A lot of people, particularly on the Right, hate socialized medicine but like Medicare. In their misunderstanding of what Medicare is they trick themselves into believing that Medicare is a uniquely American idea of healthcare. It isn’t. It is socialized medicine for every American 65 and older pure and simple.

I think if people would start calling Medicare socialized medicine, some opponents of socialized medicine just because the word socialized is in the phrase would see it for what it is — a government run program designed to control the costs of healthcare. And, as far as I can tell, people actually like Medicare, which is the same feeling that most of the citizens of other countries who have socialized medicine have about their healthcare system.