Dennis Kucinich: 60% of Bankruptcies Are Becuase Of Hospital Bills! 80% of Them Are Insured!

[Reform]

Run time: 01:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYpfrtssF2A   Posted on YouTube: July 15, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 15, 2009 By DU Member: Reform Views on DU: 5324

 
DK>

[dflprincess]

1. No doubt Congress' answer to this

will be to further tighten bankruptcy rules.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Xipe Totec]

2. K&R

[Autumn]

3. We didn't have to take out bankrupcy

after my Husbands heart attack, but it did wipe out everything we had in the bank and more . and we had insurance.

[DUlover2909]

19. and insured patients are charged more than others.

You paid not only for your own care, but for indigent care as well.

[wolfgangmo]

36. I mean this in a nice way

But your comment is a little freeperish. Let me explain.

My relative are all living in Canada, some of them rich and most of them solidly middle class. Even the richest of them would not describe any system where they also pay part of the load EVERY citizen. They all look at it as being in things together. If they are pulling the weight now then they realize that the time may come when they (or their parents, siblings, or kids) too will use up more resources than they contribute.

I realize that you were commenting on the F'ed up system which masquerades as health care, but be careful that you don't fall into the rhetoric of the idiocracy that is freeperville.

[DUlover2909]

45. I mean if everyone was covered by single payer, all the bills would be the same.

[liberalhistorian]

39. I'm sorry, but that just isn't true. The uninsured are

are actually charged MORE and they will take everything you have to get it, even if you don't have much. Hospitals and clinics negotiate steep group discounts with insurance companies so that the insured are charged less than the uninsured. When I had my hysterectomy seven years ago, it came out to about ten thousand altogether with insurance and even WITH insurance it took forever to pay off the co-pays and uncovered portion and the hospital wanted it all NOW. Had I not had insurance, the charge would have gone up to twenty-two thousand dollars. Of course, had I been uninsured I doubt if I would have been able to have the surgery in the first place, no matter how badly needed. And my credit would have been ruined from here to kingdom come.

It is a documented fact that the uninsured are charged more because they don't have the advantage of the discounts the hospitals negotiate with insurers.

[DUlover2909]

46. That's a good point.

I should have said that people who pay their bills in some manner have to pay more to cover the cost of people that can not pay. If everyone had single payer coverage, the amount charged for services would be the same.

[susanr516]

4. k&r

[LaPera]

5. And the republicans want no public option & business as usual for the insurance corporations

who are profiting by making tens of billions off the sick & the not yet sick, and saying fuck you to the sick who can't afford their outrageously high health care premiums and worst throwing off the sick that have been paying their premiums through the years because it will affect the insurance companies bottom line-profits.....And this kind of robbery is legal?

[RBInMaine]

6. I love his goal, but public option is the right step now. He should get onboard HR 3200.

Medicare For All won't pass right now. Even public option is a HUGE step forward. He should get onboard it.

[midnight]

28. I don't thing this is the right step.

It leaves 17 million uninsured, and does not solve the problem of under insured. Only affordable not for profit system will change the devastating hold the insurance co. have over our lifes.

[RBInMaine]

50. But Single Payer will not happen at this time. Public Option is better than no new option.

[Fedja]

30. That's ridiculous

Healthcare shouldn't be a profitable activity. Healthcare should be provided to everyone at minimal cost, what you're suggesting is a discount on insurance so more people can afford it.

Still a 3rd world country imho.

[RBInMaine]

49. Single payer is not happening now. Public option IS a major advance. Get real.

[Fedja]

51. I am real

Where I live, we have a healthcare system that would even make you scream Socialism. The point is that we the people demanded it, and we have it. The day you start compromising on your basic demands is the day the insurance companies have the upper hand.

Public option is a polished turd. No more, no less. Accepting it as a viable option pretty much nails it down for the next 40 years.

[wolfgangmo]

37. Yup - he should just get in lock step

Move to the back of the bus! Don't make waves.

[RBInMaine]

48. NUMB reply. Get real. Would you rather have the status quo? You are of the crazy "If I don't get

just what I want and right now, then I'm going to kick and scream like a child and vote for nothing."
I like the goal of single payer too, but it WILL NOT HAPPEN at the national level at this time. Period. Hello reality ! So, the next best thing is public option which IS doable, and will make the insurance co.'s and right wingers scream almost as much, and WILL be an advance forward. You can whine and bitch and piss and moan all you want, or you can be a grown up and get at least something that is a major change from the status quo, even if not perfect yet. That is politics, reality, and how adults operate. Compromise to some degree in life and have an advance, or sit and bitch indefinitely. Your choice.

[NorthCarolina]

7. K&R for Americas Congressman nt

[ro1942]

8. one minute

this man says more in a minute than most of his mealy mouth peers say in a hour. love you dk

[Enthusiast]

24. Thank you, ro1942.

This is why we love Dennis. He is beholding to no corporation.

[Grinchie]

9. Dennis Kucinich, a true American Statesmen

Kucinich in 2012!

[sasquuatch55]

27. Kucinich/ Ventura 2012

nt

[chill_wind]

10. K & R. A timely set of facts on a critical issue. n/t

[RoccoR5955]

11. K&R for "The Kooch!"

I like the way he emphasized NOT FOR PROFIT.
The reason that healthcare costs have skyrocketed, is because of the execs wanting to cash in.
Their overhead is more than any public plan would ever be. People don't understand, but this is a hidden tax that we pay. Except we don't pay it to the government, we pay it to the execs of our health insurance company, if we even have one.
When they ask me if I would rather have my doctor decide my medical needs, or the government. I tell them that my doctor doesn't decide my medical needs, the actuaries at the health insurance company who makes 40% profit do! I tell them I would rather have a doctor, but I surely would NOT want an actuary from a FOR PROFIT company decide.

[Shireling]

12. Thanks

for the truth, Dennis!!!

[rudy23]

13. I would love to see how many unrecommends this got.

I would bet it's at least 20.

[chill_wind]

14. Kucinich Opening Statement to Committee on America’s Affordable Health Choices Act

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6077877

http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=137573

[pinb1212]

15. link to dennis's facts?????

60% of BR caused by health care bills....80% of those had health care insurance.
Please ..give me a supportable link.
Where do those numbers come from.

[Enthusiast]

25. Reich Wingers don't like facts.

Crawl back under your rock.

[liberalhistorian]

40. How about several Harvard Medical School studies

for one example? And summaries from bankrupty courts as to the major causes of bankruptcy for another. And just because you have insurance doesn't mean you'll get care or coverage, especially in the case of a major illness like cancer. You'll spend most of your time arguing with insurance fuckers and debt collectrolls rather than trying to get well.

[RufusTFirefly]

43. Here is your link to Dennis' facts

Harvard Study: 60% of Bankruptcies Caused by Health Problems

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/06/bankruptcy_medical_costs.html#ixzz0LR8hbmQU

[slipslidingaway]

44. Illness, medical bills linked to nearly two-thirds of bankruptcies: Harvard study

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/june/illness_medical_bil.php

Harvard study finds 50 percent increase from 2001
Most of those bankrupted by illness were middle class and had insurance
EMBARGOED until:
June 4, 2009, 12:01 a.m. EDT

Contacts:
David Himmelstein, M.D.
Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., M.P.H.
Elizabeth Warren, J.D.
Deborah Thorne, Ph.D.

"Medical problems contributed to nearly two-thirds (62.1 percent) of all bankruptcies in 2007, according to a study in the August issue of the American Journal of Medicine that will be published online Thursday. The data were collected prior to the current economic downturn and hence likely understate the current burden of financial suffering. Between 2001 and 2007, the proportion of all bankruptcies attributable to medical problems rose by 49.6 percent. The authors’ previous 2001 findings have been widely cited by policy leaders, including President Obama.

Surprisingly, most of those bankrupted by medical problems had health insurance. More than three-quarters (77.9 percent) were insured at the start of the bankrupting illness, including 60.3 percent who had private coverage. Most of the medically bankrupt were solidly middle class before financial disaster hit. Two-thirds were homeowners and three-fifths had gone to college. In many cases, high medical bills coincided with a loss of income as illness forced breadwinners to lose time from work. Often illness led to job loss, and with it the loss of health insurance.

Even apparently well-insured families often faced high out-of-pocket medical costs for co-payments, deductibles and uncovered services. Medically bankrupt families with private insurance reported medical bills that averaged $17,749 vs. $26,971 for the uninsured.


...The research, carried out jointly by researchers at Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and Ohio University, is the first nationwide study on medical causes of bankruptcy. The researchers surveyed a random sample of 2,314 bankruptcy filers during early 2007 and examined their bankruptcy court records. In addition, they conducted extensive telephone interviews with 1,032 of these bankruptcy filers.

Their 2001 study, which was published in 2005, surveyed debtors in only five states. In the current study, findings for those five states closely mirrored the national trends.

....A copy of the study is available at http://www.pnhp.org/new_bankruptcy_study or through the American Journal of Medicine, [e-mail], [phone]. The authors have also prepared a supplementary “Fact Sheet” and a “Q&A” on medical bankruptcy, both of which detail the study’s methods and findings. See same link above..."

[chill_wind]

47. The facts came out especially widespread in June.

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2009/db2009064_666715.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/chill_wind/148

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/02/business/02insure.html?_r=1

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3043812

[HowHasItComeToThis]

16. HOSPITAL CAUSED BANKRUPTCY HAPPENED TO ME

[pinb1212]

17. I don't doubt it happens.....

I just want to know where I can find his stats on line.

[Stevepol]

22. Here's one link. I'm sure there are others. The stats aren't exactly the same

but still pretty telling. Here's one quote:

A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that the average out-of-pocket medical debt for those who filed for bankruptcy was $12,000. The study noted that 68 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy had health insurance. In addition, the study found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses.9 Every 30 seconds in the United States someone files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem.

Here's the link:

http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

Finding this took about 10 seconds on google. And this was the first hit I looked at. It comes from the National Coalition on Health Care.

Checking out DK's site would probably give you many more sites to investigate.

[wolfgangmo]

38. Here's some help.

Turn on your computer. Click on your browser program and then type in google.

After you have gotten this far type in some random words like bankruptcy, medical bills, statistics, and Dennis K.

I suspect you are a freeper, because everyone I know on this board knows how to do this, and "asking for facts" is a junior high debate technique. It's BS in a debate and it's BS now.

[Douglas Carpenter]

18. kick and recommended for the truth !!!!

[Rhiannon12866]

20. K&R. Dennis is just the best, as always!

Will speak out on issues that others in Congress are afraid to take on... :patriot:

[quidam56]

21. Profit Care is more important than Patient Care and they call it the best health care in the world.

As a former health care giver, I am shocked and saddened to see what has become of health care in America. $ 1. 4 million is being spent per day in DC by the health care lobbyists so your elected representative is getting taken care of and has quality health care we pay for and can't afford ourselves for our families, I know what is deemed, defended and supported in Tennessee and Virginia as quality health care and clearly profit care comes ahead of patient care. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62 MRSA ( methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureas ) is infesting our communities because filthy, uncaring hospitals and emergency rooms are breeding them and spreading them into our schools, homes, restaurants. How many more Americans' will be diseased or die while 74 % of Americans' are begging for health care reform ? More people died in America last year from MRSA complications than AIDS. When MRSA and a flu bug start mixing, it won't be pretty and we are being infected by the very health care system we depend on and trust to keep us safe and healthy.

[Enthusiast]

26. I survived staph,

but I have never been the same. That was years ago. The problem has become far worse since then.

[liberalhistorian]

41. And most of the lobbyists for medical personnel, such as

the AMA and the American Psychiatric Association, are only focusing on how their clients will be paid, which is, frankly, all the clients care about, as opposed to what should be the prime concern, patient care and access to care.

[LittleGirl]

23. Spoken like a Patriot

Dennis has earned my respect and I can only say...in one minute, he blows away the naysayers.

[Amos Moses]

29. yes

DK, certainly is an American Patriot. :patriot:

[pleah]

31. K&R

[DallasNE]

32. It's Time Somebody Pointed Out

That it is not deadbeats that are filing for bankrupcy related to health costs but rather working people that have health insurance. Not only do we have a serious issue with people not having any coverage, we have people with health insurance where the insurance plan does not cover expenses directly related to a health issue, especially when the issue is cronic.

[Chisox08]

33. K&R

DK America's Representative

[Bluenorthwest]

34. Dennis, as always, gets it said

Thank God for him.

[RufusTFirefly]

42. But if insurance companies lose money, they won't be able to bribe Congress!

What then?

Just too horrible to contemplate.

[New Dawn]

52. K&R