I'll bet it's the credit cards & "payday lenders" who oppose HCR

[K8-EEE]

They REALLY benefit off the current situation with millions of uninsured people.

When people live paycheck to paycheck a medical emergency too often they become victims of these loan shark corporations.

It's like the ticketing business: when an individual sells a ticket to an event for twice the face value, it's "scalping." When a ticket agency does it, it's a "fee."

Same with these payday lenders, it would be loan sharking out on the street but "providing a needed service" when a corporation does it.

But if more people are insured...less rip off medical loans.

[Skittles]

1. LOL

they'll still be needed for the co-pays and deductibles

[vixengrl]

3. That part is true enough.

Health care costs are still a pain-in-the ass even with coverage--what I'm paying out-of-pocket for my recent dental nightmare went on the card--and yes, I'm not gonna be happy when I see that bill--

But, there's a different between charging say, 20% of my costs, and having my insurance pick up the rest of the tab, and basically trying to pay out the equivalent of one and a half of my mortgage payments over the next several months with interest. In one case, I can handle the bill before I'm screwed. In the other--they have me by the teeth.

[K8-EEE]

5. Yep my daughters one night hospital stay (emergency surgery) was $35,000

I ended up paying about $5,000 which was not easy but the $35,000 I prob would have had to take out a loan.

[Cleobulus]

7. For me, taking that type of hit, for the 5,000 dollars, would require a loan. n/t

[leftstreet]

8. +1

[vixengrl]

2. When I had a dental emergency on a Sunday that *had* to be

dealt with--it went on the card because they couldn't check my insurance out--I'll be reimbursed, but it reminded me that dental coverage is something that is not basic. There are many people with some kind of regular health insurance that doesn't cover dental--but if you've ever had a nice swollen abcess in your jaw preventing you from fully opening your mouth, eating properly, and basically making you want to seek very strong drugs, you'll pay anything--and that's a condition that *can* kill you.

A person will no dental coverage could be so wiped out by what I just had. I'm super-appreciative of my union coverage, and I totally agree that things like this must be covered, not financed.

It's like an extortion payday for credit orgs if they can literally "have you by the teeth" to use their exorbitant services.

[K8-EEE]

4. Yeah and those places the poor end up paying like five times

by the time they end up paying the damn thing off, if ever!

[vixengrl]

6. Exactly so! It's another way they get you if you have no money--

I can pay my bills, so my credit doesn't suck--but the rates they charge on credit are specifically onerous one people with the least money. A "payday" loan for the cost of a root canal is more than someone who needs a payday loan brings home in a couple paydays--and they still want to keep the lights on, pay the phone bill, and make rent--so who makes out--the lender--like a theif!




You know, they used to call that set-up loansharking when the mob did it. I can stand thinking of premiums as pre-emptive vig if it keeps me fron getting my financial kneecaps broken.

[Cleobulus]

9. The working poor will still have to come up with a way to shell out thousands of dollars...

even when they have insurance, that doesn't change with the HCR bill.