[Bushwacker]

"Health Care Provider" = HEALTH CARE EXTORTIONIST!!

Terry, as you know, I was treated for prostate cancer last year. Although it was a very aggressive type (8 on a scale of 10) at about stage 3, I was fortunate enough to have a world class state-of-the-art radiation facility just 3 miles from my house, and treatment appears to have been very successful with PSA dropping from over 17 to 0 after treatment, and still zero nine months later . . . these are results normally associated with major surgery, but with none of the surgical risk, pain and bad side effects.

As good a story as that is, the cost numbers are staggering! (ONE OF EVERY FIVE OF YOU GUYS READING THIS WILL GET TO EXPERIENCE IT, SO LISTEN UP FOLKS! This disease can WIPE YOU OUT financially if you don't have insurance! If you have a male blood relative that's had it, the odds are even higher!)

If you're on medicare, you get a statement from them listing:
The "Amount Charged"
The "Amount Approved" by medicare; they pay 85% of approved, and you get to pay the rest, unless you have supplemental policy. As far as I know, the extortionists get to WRITE OFF whatever medicare doesn't approve. (Where is the incentive to PREVENT them from charging insane fee's they know they'll never collect (EXCEPT FROM THE UNINSURED), just to create a big tax break!!)

Just for grins, I tallied up the totals for my treatment:

Total Amount CHARGED: $103,567
Total Amount APPROVED (by medicare): $49,133 ($54,434 "written off")
Total Amount Paid by Insurance: over $47,000 (medicare) + ~$7370 (by private insurance - covers my insurance premium for next 5 years!)
Total out-of-pocket cost: $1800 (I have a high deductible to keep premiums low!)

Now, if I DID'T have insurance and was under age 65, the Health Care Extortionists would be coming after me for over $100,000 instead of the measly $1800!!! There are 2 big messages in all this:

1. If you're over 50, get your PSA checked every year AND MAKE A PLOT OF IT, don't count on the Dr. to watch it! (I made up an Excel spreadsheet that will do the plots if you plug in your data; PM me with your e-mail address if you want a copy.) Although PSA levels under about 4.0-4.5 are considered "normal", and many non-cancer related things can drive it over that, it's the trend from year to year that's much more important! If you wait until Dr. finds something with everyone's favorite digital exam, it's almost too late!

2. Although it's nice to have a big fat IRA nest egg (very problematic given today's market!), GOOD health insurance should be a MUCH higher priority!

I'm not knocking the Doctors . . . most are very dedicated, not in it for the money, and they provide the finest health care in the world (for those who can afford it!). It's the for-profit health care extortionists, the big drug and insurance companies, and their CEO's that have created a system that puts all U.S. companies at a serious competitive disadvantage compared to the rest of the world! Anyone who thinks this is an isolated case should see Michael Moore's movie, "Sicko". I don't care for his politics or tactic's, but he hit the bulls-eye with this one! Even folks who HAVE insurance are at risk, and they don't even realize it! Need to fix this or USA will become a third world country in short order!

Gosh, I feel so much better . . . guess I'll get off the soapbox now! Denny