Great American Boycott?

[todd_k]

My main problem is that some people are talking about rewarding people for thumbing their nose at our laws. When you tell someone that if they've been breaking the law for 7 years, you're going to go ahead and make them legal, that's you're doing.

So if I get pulled over, all I need to say is "But officer, I've been speeding for 10 years so it's ok and you can't give me a ticket!"

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Homebrewing used to be illegal.

True, but it was only illegal because of a clerical error. Home winemaking was made legal at the end of prohibition but because of a clerical error homebrewing was omitted.

This whole thing is ridiculous. It's like someone breaking into my house, demanding food, and then hanging protest signs outside my house to get me to pay him for doing the dishes.

BTW, am I the only one who noticed that these protests would have been the perfect time and place for the INS to round up all these illegal and send them back???

 

[ultraplop]

Baron,

Heh heh you are a stickler! However, she does make a citation to a LA times article in that document. Granted the article doesn't mention all 84 hospitals and does not specifically link the closure to illegal immigrants. Instead, it talks about Hawthone hospital and cites lack of insured clients and the nurse to patient requirements as the primary reasons of closing down.

Considering that 60% of the un-insured in this part of the country are illegals, it is logical to assume that this is probably the main problem.

The reasons you mentioned such as Competition with larger hospitals, getting annexed, or the state closing them down are definitely not the cause, well at least in the case of Hawthorne hospital.

I also saw an article produced by the California Medical Association which also recognizes this crisis, it shows how much money hospitals in the state are losing due to patients that cannot pay. Its quite alarming. I might be able to dredge that article up if you want to see it.

Here is a fox news article on the subject:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,150750,00.html

You may not view fox news as credible either, but taken into account how many illegal immigrants there are in California and the fact that none of them have medical insurance, and also the fact that uninsured patients are causing serious financial problems for medical institutions, it is logical to assume that they are correct or at least close to correct with the statements in that article.

 

[RichBrewer]

Think about brewing beer...Think about brewing beer...Think about brewing beer...Think about brewing beer...
This is making me crazy. I'm going to keep my opinion to myself.





I hope!

 

[Beer Snob]

I also saw an article produced by the California Medical Association which also recognizes this crisis, it shows how much money hospitals in the state are losing due to patients that cannot pay.

I also just wanted to point out the obvious. You certainly do not have to be an ill-legal to have the problem. I've got good insurance and I can't pay! This is such a frustrating and "who do you blame" problem. I'm getting hospital bills that sort of look like this...

Submited to BCBS 22,500
BCBS accepted rate 4,500
Hospital write off -18,000

I mean I am getting things like this since the medical problems starter in November. What does this mean.... the hospital overcharges BIGTIME (I know they overcharge, but come on......THAT'S 18 GRAND!), BCBS's resonable rate is not reasonable.... the hospital is still in business while still writing it off... so obviously the 18 grand was not money that they needed to stay in business.

Certainly many of you guys (and gals) are in this situation too.... you get charged by the hospital and then you get all these independent bills CHARGING YOU FOR THE SAME THING! I mean you look at the iteamized bill and you can't make heads or tails out of it. One line states a med with a strength ok.... they iteamize it at $7.50, then the very next line... the very same med... the very same strength is iteamized at $42! I was reading an article in Consumer Report that said hospitals purposly make mistakes on the bill so that they make some kind of profit! Hoping you won't catch it!

 

[Beer Snob]

Think about brewing beer...Think about brewing beer...Think about brewing beer...Think about brewing beer...
This is making me crazy. I'm going to keep my opinion to myself.

I hope!

I tried Rich! Really tried! What can I say.... the staples in my chest really look as bad as you would think and thinking about it is driving me crazy:fro:


I'm going to bottle beer now....

 

[RichBrewer]

I tried Rich! Really tried! What can I say.... the staples in my chest really look as bad as you would think and thinking about it is driving me crazy:fro:


I'm going to bottle beer now....

Oh my keep thinking good thoughts!
By the way, my post was not a reference to yours. It was geared toward the main topic of this thread.

 

[Beer Snob]

Oh my keep thinking good thoughts!
By the way, my post was not a reference to yours. It was geared toward the main topic of this thread.

Yeah I know, we seem to be online at the same time

 

[ultraplop]

I was reading an article in Consumer Report that said hospitals purposly make mistakes on the bill so that they make some kind of profit! Hoping you won't catch it!

I don't doubt it. Man thats some messed up shiznit.

 

[Lounge Lizard]

Wow, a semi-political thread without a bunch of emotional craziness. Unlike the smoking debate thread, this one is a pleasure to read.

To answer the original query, I didn't notice a thing with the possible exception of less traffic on the roads. I went to Home Depot and things looked normal to me. Contractors picking up loads, etc.

 

[alemonkey]

I don't doubt it. Man thats some messed up shiznit.

When my daughter was born I couldn't believe the bills. They were so confusing it's ridiculous. There's no reason they can't be clear - every other business issues understandable receipts. They just want you to be so confused that you don't dispute it.

A guy I work with keeps getting bills for something his insurance paid about a year ago. He calls the hospital, they say "oops" and removed it. A month or two later he gets the same bill again. Other people around here have experienced the same thing and just paid it because they were afraid of ruining their credit history.

If it's this widespread the state attorney general should look into it.

 

[RichBrewer]

Wow, a semi-political thread without a bunch of emotional craziness. Unlike the smoking debate thread, this one is a pleasure to read.

That's because I'm keeping my mouth shut.....
and that's all I'm going to say.

 

[Beer Snob]

I don't doubt it. Man thats some messed up shiznit.

I think if it was any other magazine then Consumer Report I would have brushed it aside. The person writing the article was so angered she started a non profit organization to investigate hospital bills. On thier bills....things like... her husband was changed for birthing procudures. Umm.... there was this line that they could not figure out.... it was for a lot of money though (forgot how much), when they finally sat down with someone and forced an answer out they found out that it meant Klenex.....bathroom tissue!


I really did not meant to through off the thread discussion... could be moved to another thread if there is an interest. With all the pointing of hospital bill problems to ill-legals I had just wanted to point out that even us "Legals" are having so many problems with hospitals that you just dont know what to do about it.