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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Strange how we wouldn't think of getting something done on our car without a written estimate of parts and labor. But you go in the docs office and have no idea if the bill will be in the 100s, 1000s or more.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 40,179 |
Strange how we wouldn't think of getting something done on our car without a written estimate of parts and labor. But you go in the docs office and have no idea if the bill will be in the 100s, 1000s or more. Maybe thats why doctors will warranty certain things and not others.
Son of a liberal: " What did you do in the War On Terror, Daddy?"
Liberal father: " I fought the Americans, along with all the other liberals."
MOLON LABE
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2011
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Could one of you spell out, in terms that my simple mind can understand, exactly WHY health care costs so much in AK? I touched on this subject back a while ago, when I found out my health insurance carrier doesn't cover me at all in AK. You mentioned then that the insurance company(s) would most likely fly someone out of state, as it would be cheaper. I guess I just don't really grasp the 'whys' of it all. Thanks.
"The day I went to work everybody showed up to watch Johnny Luster work. Well, they had a wheelbarrow there, and said I was to push that thing around all day. I looked at it, then turned around and headed for the mountians..."
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Because the nearest competition is in Seattle. The providers can charge whatever the hell they want(and they show no restraint), so you either pay, or go without and die. Simple.
Jeff
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 23,464 Likes: 7 |
Great, why not look a bit closer at the real problem... I hate price controls and such, but I know a number of docs bringing in obscene money for an ordinary practice. Literally over 2 million for a couple different specialists that are absolutely not workaholics. They will knowingly bankrupt you with a smile. I give a whole lot of credit to nurses, PA, and nurse practitioners. Most of the docs I know are some greedy folks, who are in it to bill/collect as much as possible.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
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Because the nearest competition is in Seattle. The providers can charge whatever the hell they want(and they show no restraint), so you either pay, or go without and die. Simple.
Jeff this...
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
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Living in Alaska off and on for almost 30 years really opens your eyes on how fu*cking liberal/west coast the place is becoming.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
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Only lived here 20 years, but it's only a shadow of it's ruggedly independent past.
While I know most will pile on Anchorage as the scourge, no place has more gimme dat liberals per capita than bush Alaska.
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,252 Likes: 25 |
Because the nearest competition is in Seattle. The providers can charge whatever the hell they want(and they show no restraint), so you either pay, or go without and die. Simple.Jeff this... Good to know. Thought it was the shipping.
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 40,179 |
Those 300 dolla flights to seattle can break ya.
Son of a liberal: " What did you do in the War On Terror, Daddy?"
Liberal father: " I fought the Americans, along with all the other liberals."
MOLON LABE
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,635
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,635 |
Living in Alaska off and on for almost 30 years really opens your eyes on how fu*cking liberal/west coast the place is becoming. Yup...
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
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Innovation Waver. That's rich right there.
I do not entertain hypotheticals. The world itself is vexing enough. -- Col. Stonehill
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Those 300 dolla flights to seattle can break ya. Brilliant response as usual, thanks for being consistent! Jeff
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 40,179 |
The providers can charge whatever the hell they want(and they show no restraint), so you either pay, or go without and die. even more so than this "poor me" gem?
Son of a liberal: " What did you do in the War On Terror, Daddy?"
Liberal father: " I fought the Americans, along with all the other liberals."
MOLON LABE
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Campfire Tracker
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Yep, consistency is definitely your long suit.
He asked why our health care costs so much more than the rest of the US, and I told him exactly why(please counter my point, as I'd love to hear your argument). Nothing "poor me" about it. It is what it is, and it's a fact....unlike your pointless commentary.
Last edited by akjeff; 07/13/17.
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Joined: Dec 2005
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 40,179 |
There are undoubtedly higher physician and facility costs (look where your at); but to say they can charge whatever they want is silly. Insurance fraud is a crime, and as stated; if a large enough sum can be saved if paying out of pocket, you'll seek services elsewhere, providing you shopped around.
You were right about one thing though; you pay, someone else pays, or you go without and still pay through taxation.
Son of a liberal: " What did you do in the War On Terror, Daddy?"
Liberal father: " I fought the Americans, along with all the other liberals."
MOLON LABE
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
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Living in Alaska off and on for almost 30 years really opens your eyes on how fu*cking liberal/west coast the place is becoming. Yup... 2008 Alaska I could buy a double macho cappuccino earlier in the morning than I could buy a double bourbon. It sure as hell wasn't that way in 1984.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Aug 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 17,491 |
Living in Alaska off and on for almost 30 years really opens your eyes on how fu*cking liberal/west coast the place is becoming. Yup... 2008 Alaska I could buy a double macho cappuccino earlier in the morning than I could buy a double bourbon. It sure as hell wasn't that way in 1984. Haha! Scooping Hill's Brothers, Baby....out of the 20 pound tins!
Last edited by Klikitarik; 07/14/17.
Sometimes, the air you 'let in'matters less than the air you 'let out'.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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"There are undoubtedly higher physician and facility costs (look where your at); but to say they can charge whatever they want is silly. "
Undoubtedly indeed.Silly, I don't think so. I'll use my recent colonoscopy for an example. When my family Doc did the referral to the "in network" provider that I basically have to use, if I want my health plan to cover(at 80/20); he told me that if my insurance wouldn't cover it, I'd be better off flying to Seattle. In Alaska the procedure is damn near ten grand. In Seattle it's $3K. I'd say that more than tripling the Seattle rate is just a tad greedy. They should have been wearing friggin' ski masks. My out of pocket ended up being over $1700, so not worth flying to Seattle for. Gouging, nonetheless.
Jeff
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 21,317 |
I can see 20, maybe 30% higher for AK, but double or triple is insane.
Might explain why the only people I've met in Anchorage with a full time servant are neurologists.
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