Back in the U.S.S.A.

[ashlar]

Originally posted by jonb@May 30 2005, 04:25 PM
Well, for the rest of us who want to get away from Bush, someone's decided to help us oot

[post=316316]Quoted post[/post]​

Damn .. that really makes me wish i were single.

 

[SpeedoGuy]

Originally posted by headbang8@May 30 2005, 08:28 PM
Nothing is simple. Freedom of choice can be so wide it's meaningless. Or the vast array of choice can hide some pretty rough deals for an innocent citizen.

US health care is an expensive mess, period. Even with my cushy corporate health plan, I can't choose the doctor I want. I don't understand the policy I signed up for, and the benefits administrators were cagy about explaining the 25 or so options lest they be held accountable for their advice and be sued. How does someone in a less advantaged position than myself make sense of this?

Agreed 100%.

One would think with all the clever and creative minds at work in the US, the health care system would not be as big a headache as it is.

But wait! The health care mess gets vastly more aggrivating and confusing should you have the bad taste of filing an insurance claim for actually getting ill. Advice: Don't get sick.

I can remember my own nightmare of pain and frustration following an auto accident that left me bedridden and unable to work for months. The trauma of trying to understand what treatments were or weren't covered under my health plan and auto insurance policy was an experience I would rather not go through again. The byzantine twists and turns of the insurance industry require every US consumer be thoroughly familiar and tenacious when working their way through the claims process. Otherwise, they run the very real risk of being made a chump.

More advice: Be prepared to second guess your physician's diagnosis and treatment plan. Be ready to take an agressive stance with your insurance provider about the claims process. You must become your own advocate for your medical and finanical well being following an accident or illness. No one else will do it for you.

SG

 

[DC_DEEP]

So many good facts and insights in this thread, both on and off topic.

As with any place, this country does have its good points and bad. I thought about the issue of staying/leaving during the last presidential election. Then I thought about it... I heard so many claims of "if he is elected again, I'm leaving the country." But what good does that do? You trade in the problems of one locale for those of another, and have actually done no good for either. I decided I'm going to stay, and do everything in my power to make this once again a good place to live.

When I used to live in Little Rock, Arkansas, I so often heard (usually gay men) people saying how boring LR is, how much they hate living there. So I would always ask "what is boring about it? What would you be doing if you lived elsewhere?" It was always the same old answers - nothing cultural to do, no bar scene. When I asked about the Symphony, the museums, the ballet, they always complained that, basically, it is not "world-class" enough for them to waste time on it. But if people don't go and SUPPORT them, they never will be. Get in on the ground floor. Make a difference. Vote. Volunteer. Be active. It is truly puerile to complain about situations without trying to make them better. Everyone WANTS better, but so few are willing to DEMAND better.

I'm glad your life in NYC is going well. But please, don't be complacent. Where you see room for improvement, put in some effort! And welcome back!