tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post3171539150269929635..comments2024-03-10T13:59:19.230-04:00Comments on xpostfactoid: Tapped out in Kentucky, cont.Andrew Sprunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601269968798865106noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-21309738783392227742015-01-06T20:04:52.508-05:002015-01-06T20:04:52.508-05:00Richard, I have no real knowledge of medicine, but...Richard, I have no real knowledge of medicine, but watching two friends go on dialysis, (who both had good insurance), my impression was that dialysis becomes inevitable at a certain point. So is death after a few years.Bob Hertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536056115489355307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-72560549024736956812015-01-06T13:37:41.898-05:002015-01-06T13:37:41.898-05:00Regarding C, the question is when would he have go...Regarding C, the question is when would he have gone on Medicare for end stage renal disease and for how long? If we go to the counterfactual where good, preventative, low level maitenance care could have kept his kidneys in reasonable functioning order for several more years, then he would have cost Medicare significantly less money as the odds of him needing dialysis would have significantly decreased. Richard Mayhewhttp://www.balloon-juice.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8512362.post-82810082366596309592015-01-02T20:57:19.178-05:002015-01-02T20:57:19.178-05:00Thanks again for your thoroughness.
Many thoughts ...Thanks again for your thoroughness.<br />Many thoughts come to mind:<br /><br />a. up to about 1975, this person would be dead. Read biographies from mid century America, and people were dying of diabetes and heart attacks in rather great number.<br /><br />b. Compassionate systems as in France have no deductibles or coinsurance for insulin, for childbirth, and many other conditions where the patient has no choices.<br /><br />c. You are not quite correct to say that ignoring this man's illness will cost Medicare more money. He was headed for dialysis at some point, I guess he is now on Medicare sooner.<br /><br />d. How sad that he tried to work, which kept him away from Medicaid and from social security disability (i.e. Medicare.) No good deed goes unpunished.<br /><br />e. 7 or 8 states do allow some persons who work with serious health problems to get Medicaid. They may have to pay a modest premium.<br />These states include MN, Ohio, Illinois, not sure who else. No southern states, natch.<br /><br />f. Making him pay 20% of his dialysis cost under Medicare is just cruelty. What, is he going to go hog wild at the care center if he has no deductible?<br /><br />g. As you say, it is hard to follow the alternatives you discussed with HSA's.Bob Hertzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536056115489355307noreply@blogger.com