Kaiser turned us down - need broker maybe?

[Kelena]

Think locally...act nationally. Write your congress critter. Now is the time. It's that or pancake breakfasts every time someone gets an unexpected and uncovered illness. Now.

[Devany]

You are so right Glen,

At the Oktoberfest I talked to a guy that had just had knee replacement surgery using HSMA (HIPAA) his cost for JUST the hospital portion of the bill and his actual titanium knee (not any DR.'s, meds or PT) was $64,400. He got special permission to go to CA for it because the Dr. in Honolulu could not do it for 3 months and he was in extreme pain. I think that is probably the most absurd thing I have heard of! Just the operating room charges billed to HMSA were $105,000 for a two hour operation. His hospital room was $4500 a day. Yes, I agree, time for a pancake breakfast or two.

quote:

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Originally posted by Glen

Think locally...act nationally. Write your congress critter. Now is the time. It's that or pancake breakfasts every time someone gets an unexpected and uncovered illness. Now.

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Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany

www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com

[Kelena]

I stayed at a "motel" on Vancouver Island a few years ago in a delightful harbor town called "Nanaimo". The proprietor was young but due to a congenital problem he had to have a hip replacement. He waited only a few months. Total cost to him: $40. He DID have to go over to Vancouver (the city), which is a smooth hour and a half ferry ride over.

His daughter was in a public French immersion school. The motel was as clean as five star hotel --no, cleaner-- and had a view of the harbor.

In Canada, they only have pancake breakfasts if they really want pancakes. They don't have them because a little boy needs a liver, or a motel owner needs a hip replacement.

[mella l]

Found this thread and thought my comment would work here.


On a recent trip to Oahu I spoke to one of the states locally elected officials. I was told that the island of Hawaii, the Big Island had third world health care facilities and staffing, much below par. This person was so adamant about this fact, that they wouldn't think of moving to the island of Hawaii.

Here is a current article from The Commonwealth Foundation's research arm, rating Hawaii's health care as #3 in the nation of the best health care. What do you think? Should a person with health issues move to Oahu, or Hawaii Island?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091008/hl_n...es_study_3


mella l

mella l

[Bullwinkle]

Thank god for mr boeing. The advent of 5 hour transpacific or 45 minute inter island trips to seek care makes the big island pretty comfy for me.

Im kaiser and if things really get get bad ... back to the netherlands. I havent been a resident for almost 50 years - Im still covered....

Back to the topic at hand... first aid there are local urgent cares, second aid there are local hospitals and in my case a kaiser clinic.

... If I were to need to get on airplane for treatment. Id rather be on the mainland anyway... kaiser having put in a giant new facility in my "region" I keep my policy there. At some point I should transition to Oahu. At this writing however my support group is in south orange county.

For vision I use wally world for the script... cheapglasses.net at 20$ a pair for the optics

Dental - having spent years in mexico _ I actually like their dental practice really well... 1950's at times but I have classic teeth - grin

300$ crowns if need ... gives me an excuse to go to mexico once every two years or so to check in with local cleanings. The savings on the previous work more than covers the airfare. As you may be able to tell I dont have any fancy retirement options, and too young for the government plans. ... all premiums coming out of my pocket.

Thats how I do it, Hope this helps