Health/Medical Insurance for Piano Techs?

[Carl Meyer]

David:

If you're happy with the way the government runs the post office, immigration, welfare, the monetary system etc.,  you'll be delighted when the government takes over health care.

There is only one function the government is efficient at.  Collecting and spending money.

I hate to tell you this, but the SE taxes will double, triple and quadruple before the ink dries.  Sad to say but I suspect the quality of care will diminish.  I hate simplification, because it makes everything more complicated.

I used the illustration of what the government pays to my HMO (Kaiser) after 65 compared to what I paid before to show that the government can't drive a better bargain that I can in spite of what Hillary claimed.

My recommendation would be to find a company that would insure me with a $5000 deductible, then save the difference in premium and when it reached $5000 increase the deductible to $10000.etc.  Then I would reduce the premium by asking the insurer to exclude certain procedures that I wouldn't want under any circumstances.  Bypass, radiation and chemo come to mind.  

This is becoming more and more of a dilemma.

Carl Meyer  Assoc. PTG
Santa Clara, California
cmpiano@attbi.com 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2002 4:54 PM
Subject: Re: Health/Medical Insurance for Piano Techs?


> Carl:
> 
> Well if you want to know my real opinion, health coverage ought to be free
> and could be paid for out of that SE tax that I get hammered for every year.
> 
> David Love
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carl Meyer" <cmpiano@attbi.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: April 13, 2002 4:01 PM
> Subject: Re: Health/Medical Insurance for Piano Techs?
> 
> 
> > This is such an explosive subject that I have agonized over whether to get
> involved. Those of you with a longer memory, recall that I was the driving
> force  of a former thread about health insurance, socialism etc.  That
> almost got out of hand.
> > I didn't try to offend anybody, but I certainly did.
> >
> > To Tom Sivak I must say that although I've disagreed with you in the past,
> I hope you don't take it personal that I'm using your post to respond.  I
> would just assume you're a young idealist and I'm an old cynic.  Okay??
> >
> > Here are some thoughts.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -
> > ----
> > From: <Tvak@AOL.COM>
> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 9:22 PM
> > Subject: Re: Health/Medical Insurance for Piano Techs?
> >
> >
> > >
> > > In a message dated 4/12/02 12:04:46 PM, Pianotoone@AOL.COM writes:
> > >
> > > <<  It
> > > only covers hospital stay, but that is 100% coverage.  I find that I can
> > > pretty well cover Dr calls out of pocket but a multi thousand dollar
> hospital
> > > stay is nice to have protected. >>
> > >
> > > OK, just for the sake of discussion, let's say that you (G-d forbid)
> have a
> > > heart attack.  The insurance covers 100% of the surgery and the hospital
> > > stay.  Great!
> >
> > Isn't insurance basically for catastrophic loss?  When insurance covers
> hang nails and ingrown toenails, doesn't that only enhance the insurance
> company ability to increase the rates.  Insurance salespersons realize that
> if they can sell increased coverage they make more money.  Insurance
> companies realize that in order to entice sales personel to push the
> increased coverage they need to increase the commisions.
> >
> > >
> > > Now you happily go home, and find that you have to visit the doctor
> twice a
> > > week for 6 months, and take 14 pills a day.  Can you afford that?
> >
> > I would only visit my Doctor twice a week if I were terminally lonesome.
> Fourteen pills a day may cure that permanently.
> >
> >
> >
> > > I had the same coverage as you and pretty much the same attitude.  My
> > > insurance agent helped me realize that the coverage I had would be quite
> a
> > > liability in many circumstances.
> >
> > Your insurance agent is not your employee, He's self employed.  He works
> for himself.  He makes more money if he sells you increased coverage.
> >
> > We are forced into needing insurance by the insurance industry.  That's
> why medical care is so expensive. I had Kaiser (HMO) thru where my wife
> worked at $120 mo.  When I turned 65 I had to convert to their senior plan.
> I understand the government pays Kaiser $550/ mo to provide me less care
> than I had under the other plan, but I had to take it or leave it.
> > I'm also eligble for VA coverage, but my care provider doesn't like me
> much, so I don't go there often.
> >
> > I have two procedures that I do to myself.  These are suppressed by the
> medical trade.  Not profitable.
> >
> > Anybody interested in these, call me at 408 984 0482
> >
> > I can give you web sites about them.
> >
> > Carl Meyer  Assoc. PTG
> > Santa Clara, California
> > cmpiano@attbi.com
> >
> >
> >
> > > I would suggest though that you rethink things while you're still young
> and
> > > can get on a more comprehensive plan.  (You must be young if Blue Cross
> only
> > > costs you $114/month.  Before I abandoned that policy I was up to
> $131/month.)
> > >
> > > Just my two cents
> > >
> > > Tom Sivak
> >
> >
>