Metal Mouth Message Board

As we all know, Healthcare reform passed this evening, and I am wondering if anyone here knows how national healthcare affects somebody trying to get coverage for Orthognathic surgery. Any insights are appreciated.

Thanks,
Ryan

Dunno how it will affect anything right at the moment (the government will need time to drive all of the insurance companies out of business and forve everyone onto socialized medicine), but in the future you can expect a long wait, poor treatment (if Uncle Sam evendeems you worthy of the surgery at all) and an expensive bill for it all!

Please do not get into political discussions on this board. They usually don't go well and I wind up having to lock the topic.

As we all know, Healthcare reform passed this evening, and I am wondering if anyone here knows how national healthcare affects somebody trying to get coverage for Orthognathic surgery. Any insights are appreciated.

The only thing I will say, is that right now (and for the forseeable future) nothing. Nothing changes overnight. If you're looking at what this means for you and your surgery, now or in the next few years, likely nothing.

DrBlur wrote:but in the future you can expect a long wait, poor treatment (if Uncle Sam evendeems you worthy of the surgery at all) and an expensive bill for it all!

This is not necessarily true. I live in a country where health care is free, but not aesthetic surgeries. My surgery is considered 100% for aesthetic reasons, and hence I'm not entitled for coverage.

Still, for my ortho surgery (double jaw + genio), even though I'm not entitled for coverage, the only amount I'm asked to pay is $500 USD per day I'm at the hospital, this is it (nothing for the operation itself). So, if I'm going to spend 2 days at the hospital after surgery, I will pay a total of $1000 USD for the entire thing.

Regarding orthodontic treatment, I went for the best one I could find, and he asked $5000 for everything (~2 years of treatment).

So, in total I'm paying ~$6000 USD for everything, in a situation where I'm not entitled for coverage. In the USA I would have paid many times more...

Forget to mention, there were no long waits at all, the moment my ortho said I was ready for surgery, I was given a surgery date by my request (this July). The staff has decades of experience with this type of surgery.

I am wondering this as well. I hope it does not adversely effect me as I am just starting the process now.

DrBlur wrote:Dunno how it will affect anything right at the moment (the government will need time to drive all of the insurance companies out of business and forve everyone onto socialized medicine), but in the future you can expect a long wait, poor treatment (if Uncle Sam evendeems you worthy of the surgery at all) and an expensive bill for it all!

Let's hope you are wrong, but I'm kind of feeling the same way. Anyway, your post cracked me up!

I was wondering the same thing...no I'm gonna do what I can to speed up the process.

DrBlur wrote:Dunno how it will affect anything right at the moment (the government will need time to drive all of the insurance companies out of business and forve everyone onto socialized medicine), but in the future you can expect a long wait, poor treatment (if Uncle Sam evendeems you worthy of the surgery at all) and an expensive bill for it all!

I love in a country with socialised medicine and have health insurance and I don't have to wait for anything. Plus I get excellent treatment.

DrBlur wrote:Dunno how it will affect anything right at the moment (the government will need time to drive all of the insurance companies out of business and forve everyone onto socialized medicine), but in the future you can expect a long wait, poor treatment (if Uncle Sam evendeems you worthy of the surgery at all) and an expensive bill for it all!

This from the expert who knows, eh? Or have you got that from news propaganda? (I remember at the start of the furore, hearing a lot of flase statistics about the NHS, particularly)


Whatever you might think of the politics of it all, may I point out that to me, being 'deemed worthy of treatment' is surely more an issue when you're right to treatment is determined by a non-medical, money-grabbing insurance company. Additionally, if you can't afford it, are you rightly 'unworthy of treatment'?

Like others who have socialised healthcare who have posted, my treatment times are prompt, my care is fantastic, and the facilities are as good a quality as anywhere.

I certainly believe the term 'reform' is key, here. And I'm always sorry for those in the US who have their treatment turned down and can't afford it. Where's the equality?


But anyway....that's just me

I'm not opposed to reform...I'm just opposed to this bill, as it was really nothing more than a power grab by the government to nationalize 1/6 of our economy. There is very little actual reform in it that makes sense and will actually reduce any deficits. True reform would get government out of the game, give more power to the individual, and slowly eliminate the insurance companies. Now, the insurance companies will simply be utilities of the government. Interesting times ahead, for sure...

And I love how, with all but one TV news channel controlled by one political party here, and the majority of newspapers, the lone dissenting voice is called "propaganda"...only in 2010

I'm perfectly happy to discuss/debate this with anyone civilly, but as soon as it gets nasty I will ignore anyone...just sayin'...

it was really nothing more than a power grab by the government to nationalize 1/6 of our economy

The health care system has already been half-nationalized for decades. 45% of all US health care spending is already from the government. Also most private insurers use Medicare as a benchmark for their own reimbursement rates.

And to answer the original question, most of the provisions don't kick in for four years. The biggest change will probably be that many of us won't have to wait out the 90-day pre-existing condition period when switching insurers.

^you're right that half of the healthcare system has been nationalized for decades...I agree, and IMO that's a huge part of the existing problem. In my opinion MORE government control will only make it worse.

And you're correct the provisions don't kick in until 2014, but the taxes start right now, which is their sneaky way of saying it "saves money"...because for the first 4 years all it does is collect money, not spend it, so the "savings" in the first decade are only because they've been taxing for 10 years and paying out for 6. There's a little "nest egg", if you will. Once 2014 rolls around I expect it to run a little bit of a deficit each year, and by the second decade (2020-2030) it will probably be as financially horrendous as Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare are. We shall see...