Category: healthcare

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Drug Costs and Medical Charges Are Out of Control

Mark Cathcart

Navigating the US healthcare system can often feel like an exercise in frustration, especially when it comes to understanding the barrage of statements, bills, and charges that seem to come out of nowhere. Despite opting for email communications, the paper trail doesn’t seem to end. It’s a good thing I’m generally healthy, just dealing with the usual wear and tear that comes with getting older. Continue reading Drug Costs and Medical Charges Are Out of Control

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Amazon Pharmacy Could Kill You

Mark Cathcart

through inefficiency and failed systems. By complete coincidence I moved my prescriptions to Amazon Pharmacy[1]https://pharmacy.amazon.com/ the week they launched their $5 RXpass[2]https://www.forbes.com/sites/saibala/2023/01/28/amazons-bold-5-prescription-drug-program-is-the-future-of-pharmacy/?sh=1468546a116c. It hasn’t gone well, 7-days later I’m still waiting for my first refill and have been out of that drug for 4-days. One of the lessons of qualifying for Medicare is you are pretty much required to pay for a Part-D drug plan. Even if you have Part-C insurance, it often won’t include drug insurance. If you don’t take out a Part-D plan, you can be assessed for a penalty payment in Medicare which you will pay for … Continue reading Amazon Pharmacy Could Kill You

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Medical billing still broken

Mark Cathcart

Back in June I was doing a major project in the yard and rolled up half the professionally laid astroturf. It’s a major job and weighs a ton… A couple of days later I stepped on the rolled astroturf and an 8-inch turf nail went through my shoe and into my right foot. It went in pretty deep, not just a surface cut. After cleaning up, covering the hole I realized I needed a tetanus shot. It was already 6:30pm, I called a couple of local urgent care offices and checked their prices. Both said the shot cost $40. I … Continue reading Medical billing still broken

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Opinion | How Much Will Americans Sacrifice for Good Health Care? – The New York Times

Mark Cathcart

Sadly, this New York Times Editorial op-ed is factually wrong in a material way that I had to write a letter. I also ripped into Dan Gorenstein on twitter(1) for linking to the article and “guessing” he didn’t think Americans would tolerate #MedicareForAll. Here is the text I sent to the Times, who knows if they will publish it. My track record of getting corrections to editorial op-eds published is close to zero. It’s like they don’t want to be wrong. The editorial board seems both confused, and factually inaccurate when it comes to how insurance works in government funded, … Continue reading Opinion | How Much Will Americans Sacrifice for Good Health Care? – The New York Times

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Missing the point of Healthcare costs

Mark Cathcart

We managed to get Health Insurance sorted out for my wife and daughter, without falling into the trap of me getting covered by an ACA policy, which would put me in jeopardy of violating the “public charge” agreement I accepted when applying for my green card. I’m self-insuring for another year aka uninsurance. Today I took my daughter to the dentist, she needed two baby teeth pulled to make way for her adult teeth. The insurance didn’t verify when they put it in. So I paid by card. In a subsequent phone call we went through the process of how … Continue reading Missing the point of Healthcare costs