NEWS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007/Massive medical costs

[Guest guest]

Glad hospitals are still free in NZ. But they try and get rid of you quick, and had some scheme hatched up to send mothers who have just given birth home 6 hrs later, because of a shortage of midwives. There was a protest. N

 

- Kimberly Dawley

Friday, November 30, 2007 11:03 AM

NEWS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007

 

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http://worldnews2005.tripod.com/

 

GOTHAM CITY NEWS

 

 

 

from DORA DIAMOND, with occasional commentary by FRANK KAFKA

 

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2007

 

Magnitude 7.4 - MARTINIQUE REGION, WINDWARD ISLANDS --2007 November 29 19:00:19 UTC http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2007kha5.php

 

 

A strong earthquake shook Trinidad just about 2:58 pm local time. Trinidad is one of the leading suppliers of liquid natural gas to the United States, supplying 75 per cent of imports last year. There is no tsunami -- the epicenter was approximately 90 miles under the seabed, and in shallow water. http://www.tamileelamnews.com/news/publish/tns_9026.shtml

 

 

MAXED OUTAs Medical Costs Soar,The Insured Face Huge Tab Jim Dawson Hit CapAfter Hospital Padding;The $1.2 Million Bill By JOHN CARREYROUNovember 29, 2007; Page A1

MERCED, Calif. -- One day in late July, Jim Dawson happily returned home. He had spent the previous five months in the hospital battling an infection that nearly killed him. The phone rang shortly after Mr. Dawson and his wife, Loretta, entered their house.

It was the hospital. California Pacific Medical Center was calling to remind the Dawsons that they owed it $1.2 million.

Mr. Dawson, 61 years old, had health insurance through his employer, but had maxed out his plan's $1.5 million lifetime cap halfway through his long hospital stay. In addition to the bill from CPMC, Mr. Dawson owed tens of thousands of dollars more to scores of doctors who were involved in his care. Mr. Dawson and his wife's combined assets totaled a fraction of their medical debt.

"I had never thought in a million years that anything like that could ever happen," says Mrs. Dawson. As spending on health care has climbed to almost $2 trillion a year, or 16% of the U.S. economy, the number of Americans burdened with massive medical bills has soared as well. According to a 2005 survey by the Commonwealth Fund, an estimated 34% of adults aged 19 to 64 face problems with medical bills or have accrued medical debt. A majority of those people -- 62% -- had health insurance, the survey found