Trace,
In a sense there is a healthcare system in place for the indigent that qualify, and it's called Medicaid and MediCal here in California, and I'm not sure what all else in other states.
Working as an RN and Nurse Practitioner in mostly indigent care settings, I have seen what you mentioned first hand, the balking and even rage with regard to having to pay for anything...like a diaper even..
Yet here tax paying people with benefit plans from employers can often choose between an HMO plan which is very tightly managed by "gatekeepers" who are usually not medical personnel but rather lay people with no knowlege of medicine given jobs and put in control of decisions as to care people can receive.
And PPOs and POS.. plans that differ in the amount of deductibles, copays and the like tho offer more freedom of where people can go in and out of network with so much out of pocket cost.
I believe AnnaPurna has mentioned a plan also which I am not familiar with but if you look thru her posts you'll find mention of it.
There's Medicare for the elderly and disabled however, there's much more cost involved in supplemental plans to cover what Medicare doesn't cover, dental, vision, and drug plans that add up to a fair amount and then are restrictive in cost..
There are also HMO plans that seniors/disabled can opt for and not pay for care or not pay nearly as much as with other plans mentioned.
California has some other plans for qualifying population and I cannot list them all as I'm not familiar with them all, suffice to say I've worked with patients that had every kind of plan and also been on committees/wrote policies/procedures regarding various plans (technical writer).
It's a mixed bag here in the states tho it seems that many think that everything should be free...
As far as my WC injury and claim goes, it goes back to an industrial accident in 1982 involving my back. And yes, I have felt entitled to utilize these benefits as other insurance plans wouldn't cover this injured area once it's known that I have WC insurance covering the area.
I hope you weren't implying that I am greedy for wanting to continue to utilize benefit assigned me... I don't think that you were implying this although if you are, I wouldn't be happy with that implication.
|