Allow me to add one more bit to this whole equation and its effect on the uninsured / under insured.

The county, like many employers, uses a 'network of providers' which means those providers charge the Plan ( county ) less for those services. This means a person who is insured and uses a preferred provider gets the discount rate and those without insurance pay more. Just how much more?

Here are a couple of examples I am pulling from our family EOBs these past few years. Keep in mind we don't have BC insurance, but do have the PPO option via a major insurance carrier.

The Provider Bill is what those without insurance or not on the PPO plan are charged. The Discount Rate is the amount the Providers accept as full payment from my insurance company for those same services.

In other words, on the left is AB's price and the right my price.

Provider Bill Discount Rate
$1,684.53 $777.30
$ 229.98 $ 57.26
$ 540.00 $145.49
$4,923.00 $636.30
$1,287.00 $473.96

I have always felt that just because we are privileged enough to have insurance we get a discount while those without get screwed with what almost seems to be part of my bill.

So I am working to pay health services for people making more money than me when I cannot afford insurance for myself?

Yes...

Blount County's program is a good self insured program. Long before the clinic was opened it was planned to cover everyone who is covered by the insurance program whether employee, dependent, or retiree. The one catch is they must be covered by Blount County's program.

It should be noted:

All employees unless they opt out of the program are covered by the Blount County Insurance program, this is cases where their spouses maybe covered by another program where they could be dependents. All dependents and all retirees are not covered by the program. There is a cost to the employee for dependents, and retirees would depend on other contractual agreements.

I think the question Alice posed may be a good question for our local reporters to ask Blount Clounty employee's. How do they feel about getting their health services paid for by people who can't afford insurance? We can't continue avoiding this issue as if it's not a problem.

... Socialize Medicine & Healthcare. Ooooh, I said a dirty word--Socialized.

The other aspect of this original thread was the fact that children over 6 will be seen there since they are hiring another nurse. That issue still needs more discussion.

Why would a county employee go to the clinic instead of going to their regular doctor? It is only because they don't have a co-pay with a county clinic visit?

SeeJaneRide
...ushered in by the GOB network in Blount County. Oh, but it's only available to a select few. Is this classic? The power brokers created another perk for themselves!

And, to top it off, it will now expose the county to a huge legal risk. Give just one child a bad diagnosis at that clinic, and mom and dad will head straight to an attorney. Any guesses who would pay for a legal settlement? The power brokers who created the perk? No, YOU get to pay for it!

Smarter heads would advise telling employees to take their children to a trained pediatrician like the rest of us. Our county employees have better insurance than many people in Blount. Remember, YOU pay for their insurance. And, that insurance will cover those office visits. Even with a deductible, it's well worth the price of admission.

What is the major number one deterrent to People in this country, from going out and starting a business of their own, on their own?

For if Healthcare were free, then folks would be more encouraged to become entrepreneurs, and this would threaten Mega-Corporations' strangleholds on our wallets. Time is drawing neigh on Corporate Prostitution, and they KNOW it. When President Obama swears in, there will be one Heck-Of-A Long Drawn-Out Battle, for K-Street will stop at nothing, to ensure their indentured servants stay shackled to the current system.

For some backgroud and stuff you probably already know: After World War II, enticing workers meant providing benefits along with pay. With medical discoveries, health care costs increased. It costs over $700 million dollars to do research on a drug and start selling it. As a nation, we don't exactly take care of ourselves which increases healthcare costs. We also live longer, so that costs more. Premature babies are saved and stay in the hospital for months. For every car produced in the US, $1800 goes toward healthcare. One way to decrease costs, would be to stop Tenncare on people who have insurance. Companies are trying to make people healthier by helping them stop smoking and lose weight. Many people think this is taking away rights, but it really is a move to make them healthier. There is no easy answer, but duplicating services does not seem cost effective. A free clinic for insured people or Tenncare for people who have good insurance costs tax payers money. Teach people when to go to the Emergency Room. It is so expensive to go to the Emergency Room. What keeps people from seeing their own doctors? Many people fear taking time off work to see the doctor. That is too bad, but at least there are after hours clinics in the county. After hours clinics are less expensive than the emergency room. The emergency room won't turn anyone away, but it might help if they tell people that the problem they have can be seen by their primary doctor. Volumes can be written on ways to solve the problem. Insurance companies do make money, though. Insurance companies usually are housed in beautiful buildings. The guy who is in charge of United Healtcare made a HUGE amount of money in salary and bonuses. Does anyone really need that much money? Many employers can't afford to pay health insurance costs. So where does that leave the employee? Sometimes, it may be less expensive to just pay as you go if you are healthy. The problem is that if something bad happens, the cost is outrageous. Something will have to give at some point. Socialized medicine is not really the answer. In countries with socialized medicine, there are long waits to get anything done. People from Canada go to the US to get medical care because they can't wait. I don't see the general population accepting not being able to get healthcare. I realize that those without insurance have to wait now, but it won't fly when it hits widespread. Maybe Blount Views can solve the problem! Brainstorming helps!