Mariah,

Why can't someone put money away into a managed portfolio account or even just a old fashioned bank account for "Health Expenses?" The answer I suspect lies in human nature and why not spend it on something else. . . . Like I said previously, obtaining private health insurance (which does have government subsidies) is the way to go.

However, I think you are suggesting a type of payment plan like 30% deposit then 60 equal payments- kind of like buying a car/ paying for new furniture. Its got merit however private hospitals would likely avoid this type of funding due to the high cost of defaults.

There is no doubt you are in a very difficult prediciment Mariah and you may need to accept the payment by installment suggest just will not cut it. . . . its idealistic but really not workable. The private hospitals have their waiting list of cashed up patients waiting for treatment and whilst you can have your op via public- it will take quite some time due to waiting lists. Keep the good ideas coming. . . . again I hope you recieve the care you need as soon as possible.

Mariah,

The reason I asked the question was to get some feel of your understanding of the issues relating to debt.

Payment for medical treatment by instalments is really a form of debt, because the service is obtained before it is paid for. This raises the possibility that the treatment will be obtained, but never paid for by the person who benefited. In that case, either the doctor loses out, or there has to be a third party who covers bad debts. I doubt doctors would be willing to carry that risk themselves.

A scheme can cover bad debts by levying higher interest than would normally apply, but it then becomes a scheme of last resort - those who are good credit risks would obtain loans elsewhere, because of the lower interest, leaving the scheme itself to cover those who are the most likely to default. In practice, the government would have to run the scheme, and cover the bad debts, which means that the government would be spending more on health care than is currently budgeted.

You apparently own a property, at least in part. If you're not willing to sell it, in order to pay for your medical treatment, then that tells us something about the relative values that *you* attach to the property and your health. Should the government subsidise an instalment scheme, and thereby attach more value to your health than you do?

Mariah,

Don't hold your breath waiting for sympathy from Sylvia.

Sylvia,

setting aside the 'blame' issues which you attach to impoverished people, in australia, it is the government and the taxpayer that ultimately pays to support most people unable to care for themselves. Don't you agree it is stupid of the government to fail to subsidise treatment when that failure will produce a vastly more expensive problem down the track, which almost certainly will ultimately fall on the government anyway?

As a former insurance man myself I can tell you sincerely that private health insurance isn't even close to being as reliable as you seem to think. It's full of holes (ie conditions that it won't cover) and much of it's coverage is illusory (ie the policies say they cover certain things but in the small print you will realise the cover is completely inadequate.

Private insuarnce and people taking responsibility for themselves is part of the solution of most of our problems, but it isn't the whole story. Perhaps a bridging solution would be government subsidised loans, like the HECS system to cover cases like Mariah's. I can't see any absolute impediment to such a system for those who lack private health cover or fall through the gaping holes in the health system. Why is that such an unreasonable proposition?

thanks anonymous one
Sylv,Hmmm
like u say im pretty ok im fortunate my dad was a doctor and my mother a nurse
others are not so informed.
& the investmant wich i solely organized and hung onto for the last 20 yrs
Sylvie if you dont think ( or even imagine would suffice) that pay by instalment loans are geared to take up the slack of 'costs' involved whatever they may be then I'd say no one would do it (as in organize such loans)
if your not aware, even centre-link organizes loans in small amounts for its clients...and like i said loans like my Radio Rentals Fridge, my mortgage etc are geared by the structure_'INSTALMENTS' .
If it dosent work then why are so many companies, banks,departments (not to mention Centre-link and thats government) diong it
i think its a great idea_my pay by instalment health care plan.
And as far as selling my house to pay for medical costs that would only upset the applecart, i have a child and responsabilities..and any way its been such a strugle to hang on to 'my place' the journey has taught me that 'a place' is ultimatly essential for everyone and watching others being shunted around through the rental system making bucks for others is pretty sad.
Oh, but i spose you meant just sell the place, pay for my medical services and just camp anywhere_outside the front of your place will be fine then, and i hope you dont mind me toileting on your front lawn whhen your not about to let me in to share your loo.
yes that idea would really work (like hell)
what do you expect multitudes of homeless people to do?
just exit earth so you dont have less to bitch about rather than come up with ideas to deal with it?

thanks kalin its a relief to see/hear/understand that others can see the chaos and stupidity in our countries health care arrangements ,be it alot better than other unfortunate countries, it still dosent leave us free of the responsability of improvements to keep up with social change..
the only constant on this earth IS change, hey

Kalin,

I don't know why you're lecturing me on insurance - I didn't even mention it.

The specific problem with a scheme such as described by Mariah is that it would in practice require that the government provide funding. To the extent that that funding is available, it would be more appropriate for it to be used in the existing system.

While it seems superficially absurd for the government to postpone medical treatment, but then have to carry the financial consequences of that, it would take a much more detailed analysis to determine whether such an approach results in a higher financial burden on the government than exists under the present system.

Like it or not, one of the functions of the queues for publicly funded medical treatment is to limit the demand. To the extent that it persuades people to fund their own treatment, either through insurance, or paying cash, the queues work. If they are made shorter, the demand, and therefore cost, increases.

Mariah,

Selling your property would not result in your camping out on the street. At least, not unless your equity in it is so low that the proceeds would pay only for your operation. You could use the capital to pay rent. Your decision not to go down that path indicates, as I said before, that you attach more value to the property than to your health.