Coronavirus Thread

[June]

I don't see anybody knocking Universal health care or Medicare for all now when it is needed the most. Private sector sure in the hell is not stepping up to the plate and managing this well. When this is all over. How long will it take idiots to resume idiotic behavior?

Let me be the one to knock that! Medicare doesn't cover everything and private insurance is necessary to supplement it. With the most expensive supplemental insurance, portions not covered, and copays it cost more than my top of the line PPO policy which has no copays, just monthly payments.

I deal with my elderly parents paperwork which is a nightmare! My private insurance is much easier and is accepted everywhere without paperwork to file, % for me to pay, or preapproval for tests ordered by my Dr. God forbid you get hospitalized on Medicare even with supplemental insurance.

What would be nice to have as universal healthcare is what the House, Congress, and President gets healthcare wise for the rest of us! Settling for less is not a option... June

[RickHaleParker]

I deal with my elderly parents paperwork which is a nightmare!

You can let the provider file the claim paperwork and then just pay the copay after you get a Medicare summary notice.

Most providers have a paper the patient or a authorize care taker can sign. Enabling the provider to file the claim with Medicare on behalf of the patient.

Just make sure the provider is participating provider so they cannot balance bill you up and above what Medicare determines. About 7% are not.

[volvolugnut]

More statistics on US states and COVID-19 growth rates. My raw information is from Worldometer. Any errors or misrepresentations are my own.

These tables show all available US states and territories and the COVID-19 data for the last 5 days. I have sorted the states alphabetically and added growth rates for last several days for all states with ranking of each day. Of course, this information changes daily. I have presented the table in two parts because of the screen shot, but it is actually one table in Excel.

Again, results change daily.

State growth rates for April 11, 2020. All information is based on reported information and actual results may be different.

For your information, the top 5 states or territories yesterday in growth rate (the worst containment) are: South Dakota (0.25), Rhode Island (0.17), US Virgin Islands (0.17), Minnesota (0.17), and Delaware (0.14). I checked again today and found no information that South Dakota has Shelter in Place orders. South Dakota now has 626 cases up 90 from yesterday.

My calculated growth rate for USA is 0.066 for yesterday, down from previous day of 0.079.

The calculated 5 day moving average growth rates for yesterday were incorrect. It was calculated for the same days as April 9. If you want to see the corrected numbers, let me know.

Stay safe out there.

volvolugnut

[June]

I deal with my elderly parents paperwork which is a nightmare!

Just make sure the provider is participating provider so they cannot balance bill you up and above what Medicare determines. About 7% are not.

And there lies the problem, the best Dr.s locally are not. My 86yo mother has Alzheimers, congestive heart failure, loss of sight being treated with injections in her eye YUCK, constantly fighting all sorts of infections, among other nightmares. She can see because I have made sure for the last four years she has the best treatment for her vision. Medicare doesn't help with the vision. Cash does! Otherwise she would be completely blind today. Not to mention Dad's issues. Between the medical needs of both my elderly parents, we are talking multiple Dr. Offices between them. Some do take the Medicare and the supplement private, and some are cash as they don't. I'll pass on it until I am forced to enroll...

Of everyone I grew up with I am the only one with alive parents and I have both! It takes a lot of money and even more effort. My parents do live in their own home rather than assisted living or a nursing home. I fear a change like that would be catastrophic. All my siblings want to put them in assisted living as they actually have lifelong private nursing home insurance through Allstate. Without that you do a spend down of assets theh end up with Medicaid. That's the joy of nursing homes. I mention nursing homes or assisted living because it should be part of it too!

It seems if you can afford it, you get the best care guaranteed, otherwise it's a pig-in-a-poke. At least from what I've seen.

Take Munchy my Yorkie, October 2017 a problem with a incomplete vertebra brought things to a put to sleep or neck surgery immediately situation. It was awful! $8,000 up front or they would not touch him. Also I had to plead with the surgeon to attempt the surgery. It was a uncommon condition with the C1 vertebra and the best man in the country was in the area teaching came and fixed my dog after I cried and begged him to at least try as the cost was unimportant to me. The whole thing cost me $12,000. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Hopkins for fixing him. Had I not had the money right then that moment, I would not have Munchy today. Actually he is snuggled up beside me now without any pain or complications. Surgery was a complete success.

People healthcare is just that way from what I've seen. If you can afford it, you get it. Otherwise?????? So if I get "FREE" LOL healthcare, I want what our politicians give themselves for the rest of us! June

[volvolugnut]

The New York Times has charts of new cases and total virus cases for each state with 7 day averages. This is very interesting to look at the states with the highest and lowest growth rates I have been tracking. Some of the best states show a clear flattening of the curve.

The link is https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/202 ... cases.html

Access is free - at least for some number of views per day.

volvolugnut

[Sveedy]

Well June I guess it's too late for you to adopt me It seems that Munchy has way better healthcare than I do. Which I get ( 6 dogs 2 cats ) This is all a matter of priorities. Yes GOOD healthcare can and should be had by everyone, with the cost coming out of our taxes. I actually think it could be done without an increase. But there is no way that can happen with the current system of subsidies, tax breaks, foreign aid etc. If everyone's taxes were spent according to peoples basic priorities, I bet healthcare would come in the top three. I have never had health insurance, due to the cost of it, being self employed. At this point ( 64 ) and with these times, every day it feels a bit like Russian roulette. And I know way too many people in this same position, including my son.

[Phainein7]

Russian roulette

IMHO, the following....

A topic experts have not touched upon is how the initial viral load may affect a person with an active immune system. First a definition of LD50, which is "the amount of a toxic agent (as a poison, virus, or radiation) that is sufficient to kill 50 percent of a population of animals usually within a certain time. — called also median lethal dose."

If a person with an active immune system rides around in a pickup truck for several hours with an infected person shedding coronavirus, there is a good probability of them ending up in ICU since it takes from seven to fourteen days for immune system to kick in with antibodies. But, if this same person only got a very small hit from an infected person, they may have mild or no symptoms.

On another note, “Generals always fight the last war”

And so it is with medical profession. Cytokine storm, was assumed to only happen in specific medical conditions. Only recently, has a different viewpoint come about. Research evaluating fall pandemic wave of 1918, noted what is called today a cytokine storm. Cytokine storm is treatable.

So, the Russian roulette analogy may be misleading, since exposure amount (viral load) is a variable when a person has an active immune system, which is capable of eradicating the virus.
=============================

April 9, 2020 - So far, the main driver of serious illness among all patients, young and old, appears to be an immune system gone into overdrive.

It's called a "cytokine storm," Galiatsatos said. When it happens, the immune system keeps working, but at a potentially lethal level.

[June]

Well June I guess it's too late for you to adopt me It seems that Munchy has way better healthcare than I do. Which I get ( 6 dogs 2 cats ) This is all a matter of priorities. Yes GOOD healthcare can and should be had by everyone, with the cost coming out of our taxes. I actually think it could be done without an increase. But there is no way that can happen with the current system of subsidies, tax breaks, foreign aid etc. If everyone's taxes were spent according to peoples basic priorities, I bet healthcare would come in the top three. I have never had health insurance, due to the cost of it, being self employed. At this point ( 64 ) and with these times, every day it feels a bit like Russian roulette. And I know way too many people in this same position, including my son.

I agree totally with you! And the healthcare should mirror what our politicians in Washington give themselves free. Not some government nightmare like Medicare or Medicaid. Let's make whatever Joe public gets mandatory for the President on down and only then we will get taken care of properly. Otherwise it will be a disaster of epic proportions. Just think of all those unused Fema trailers sinking in Arkansas mud...

When I was going through that with Munchy, and I drove away from that Mayo Clinic for dogs knowing he was safe. All I could think of is all the loved fur babies whose parents can't afford it, get murdered (put to sleep) and it made me all the more sad.

Hopefully this 19 virus gets our politicians thinking about American's health. And how to be properly prepared for the next thing to come. I still don't have my results from my test. Fever up and down, sour throat, coughing, and aches all over. My parents have been in my house throughout this disaster and my mother has about made me want to jump off a building! Imagine the no wire hangers closet raid from the movie Mommy Dearest, it's been refrigerator raids and no pickle jars allowed! Alzheimers is a sad disease. She spends all day going through that refrigerator complaining constantly! I get in my S80 and fly down the interstate just to get in a sane space! June

[Sveedy]

I wasn't aware that your syndromes were of that nature. Just brings this that much closer.
( and I admit - any reason to go out for a nice drive is a good reason ).

also just noticed that I said 6 dogs. Meant to say 6 total, 4 and 2. I mean 6 would be crazy right....kind of like......volvos ?

[volvolugnut]

IMHO:
1. We have a medical system that richly rewards those with money or good insurance. That leaves out maybe half the country or more. There have been many studies that show well off people have several years longer life than poor people. I don't think that is right.
2. Caregiving is very hard, even if caring for family. I have been there also.

volvolugnut