“A sales tax needs to be instituted to share the tax burden on all residents.”

The tax burden is already shared by all residents – even those who rent instead of owning property. How do you think the property taxes on rental property gets paid? I can assure that property taxes on apartments and other rental properties are paid from rental income so even renters share our current tax burden, albeit indirectly.

While property taxes may not be the best solution to funding city government, sales taxes are an even worse solution. Sales taxes are regressive – they hurt low income families and they help high income families. If Anchorage were to institute a sales tax in place of property tax, do you think that rental property prices all over town would fall because of the elimination of property taxes? Hell no, the rental property owners would get a windfall and low income families would get screwed.

I have to second what Laurie @ 18 says. No insurance does NOT mean “$0″ paid *by* the patient. I’ve a family member with no health (or dental or vision) insurance, no savings, no job, and, in this economy, no prospects for a job. FM was toying with going to the ER last weekend for extreme pain…couldn’t. Couldn’t afford it. How sad is that? I even checked w/ the hosp. to see if something could be ‘worked out’.

The answer? “Well, yes. FM will see the financial counselor and then get right in to be checked out by the Dr. Whatever the bill is, FM can pay for it on an installment plan. We can go as low as $25 a week repayment.” When I asked what the ‘no frills’ visit to the ER would come to for a patient with no health insurance, the answer was: “Typically, it starts around $750 but once you consider what services the patient might need, like heart monotoring, IV fluids, wound cleaning and suturing, pain medications, and such, the cost will go up; it all depends on what services the patient needs. Don’t worry, the bill can be paid in installments.” Riiiight…as if that was going to be possible.

By law, yes, the hosp *must* treat you. And, by law, you *must* pay for services rendered. If you *don’t*, as Laurie points out, among other nasty and undesirable things, you are hounded relentlessly for payment and/or your credit is ruined for years on end for being a ‘deadbeat’/scofflaw.

What the hosp/Dr ‘loses’ in revenue from ‘deals’ made with insurance companies, they can easily make up -in some measure-, by charging *full* price to those *without* insurance. And they do. For example, where we live, someone being picked up in an ambulance (no matter the distance of the ride) ‘costs’ an insurance company $200…the uninsured? $450. On *top* of that, if the patient requires EMS meds/monitoring pre-ambulance loading and/or in the ambulance, the insurance co is additionally ‘charged’ a set rate for those itemized services….the uninsured is charged *full* price for them *in addition to* the *full* cost of the ambulance ride [keeping in mind, the 'full price' is a highly *inflated* figure ~ one the hosp has used as a *starting point*/'base' from which to negotiate w/ the insurance co a price that will *still* be profitable to the hosp.] beth.

just had a nasty little feeling about your revelations and the consequences that befall some folk when they are unawares.

looks like you’re on top of things

Unpaid medical bills can show up and damage a person’s credit. This hurts them when they try to rent an apartment, buy a car, etc.

mods, where are you !!!!