Im getting sleep apnea machine

Hello, I am getting the machine next week on Tuesaday In Parramatta for the total costs off $920 second hand machine fr my lungs and help me sleep better., I took out my loan this week for 1300 dolllars plau my pension money worth 1400 with once a year payment of 600 dollars. I want to thank you for your prayers to me and I want to thank you for your all support and making me a Third God of Heaven. I will pray for you and keep in peace my children of God and may God bless you and keep you.

Yours sincerely Michael The Angel.

Hello, My Angel,

I'm so glad that you are able to get the equipment you need to help you with your sleep apnea. I bet you will feel so much better as you start using it. I'm glad that God paved the way to finance it. I know how expensive medical care can be. Remember to take things one day at a time, my angel. I hope you feel better. May God bless you too! You will remain in my prayers.

TWL

I had to get a sleep apnea machine also I personally love myn I also had to pay like 1100 but they let me make payments

Sleep apnea seems to be very prevalent nowadays. What causes it?

It was the drug thye gave me and caused me to stay awake all night and gave me heart failure and made me very sick man and it was since i was 30 years old I had this sicnees for. The drug called is Risperdal that caused this problem.

Your sincerely Michael your guardian angel.

I find it sad that people are happy that they have managed to buy a 2nd hand apnea machine because their insurance does not cover it. You Americans have made some weird choices with your country.

To be very clear here, I think it's good that you found one Anthony. If you need 1 they can literally be a life saver. I am only commenting on the choices your country made concerning the health care system.

You have the worst of luck Anthony you literally belong to the 1% of unlucky people.

As for an answer to the wicked ladies question. Most apnea cases are a direct result of obesity.

Wow that is crazy expensive. I had to get one and I paid $50 and my insurance covered all the rest.

Weight gain can cause it -that what caused mine. I lost 30 pounds over past two years and my sleep apnea receded somewhat. But now I am putting on the pounds again. Time to hit the gym.

Letsie, thank you for your concerning about me and my health condition. Right now I should be dead long a go. Thye word isobesity is what I was looking for when I agained weight from the drug when i was diagnosed as Schizophrenia and my snoring has got really worst lately but at this stage I can not hit the gym yet until i get my swelling feet down so I can wear shoes again but this time my wife is supporting me to stay alive and live a bit longer if i can. Im only 37 years old at the moment and I was told this earth is my last stop on the earth for eternity. If I die before 2040 I might not come back to the earth again, I vowed that to my wife. She is 70 years old and very lucky woman to survive this long. But she is helping me to get fit again by cutting some bad foods down drikn less sodas through out the day. Eats whats at home and no takeaways this will save our money. Lots of money. Because we got to pay for our taxis trips every week which my wife covers for 7 dollars per trip. Soon she will be taking me to the gym again 3 times per week and i have to cover the costs every fortnight.

Thank you for your time and sincerely looking and praying for me Anthony.

<!-Quote-!>Quote:

You Americans have made some weird choices with your country.<!-/Quote-!>

Uses terms like takeaways and fortnight. Seems legit. Every red blooded Murican uses those terms. We also put U in labour and colour.

Oh wait.

Letsie, America isnt the only place where all healthcare isnt covered. I am from Canada. We have free healthcare but that does not actually mean everything is free here either. CPAP devices are not fully covered for example. Medications are not covered here either, nor is dental or any rehabilitative stuff like physio, massage, or chiro. Ambulance services are not fully covered either. Most people have private insurance from their employer to cover all the things the government does not cover. Im not sure how it is in Europe though. Can anyone fill me in?

John, you are correct from your statement you spoke off. We Australians have health system where we get our money back on governments stuff like the Medicare, but be a ware that we also have to pay some medications via through your GP doctors on prescriptions can make it cheaper for us to pay for. W#hen I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia when I was very sick, the medication i was taking through injections is covered by government and i was stuck on this thing for 7 years now and I am in obesity because of the drug and right now I am still very sick man with cellulitis in my legs which I am trying to rcover fast with antibiotics and bandages to heal the wounds. The CPAP we have in Australia is not covered by government as we thought we could it for free, but unfortunately i had to pay for it out of my loan from Centrelink.

Thank you yours cincerely Anthony.

I am starting my weight loss journey as off tonight after my last takaway meal. all i had was One large bacon and cheese double burger and a red rooster roll chicken with gravy and a large 1.25 litre coke. And my wifes coke and dinner all cost to 50 dollars all up to the nearest dolllar. My weight is 184.4kg as off today the 15/07/2019 at 13:25pm at the time of my weighing and my BMI is 72. Now that I lost my height my weight goal is to reach level 60kg at 5 foot 2 inches tall. Now that I was told once I loose all my weight my sleep apnea will be cured for good and I will be able to sleep better at night, its time to hit the gym soon.

Yours sincerely Anthony the Angel.

Good luck man. Keep working hard at it and you will achieve your goal.

Dear Angel,

I will keep you in my prayers. Sometimes with certain conditions, weight gain and other complications are a vicious cycle. My advice to you is this:

Take one thing at a time to address with your health. If this is your weight, then focus on this first. Stay away from fast food and sodas, even diet ones. East 5-6 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Eat more fish - baked or broiled. I personally love salmon fillets. Watch intakes of sugar through sweets and foods that make sugars, known as carbohydrates. (Of course, this is the good stuff like bread, potatoes, cheese, noodles, etc.) Eat more "free foods" like celery sticks and certain vegetables when you get hungry. AND drink lots of water.

Obesity can cause a whole host of complications: type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea as stated above, heart issues. Certain medications you take can cause these issues as well. I know mental illness is a hardship to deal with. Talk to your psychiatrist who manages your medicines to see if there is another drug alternative that works with schizophrenia that can have better effects and doesn't cause weight gain. The world of medicine has come a long way in psychiatry. You have options. :-D

I am so happy to hear that you have a supportive wife and care partner. That is so important in life. I hope you feel better each and every day!

You take care of YOU! I hate that you have to face these challenges at such a young age. AND Yes, 37 is YOUNG to me! :-D

Love and prayers,
Jan

Re: Healthcare in America

I don't favor socialized healthcare at all. I will tell you why. I don't think the quality of care is as good and the government determines when and what it will do for you. I will give you an example.

I had a ex-friend who lived in the UK. He had peripheral artery disease in his legs. He suffered pain and discomfort, had issues walking. He had to wait almost a year, before they would do the procedure of placing stents. Here in the United States, there is not such a long wait. If it is emergent, you are taken right away, and if it can wait, maybe a few weeks or month out. Also, I don't want the government to decide when I'm 75 or 80, it's not going to cover a life saving surgery, because I'm a certain age. lol Here in America, an emergency room is REQUIRED to treat everyone. They cannot turn you away. As far as medical costs, you pay what you can a month, even if $20. Eventually the hospital will write it off.

There are groups to levy support and even the drug companies in getting required medications for patients. We can also help each other with Go-Fund-Me Accounts. There are programs to help, you just need to get a social worker or such to help you find them.

I think communities should help each other. We need to rely on each other for help, certainly not the government. I know the cost of some medications are outrageous. I have a friend who takes an antipsychotic medication, known as Latuda. They take this for depression, although it is a medicine often used to treat Bi-polar. Without insurance, this drug, a 30-day supply, is about $10,000. Can you believe that?!

Woah, 10,000 for a drug a month, no way. I know an old friend who lived next door us who has Bi polar and she always fights me and tells me to leave this property, she was trying to split us up.

I pay for my insurance threw my job I’m happy with that we see what happens when government controls healthcare veterans affairs

I find it absolutely fascinating when I meet Americans that are proud of their health care system.

I am going to ask the same question to you that I ask all other Americans that I have met in my life.

What measurement do you want to use to determine how good your health care is?

Costs? (personally i believe that % of gdp spending on health care is a good measurement but if you want to use another one please tell me)
Average wait times?
People covered by insurance?
Availability and acces to health care?
Acces to medication?

Another metric?


Please tell me and I will provide the data to back up the following claim:

On AVERAGE the american health care system is really bad compared to the rest of the western world except for 1 thing. Extremely specialized care. If you have an extremely rare disease and an insurance that covers it you are best of in the US.

Is there any US citizen who wants to tango and challenge my claim?

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@ john galt

I know what you mean and you are right. Having said that Canada is at least willing to consider or outright cover basic health care. Sure you need to pay some parts (which I believe everybody should) but for basic needs the government is willing to help.

As for your question about European health care. Most countries use a combination of government and private health care (the UK is one of the major exceptions since it is almost 100% run by the government)

The following is a MAJOR generalization of dozens of different systems so please keep that in mind

Generally speaking a European government detriments how much a drug and treatment can cost and which part the government pays and which part the insurance company has to pay.
Another big difference in most European countries is that everybody can get insurance to cover their health care. Even somebody with MS, heart failure and chronic diseases has to be accepted by every insurance company. The insurance company gets an extra compensation for taking taking that person in.

Generally speaking this keeps the costs of health care much lower then in the US and makes health care accessible to everybody. A couple of important exeptions are:
- the uk which is 100% goverment run (and was already taxed to the max and then brexit happend and now it is simply imploding because a very high % of health care workers were Europeans from other countries)
- Italy which has a really bad system because of the bureaucracy
- several smaller eastern european countries


This is a 5 min write up of 4 years of university. So please keep that in mind when responding.

Here is my counterpoint.

I pay less in taxes than a university student in whatever country you live in, I am not paying more comrade. If I steal money from you and give it to a homeless person does that make it right?

Why then is it right for government thugs to extort money from me and give it to someone else?

I really don't see what else is to discuss?

From my experience in Canada, I find the wait times to be extremely long. Hospital wait times can be 8+ hours. Specialists are usually a minimum of 2-3 months. MRI around 3-4 weeks. We actually pay a lot in tax for it. 23% of our taxes here goes to healthcare. If I took 23% of what I pay in tax and used it to purchase health insurance in the US I would have an amazing insurance plan with low deductibles, and would have the benefit of shorter wait times and better outcomes.

Interesting fact about the US system, if you eliminate car accidents and gun violence, Americans have the highest life expectancy and best healthcare outcomes in the world. They have some of the best 5 year cancer survival rates too. Also excellent surgical outcomes. They should spend some more money on driver training and gun safety haha.

The problem with the US system is for poor individuals. They will have difficulty accessing care due to financial constraints. Those individuals would certainly benefit from a public health care plan. I think middle class and wealthy class that have insurance from their employer or a good plan that they pay for benefit more from the American private system than any public option. Everyone has to vote for what is in their best interests. I dont think it is fair to think poorly of people who prefer their private plan because they are likely going to get better care than on any public option, assuming they have a good plan of course. I wouldnt expect someone to sacrifice their own benefit for the benefit of others when the others would not be willing to do the same.

I also want to add something. I know this is completely anecdotal but I will throw it out there anyway. Whenever I access the public health care options in Canada, I find the experience to be not as good as when I access the parts of our healthcare system that are private. Now thats not to say that the actual medical care is bad, it is always excellent, but rather it is the actual experience. When I go to the dentist here, my appointment is always on time, the waiting room is usually empty, the office is modern and nice, and the experience is better. The dentist will call me to remind me when I need to book follow up appointments. You get that personalized care that comes with being a paying customer. When I go to a regular medical clinic, the appointment is never on time. Usually an hour late. The waiting room, is always packed and messy. The office isnt as nice or modern looking. You also dont get the same level of personalized care. You have to really advocate for yourself to get what you need. You kind of feel like a number and a burden and not a customer. Thankfully I am a healthcare worker so I know what I need to ask, but not everyone has that knowledge. One thing I do love about our system here is that I never have to worry about financial concerns. I wish there was a way to take the best of private and public and merge them. I hear Singapore has a great system but I am not familiar with it personally.

Dear Letsie,

I really have nothing to compare my health insurance coverage to. I only know how mine works. I get my health insurance through my employer. I want to say I pay 20 % and insurance, 80% up to an out of pocket max of so much a year. I pay $20 office visit co-pays and $100 co-pays for Emergency Room visits. Because I work for a medical institution, if I use our doctors, I get health care at even cheaper costs. My medicines if I go through our pharmacy is considerably cheaper than if I went to an outside drug store. As a patient, I am typically seen within 1-2 days by my primary care physician, if need be. BUT, I KNOW my docs as I work with them professionally, so I have a bit of an edge. (Perks of working where I do.)

In Tennessee, we have a government health care program, known as Tenncare. This is in place to help individuals who cannot get health insurance on their own (non-insurable) or those who cannot afford. There are programs out there to help people obtain care. I know my institution has a clinic for under-served, under-privileged communities.

As for medical care, those at my institution are some of the best in the world. We are tops in Heart Health, Diabetes, and Cancer care (three of our five major emphases). We are also one of the top 10 hospitals in the country.

@ the wicked and John Galt

Both of you read like you are working people with a decent to firm grip on how your insurances work. I really like reading about personal experiences with health care systems of other countries. If you want to share more, please feel free to do so.

I am not disputing the fact that there is good health care in the US. Because there is. But let me show you some numbers to illustrate what I mean when I say that on average the US system is not good. I will only be using data from public sources (mostly the WHO) so you can verify this yourself. Lets compare our 3 countries.

- the US Aka Wicked Lady country
- Canada This is where the John Galts come from
- The Netherlands This is where Letsies are made

All 3 are western style countries. All 3 are countries have an above average amount of wealth and have an above average level of education index.

Health care Costs in % of gdp
- the US: 17.7%
- Canda: 10.53%
- Netherlands: 10.36

Amenable Mortality rates (an index rating to measure how effective the health care is delivered to the patients and how much preventable deaths are actually prevented higher is better and 2 to 3 points is a huge difference)
- The US: 88.7
- Canada: lots of data but not the same calculations for this index number. For reference, comparable western countries score is on average 93.7
- Netherlands: 96.1


Age-standardized Disability Adjusted Life Years (the DALY) Simply put, the higher it is the more years are lost by people who are suffering from diseases. Please read up on the specifics of it, it is a really fascinating way to compare the quality of health care as it does it best to take in to account health care after a hospital/clinic visit.
The following number of years are lost per 100.000 inhabitants

- The US: 24.306
- Canada: 19.227
- Netherlands: 18.716

Life expectancy.
- the US: 78.6 years
- Canada: 81.9 years
- Netherlands: 81.6 years

The big one. John Galt made a comment about the fact that Americans drive more and because of that have more accidents. Also Americans have to many guns and guns tend to lead to more deaths. These facts are all true. Luckily there is data out there that takes these things into account. Life expectancy in the US adjusted for, car accidents, gun deaths and overdose deaths caused by the current opiod epidemic is: 79.8 years. Those things account for well over a year, that is a really big difference and much more then I expected. Personally i believe the opiod epidemic should be removed from the calculation but that is just nit picking.
I could go on about this number. For example the average life expectancy has been dropping in the US for years while in the rest of the world is it is actually climbing, or up until the 1980s the life expectancy of a US citizen was the same as those of Canada and the Netherlands despite guns and car accidents. But let us move on.


5 year survival rate for major cancers (1% fluctuations are common per year. So the US and Canada are comparable and the Netherlands are slightly worse then the other 2)
- the US: 64.7%
- Canada: 63.5%
- Netherlands: 62.9%

I will let everybody draw their own conclusions.

My personal conclusion is that the US is spending a lot more of their gdp on health care without getting the results you would expect.


MAJOR DISCLAIMER: there are parts of the US/Canadian/Netherlands health care systems that are incredibly good. I have tried to use average numbers to paint a general picture. I have avoided as much as possible individual illnesses and treatments. I also have to little data to compare the administrative burden of all 3 health care systems.


@ the wicked
Working in the health care sector is a huge upside especially when you know your doctors well. I have been a nurse as well and I know what a huge difference it can make.

Letsie, I don't think criticizing healthcare spending in a free market system is a fair argument. In the free market, individuals decide how much or how little to spend on healthcare, not the government. If individuals choose to spend more on healthcare, that is their choice. I am sure there are some wealthy people who spend ridiculous sums of money on all sorts of tests and scans to make sure they are healthy. Individuals like that would drive up the spending.

I think where you are being misguided is that your critique is less on the actual healthcare system, but rather on the unequal distribution of healthcare resources. A good example would be to compare the life expectancy of rich individuals in the private American system versus rich individuals in a socialized system. You will find that the rich Americans have a higher life expectancy than their socialized counterparts. The point I am making is that if you can afford the healthcare, the US system is unrivalled. This is why rich people all over the world come to the United States for their healthcare, even when they have free coverage in their home country. This is also why people who have a good insurance plan do not want to move to a socialized system, because they are actually getting better healthcare than they would on a public option. The combination of uninsured individuals and the higher rates of overdose, accidents, and gun violence in America are likely the primary reasons for the lower life expectancy, not the lack of quality in healthcare.

The real question we should be asking is how do we provide the high quality healthcare that is available in the American system to people who are uninsured. I don't think destroying the free market system is necessarily the best answer. Remember, most healthcare innovation comes from the United States simply because of the free market incentives to innovate. I think allowing for more competition between insurance companies could help. The government could provide catastrophic health insurance to the entire population at quite low cost, rather than providing comprehensive plans to everyone. I'm not an expert in this area so I don't have all the solutions. What I do know is that there are pros and cons to every system.