Honda "Drive by Wire" question... what if the power goes out?

More than likely a bum thermostat. Don't let run cold too long, it'll
cost you in fuel mileage, and make it sludge up faster.

Erik

 

Well, how is the heat in the car?? if it is hot enough, then it isn't
your thermostat...

Fwed

 

Well, how is the heat in the car?? if it is hot enough, then it isn't
your thermostat...

Fwed

 

Elle wrote:

For sure, Elle, plus the enormous cultural reticence to admit that the
free market / rugged individualism isn't hacking this particular issue
and that the govt might offer something worthwhile.

There's a term which I can't remember which theorizes that one problem
with health care in the US stems from the insured consumer's insulation
from the economic consequences of his health care choices. Sounds as
though that's what you're talking about above?

 

Elle wrote:

For sure, Elle, plus the enormous cultural reticence to admit that the
free market / rugged individualism isn't hacking this particular issue
and that the govt might offer something worthwhile.

There's a term which I can't remember which theorizes that one problem
with health care in the US stems from the insured consumer's insulation
from the economic consequences of his health care choices. Sounds as
though that's what you're talking about above?

 

Nor should you have. Mike, LOL.

 

Nor should you have. Mike, LOL.

 

Spot on.

Health services are not a true free market, because the
consumer weighs in not at all on the pricing of the product.

OTOH, plop your typical middle class employee and his/her
family down somewhere in Canada for a couple of years of
experiencing their health care system, and s/he'll come away
saying s/he doesn't want universal health care, because
Canada won't give him/her and his/her family every
conceivable snake oil product offered for a malady. The
person will not believe s/he's getting the best care in
Canada. "More is better" is a way of life in the U.S.

A cultural shift in attitude will be necessary, IMO. It will
take a generation or two.

 

Spot on.

Health services are not a true free market, because the
consumer weighs in not at all on the pricing of the product.

OTOH, plop your typical middle class employee and his/her
family down somewhere in Canada for a couple of years of
experiencing their health care system, and s/he'll come away
saying s/he doesn't want universal health care, because
Canada won't give him/her and his/her family every
conceivable snake oil product offered for a malady. The
person will not believe s/he's getting the best care in
Canada. "More is better" is a way of life in the U.S.

A cultural shift in attitude will be necessary, IMO. It will
take a generation or two.

 

I don't know the term, but a former neighbor who was president of the local
hospital at the time explained it pretty much that way, and it made a lot of
sense. He said health care at any particular standard costs a certain amount
to deliver. First in line is the gov't, which says you will deliver for the
amount we pay you or you won't do business at all. Next in line are the
large insurance carriers, like Blue Cross, which say you will deliver for
what we pay or you will be left in the cold. The remainder of the cost is
spread among the self-payers at many times the fair price, because the
others just won't pay. A while ago I had to appeal an emergency room visit
that had been denied... my cost was to be $1300 and BCBS eventually picked
it up for $300. That left the $1000 shortfall to end up on somebody else's
bill.

Mike

 

I don't know the term, but a former neighbor who was president of the local
hospital at the time explained it pretty much that way, and it made a lot of
sense. He said health care at any particular standard costs a certain amount
to deliver. First in line is the gov't, which says you will deliver for the
amount we pay you or you won't do business at all. Next in line are the
large insurance carriers, like Blue Cross, which say you will deliver for
what we pay or you will be left in the cold. The remainder of the cost is
spread among the self-payers at many times the fair price, because the
others just won't pay. A while ago I had to appeal an emergency room visit
that had been denied... my cost was to be $1300 and BCBS eventually picked
it up for $300. That left the $1000 shortfall to end up on somebody else's
bill.

Mike

 

It shouldn't be such a goddarned maze. A few weeks ago a
Harvard PhD, a multi-degreed engineer, and a doctor wrote
the NY Times each wrote letters saying they couldn't figure
out how to navigate the new Medicare drug benefit. Add my
father, also multi-degreed, an engineer, from one of those
high-falutin' schools who has mentioned twice in the last
six weeks that he is struggling mightily with it, as well.
If people as educated as this can't figure out how to get
the benefit, what about the roughly 80% of adults in the
U.S. who never even graduated from any college?

I have read that the uninsured are charged a higher fee
(around 30%) because collecting from them is harder. It's
revolting that different fees are charged for the same
service, but there is, in part, a limited method to the
madness.

Also, I hear health care services write off the shortfalls
as losses.

I hate to dismiss it as "a lot of funny money is floating
around," but the stories I'm reading in reputable
publications sure make it seem like there's little order in
the system. Bargaining over fees and haggling over what
exactly was prescribed given by hospitals seems common. If
one doesn't know the ins and outs, one is doomed, ISTM.

Throw in the NY Times piece recently on people with /good
health insurance/ who were driven into bankruptcy because
having to pay "only 10%" of a million dollars of medical
services is still a lot of money.

 

It shouldn't be such a goddarned maze. A few weeks ago a
Harvard PhD, a multi-degreed engineer, and a doctor wrote
the NY Times each wrote letters saying they couldn't figure
out how to navigate the new Medicare drug benefit. Add my
father, also multi-degreed, an engineer, from one of those
high-falutin' schools who has mentioned twice in the last
six weeks that he is struggling mightily with it, as well.
If people as educated as this can't figure out how to get
the benefit, what about the roughly 80% of adults in the
U.S. who never even graduated from any college?

I have read that the uninsured are charged a higher fee
(around 30%) because collecting from them is harder. It's
revolting that different fees are charged for the same
service, but there is, in part, a limited method to the
madness.

Also, I hear health care services write off the shortfalls
as losses.

I hate to dismiss it as "a lot of funny money is floating
around," but the stories I'm reading in reputable
publications sure make it seem like there's little order in
the system. Bargaining over fees and haggling over what
exactly was prescribed given by hospitals seems common. If
one doesn't know the ins and outs, one is doomed, ISTM.

Throw in the NY Times piece recently on people with /good
health insurance/ who were driven into bankruptcy because
having to pay "only 10%" of a million dollars of medical
services is still a lot of money.

 

which sounds pretty damn good. all our elected representatives get free
health care off our dime, while a lot of people that pay taxes have no
healthcare at all.

if the govt can negotiate for 300+ million people, they should get a
better deal than my employer! and in that case, id give up my
*excellent* healthcare coverage for something mediocre if my employer
wont have to deal with that burden.

or not. you likely didnt even receive $300 worth of service.

 

which sounds pretty damn good. all our elected representatives get free
health care off our dime, while a lot of people that pay taxes have no
healthcare at all.

if the govt can negotiate for 300+ million people, they should get a
better deal than my employer! and in that case, id give up my
*excellent* healthcare coverage for something mediocre if my employer
wont have to deal with that burden.

or not. you likely didnt even receive $300 worth of service.

 

to bring this back to hondas...

the above reminds me that for every smart internet shopper that gets a
good deal through costco, sams, AAA, etc

there are several that get ripped off, pay "added dealer markup", etc.

 

to bring this back to hondas...

the above reminds me that for every smart internet shopper that gets a
good deal through costco, sams, AAA, etc

there are several that get ripped off, pay "added dealer markup", etc.

 

The only health care plan our elected representatives deserve is the
Soylent Green plan. Fire up the furnaces.

 

The only health care plan our elected representatives deserve is the
Soylent Green plan. Fire up the furnaces.

 

markup", etc.

I'm not sure that's a fair comparison. It seems to me that
hospitals will not generally haggle over costs with
individuals without health insurance.

I guess that's incentive to at least have catastrophic
health insurance. Even though one may be well below the
(usually several thousand dollars) deductible for, say, a
hospital visit, one is obtaining the discounted rates that
one's insurance company has previously negotiated with the
hospital.

So if one wants the discount, one is sort of forced into
dealing with insurance companies. But then by being insured
one is forced into subsidizing a lot of people who aren't
careful with their health. Because of the way the
insurance-health care system (monopoly? ponzi scheme?) is
set up, there's little incentive for them to refuse
unnecessary medical services. Hence doctors may prescribe
away, lining their wallets and bringing income to hospitals,
and promoting the "more is better" mentality while
simultaneously claiming it's necessary because they'll be
sued for malpractice if anything goes wrong. Meanwhile, the
added cost is passed along to those who work to stay healthy
and not abuse the insurance system.

I know buying insurance is about buying peace of mind. One
should not expect to ever get back what one pays. Just seems
that in the last 15 years or so, too many expect to get back
from their premiums what they paid and then some, by
excessive use of medical services that benefits them not at
all.

Of course, with uninsured individuals in need of significant
health care services, at some point Medicaid will kick in.
But that also pushes up costs for everone else. Plus, by the
time such people finally get to the hospital, a malady that
might have been easily cured a year ago has exploded into a
very expensive proposition.

Seems to me a Universal Health Care system would solve a lot
of these problems. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would stop
this persistent spiralling of costs that, as I suggest
above, seems more and more like a Ponzi scheme every year.