ude! On Fri, 26 Nov 2021 17:47:45 +1100, Noddy <me@home.com> wrote:

>On 26/11/2021 11:35 am, Peter Jason wrote:
>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> If I have a heart attack I will be most pissed off (or my dependents
>>>>> will be) if I can't get into the ICU because it's full of anti-vaxxers
>>>>> gasping for breath.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> there aren't many unvaccinated ppl now
>>>
>>> Over 70% of people in ICU because of COVID are unvaccinated.
>>
>> The true horror is how the wards are filling up, leaving little space
>> for we fully insured people.
>
>Jesus you talk some utter *crap* :)
>
>If you're "fully insured", then go to a private hospital, and leave the
>public system for those who need it.
>
>For fuck's sake.....
Yawnnnnnnn! The Noddy-body is all riled up.

Noddy wrote:
>
>Having private health insurance simply means that you don't have to
>spend years waiting on a list, but the price you pay for that is the gap
>in your cover. It can be large or small depending on who your surgeon is.
>
>I had a shoulder reconstruction a couple of years ago after I suffered a
>full thickness rotator cuff tear. Having private health insurance meant
>that I was on the operating table three days after doing it, and because
>my surgeon is a really cool guy who doesn't charge any gap fee my only
>out of pocket expenses was a 350 buck bill for the anesthetist.

Plenty of surgeons only charge the scheduled fee, even in regional
parts, but you tend to get what you pay for (which isn't to imply
they're incompetent). I had a hip replaced by a South African trained
orthopaedic surgeon a few years back and only paid for the
anaesthetist. SA training is rated among the worlds best but this guy
was also an extreme racist; the nurses hated him and tended to take it
out on his patients, me included.

Also had skin cancers excised on a couple of occasions with no fee.
Surgeon is openly gay (which doesn't bother me) and has had at least
one brush with the cops who suspected him of making pornographic
movies with underage boys (as told to me by a local homophobe... er
cop). Consequently a lot of folk won't go near him, some of whom
attacked him on facebook not long ago. He's now moved to another
location, probably in the hope his reputation doesn't precede him. He
did a brilliant job on my skin cancers first time around with no
visible scars, not quite so good the second time. Wife recently had
one removed,for a nominal fee, by the Flying Skin Cancer Doctor (part
of the RFDS) and they botched it according to her (she even has the
scar to prove it).

>If I went through the public system I'd probably still be waiting.

And get butchered when your turn finally comes (which is pretty
standard in Q). At least three regional public hospitals are
currently under investigation over various issues.

--
John H

Noddy wrote:
>On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>
>>  Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and 6 mths
>> wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>
>9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)

Except it's not covered by private health insurance and can cost
heaps! You also get plenty of advance warning if you see an
optometrist regularly.

>>    If the procedure you are waiting for involves a group, they arrange
>> to er, do a dozen or so on the same day. (three chairs, no waiting. :))
>> The same for routine precautionary procedures. (colonoscopy, gastroscopy
>> etc. Four polyps removed this time, and a hiatal hernia discovered,
>> which answered a few questions, but it can stay where it is.)
>>
>>  The public system in my neck of the woods is excellent.
>
>The waiting list time depends on many things, not the least of which is
>how "urgent" the doctor considers your procedure to be. You waited 9
>months which I think is a fairly long time to wait for a procedure, but
>it clearly didn't bother you that badly. I would have been completely
>fucked waiting for that long to have my shoulder repaired, as while it
>was incredibly painful and severely limited my arm movement it wasn't
>considered urgent. It was to *me*, and I didn't want to wait which is
>why I was happy to go private.

I elected to have both mine done privately as soon as I noticed
distance vision falling off even though the optometrist said I was
still good for a few years before it would become urgent. Out of
pocket was $3k. Distance vision is now perfect and I can almost read
the bottom line of an eye chart (without specs). :)

--
John H

On 27/11/21 1:15 am, Clocky wrote:
> On 26/11/2021 3:02 pm, Noddy wrote:
>> On 26/11/2021 4:35 pm, jonz wrote:
>>> On 11/26/2021 2:58 PM, Daryl wrote:
>>
>>>>>> BTW what does "we fully insured people" mean?
>>>>>
>>>>> People with comprehensive medical insurance.
>>>>>
>>>> The reason I asked is because I think health insurance is a bit of a
>>>> scam, I know several people who have top health insurance cover yet
>>>> they still had to pay thousands of dollars after hospital stays and
>>>> surgery.
>>>
>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>
>>>   Yep, the *Gap*. *Bit of* a scam?. :)))
>>
>> It is a bit, but it's the price you pay for priority service.
>>
>> If you need emergency treatment, such as needing to be admitted to ICU
>> due to Covid complications for example, then whether you have health
>> insurance or not makes no difference as you don't pay for emergency
>> treatment in public hospitals if you hold a medicare card.
>>
>> However, if you have a non life threatening complaint then it can be
>> an entirely different ballgame.
>>
>> You can still get free treatment for non life threatening procedures,
>> but you have to go on the waiting list and depending on how bad you
>> are and what you need you can be on the list for *years*. Your place
>> on the list is not a reserved position in the queue, and you can be
>> continually "bumped" as more priority patients are moved ahead of you.
>>
>> Having private health insurance simply means that you don't have to
>> spend years waiting on a list, but the price you pay for that is the
>> gap in your cover. It can be large or small depending on who your
>> surgeon is.
>>
>> I had a shoulder reconstruction a couple of years ago after I suffered
>> a full thickness rotator cuff tear. Having private health insurance
>> meant that I was on the operating table three days after doing it, and
>> because my surgeon is a really cool guy who doesn't charge any gap fee
>
> That's not typical at all and quite frankly it sounds like complete
> bullshit.
>
Well, it was Darren mentioning it - so there's that! ;-)

--
Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 27/11/21 8:39 am, Peter Jason wrote:
> ude! On Fri, 26 Nov 2021 17:47:45 +1100, Noddy <me@home.com> wrote:
>
>> On 26/11/2021 11:35 am, Peter Jason wrote:
>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> If I have a heart attack I will be most pissed off (or my dependents
>>>>>> will be) if I can't get into the ICU because it's full of anti-vaxxers
>>>>>> gasping for breath.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> there aren't many unvaccinated ppl now
>>>>
>>>> Over 70% of people in ICU because of COVID are unvaccinated.
>>>
>>> The true horror is how the wards are filling up, leaving little space
>>> for we fully insured people.
>>
>> Jesus you talk some utter *crap* :)
>>
>> If you're "fully insured", then go to a private hospital, and leave the
>> public system for those who need it.
>>
>> For fuck's sake.....
> Yawnnnnnnn! The Noddy-body is all riled up.
>
Easy to rile him up. All you need do is point out his lies and he makes
that incredibly easy since *anything* he utters is a lie or a distortion
of fact. For instance, he loves to *insert himself* into stories he
hears/reads, then relate them here as if he is some kind of here. That's
narcissism writ large right there!

--
Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 27/11/21 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
> Noddy wrote:
>>
>> Having private health insurance simply means that you don't have to
>> spend years waiting on a list, but the price you pay for that is the gap
>> in your cover. It can be large or small depending on who your surgeon is.
>>
>> I had a shoulder reconstruction a couple of years ago after I suffered a
>> full thickness rotator cuff tear. Having private health insurance meant
>> that I was on the operating table three days after doing it, and because
>> my surgeon is a really cool guy who doesn't charge any gap fee my only
>> out of pocket expenses was a 350 buck bill for the anesthetist.
>
> Plenty of surgeons only charge the scheduled fee, even in regional
> parts, but you tend to get what you pay for (which isn't to imply
> they're incompetent). I had a hip replaced by a South African trained
> orthopaedic surgeon a few years back and only paid for the
> anaesthetist. SA training is rated among the worlds best but this guy
> was also an extreme racist; the nurses hated him and tended to take it
> out on his patients, me included.
>
> Also had skin cancers excised on a couple of occasions with no fee.
> Surgeon is openly gay (which doesn't bother me) and has had at least
> one brush with the cops who suspected him of making pornographic
> movies with underage boys (as told to me by a local homophobe... er
> cop). Consequently a lot of folk won't go near him, some of whom
> attacked him on facebook not long ago. He's now moved to another
> location, probably in the hope his reputation doesn't precede him. He
> did a brilliant job on my skin cancers first time around with no
> visible scars, not quite so good the second time. Wife recently had
> one removed,for a nominal fee, by the Flying Skin Cancer Doctor (part
> of the RFDS) and they botched it according to her (she even has the
> scar to prove it).
>
>> If I went through the public system I'd probably still be waiting.
>
> And get butchered when your turn finally comes (which is pretty
> standard in Q). At least three regional public hospitals are
> currently under investigation over various issues.
>
When I had to have a skin cancer removed my GP sent me to a plastic
surgeon rather than a general surgeon "because they won't care and you
will end up with a big ugly scar".
Its on my back so I can't see it but my wife says the scar is almost
invisible, if you didn't know where to look you wouldn't find it.

--
Daryl

On 27/11/2021 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
> Noddy wrote:
>> On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>>
>>>  Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and 6 mths
>>> wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>>
>> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)
>
> Except it's not covered by private health insurance and can cost
> heaps!

Since when? My mother developed cataracts in both her eyes and had both
done just before Covid, and they were both covered by her health insurance.

> You also get plenty of advance warning if you see an
> optometrist regularly.

You do.

>> The waiting list time depends on many things, not the least of which is
>> how "urgent" the doctor considers your procedure to be. You waited 9
>> months which I think is a fairly long time to wait for a procedure, but
>> it clearly didn't bother you that badly. I would have been completely
>> fucked waiting for that long to have my shoulder repaired, as while it
>> was incredibly painful and severely limited my arm movement it wasn't
>> considered urgent. It was to *me*, and I didn't want to wait which is
>> why I was happy to go private.
>
> I elected to have both mine done privately as soon as I noticed
> distance vision falling off even though the optometrist said I was
> still good for a few years before it would become urgent. Out of
> pocket was $3k. Distance vision is now perfect and I can almost read
> the bottom line of an eye chart (without specs). :)

You're doing well. At almost 60 I need glasses for most things now,
including distance vision, and it's not cataract related.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 27/11/2021 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
> Noddy wrote:
>>
>> Having private health insurance simply means that you don't have to
>> spend years waiting on a list, but the price you pay for that is the gap
>> in your cover. It can be large or small depending on who your surgeon is.
>>
>> I had a shoulder reconstruction a couple of years ago after I suffered a
>> full thickness rotator cuff tear. Having private health insurance meant
>> that I was on the operating table three days after doing it, and because
>> my surgeon is a really cool guy who doesn't charge any gap fee my only
>> out of pocket expenses was a 350 buck bill for the anesthetist.
>
> Plenty of surgeons only charge the scheduled fee, even in regional
> parts, but you tend to get what you pay for (which isn't to imply
> they're incompetent). I had a hip replaced by a South African trained
> orthopaedic surgeon a few years back and only paid for the
> anaesthetist. SA training is rated among the worlds best but this guy
> was also an extreme racist; the nurses hated him and tended to take it
> out on his patients, me included.

Nice.

The Ortho I see is in Ballarat, and he's one of the nicest blokes you
could ever hope to meet. He's a local and one of these blokes who has a
strong sense of community and donates heavily to many different local
projects. He's also of the belief that he makes a decent enough living
off the scheduled fees and doesn't need to rip shit out of his patients
which is not something I can say about every surgeon I've ever met.

His anesthetist at the time I had the shoulder reconstruction was
something else though. While I was laying on the trolley in my robe
waiting to go in and be cut up he came in for the pre-op inspection and
questioning and started telling me all about what can go wrong during an
anesthetic. Every second phrase that came out of his mouth was "this
could happen and you could die", which was made all the more sinister by
the fact that he said it with a glint in his eye and a heavy German accent.

Shortly after when the surgeon came in for a quick hello just before
going into the theatre I mentioned it to him and he's obviously had
similar feedback before as his exactly words were "Jesus, he's *such* a
fucking German" :) I pissed myself :)

Unfortunately I've seen more than my fair share of surgeons over the
years, but I'm *very* happy with this guy. He'll be doing my next hip
replacement which was overdue about 10 years ago.

> Also had skin cancers excised on a couple of occasions with no fee.
> Surgeon is openly gay (which doesn't bother me) and has had at least
> one brush with the cops who suspected him of making pornographic
> movies with underage boys (as told to me by a local homophobe... er
> cop). Consequently a lot of folk won't go near him, some of whom
> attacked him on facebook not long ago. He's now moved to another
> location, probably in the hope his reputation doesn't precede him. He
> did a brilliant job on my skin cancers first time around with no
> visible scars, not quite so good the second time. Wife recently had
> one removed,for a nominal fee, by the Flying Skin Cancer Doctor (part
> of the RFDS) and they botched it according to her (she even has the
> scar to prove it).

Nasty.

>> If I went through the public system I'd probably still be waiting.
>
> And get butchered when your turn finally comes (which is pretty
> standard in Q). At least three regional public hospitals are
> currently under investigation over various issues.

I don't think it's much better down here. I went public with a few
colonoscopies here a few years ago before finding a local private
surgeon I liked, and the fuckwits at Sunshine hospital lost all my
records with all me previous history gone forever. The surgeon who would
do the initial consultation and book you in was never the one who would
do the procedure on the day, and the whole thing was just a massive fuck up.

Went private after the last one when I cracked the shits about dealing
with people who didn't even know why I was there and never had a problem
since. Not only do I have the procedure done at my local hospital which
is 8 minutes drive from home (which is crucially important after a
massive bowel prep :), but the surgeon is great and extremely thorough.

In my opinion the public system is okay for emergencies, but for
anything else Private is the only way to go.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 27/11/2021 10:00 am, Daryl wrote:
> On 27/11/21 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
>> Noddy wrote:

>> Also had skin cancers excised on a couple of occasions with no fee.
>> Surgeon is openly gay (which doesn't bother me) and has had at least
>> one brush with the cops who suspected him of making pornographic
>> movies with underage boys (as told to me by a local homophobe... er
>> cop).  Consequently a lot of folk won't go near him, some of whom
>> attacked him on facebook not long ago.  He's now moved to another
>> location, probably in the hope his reputation doesn't precede him.  He
>> did a brilliant job on my skin cancers first time around with no
>> visible scars, not quite so good the second time.  Wife recently had
>> one removed,for a nominal fee, by the Flying Skin Cancer Doctor (part
>> of the RFDS) and they botched it according to her (she even has the
>> scar to prove it).
>>
>>> If I went through the public system I'd probably still be waiting.
>>
>> And get butchered when your turn finally comes (which is pretty
>> standard in Q).  At least three regional public hospitals are
>> currently under investigation over various issues.
>>
> When I had to have a skin cancer removed my GP sent me to a plastic
> surgeon rather than a general surgeon "because they won't care and you
> will end up with a big ugly scar".
> Its on my back so I can't see it but my wife says the scar is almost
> invisible, if you didn't know where to look you wouldn't find it.

Funny you mention that.

I had both my carpal tunnels done some years ago, and about 3 years
apart from each other. A plastic surgeon did the first one, and a
general surgeon did the second. The Plastic did it by keyhole surgery
leaving only a small barely noticeable little "x" in the meat of the
palm, and another at the base of it. Extremely neat and tidy, and the
recovery time was a matter of a few days before I could use my hand
properly.

The general surgeon was completely different. He made a large open cut
of about 40mm right through the middle of the palm, and while the scar
isn't huge the recovery time took *forever*. It was a *much* more
invasive wound and compared to the other hand it hurt like hell for some
time.

I was advised about this before hand during the pre-surgery
consultation, but unfortunately the plastic surgeon who did the first
one was no longer going it and I figured that the general surgeon was
probably talking it up a little bit just to cover all bases.

But he wasn't. The cunt :)

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 27/11/2021 8:39 am, Peter Jason wrote:
> ude! On Fri, 26 Nov 2021 17:47:45 +1100, Noddy <me@home.com> wrote:

>> If you're "fully insured", then go to a private hospital, and leave the
>> public system for those who need it.
>>
>> For fuck's sake.....
> Yawnnnnnnn! The Noddy-body is all riled up.

Trust me here pal. You have not got a *hope*...

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 27/11/21 11:21 am, Noddy wrote:
> On 27/11/2021 8:39 am, Peter Jason wrote:
>> ude! On Fri, 26 Nov 2021 17:47:45 +1100, Noddy <me@home.com> wrote:
>
>>> If you're "fully insured", then go to a private hospital, and leave the
>>> public system for those who need it.
>>>
>>> For fuck's sake.....
>> Yawnnnnnnn! The Noddy-body is all riled up.
>
> Trust me here pal. You have not got a *hope*...
>
No hope putting any trust in you? Yep, that'd be a given! LOL

--
Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Noddy wrote:
>On 27/11/2021 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
>> Noddy wrote:
>>> On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>>>
>>>>  Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and 6 mths
>>>> wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>>>
>>> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)
>>
>> Except it's not covered by private health insurance and can cost
>> heaps!
>
>Since when? My mother developed cataracts in both her eyes and had both
>done just before Covid, and they were both covered by her health insurance.

Since ever! Private health insurance only covers hospital charges.
Medicare covers the scheduled fee for surgery. If the opthalmologist
who does the job charges more than the scheduled fee you pay he
difference.

>> You also get plenty of advance warning if you see an
>> optometrist regularly.
>
>You do.
>
>>> The waiting list time depends on many things, not the least of which is
>>> how "urgent" the doctor considers your procedure to be. You waited 9
>>> months which I think is a fairly long time to wait for a procedure, but
>>> it clearly didn't bother you that badly. I would have been completely
>>> fucked waiting for that long to have my shoulder repaired, as while it
>>> was incredibly painful and severely limited my arm movement it wasn't
>>> considered urgent. It was to *me*, and I didn't want to wait which is
>>> why I was happy to go private.
>>
>> I elected to have both mine done privately as soon as I noticed
>> distance vision falling off even though the optometrist said I was
>> still good for a few years before it would become urgent. Out of
>> pocket was $3k. Distance vision is now perfect and I can almost read
>> the bottom line of an eye chart (without specs). :)
>
>You're doing well. At almost 60 I need glasses for most things now,
>including distance vision, and it's not cataract related.

No but when they remove the cataracts they also replace the lenses in
your eyes which corrects your distance vision (I thought it was
standard practice but it may not be) so you shouldn't need specs if
they get it right. Might also be why mine cost $3k. :)

--
John H

On 11/26/2021 11:18 PM, Noddy wrote:
> On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>> On 11/26/2021 6:02 PM, Noddy wrote:
>
>>>
>>> I had a shoulder reconstruction a couple of years ago after I
>>> suffered a full thickness rotator cuff tear. Having private health
>>> insurance meant that I was on the operating table three days after
>>> doing it, and because my surgeon is a really cool guy who doesn't
>>> charge any gap fee my only out of pocket expenses was a 350 buck
>>> bill for the anesthetist.
>>>
>>> If I went through the public system I'd probably still be waiting.
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>>   Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and 6
>> mths wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>
> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I had worn specs. (distance) since I was a young teen. I have an eye
check yearly, and when the first one was found the optometrist opted to
wait `till it got worse. (couple of years) By then i`d developed one in
my left eye. So it was back on the list.

    After the second  one my vision had improved markedly (Tho not
quite 20/20) so was able to ditch the specs.(and get rid of the licence
endorsement) Only setback was that I became long sighted, and now need
readers. Small price :).

 The wait was never a problem.

>
>>     If the procedure you are waiting for involves a group, they
>> arrange to er, do a dozen or so on the same day. (three chairs, no
>> waiting. :)) The same for routine precautionary procedures.
>> (colonoscopy, gastroscopy etc. Four polyps removed this time, and a
>> hiatal hernia discovered, which answered a few questions, but it can
>> stay where it is.)
>>
>>   The public system in my neck of the woods is excellent.
>
> The waiting list time depends on many things, not the least of which
> is how "urgent" the doctor considers your procedure to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 As above.

> You waited 9 months which I think is a fairly long time to wait for a
> procedure, but it clearly didn't bother you that badly. I would have
> been completely fucked waiting for that long to have my shoulder
> repaired, as while it was incredibly painful and severely limited my
> arm movement it wasn't considered urgent. It was to *me*, and I didn't
> want to wait which is why I was happy to go private.
>
>
>
>

--
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea. Massive,
difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of
mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." — Gene
Spafford, 1992

On 11/27/2021 9:18 AM, John_H wrote:
> Noddy wrote:
>> On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>>
>>>  Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and 6 mths
>>> wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)
> Except it's not covered by private health insurance and can cost
> heaps! You also get plenty of advance warning if you see an
> optometrist regularly.
>
>>>    If the procedure you are waiting for involves a group, they arrange
>>> to er, do a dozen or so on the same day. (three chairs, no waiting. :))
>>> The same for routine precautionary procedures. (colonoscopy, gastroscopy
>>> etc. Four polyps removed this time, and a hiatal hernia discovered,
>>> which answered a few questions, but it can stay where it is.)
>>>
>>>  The public system in my neck of the woods is excellent.
>> The waiting list time depends on many things, not the least of which is
>> how "urgent" the doctor considers your procedure to be. You waited 9
>> months which I think is a fairly long time to wait for a procedure, but
>> it clearly didn't bother you that badly. I would have been completely
>> fucked waiting for that long to have my shoulder repaired, as while it
>> was incredibly painful and severely limited my arm movement it wasn't
>> considered urgent. It was to *me*, and I didn't want to wait which is
>> why I was happy to go private.
> I elected to have both mine done privately as soon as I noticed
> distance vision falling off even though the optometrist said I was
> still good for a few years before it would become urgent. Out of
> pocket was $3k. Distance vision is now perfect and I can almost read
> the bottom line of an eye chart (without specs). :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I`m not quite there. :)

--
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea. Massive,
difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of
mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." — Gene
Spafford, 1992

On 27/11/2021 6:18 am, John_H wrote:
> Noddy wrote:
>>
>> Having private health insurance simply means that you don't have to
>> spend years waiting on a list, but the price you pay for that is the gap
>> in your cover. It can be large or small depending on who your surgeon is.
>>
>> I had a shoulder reconstruction a couple of years ago after I suffered a
>> full thickness rotator cuff tear. Having private health insurance meant
>> that I was on the operating table three days after doing it, and because
>> my surgeon is a really cool guy who doesn't charge any gap fee my only
>> out of pocket expenses was a 350 buck bill for the anesthetist.
>
> Plenty of surgeons only charge the scheduled fee, even in regional
> parts, but you tend to get what you pay for (which isn't to imply
> they're incompetent). I had a hip replaced by a South African trained
> orthopaedic surgeon a few years back and only paid for the
> anaesthetist. SA training is rated among the worlds best but this guy
> was also an extreme racist; the nurses hated him and tended to take it
> out on his patients, me included.
>
> Also had skin cancers excised on a couple of occasions with no fee.
> Surgeon is openly gay (which doesn't bother me) and has had at least
> one brush with the cops who suspected him of making pornographic
> movies with underage boys (as told to me by a local homophobe... er
> cop). Consequently a lot of folk won't go near him, some of whom
> attacked him on facebook not long ago. He's now moved to another
> location, probably in the hope his reputation doesn't precede him. He
> did a brilliant job on my skin cancers first time around with no
> visible scars, not quite so good the second time. Wife recently had
> one removed,for a nominal fee, by the Flying Skin Cancer Doctor (part
> of the RFDS) and they botched it according to her (she even has the
> scar to prove it).
>
>> If I went through the public system I'd probably still be waiting.
>
> And get butchered when your turn finally comes (which is pretty
> standard in Q). At least three regional public hospitals are
> currently under investigation over various issues.
>

I've just been to a funeral of someone who went private for a procedure
that the public system warned would kill him - and it did - on the table.

So fuck private health care.

On 11/27/2021 1:16 AM, Clocky wrote:
> On 26/11/2021 11:05 am, Peter Jason wrote:
>> On Fri, 26 Nov 2021 12:13:18 +1100, Daryl <dwalford@westpine.com.au>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 26/11/21 11:35 am, Peter Jason wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If I have a heart attack I will be most pissed off (or my
>>>>>>> dependents
>>>>>>> will be) if I can't get into the ICU because it's full of
>>>>>>> anti-vaxxers
>>>>>>> gasping for breath.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> there aren't many unvaccinated ppl now
>>>>>
>>>>> Over 70% of people in ICU because of COVID are unvaccinated.
>>>>
>>>> The true horror is how the wards are filling up, leaving little space
>>>> for we fully insured people.
>>>>
>>> https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/victorian-coronavirus-covid-19-data
>>> In Vic the number of active cases peaked about a month ago at approx
>>> 24,000, since then the number of active cases is about half of the peak
>>> at approx 10,000 so the wards are actually emptying and there is plenty
>>> of capacity to cater for non covid cases.
>>
>>
>>> BTW what does "we fully insured people" mean?
>>
>> People with comprehensive medical insurance.
>>
>
>
> Who end up with a bill for thousands even with comprehensive cover.
>
> It's a scam.

~~~~~~~~~~

 Agreed.

--
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea. Massive,
difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of
mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." — Gene
Spafford, 1992

On Sat, 27 Nov 2021 10:41:49 +1000, John_H <john4271@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Noddy wrote:
>>On 27/11/2021 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
>>> Noddy wrote:
>>>> On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>  Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and 6 mths
>>>>> wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>>>>
>>>> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)
>>>
>>> Except it's not covered by private health insurance and can cost
>>> heaps!
>>
>>Since when? My mother developed cataracts in both her eyes and had both
>>done just before Covid, and they were both covered by her health insurance.
>
>Since ever! Private health insurance only covers hospital charges.
>Medicare covers the scheduled fee for surgery. If the opthalmologist
>who does the job charges more than the scheduled fee you pay he
>difference.
>
>>> You also get plenty of advance warning if you see an
>>> optometrist regularly.
>>
>>You do.
>>
>>>> The waiting list time depends on many things, not the least of which is
>>>> how "urgent" the doctor considers your procedure to be. You waited 9
>>>> months which I think is a fairly long time to wait for a procedure, but
>>>> it clearly didn't bother you that badly. I would have been completely
>>>> fucked waiting for that long to have my shoulder repaired, as while it
>>>> was incredibly painful and severely limited my arm movement it wasn't
>>>> considered urgent. It was to *me*, and I didn't want to wait which is
>>>> why I was happy to go private.
>>>
>>> I elected to have both mine done privately as soon as I noticed
>>> distance vision falling off even though the optometrist said I was
>>> still good for a few years before it would become urgent. Out of
>>> pocket was $3k. Distance vision is now perfect and I can almost read
>>> the bottom line of an eye chart (without specs). :)
>>
>>You're doing well. At almost 60 I need glasses for most things now,
>>including distance vision, and it's not cataract related.
>
>No but when they remove the cataracts they also replace the lenses in
>your eyes which corrects your distance vision (I thought it was
>standard practice but it may not be) so you shouldn't need specs if
>they get it right. Might also be why mine cost $3k. :)

Some of my older customers have had this done and swear they can now
see without any glasses at all. Is it true the operation involves
having one eye set for close up and the other for distance? The brain
is supposed to accommodate this arrangement. I'm suspicious.

On 27/11/2021 11:41 am, John_H wrote:
> Noddy wrote:
>> On 27/11/2021 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
>>> Noddy wrote:
>>>> On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>  Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and 6 mths
>>>>> wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>>>>
>>>> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)
>>>
>>> Except it's not covered by private health insurance and can cost
>>> heaps!
>>
>> Since when? My mother developed cataracts in both her eyes and had both
>> done just before Covid, and they were both covered by her health insurance.
>
> Since ever! Private health insurance only covers hospital charges.
> Medicare covers the scheduled fee for surgery. If the opthalmologist
> who does the job charges more than the scheduled fee you pay he
> difference.

I'll have to ask her what cover she has, but I remember her saying her
out of pocket expenses were zip. Pretty sure the procedure was done at
her local hospital.

>>> I elected to have both mine done privately as soon as I noticed
>>> distance vision falling off even though the optometrist said I was
>>> still good for a few years before it would become urgent. Out of
>>> pocket was $3k. Distance vision is now perfect and I can almost read
>>> the bottom line of an eye chart (without specs). :)
>>
>> You're doing well. At almost 60 I need glasses for most things now,
>> including distance vision, and it's not cataract related.
>
> No but when they remove the cataracts they also replace the lenses in
> your eyes which corrects your distance vision (I thought it was
> standard practice but it may not be) so you shouldn't need specs if
> they get it right. Might also be why mine cost $3k. :)

Never had it done, so I can't tell you. I remember inquiring about Laser
surgery once as I *hate* having to wear glasses, but apparently my type
of degenerative change means I can't have that done either.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 27/11/2021 11:47 am, jonz wrote:
> On 11/26/2021 11:18 PM, Noddy wrote:

>>
>> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>  I had worn specs. (distance) since I was a young teen. I have an eye
> check yearly, and when the first one was found the optometrist opted to
> wait `till it got worse. (couple of years) By then i`d developed one in
> my left eye. So it was back on the list.
>
>     After the second  one my vision had improved markedly (Tho not
> quite 20/20) so was able to ditch the specs.(and get rid of the licence
> endorsement) Only setback was that I became long sighted, and now need
> readers. Small price :).
>
>  The wait was never a problem.

Fair enough.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On 27/11/21 11:56 am, Clocky wrote:
> On 27/11/2021 6:18 am, John_H wrote:
>> Noddy wrote:
>>>
>>> Having private health insurance simply means that you don't have to
>>> spend years waiting on a list, but the price you pay for that is the gap
>>> in your cover. It can be large or small depending on who your surgeon
>>> is.
>>>
>>> I had a shoulder reconstruction a couple of years ago after I suffered a
>>> full thickness rotator cuff tear. Having private health insurance meant
>>> that I was on the operating table three days after doing it, and because
>>> my surgeon is a really cool guy who doesn't charge any gap fee my only
>>> out of pocket expenses was a 350 buck bill for the anesthetist.
>>
>> Plenty of surgeons only charge the scheduled fee, even in regional
>> parts, but you tend to get what you pay for (which isn't to imply
>> they're incompetent).  I had a hip replaced by a South African trained
>> orthopaedic surgeon a few years back and only paid for the
>> anaesthetist.  SA training is rated among the worlds best but this guy
>> was also an extreme racist; the nurses hated him and tended to take it
>> out on his patients, me included.
>>
>> Also had skin cancers excised on a couple of occasions with no fee.
>> Surgeon is openly gay (which doesn't bother me) and has had at least
>> one brush with the cops who suspected him of making pornographic
>> movies with underage boys (as told to me by a local homophobe... er
>> cop).  Consequently a lot of folk won't go near him, some of whom
>> attacked him on facebook not long ago.  He's now moved to another
>> location, probably in the hope his reputation doesn't precede him.  He
>> did a brilliant job on my skin cancers first time around with no
>> visible scars, not quite so good the second time.  Wife recently had
>> one removed,for a nominal fee, by the Flying Skin Cancer Doctor (part
>> of the RFDS) and they botched it according to her (she even has the
>> scar to prove it).
>>
>>> If I went through the public system I'd probably still be waiting.
>>
>> And get butchered when your turn finally comes (which is pretty
>> standard in Q).  At least three regional public hospitals are
>> currently under investigation over various issues.
>>
>
>
> I've just been to a funeral of someone who went private for a procedure
> that the public system warned would kill him - and it did - on the table.
>
> So fuck private health care.
>
It is well known that the *best equipped* hospitals in Australia are
those in the *public system*.

--
Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 27/11/2021 11:58 am, jonz wrote:
> On 11/27/2021 1:16 AM, Clocky wrote:

>>>> BTW what does "we fully insured people" mean?
>>>
>>> People with comprehensive medical insurance.
>>>
>>
>>
>> Who end up with a bill for thousands even with comprehensive cover.
>>
>> It's a scam.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~
>
>  Agreed.

Calling it a "scam" is daydreaming. It's no different to any other type
of insurance, and generally the idiots who get caught out by it are
those who are too stupid to make themselves aware of exactly what
they're covered for.

It can be expensive, certainly, but it has benefits.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.

On Sat, 27 Nov 2021 11:21:13 +1100, Noddy <me@home.com> wrote:

>On 27/11/2021 8:39 am, Peter Jason wrote:
>> ude! On Fri, 26 Nov 2021 17:47:45 +1100, Noddy <me@home.com> wrote:
>
>>> If you're "fully insured", then go to a private hospital, and leave the
>>> public system for those who need it.
>>>
>>> For fuck's sake.....
>> Yawnnnnnnn! The Noddy-body is all riled up.
>
>Trust me here pal. You have not got a *hope*...

I'm sick of your cheap jibes and I've told mummy all about you.
She's mighty pissed. She has a face likely to turn Medusa's to stone
and a disposition to make Jacqui Lambie's seem like that of a dead
mouse.

This might be a good time to start t-t-t-trembling!

On 27/11/21 12:04 pm, Peter Jason wrote:
> On Sat, 27 Nov 2021 10:41:49 +1000, John_H <john4271@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Noddy wrote:
>>> On 27/11/2021 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
>>>> Noddy wrote:
>>>>> On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>  Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and 6 mths
>>>>>> wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>>>>>
>>>>> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)
>>>>
>>>> Except it's not covered by private health insurance and can cost
>>>> heaps!
>>>
>>> Since when? My mother developed cataracts in both her eyes and had both
>>> done just before Covid, and they were both covered by her health insurance.
>>
>> Since ever! Private health insurance only covers hospital charges.
>> Medicare covers the scheduled fee for surgery. If the opthalmologist
>> who does the job charges more than the scheduled fee you pay he
>> difference.
>>
>>>> You also get plenty of advance warning if you see an
>>>> optometrist regularly.
>>>
>>> You do.
>>>
>>>>> The waiting list time depends on many things, not the least of which is
>>>>> how "urgent" the doctor considers your procedure to be. You waited 9
>>>>> months which I think is a fairly long time to wait for a procedure, but
>>>>> it clearly didn't bother you that badly. I would have been completely
>>>>> fucked waiting for that long to have my shoulder repaired, as while it
>>>>> was incredibly painful and severely limited my arm movement it wasn't
>>>>> considered urgent. It was to *me*, and I didn't want to wait which is
>>>>> why I was happy to go private.
>>>>
>>>> I elected to have both mine done privately as soon as I noticed
>>>> distance vision falling off even though the optometrist said I was
>>>> still good for a few years before it would become urgent. Out of
>>>> pocket was $3k. Distance vision is now perfect and I can almost read
>>>> the bottom line of an eye chart (without specs). :)
>>>
>>> You're doing well. At almost 60 I need glasses for most things now,
>>> including distance vision, and it's not cataract related.
>>
>> No but when they remove the cataracts they also replace the lenses in
>> your eyes which corrects your distance vision (I thought it was
>> standard practice but it may not be) so you shouldn't need specs if
>> they get it right. Might also be why mine cost $3k. :)
>
> Some of my older customers have had this done and swear they can now
> see without any glasses at all. Is it true the operation involves

That is the idea. More usual is you pick what focus you want, long or
close, and glasses take care of the alternative.

> having one eye set for close up and the other for distance? The brain
> is supposed to accommodate this arrangement. I'm suspicious.
>
I know of people who set their eyes up this way. One friend had his eyes
naturally like that. Personally, I would set my eyesight (new lenses)
for distance vision and use glasses for reading and close work. My
reasoning is that this is what I am used to so the wearing of glasses
does not faze me in the least.

--
Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 27/11/21 12:07 pm, Noddy wrote:
> On 27/11/2021 11:41 am, John_H wrote:
>> Noddy wrote:
>>> On 27/11/2021 9:18 am, John_H wrote:
>>>> Noddy wrote:
>>>>> On 26/11/2021 11:06 pm, jonz wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>     Ive had both cataracts fixed in the public system, 9 mths and
>>>>>> 6 mths
>>>>>> wait. no probs. Carry on as usual.
>>>>>
>>>>> 9 months is a fairly lengthy wait to have your eyesight tended to :)
>>>>
>>>> Except it's not covered by private health insurance and can cost
>>>> heaps!
>>>
>>> Since when? My mother developed cataracts in both her eyes and had both
>>> done just before Covid, and they were both covered by her health
>>> insurance.
>>
>> Since ever!  Private health insurance only covers hospital charges.
>> Medicare covers the scheduled fee for surgery.  If the opthalmologist
>> who does the job charges more than the scheduled fee you pay he
>> difference.
>
> I'll have to ask her what cover she has, but I remember her saying her
> out of pocket expenses were zip. Pretty sure the procedure was done at
> her local hospital.

You haven't a clue. First point of note - she is a *pensioner*.
>
>>>> I elected to have both mine done privately as soon as I noticed
>>>> distance vision falling off even though the optometrist said I was
>>>> still good for a few years before it would become urgent.  Out of
>>>> pocket was $3k.  Distance vision is now perfect and I can almost read
>>>> the bottom line of an eye chart (without specs). :)
>>>
>>> You're doing well. At almost 60 I need glasses for most things now,
>>> including distance vision, and it's not cataract related.
>>
>> No but when they remove the cataracts they also replace the lenses in
>> your eyes which corrects your distance vision (I thought it was
>> standard practice but it may not be) so you shouldn't need specs if
>> they get it right.  Might also be why mine cost $3k.  :)
>
> Never had it done, so I can't tell you. I remember inquiring about Laser
> surgery once as I *hate* having to wear glasses, but apparently my type
> of degenerative change means I can't have that done either.

There's a lot more about you that is degenerating, that much is certain.
The most obvious is your brain. No doubt this was *triggered* by your
ABI. HTH

--
Xeno

Nothing astonishes Noddy so much as common sense and plain dealing.
(with apologies to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

On 27/11/2021 12:11 pm, Peter Jason wrote:

> I'm sick of your cheap jibes and I've told mummy all about you.
> She's mighty pissed. She has a face likely to turn Medusa's to stone
> and a disposition to make Jacqui Lambie's seem like that of a dead
> mouse.
>
> This might be a good time to start t-t-t-trembling!

You are an absolute *fuckwit*.

--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.