THE HIP-HOP LIFESTLYE (and medical insurance)
white_tea
3,262 Posts
So this J-Dilla post has got me thinking, once again, about musicans and medical insurance and other pricey life necessities. Do you think Jay Dee has insurance? If so, how? Does Stones Throw have some sort of H.M.O. plan? Do any smaller indepedent labels? And what about all you indie producers (when I say "indie," I mean you dudes making beats in your home and then selling them)? I know for instance that my dad is now self employed but my mom works a receptionist job just so the two of them can have insurance benefits. Sure my dad makes enough to support both of them, but she needs to keep her job just in case something serious happens. I remember listening to a segment on N.P.R. awhile back about a non-profit that provides old-school jazz musicians with medical benefits. Is there any such organization in the hip-hop world? Anyone care to enlighten me on this personal yet crucial topic?
Comments
Damn I'm glad I live in Canada. And can you believe they're still trying to privatize that shit?
imho
Have you ever had to go to the hospital before?
The shit still isn't free tho... ?
No, you just have to pay. They'll treat you regards but if you run up millions in debt that shit is on you to pay back.
Why don't I read you a bill I received today from the hospital. I just had ankle surgery. This is one bill,of many. The hospital stay and surgury space (not doctor fee). $32,246[/b] With insurance I only owe $1,259[/b] of that amount.
I get stomach medicine for acid reflux. Bottle of 30 name brand $160. With insurance. $20. I've gotten my money's worth this year, thank fuck.
For suckers? I don't think so. Fuck insurance industry though. I'm all for socialized medicine. I was uninsured for years & years. Not a good place to be.
that's what taxes are for.........rhinoplasty and the like comes out the pocket
A) don't be so sure he has paper (he may, he may not)
B)Don't be sure he's covered...you would be surprised what insurance won't cover (or will only cover a certain percentage then it's over)
In the US, you can get great medical care if you are
a)rich
b)so poor that medicaid will pay for everything (and now they are making the poor pay too)
the middle and lower-middle class gets royally SCREWED if you have long-term health issues (which will face all of us either personally or loved ones, likely both).
if it's gonna run into the millions, your lifes obviously in mortal danger.......give a fuck about the money, get better, file for bankruptcy.....
The only people that I know of that get free hospital coverage aside from Medicare/Medicaid/whatever are those that go to hospitals that get federal funding and are therefore required to treat people that have low incomes... which when I was at the hospital looked to be about $7,000 a year or under.
You have a different system to us then (australia), you want a nice single room overlooking the pond, get insured, you want to get fixed, no frills......you just show up. Obviously there's a queue, but they have to treat you......
They just passed a law that makes filing for bankruptcy a WHOLE lot harder, now they can even take away your house...and what pushes most people to this point?
Medical bills.
US system is broken down and running on fumes.
And I am posting from my second gig as patient intake at Children's Hospital in DC. 85% at least is medicaid, and 60% of those parents are employed (ie. they STILL can't make ends meet healthcare-wise). Their kids are covered but I bet most of the parents are ass-out when it comes to coverage.
I recently found out that my wife may have to have surgery and a treatment that could put her in the hospital for a month, and the first thing they told her is that most insurance won't cover it. And before you tell me that it must not be life-threatening then, the doctor assured her that it is something that must be attended to or it could have grave consequences. But that doesn't matter to the insurance company.
We still haven't heard anything else, and are persuing other coverage and options, but this shit is no joke.
You can easily run millions into debt just trying to keep somebody in reasonable health and there are limited avenues for a large majority of Americans.
fair point......and shit, I hope it all pans out for you
Yeah, me too...what sucks is that here we have the ability to work, save some money, try to play by the rules of the system, and it all can get screwed up by illness. And then the people you elect to PROTECT yer interests as a taxpayer screw you because the Credit Card companies and Banks tell them that too many people are "abusing" the bankruptcy laws and they can't turn a proper profit off us anymore.
I concur with your views on insurance for the most part, ESPECIALLY health insurance...and I would be in favor of a system MORE like yers and Canada. Shit, this is a PRIVATE hospital (meaning operated by a non-profit busuiness, not the city of DC) and the average wait time today in the ER was at least 3.5 hours. I saw some as long as 5 hours today. And the politicians wonder why poor and middle class people are so fucking pissed off and cynical. I love seeing wealthy folks come in here and have to wait. They literally cannot believe how an urban ER operates (no pun).
Indeed, the ER is not fun. Even HMO-run suburban ER's take hours at a time.
Let me re-phrase...I don't love seeing ANYONE come in here (no matter how unnecessary)...I do think that a lot of folks have no idea how an ER is run, and when they find out, it's always enlightening.
I have worked in the Urgent Care side of the ER at Children's now for almost 6 years, most of that on weekend nights. It was kinda weird at first(I started in the main ER and that can be a lot more crazy, both in terms of patients/parents and co-workers), but ultimately what I do(patient intake/collecting insurance info,demographics) is basically customer service/clerical. Our side of the ER is lower key, more like the clinic. It's not like I am stiching folks up or saving lives. It is a great 2nd job though, althou your BS tolerance has to be pretty high. People get pretty impatient and they like to put all the blame for the hospital's inadequacy on the clerks.
Ok. I see. But even in that type of ER, and just doing patient intake, there's just mad stress and emotions flying around. I'm a good dude, and I like helping people, and I'm pretty patient... but I dunno... I figure you'd get a lot of parents being upset with the wait times or whatever. Parents mad about their children's health is
On the flip though, it's gotta be nice to see people being helped out. There's always those few genuinely nice people that appreciate what you're doing and make it worth it.
but most rappers don't even got medical benefits
swearin' they sick, but prayin' they don't really get sick
so I made a choice to get a job with Personal Choice
So if this rap don't pan out, I won't be ass out
back out on the street rappin' for handouts
or lettin' them bullets blast out
so no matter what rapper's real with they raps
you can't get realer than that"
Phill Most The Soulman,"No Rap No Crap"
The Lo-Fi Theory lp
??2004 (and 2006?) World Of Beats Recordings LLC
The Lo-Fi Theory EP coming in early 2006 on Puma Strut / World Of Beats
COP THAT SCHITT!
COMING SOON!!!! I already posted a snippet of this on Soulstrut like a year and a half ago... it's finally getting a proper release. Bootlegs of the unreleased versions are floating around too
Whoa.
I like how you chose a Hip Hop Health Plan thread to drop that in.
I will indeed cop. Puma Strut has been putting out some decent shit lately.
Do they teach English in Medical School?