My insurance doesn't even pay for Lasik

Originally posted by quackquack
I don't think you are objecting to insurance paying for non-essential items (you'd be ok with insurance for a yacht). I think you are objecting to the government paying for your non-essential surgery. To me this is exactly why people should purchase their own insurance and they can decide what they do not want insured. Some people might object to lasik, others abortions, others sex change surgery, plastic surgery etc.

What insurance company in its right mind would offer the option of having elective surgery as an option for an individual policy?

If I plan on having plastic surgery, I'll pick up that coverage! Hey they have to cover it! I paid for it this year. Next year I'll drop that coverage.

In case anyone wants to know, this coverage will increase the cost to taxpayers by $32,000 next year. According to USA today
http://www.usatoday.com/NEWS/usaedition/2011-07-12-transgender-healthcare_ST_U.htm

Originally posted by Eladar
What insurance company in its right mind would offer the option of having elective surgery as an option for an individual policy?

If I plan on having plastic surgery, I'll pick up that coverage! Hey they have to cover it! I paid for it this year. Next year I'll drop that coverage.

If you get a cut on your face you might want plastic surgery instead of having a scar. The scar is not life threatening but insurance sometimes covers more than just life and death issues. Similarly, if your shoulder hurts, you can live with the pain or you might have elective surgery to heal your injury.

Originally posted by dryhump
Portland will be adding sex reassignment surgery to it's health coverage for city employees. Do you believe this is something taxpayers should pay for? If we adopted a single payer system, would sex reassignment surgery be covered? Do you consider such a surgery to be medically necessary?

No, no and no.

Originally posted by quackquack
If you get a cut on your face you might want plastic surgery instead of having a scar. The scar is not life threatening but insurance sometimes covers more than just life and death issues. Similarly, if your shoulder hurts, you can live with the pain or you might have elective surgery to heal your injury.

Insurance is there to take things back to how they used to be.

Pain can be a medical condition.

Disfigurement is a medical condition.

Usually I'd think insurance would cover these things.