From: tsmith+@cs.cmu.edu (Tom Smith)
Subject: Re: Clinton wants National ID card, aka USSR-style "Internal Passport"
Nntp-Posting-Host: seismo.soar.cs.cmu.edu
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Lines: 34

In article <1993Apr16.022926.27270@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> fcrary@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Frank Crary) writes:
>In article <C5JIF8.I4n@boi.hp.com> slack@boi.hp.com (David Slack) writes:
>>The idea of the card is bull in and of its self, but I'm curious to know, do 
>>they plan on making it a requirement to *always* have it on you, or is it 
>>only going to be required to be *presented* when trying to ge medical aid?
>
>This, at least, has already been determined: The Blue Cross medical
>coverage for all federal employees is a good model for a future
>national system. To get emergency medical care, anyone so insured
>must always carry their Blue Cross card. Before entering a hospital,
>you must notify Blue Cross, or they will refuse to pay your bills. 
>In an emergency, where you must be treated before notifying them, 
>you must inform them within 24 hours or (if you are unable to do
>so for medical reasons) the hospital must. Failing to do so within
>24 hours means they will not cover the hospitalization. In you need
>your card to notify them (and without the card, the hospital certainly
>wouldn't know they had to.) Therefore, you are required to carry
>the card at all times, or do without emergency medical coverage.
>
>                                                 Frank Crary
>                                                 CU Boulder
>
Which works fine until you end up in the hospital because you were hit on the
head and your wallet, with your insurance card, is stolen.  This happened to 
me, and it took six months to sort the mess out.  These sorts of plans sound
nice at first, but in the end they just create a lot of paperwork and
bureaucracy to deal with all the checking and filing they involve.

				Tom the non hacker
				tsmith@seismo.soar.cs.cmu.edu
				The return address is set wrong, send personal
				response to the above address.


