I'm paying $1103 for mine on top of the $578 my former employer pays as part of my retirement benefits. And,had I instead put away $250 a month for the last decade, it still wouldn't come close to covering the bills that resulted from my heart bypass surgery. Health care costs are staggering.
Appleseed wrote: I have diabetes. Sorry, I'm just bitter.
Good to know. I had always assumed diabetics would be sweet but I guess if you are under-producing you would be bitter. Makes sense.
SVreX wrote: In reply to alfadriver: I applaud your well thought out posts, and appreciate your insightful input. It far exceeds the intellect of posts that have nothing to offer other than calling me a racist and ignorant. Thank you. I do not agree with your assessment, and won't go into a lot of detail, because I think it has been reasonably well covered. I would, however, add that my own professional experience during the tenure of this president has been the polar opposite of what you describe, and much of it can be blamed on bad policy. While your industry was being bailed out, mine (construction) was being flushed down the toilet. Policy decisions exhibited a fundamental lack of understanding, allowing the largest decline in history for a sector that provided an enormous percentage of well paying jobs to a huge number of people. There are higher wages in automotive jobs, but not more people employed. Construction represents a much bigger cross-section of the economy, and includes multiple strata of economic classes. All have been wiped out. I have left the industry I invested 35 years of my life in because it is no longer possible to earn a living wage, and will not be again in my working career. I know hundreds of people in a similar position. Family businesses have closed, talented professionals have left the industry, opportunity for job growth and advancement have vanished in every community in this country. 7 trillion dollars of net worth has been erased from the assets of American property owners, while the pockets of wealthy lenders and union shops have been lined with gold. There has never been a redistribution of wealth of the magnitude that has taken place during this administration, and it was vastly augmented by the policies of the administration. I simply have to disagree with your assessment. Your industry was not saved by President Obama. Mine was raped and robbed of it's value and self-sufficiency, and yours was rewarded for its bad decisions and falsely propped up.
This. Don't get me started on who received "stimulus" money. Hint: Unions vote Democrat.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:Appleseed wrote: I have diabetes. Sorry, I'm just bitter.Good to know. I had always assumed diabetics would be sweet but I guess if you are under-producing you would be bitter. Makes sense.
But I got an ass like molasses. 
fritzsch wrote: ^ insurance companies wish they could still drop people based on the conditions they develop
The fact that insurance companies are being "forced" to take on millions of new members makes up for it. Obviously, we make money for each and every one of those members. More members = more profit.
The fact that insurance companies are STILL against it should be setting off alarm bells in everyone's head.
ThePhranc wrote: What makes me happy is taking the $250 a month that I would have been paying to an insurance company and sticking it in a savings account where it makes itself more money. Having done that for over 10 years only taking out a few hundred over that time when I needed it has left me feeling pretty safe is a catastrophic event were to happen. I like the freedom of choice. Or at least I'll like it until obamcare forces that choice out of my hands by threat of asset confiscation, arrest and physical harm.
The logic isn't bad, Mad Machine's numbers are more on the dot though. On the big actuarial tables, populations pay in more to insurance than benefits paid out - over your life you should be better off saving the money. The thing is, catastrophic stuff doesn't run on your timetable. You might get lucky and be healthy long enough - saving at your rate gives you, what $40-50k over 10 years. Cancer, stroke, heart, major accident - the starting point is probably closer to $250k. Not long ago, people in cancer centers routinely hit their lifetime maximum coverage within a year or two...young couple with a new baby that gets sick...they may never earn enough in their lives to pay those bills.
While I think a single payer system is better than what we have (gasp), culturally, the U.S. is a long way from accepting it - if you have insurance, cancer patients spending 100k/month for things that prolong life maybe 3-4 months is just fine compared to someone else saying - "you know, that just isn't the best use of limited resources - maybe on the big picture we'd be better off spending a little to keep you comfortable till the end and the rest on other people we could actually cure." We're more of a what's in it for me culture than a take one for the team deal.
FWIW people scream about the possibility of having health care rationed - Good news people, no need to worry about that - it already is. Your insurance plan rations it, medicare, medicaid, tricare all ration it and for self-paying customers - your doc's office or hospital will ration it for you (or your wallet).
Part of the problem is that Health Insurance should be catastrophic ONLY.
Does your car insurance pay for your oil changes? Didn't think so.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Part of the problem is that Health Insurance should be catastrophic ONLY. Does your car insurance pay for your oil changes? Didn't think so.
You're right. My health insurance should pay for my pooping. That's tough work.
It used to be that way - then went a little crazy - when HMOs came around it fuzzed the line between traditional insurance stuff and paying for wellness/maintenance stuff. People started expecting insurance to cover everything. Seems to be heading back the other way now.
In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:
Only the for-profit ones are vehemently against it.
I work for a not for profit health insurance company. Nobody really cares. That said, I always try to keep my resume current 
Brett_Murphy wrote: In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac: Only the for-profit ones are vehemently against it. I work for a not for profit health insurance company. Nobody really cares. That said, I always try to keep my resume current
Why would we be against it if it means we'll get millions more members, therefor bigger profits? We're against it because it's just plain WRONG, and ignores a VAST amount of the issue. People are mad about health care in general. Insurance is 33% of the problem at best. Those premiums? They're reactionary prices because health CARE costs are rising. You could also argue that health CARE costs are rising as a bargaining chip against the insurance companies lowballing on contracted/usual-and-customary rates. That's fine. It's a vicious cycle, so address the whole thing, or let the free market sort it out. Don't just dabble in one small section of it, it's stupid.
The irony here is that ObamaCare will force the industry ever closer to a monopoly. You think those millions are going to go to the little guys? Nope.
Wellpoint and UHC make out like bandits. Look for record profits to be posted from both companies as/if ObamaCare comes into full swing.
The big companies were already close to the Obama-mandated payout percentage. Wellpoint was less than 2% off. UHC wasn't much more off. It's not hurting those companies one bit to bring it down. The smaller companies? Good luck. They're done for.
You know what? This is not a political forum, and this constant floundering is beginning to resemble a couple of drunks on the stoop of my store... I'm beginning to hear from customers who decided not to come in. I understand for the most part this has been a civil discussion, but a lot of people come here looking for friendly entertainment and fun. So I am locking this, and following the lead of many wiser forums before, as well as a point of etiquette my mother taught me at the dinner table: One does not bring up the topic of politics here. It just doesn't add anything to the party.
Margie
This topic is locked. No further posts are being accepted.
