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Old 09-30-2009, 05:25 AM
 
14,383 posts, read 14,207,248 times
Reputation: 45695

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How much are you willing to pay for your health insurance? Some people who I have tallked to thinks that this health care is going to be free. I think that the peole who is for this public option thinks that they will get this for free. They are talking about fining anyone who don't have Health Ins up to 13% of the pay check. Is that what you uninsured people want? Cause that is what is going to happen. If you can't afford it now , how are you going to pay the fine? I have not heard what is going to cost yet? That is like me selling you my house and after you agree to buy it, then I'll tell you how much you owe me.

.................................................. .................................................

Finally I hear an intelligent reason to question the health insurance reforms being proposed. I, too, am concerned about the costs of universal health insurance coverage.

I think the best solution would simply be to put everyone on the equivalent of Medicare which is what they do in Canada. In other words, create a true single payer system. Medicare reimbursements are about 35% less than what private health insurance pays. It would reduce the cost of health care dramatically or at least control it. I think rather than requiring everyone to obtain health insurance, it makes far more sense to simply raise taxes to cover the expenses for the program I'm suggesting.

The physicians and hospitals will squawk, but in my opinion they are overpaid right now. If reimbursements under my proposed solution turn out to be too low to guarantee service, they will have to be increased.

While my plan would require a tax increase, think of what it would save. Employers would no longer have to purchase health insurance for employees. Self employed people would no longer have to purchase insurance for themselves. Businesses would be freed from the awful, expensive yoke of health insurance. In other words, while taxes would go up in the short run, overall expenditures by individuals and employers for healthcare would decrease.
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Old 09-30-2009, 05:39 AM
 
Location: Way South of the Volvo Line
2,788 posts, read 7,998,544 times
Reputation: 2846
Here's what's happening in MA:
IPS
Government: Mass. Residents Face Monthly Fines For Going Without Health Insurance (http://consumerist.com/340062/ - broken link)

This is what's going on in ME:
Maine’s Dirigo Provides Caveat for ObamaCare - WSJ.com


I am actually in favor of some type of government option. Preferably a fed co-pay to enable current civil servant group plans affordable and available to the public. Of course, modification and reform will have to be employed to make it feasible and somehow self-sustaining.
I think if all of Congress and the Senate were to lose their coverages right now (opps, can't afford ya, no more coverage for you!) they would figure out a plan very quickly!


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Old 09-30-2009, 06:34 AM
 
3,562 posts, read 5,214,810 times
Reputation: 1861
Quote:
Originally Posted by pandorasbox View Post
How much are you willing to pay for your health insurance? Some people who I have tallked to thinks that this health care is going to be free. I think that the peole who is for this public option thinks that they will get this for free. They are talking about fining anyone who don't have Health Ins up to 13% of the pay check. Is that what you uninsured people want? Cause that is what is going to happen. If you can't afford it now , how are you going to pay the fine? I have not heard what is going to cost yet? That is like me selling you my house and after you agree to buy it, then I'll tell you how much you owe me.
That proposal came up in November of 2008. That is different then the public option. I think you have those confused.

I have insurance. I am well aware that it wouldn't be for free. However, as I said they are already taking the money out of my check for that insurance and, now, they are one of the main reasons that we are facing layoffs. Meaning they haven't figured out how much they need to jack us around by upping the premiums etc.

I'm tired of getting jacked around by the health industry. In fact, its like paying twice. My taxes pay for medicaid at the federal level AND at the state level. Then its taken out of my check for the insurance that I have now.
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Old 09-30-2009, 09:27 AM
 
78,023 posts, read 60,232,230 times
Reputation: 49418
Quote:
Originally Posted by las vegas drunk View Post
I do not mind paying "something" for my health insurance. The problem I have is paying a ridiculous amount for it. For example, my friend works for the state, has 4 kids, and a wife. He makes $42,000 a year, and pays $120 a month for his whole family. I looked into getting the same coverage he gets for just me, and they want $300 a month!!!! I only make $19,000 a year, so this is not fair.
How is this not fair? It's a perk of his job...a "benefit" if you will that HIS COST is $120 a month and his employer is paying the rest.

His employer might be chipping in $600 a month or so. Government jobs have notoriously good benefits, that's common knowledge.

Try this simple example:$3600 a year that you pay in probably means that you can only have something go wrong about once every 10 years or so.

I hate to guess what all my wife's cancer stuff and related ailments totaled up to over the years...probably 250k or more on thier part and certainly my out of pockets were 5-10k a year.
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Old 09-30-2009, 09:35 AM
 
Location: The Midst of Insanity
3,219 posts, read 7,070,791 times
Reputation: 3286
Quote:
Originally Posted by las vegas drunk View Post
My God, you sound exactly like my dad, especially with the bolded statement on the bottom. He used to say the same exact thing to me. I have no interest in working for the MGM Grand company, ok? I would like to get a second job, and keep my main job. I have looked for the same types of jobs I use to get, and have had no luck. You are right that I have officially given up. Remember, I DO have a full time job that I do love, other than the low pay, and the fact they offer no benefits. I love the fact that I work by myself, with no one around. I do not have a boss on my back. I literally sit in an office building all night, watch television, and sit on the internet (I am at work right now). They recently even put cable television, a DVD player, and a flat panel television for us. I am not giving up this job for a higher paying one that I will end up hating. I have been there 3 years now, and am used to a stress free job. I used to have similar jobs being an in home nursing assistant, where I made a lot more money because of unlimited overtime. Now none of them will hire me any more. I have tried and tried. They are interested, as I have lots of experience, but once they find out about the DUI, they decline me. This happens every single time, so why bother anymore?
If you won't give up the niceties of your job for the higher pay and benefits you desire-pardon my french but stop your bi***ing.

I was in your postion-I had a job where I sat on my butt, watched TV, got on the internet, even took little naps. It was awesome. I left that for where I'm at now. Now, I have to wear a suit, am literally on my feet for over 8 hours (I do NOT sit at all-not even for 5 minutes), it's very "Yes Sir" and it's not easy but I make more money and I have benefits...because that was a higher priority for me. I juggle this with being a student at the University. Again, none of this easy. It is HARD. But I do what I have to do.

Here in Michigan, unemployment is over 15%.

You have to decide what's more important for you. Don't look for excuses to not better yourself if you want to.
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Old 09-30-2009, 09:47 AM
 
10,494 posts, read 27,185,462 times
Reputation: 6717
Quote:
Originally Posted by annika08 View Post
If you won't give up the niceties of your job for the higher pay and benefits you desire-pardon my french but stop your bi***ing.

I was in your postion-I had a job where I sat on my butt, watched TV, got on the internet, even took little naps. It was awesome. I left that for where I'm at now. Now, I have to wear a suit, am literally on my feet for over 8 hours (I do NOT sit at all-not even for 5 minutes), it's very "Yes Sir" and it's not easy but I make more money and I have benefits...because that was a higher priority for me. I juggle this with being a student at the University. Again, none of this easy. It is HARD. But I do what I have to do.

Here in Michigan, unemployment is over 15%.

You have to decide what's more important for you. Don't look for excuses to not better yourself if you want to.
Geez, I do not want higher pay. I live just fine on the $9.50 an hour they pay me. I have a nice place to live, a car, etc. I just want the government to regulate the healthcare. It is out of control right now, and everybody knows it. My dad is dead because of this crappy system. I am willing to pay for health insurance, but they need to make it reasonable. If I made half of what I make, my healthcare would be free (medicaid), but because I work full time, I should have to pay half my check to get the same coverage??
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Old 09-30-2009, 11:13 AM
 
3,631 posts, read 10,217,440 times
Reputation: 2039
Quote:
Originally Posted by annika08 View Post
If you won't give up the niceties of your job for the higher pay and benefits you desire-pardon my french but stop your bi***ing.

I was in your postion-I had a job where I sat on my butt, watched TV, got on the internet, even took little naps. It was awesome. I left that for where I'm at now. Now, I have to wear a suit, am literally on my feet for over 8 hours (I do NOT sit at all-not even for 5 minutes), it's very "Yes Sir" and it's not easy but I make more money and I have benefits...because that was a higher priority for me. I juggle this with being a student at the University. Again, none of this easy. It is HARD. But I do what I have to do.

Here in Michigan, unemployment is over 15%.

You have to decide what's more important for you. Don't look for excuses to not better yourself if you want to.
But why can't we do something we love AND still get benefits?

I guess I'd rather take the risk of the job I love more and am less stressed out at than one that will give me super awesome benefits, but i hate the job and it stresses me out enough to make me sick.
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Old 09-30-2009, 11:50 AM
 
78,023 posts, read 60,232,230 times
Reputation: 49418
Quote:
Originally Posted by supernerdgirl View Post
But why can't we do something we love AND still get benefits?

I guess I'd rather take the risk of the job I love more and am less stressed out at than one that will give me super awesome benefits, but i hate the job and it stresses me out enough to make me sick.
Ah that's the rub.

Jobs that are fun, easy and\or take little skill to do pay little and have poor (if any) benefits because there are lots of people available to do them.

If you can find something you love to do that few others can do and there is a demand for it....then you get paid well, the best of both worlds.
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Old 09-30-2009, 12:10 PM
 
Location: Summerville, SC
1,149 posts, read 4,200,235 times
Reputation: 1126
Quote:
Originally Posted by supernerdgirl View Post
But why can't we do something we love AND still get benefits?

I guess I'd rather take the risk of the job I love more and am less stressed out at than one that will give me super awesome benefits, but i hate the job and it stresses me out enough to make me sick.
What do you love about the job? According to drunk, he loves that he can sit around and do nothing but enjoy himself. I found something I loved, went to college, and now I get paid good money to do it (my health insurance is excellent, and I pay $250 a month out of pocket for two people). However, it is hard work, and you need to have a degree in order to do it. I will be paying student loans ($800 per month for just mine, and I paid a bunch off in full prior to this) for years. However, I am happy - I didn't need government or taxpayer help to help me reach my goal, I can afford my healthcare contributions, and will slowly work off the debt it took for me to get to this point.

Now, if I decided all of a sudden that I'd rather cut my salary to 1/5th of what I make now and pretty much do nothing... I certainly wouldn't gripe about how "the gov't OWES ME." I'd be grateful that some fool is paying me to be a slouch, and certainly not expect and demand "excellent health benefits," ugh!
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Old 09-30-2009, 12:55 PM
 
Location: A Nation Possessed
25,483 posts, read 18,618,666 times
Reputation: 22377
You know something folks? You are beating each other over the head with two different philosophies. No one is going to change their mind because the trenches have been dug and fortified.

On one side, there is the 'collectivist' philosophy. The idea is that everyone in the group receives the collective benefits of the group whether a group member is a garbage man or a rocket scientist. On the other side are the competitive individualists, who have done everything by the sweat of their own brow and would sooner throw someone less worthy than they under the bus than to help them. If you don't have the cash, sc**w you.

We could argue the good and bad of both models until the sun dies, but does anyone out there think there might be a better model?
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