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I assume you mean she's paying that up and above what Medicare pays? Why is she not enrolled in Medicare Advantage? I don't know all the ins-and-outs of Medicare, but is she doing everything she could to keep her costs contained?
She makes too much.. but not enough to afford 600/month.
I've actually been fired from a job due to causing higher insurance premiums.
I didn't find out about it until many years later...but now I keep my mouth shut about any and all medical issues.
I don't support that at all. I'd like to find a way to bring your situation into the healthcare system. Maybe that will happen after the Obamacare fiasco is out of the way and a more logical approach is pursued.
Actually, you hit the nail on the head. If you NEED health insurance (who doesn't), then you should keep those costs in mind when spending on other life events. Right? It sounds like you're one of those people with screwed up priorities.....everything else (mortgages, car payments, etc) comes before your health. Why ignore health insurance if it's an important aspect of your life?
Budgets and priorities matter. That's exactly the point of the OP.
Aero, events happen in people's lives not one can not write a script for. In my case I bought a house 15 years ago, the wife becomes ill much later. Then the worse recession since the great depression befalls. Millions of people got hamstrung big time.
Except for exceptional circumstances, like being 70 and having 3 types of cancer, health insurance is available and affordable. I have shopped around for the hell of it using several different states for comparison and all of the plans were quite affordable. (ie. $80-250 month). Is it the best insurance on the planet? Not neccessarily, but with out of pocket maximums, it's much better than nothing.
Are there exceptions? Of course. But I don't buy the whole "its not affordable" argument. It's all about priorities. If insurance costs $250 per month, and you really need health insurance, then you prioritize your spending accordingly.
Millions of American's don't even know how to budget. That they also don't understand their priorities is of no concern to me.
We pay over $8900 / year in premiums for one healthy adult and one healthy child, healthy - and deductible is 2K per person. This is the cheapest policy available and if we don't carry it we get fined by the good old state of Massachusetts. Explain to me how that's afforable? Add this to the combined 50% of our income we pay in all the the various taxes(federal, state, fica, self-employment, sales, excise, gas, etc.), we're left with less than 40% of our income to actually live on.
Aero, events happen in people's lives not one can not write a script for. In my case I bought a house 15 years ago, the wife becomes ill much later. Then the worse recession since the great depression befalls. Millions of people got hamstrung big time.
I totally agree with you. Bad luck does happen. Especially in economic downturns. No argument there.
But it's irresponsible to entirely ignore that millions of American's engage in reckless spending habits in nearly everything they do. And then they get sick. And then they whine about not having free or subsidized healthcare coverage. Sorry, but the bad apples spoil the entire bushel in many cases. I can't just bow to the demands of an irresponsible society when in fact those who are irresponsible do not deserve the handout in which they beg. There has to be consequences for bad decisions.
I'm all for responsible safety nets. But more importantly, i'm for responsible people. I"m tired of subsidizing every bad decision the government can conjure up at the behest of irresponsible people.
My son pays $275 for his health insurance and his employer covers the rest. I can't remember what he said his copay is. He did somehow manage not to pay it for the past two years. I think he said his deductible was about $5000.
We pay over $8900 / year in premiums for one healthy adult and one healthy child, healthy - and deductible is 2K per person. This is the cheapest policy available and if we don't carry it we get fined by the good old state of Massachusetts. Explain to me how that's afforable? Add this to the combined 50% of our income we pay in all the the various taxes(federal, state, fica, self-employment, sales, excise, gas, etc.), we're left with less than 40% of our income to actually live on.
And yet millions of folks are wondering why more than half of America will not accept Obamacare as is? That's what we have to look forward to? No thanks.
You live in Massachusetts. You do that under your free will. It may not be reasonable, but you're not forced to live there. But if you do live there, you are forced to buy insurance, correct?
If so, then that sends two messages to me:
1) Down with Obamacare
2) Move out of Massachusetts sooner rather than later.
My son pays $275 for his health insurance and his employer covers the rest. I can't remember what he said his copay is. He did somehow manage not to pay it for the past two years. I think he said his deductible was about $5000.
Does he feel that that's a reasonable cost?
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