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Old 03-15-2010, 05:57 PM
 
8,584 posts, read 9,061,394 times
Reputation: 5890

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Quote:
Originally Posted by doctorhugo View Post
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All you had to do was say so. Your comment read just like I took it to mean. In my post you'll note that I said part of what needs doing is tightening down on regs for insurers and big pharma. I recall have had screwings from insurance companies. Once I had a vehicle burn up from an electric fire while parked unattended. The bums tried to get out from under claiming "undetermined origin". I paid an electric shop guy to inspect it and give me a report in writing nailing down the actual cause and they still wouldn't budge until I had a lawyer send them a 'letter of intent' to sue for actual and punitve damages. Then the bums paid were supposed to and for the fee for the electric shop tech too. That's just the way the deal is, but bottom line is we still need the damn insurance.
I've made the same argument you have dealing with car insurance in previous posts. I have haggled with several health insurance companies over my very sick wife for the last several years. They've won and now I can not purchase insurance for her. It's one thing dealing with a material thing quite another dealing with a human life. Humans are not and should not be treated like a used car.

I truely believe federal regulation should come hard and strong on these health insurance companies. But they enjoy the anti-trust exemption so not sure how it all would pan out.
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Old 03-15-2010, 07:50 PM
 
2,725 posts, read 5,174,191 times
Reputation: 1963
Quote:
Originally Posted by NCyank View Post
Perhaps he'd want the government to take care of him in case of an accident, death, injury, disability etc.??

Frankly, I'm in favor of less insurance in the sense that HDHP/HSA's get people closer to paying their own expenses but still protects them from catastrophic health events. Car insurance already works that way...it pays for the major stuff while you pay to maintain the car, change the tires, new battery etc. Health insurance needs to be the same way. Those policies are considerably more affordable already, with increased competition across state lines and many people who are priced out of the market could easily get in. As one example, we were quoted a HDHP/HSA policy for around $300 a month for a family of 4. That's less than a lot of car payments!!

Still, the problem with pre-existing conditions needs to be addressed.
This is exactly what I have been thinking.

My husband and I have HDHP/HSA. Before choosing this plan, we searched the internet for pros and cons. Most of the complaints about these types of plans were that people could not pay the high deductible up front. Well, we can because we SAVED one of our salaries. You can't have your cell phone, car, AC in the house, eating out lifestyle and expect to get awesome health care without paying for it.

Last edited by crisan; 03-15-2010 at 07:59 PM..
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Old 03-15-2010, 07:53 PM
 
Location: New York (liberal cesspool)
918 posts, read 813,981 times
Reputation: 222
Default All

Btw, I just finishd reading about 300 pages of the new bill. The public option IS included on p. 116.
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Old 03-15-2010, 09:38 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,234,855 times
Reputation: 35920
Quote:
Originally Posted by crisan View Post
This is exactly what I have been thinking.

My husband and I have HDHP/HSA. Before choosing this plan, we searched the internet for pros and cons. Most of the complaints about these types of plans were that people could not pay the high deductible up front. Well, we can because we SAVED one of our salaries. You can't have your cell phone, car, AC in the house, eating out lifestyle and expect to get awesome health care without paying for it.
Well, bully for you. What about the person just starting out, or the single person who doesn't have a whole income to save?
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Old 03-15-2010, 10:12 PM
 
Location: Victoria, BC.
33,495 posts, read 36,989,426 times
Reputation: 13965
The more things I read on this thread, the more I appreciate living in Canada...I have a modest income but easily afford a nice home, three cars (Two of them collector cars) a 40 foot boat, a camper trailer and pretty much every convenient gadget I want and still have quite a bit left over to help others....
I also do not have the stress that comes with worrying about health care.
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Old 03-15-2010, 11:16 PM
 
162 posts, read 304,482 times
Reputation: 252
Quote:
Originally Posted by crisan View Post
This is exactly what I have been thinking.

My husband and I have HDHP/HSA. Before choosing this plan, we searched the internet for pros and cons. Most of the complaints about these types of plans were that people could not pay the high deductible up front. Well, we can because we SAVED one of our salaries. You can't have your cell phone, car, AC in the house, eating out lifestyle and expect to get awesome health care without paying for it.
So are you saying you can either have health insurance or a life style of but you can't have both?
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Old 03-15-2010, 11:39 PM
 
Location: Great State of Texas
86,052 posts, read 84,155,108 times
Reputation: 27718
Quote:
Originally Posted by tiddles View Post
So are you saying you can either have health insurance or a life style of but you can't have both?
This is America. You can have it all. If you cannot afford it the government will subsidize it for you.

This is the land of unicorns and lollipops..everyone can have everything and the government will help you get it.
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Old 03-16-2010, 06:43 AM
 
2,725 posts, read 5,174,191 times
Reputation: 1963
BTW - don't forget that I was responding to a post that allowed for some coverage. I do believe that people should be receiving help for expensive emergency care. I think we are better off saving a person who may be a big contributor to the family. And yes that includes children who one day will become adults.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana View Post
Well, bully for you. What about the person just starting out, or the single person who doesn't have a whole income to save?
Who says that at some point we didn't just start out? We were not always two income and I am not against helping people. I come from a very poor family, one that as soon as you gave us money, we spent it on $100 jeans instead of saving it. Our income was SS from my grandparents and $150 a week from my mom's income. We had cable, we had name brand clothes. It wasn't until I wanted to go to college that I realized so much money was squandered.

Even now, my family complains that they can't save. They still have cable. They still have cell phones with expensive plans and they take out loans with 20% interest rate for appliances. I know it sounds mean to talk this way about my own family, but now that I am paying taxes I really think a little education on finances is in order for some families. If you receive help from the government I think it is okay for us, the taxes payers, to require you to save some money on the side even if the source of income is tax payer money.

I took public transportation to college (1.5 hours each way) while my husband worked to pay for my education. Get this, having a savings actually hurt my chances of getting financial aid. We gave up so much - no cable, pre-paid cell phone, no AC in the summer (we live in Florida), no heater in the winter, no eating out (we learned how to cook and are very good at it now), no traveling to see relatives (it was our choice to move). Yet, people who couldn't give up anything received help for college. Well, bully for them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sanspeur View Post
The more things I read on this thread, the more I appreciate living in Canada...I have a modest income but easily afford a nice home, three cars (Two of them collector cars) a 40 foot boat, a camper trailer and pretty much every convenient gadget I want and still have quite a bit left over to help others....
I also do not have the stress that comes with worrying about health care.
Yeah, what about doctors who went to school for a long time. Are they allowed only a modest income? This forum brings so many POVs and the backgrounds of posters cannot be known. My main message is sacrifice and no I don't mean food but something like cable for a while. Doctors sacrificed a good portion of their life to bring you good quality care. What did I sacrifice to pay for it?

But still somebody has to pay for it. You are paying for it through taxes. Why not just save that money yourself and pay for non-emergency care? Have the government help out for expensive emergency care.

Also, my husband comes from Sweden and all of his family has managed to save quite a bit of money even with their high tax rate that pays for all of their social services. He does not come from college educated parents either.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tiddles View Post
So are you saying you can either have health insurance or a life style of but you can't have both?
You can have both if you can afford it. What is the big deal with having a little on the side to pay a non-emergency doctor fees? Recently, I asked my pediatric ophthalmologist how much he would charge me if I did not have insurance. He told me $250. Well, when I received my insurance statement, he charged them $800. My insurance allowed $400 which they paid some. We paid $288. I just feel like we wouldn't pay so much if we didn't expect non-emergency doctors to take insurance.

I have an infant daughter and I do find it scary that we are on HDHS/HSA but I know that we can cover the full deductible. We are currently a one income family and no we don't make 6 figures. We planned it like this. We waited to have a baby. We were both able to work when times were good. We saved so I could stay home with her for at least two years. I go on Craigslist and buy my daughters clothes. If it is a really good price, I will buy 3T and 4T. A lot of those clothes were Gap, Gymboree, really nice stuff. I payed $1 each.

Why do I do this? Because I don't know if my husband will lose his job and I need to make sure we can survive until one of us do find one.

Last edited by crisan; 03-16-2010 at 07:07 AM..
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Old 03-16-2010, 06:51 AM
 
Location: Tampa Florida
22,230 posts, read 17,786,426 times
Reputation: 4585
Quote:
Originally Posted by doctorhugo View Post
Btw, I just finishd reading about 300 pages of the new bill. The public option IS included on p. 116.
Unfortunately, I believe Pelosi removed it. Seems there are not enough, even Dems, willing to irritate the Insurance Industry by doing something that the American people want.
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Old 03-16-2010, 07:02 AM
 
2,725 posts, read 5,174,191 times
Reputation: 1963
What if for every dollar you place in a HSA, the government, tax payer really, matches it if you are below a certain income or can't obtain health insurance. Obviously, people with pre-existing conditions who can't work need to receive help another way.
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