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wow I feel rich now.I think I have about 200 paychecks before I hit the streets.
You may be rich, but I'd suggest you're smart and responsible, and you planned for your own well being instead of relying on the government to save you.
You can write this, write that, debate this, debate that, but in reality it all comes down to this. If you get sick in this country and are not a multi-millionaire, your done financially. No way around it, insurance or not.
The uncovered items in your policy far exceed those that are covered. It is all designed and geared from years of insurance studies. The game is fixed and you loose and get screwed every time.
I paid $180 for years, for a policy that was advertised as having a $7,000 deductible, after that it paid at 100%. Until I read the fine print. It exlcuded all the high costs assciated with cancer medications, transplants therapy and medications, heart disease and so on. In otherwards, if I truly got sick with anything long term and life threatening, it was worthless. I cancled it and figure I'll just pay what I can if I get sick, then file bankruptcy. Fuc it!
If you get sick in this country and are not a multi-millionaire, your done financially. No way around it, insurance or not.
So how do you reconcile that millions of Americans who are not millionaires get sick every year and don't end up "done financially?" Your statement is misleading at best. I'm sure you can cite some example of a person denied coverage by an evil insurance company who suffered some kind of financial hardship as a result, but that's not the norm by any stretch.
"No way around it" implies that it's an inevitable fact, and it's not.
Location: Georgia, on the Florida line, right above Tallahassee
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CarolinaCowboy
You can write this, write that, debate this, debate that, but in reality it all comes down to this. If you get sick in this country and are not a multi-millionaire, your done financially. No way around it, insurance or not.
The uncovered items in your policy far exceed those that are covered. It is all designed and geared from years of insurance studies. The game is fixed and you loose and get screwed every time.
I paid $180 for years, for a policy that was advertised as having a $7,000 deductible, after that it paid at 100%. Until I read the fine print. It exlcuded all the high costs assciated with cancer medications, transplants therapy and medications, heart disease and so on. In otherwards, if I truly got sick with anything long term and life threatening, it was worthless. I cancled it and figure I'll just pay what I can if I get sick, then file bankruptcy. Fuc it!
My son was born premature. I got a bill for ~$96,000...and another for ~$8,000.
Now ask me if I paid $104,000. Go ahead, ask. But first, ask me if I was in the military......
Medical bills and divorce, I have read, are the top two reasons for insolvency and bankruptcy filing in the US.
~not credit cards or mortgage foreclosure or car loans or failed small business loans~
Medical bills.
The US *healthcare system* is without redemption. No place else in the world will you lose any and everything you own in the event you can't pay tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of bloated healthcare billing.
There are a myriad of reasons behind consumer bankruptcies. The report shows that the vast majority of respondents, 63%, said they were overextended on credit. Failing to plan for the future may be another reason for financial troubles—57% of respondents cited unexpected expenses as the reason for their bankruptcies. Reduction of income was a culprit for 52% of those taking part in the survey. Unemployment was cited by 36%, while illness or injury was cited by 33%. 15% said divorce was a factor in their bankruptcies, while 9% said the birth or adoption of a child played a role. The death of a family member was cited by 8% of participants, while 5% cited retirement as a factor. Identity theft was mentioned by 2% of those surveyed.
there were over 1 million bankruptcies filed in the us in 2008 and the rate is even higher now. no wonder our country is on a fast downhill slide.
update: Automated Access to Court Electronic Records (AACER) sent some preliminary numbers on February 2009 bankruptcy filings, and the news is not good. The bankruptcy filing rate is at its highest rate since the 2005 changes to the U.S. bankruptcy law made it more expensive and more hassle for consumers to use the bankruptcy system, and the return to pre-2005 bankruptcy filing levels shows how U.S. households are hurting. There were over 103,000 bankruptcy filings in February 2009. The February 2009 filing rate represents a year-over-year increase of 29.9% as compared to February 2008.
Last edited by floridasandy; 03-14-2009 at 04:42 AM..
There are a myriad of reasons behind consumer bankruptcies. The report shows that the vast majority of respondents, 63%, said they were overextended on credit. Failing to plan for the future may be another reason for financial troubles—57% of respondents cited unexpected expenses as the reason for their bankruptcies. Reduction of income was a culprit for 52% of those taking part in the survey. Unemployment was cited by 36%, while illness or injury was cited by 33%. 15% said divorce was a factor in their bankruptcies, while 9% said the birth or adoption of a child played a role. The death of a family member was cited by 8% of participants, while 5% cited retirement as a factor. Identity theft was mentioned by 2% of those surveyed.
As you state, much of this has to do with poor planning and lack of contingencies. People can find themselves in bad situations through no fault of their own, but if you work hard, get an education, get a job with a good salary and benefits, and plan for the future while managing your resources, much of this can be mitigated.
If you drop out of high school, work a lousy job for low wages, have kids you can't afford, buy things on credit and stretch your finances, don't save money for a rainy day, don't have insurance because you aren't educated and have a crappy job, then the chances increase that this stuff can happen. Is that the fault of the world, or is that the result of poor choices on your part?
As you state, much of this has to do with poor planning and lack of contingencies. People can find themselves in bad situations through no fault of their own, but if you work hard, get an education, get a job with a good salary and benefits, and plan for the future while managing your resources, much of this can be mitigated.
If you drop out of high school, work a lousy job for low wages, have kids you can't afford, buy things on credit and stretch your finances, don't save money for a rainy day, don't have insurance because you aren't educated and have a crappy job, then the chances increase that this stuff can happen. Is that the fault of the world, or is that the result of poor choices on your part?
Whoa, you act as if the median college graduate is doing better than their parents, in the century of defined contribution versus benefit, increased productivity with decreased purchasing power when adjusted for inflation...they're not. You know, because the median american CHOOSES to work a lousy at-will job with no benefits and a low salary. ... If I had a quarter for every 'hard working' phD holder trying to live up to your mantra at 1000 bucks a pop, no health insurance and non-tenure track revised employment on a semester by semester basis, I'd have enough to cover the aforementioned contingencies of life. Your point is noted, but the righteousness with which you assert attaining solid employment and benefits is all a simpleton function of choice (the tired old 'attitude' mantra) is disconnected at best.
There is a race to the bottom in America. Such reality doesn't justify Americans living beyond their means, which I think is the jist of your point, but to de facto dismiss the former FACT under the guise of the tired (and INVALID) hard work mantra of the 20th century is just that, dismissive and not really a complete picture of why people are where they are. Think about it, this is the same country where said college graduates vilify union workers attempting to do the very thing you are preaching, but are told they're overpaid and need to lower their expectations. Once again, dismissing the former and then accussing them of not being responsible for planning after taking a paycut. Passive-aggressive anybody?
Whoa, you act as if the median college graduate is doing better than their parents, in the century of defined contribution versus benefit, increased productivity with decreased purchasing power when adjusted for inflation...they're not. You know, because the median american CHOOSES to work a lousy at-will job with no benefits and a low salary. ... If I had a quarter for every 'hard working' phD holder trying to live up to your mantra at 1000 bucks a pop, no health insurance and non-tenure track revised employment on a semester by semester basis, I'd have enough to cover the aforementioned contingencies of life. Your point is noted, but the righteousness with which you assert attaining solid employment and benefits is all a simpleton function of choice (the tired old 'attitude' mantra) is disconnected at best.
There is a race to the bottom in America. Such reality doesn't justify Americans living beyond their means, which I think is the jist of your point, but to de facto dismiss the former FACT under the guise of the tired (and INVALID) hard work mantra of the 20th century is just that, dismissive and not really a complete picture of why people are where they are. Think about it, this is the same country where said college graduates vilify union workers attempting to do the very thing you are preaching, but are told they're overpaid and need to lower their expectations. Once again, dismissing the former and then accussing them of not being responsible for planning after taking a paycut. Passive-aggressive anybody?
Not passive-aggressive at all. Do you want me to be aggressive?
I'd love to know what you mean by the "hard work mantra of the 20th century" and what your point is there. What is your point? From your obtuse language it appears to be that working hard and reaping those rewards is a passe concept, and that we're all in a "race for the bottom."
So if I'm understanding you, I'm just a naive idiot who thinks that if I plan and execute on those plans that I'll end up successful. You believe that success is an accident or just unattainable, despite hard work. Is that your point?
I agree that there are PhD's out there who may be living on low wages or otherwise struggling. Education is important, but there are plenty of professional students or academics who have lots of education, but no social skills or business skills, and their studies have been in medieval literature or some other non-relevant pursuit. They have been sequestered in an ivory tower.
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If I had a quarter for every 'hard working' phD holder trying to live up to your mantra at 1000 bucks a pop, no health insurance and non-tenure track revised employment on a semester by semester basis, I'd have enough to cover the aforementioned contingencies of life. Your point is noted, but the righteousness with which you assert attaining solid employment and benefits is all a simpleton function of choice (the tired old 'attitude' mantra) is disconnected at best. 
