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Never thought to go shop for your own private one?
I got off my even $hittier private insurance to join this plan. I basically had one choice as far as anything remotely affordable (as far as private plans), and all it did was make sure that my family (or the rest of you) wouldn't get stuck with some insane bill if I got hit by a bus and was maimed severely instead of killed.
Now with my (wife's) employer, I have two choices: crap and complete crap (woohoo!). We are paying out like $800/month for basic care and three prescriptions. That's ubsurd. People are getting insanely rich off of this current system, and if the state can provide an alternative system at a better price, well, I think that's effing great.
Why do we pay so much more in this country for drugs than other countries? I thought the free market means we will pay a low price? Oh wait...turns out when it come to the basic health of you and your family, people will pay up. Why? Because it's the health of you and your family! Will I pay $300/month for a pill so that my wife won't suffer? Or go $250,000 in debt so my kid can have the best future possible. You betcha. And there are plenty of people getting a piece of that pie who have every incentive to keep the current system in place.
The Free Market and Health Care don't mix. People lose their ability to make rational decisions (the linchpin of why the Free Market is supposed to work). The laws of supply and demand work because people decide "I won't pay that much for that" and the market value is then determined. But turns out when it's your kid's or wife's life and well-being, you will "pay that much for that" - and the price for that (health care) goes up and up and up...
I got off my even $hittier private insurance to join this plan. I basically had one choice as far as anything remotely affordable (as far as private plans), and all it did was make sure that my family (or the rest of you) wouldn't get stuck with some insane bill if I got hit by a bus and was maimed severely instead of killed.
Now with my (wife's) employer, I have two choices: crap and complete crap (woohoo!). We are paying out like $800/month for basic care and three prescriptions. That's ubsurd. People are getting insanely rich off of this current system, and if the state can provide an alternative system at a better price, well, I think that's effing great.
Why do we pay so much more in this country for drugs than other countries? I thought the free market means we will pay a low price? Oh wait...turns out when it come to the basic health of you and your family, people will pay up. Why? Because it's the health of you and your family! Will I pay $300/month for a pill so that my wife won't suffer? Or go $250,000 in debt so my kid can have the best future possible. You betcha. And there are plenty of people getting a piece of that pie who have every incentive to keep the current system in place.
The Free Market and Health Care don't mix. People lose their ability to make rational decisions (the linchpin of why the Free Market is supposed to work). The laws of supply and demand work because people decide "I won't pay that much for that" and the market value is then determined. But turns out when it's your kid's or wife's life and well-being, you will "pay that much for that" - and the price for that (health care) goes up and up and up...
Do you have some pre-existing conditions or something that would place you at a high risk?
Depending on state, the prices can be fairly reasonable if you tailor your plan (don't shop bulk plans from used car salesmen) yourself and imagine if they opened them up across state lines? Even in California where the extensive regulations have driven up prices, you can still find some reasonable plans if you shop earnestly.
My wife worked for Blue Shield of California for over 6 years before we moved, you can shop a reasonable plan, but it takes some effort and some extensive educating in the topic.
Those who have "problem issues" such as preexisting conditions or specialized treatment requirements will cost a lot more (but then can you really be upset about this? I mean, you are asking a business that functions on risk of your health to simply start paying out right off the bat.)
I think you need to look a bit more in-depth and if it isn't an issue of that and simply your state, then that is your problem right there. That is, the issue isn't health insurance at the private level, but some functionary at the government level that is forcing private level costs up.
In the end, you can tailor plans to meet your needs by dumping a lot of the garbage coverage. Pay out of pocket on things you don't need very often or is not relevant (such as if your family has no problems with eye sight, then dump the vision plan and pay for checkups out of pocket as need).
I see that number a lot though, the 800 dollars and the like. There was another poster here that used to complain in these topics constantly, turns out there weren't upfront with issues. That is, they were on a COBRA plan (seriously, this is the worst type of insurance you can get and pure government bloat in action) and she had children with special needs and issues. The point is, they were a special case and not representative of the issue.
I think another poster here did some shopping and posted their findings on it. They actually found some reasonable plans for their state, but the thread devolved into a whine fest and dismissal of their findings. That is, people made excuses.
I "betcha" he lied about the death panels too.
Oh it will surely be WORDED differently but we will find out about them before long.
Wonder what they will be called?
Maybe just "Sorry but you don't qualify" medicare is all filled up.
I got off my even $hittier private insurance to join this plan. I basically had one choice as far as anything remotely affordable (as far as private plans), and all it did was make sure that my family (or the rest of you) wouldn't get stuck with some insane bill if I got hit by a bus and was maimed severely instead of killed.
Now with my (wife's) employer, I have two choices: crap and complete crap (woohoo!). We are paying out like $800/month for basic care and three prescriptions. That's ubsurd. People are getting insanely rich off of this current system, and if the state can provide an alternative system at a better price, well, I think that's effing great.
Why do we pay so much more in this country for drugs than other countries? I thought the free market means we will pay a low price? Oh wait...turns out when it come to the basic health of you and your family, people will pay up. Why? Because it's the health of you and your family! Will I pay $300/month for a pill so that my wife won't suffer? Or go $250,000 in debt so my kid can have the best future possible. You betcha. And there are plenty of people getting a piece of that pie who have every incentive to keep the current system in place.
The Free Market and Health Care don't mix. People lose their ability to make rational decisions (the linchpin of why the Free Market is supposed to work). The laws of supply and demand work because people decide "I won't pay that much for that" and the market value is then determined. But turns out when it's your kid's or wife's life and well-being, you will "pay that much for that" - and the price for that (health care) goes up and up and up...
Hm, sounds like nothing is good enough for you. $800 a month for 2 adults and a child sounds like a good deal. You really think the govt will get you a better plan for less money? Not unless you're in a union or illegal. The rest of us are screwed.
President 'SkidMark' has been acting like a spoiled child when confronted about his compulsive half-truths and lies. US citizens who have employee health benefits are the first place President 'PantyWaste' will come looking for money.
My Wife is a doctor...trust me....opt out now before President TunaTongue locks you into it.
Unlike others on here, thank you so much for realizing what truly is happening here, some won't know till it hits them smack into their face. Glad you can see thru Obama. Glad others know that he acts like a spoiled child, and a bully at the same time.
Why do we pay so much more in this country for drugs than other countries?
That would be because those "other countries" negotiate prices with the drug companies on a national level. If Merck, J&J, Bayer, etc. want to sell their products in Canada, they have to accept what the Canadian government will pay, or they shut out that entire nation full of potential customers. Those losses have to be made up somewhere, so they raise the prices here, where the insurance companies and government(s) will pay whatever they're charged.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Art123
I thought the free market means we will pay a low price?
I think another poster here did some shopping and posted their findings on it. They actually found some reasonable plans for their state, but the thread devolved into a whine fest and dismissal of their findings. That is, people made excuses.
That was me, and I never got to the purchasing stage of the process. The quotes were very reasonable, though, even after the 20-30% hike that they told me to expect when the formal quote was requested, but nobody in that thread would have any of it. Of course, they were speaking only from their own experiences, mostly based on employer provided coverage, and IIRC, all of them were from other states.
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