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Not great but okay. My main concern is dealing with something like a heart attack, stroke or cancer.
One of my good friends had to have his second bypass surgery last year and he said his bills have totalled over $500,000. That would be a huge hit for me and my family.
Save us all the trouble of having to pay an unlimited bill so that you feel comfortable and buy yourself a hefty life insurance policy and then your family will be fine and we will not be stuck trying to pay for ∞.
Everyone dies and there isn't enough money in the world to keep that from happening. Sorry to tell you this but you aint nothing special.
One of my buddies, who everybody thought was healthy as a horse, came over to work on my car one day and started feeling sick. Three days later they diagnosed him colon cancer. Two major operations, a year of chemo and radiation, etc. He was only 39.
What's your point?
a) That happens rarely.
b) That's what insurance is for and, since he was "healthy as a horse," he should have had no problem in getting it. Now, if he waited until afterwards, that's not the insurance company's problem. It's now, unfortunately, your buddy's.
What happens if you get cancer or get smashed by some yahoo with no insurance?
One of my buddies, who everybody thought was healthy as a horse, came over to work on my car one day and started feeling sick. Three days later they diagnosed him colon cancer. Two major operations, a year of chemo and radiation, etc. He was only 39.
NOBODY is bullet proof and it's foolish to think you can't get zapped out of the blue with a major medical issue. It happens to tens of thousands of people every single day.
Unlike others I also have the VA if I need it. I just don't like having drive 85+ miles to get there. The local physicians and dentists are far better and that's what most people in my area do. You don't feel like you are being passed down a production line that way. Anyone who knows, knows it seems as though if you have a toothache, they will recommend just pulling it out. lol NO...NO...my local dentist is the best in the area. He'd have a stroke if he knew what all they do to you. lol
The only real goodies that I know about are lifting the lifetime cap and lifting pre-existing conditions. The other stuff like a free colonoscopy at age 60 or one wellness check really doesnt add much. The pregnancy benefit could cost more than expected but that remains to be seen. One of the big flaws of the ACA is the penalites are not that great for going without insurance. If you get cancer, congestive heart failure etc. Just wait for the next open enrollment. The Republican plan from Coburn-Burr would make someone trying to get back in pay a lot more in premiums. In a way you could call the ACA a very Republican friendly plan. Republicans who dont like the ACA can stay outside it and then if they feel the need enroll during an open enrollment period.
I agree. The "goodies" in the ACA are pretty limited.
The things I worry most about are (a) the expansion of Medicaid and (b) the failure to do more to bend the cost curve down.
I'm also concerned that some doctors are going to get squeezed. Big Pharma won't take a hit, the insurance companies are certainly not going to take a hit, and big hospitals will be able to manage their situation.
My point is that it's nonsense for folks to claim they don't need insurance "because of how good of physical shape I am in and have no serious conditions."
As you say, the point of insurance is to deal with calamities that could happen, even though you hope they won't. If those events are rare or have limited consequences, proper underwriting should help keep the premium low.
That's why young healthy people should pay lower premiums than old billy goats like me.
And yes, my friend could certainly have purchased insurance, and indeed he should have. He passed away despite the treatment but would have readily acknowledged that he should have had insurance.
My point is that it's nonsense for folks to claim they don't need insurance "because of how good of physical shape I am in and have no serious conditions."
As you say, the point of insurance is to deal with calamities that could happen, even though you hope they won't. If those events are rare or have limited consequences, proper underwriting should help keep the premium low.
That's why young healthy people should pay lower premiums than old billy goats like me.
And yes, my friend could certainly have purchased insurance, and indeed he should have. He passed away despite the treatment but would have readily acknowledged that he should have had insurance.
Most likely your friend would have passed away with or without insurance, with or without any government program, with or without anything you could imagine because he was simply unfortunate. The point, however, is that "pre-existing conditions" are a valid and reasonable thing for insurance companies to take into account.
Um, you realize that when most people say "single payer," they actually mean "the government," right? Although, technically, you're right. It should be "single payer" as in "you pay for yourself."
Absolutely. If you read my post, you'll see that I only note that when most people use that term, they are referring to the government being the "single payer." I didn't say YOU did, since I haven't talked to you about it.
My point is that it's nonsense for folks to claim they don't need insurance "because of how good of physical shape I am in and have no serious conditions."
As you say, the point of insurance is to deal with calamities that could happen, even though you hope they won't. If those events are rare or have limited consequences, proper underwriting should help keep the premium low.
That's why young healthy people should pay lower premiums than old billy goats like me.
And yes, my friend could certainly have purchased insurance, and indeed he should have. He passed away despite the treatment but would have readily acknowledged that he should have had insurance.
Not really, the point of insurance is that is spread evenly. The younger and healthier people subsidize the older and sicker people. Under the old system where poorer people and those couldn't get on employer plans, they would get cheap plans that would cover just a little but with holes (similar to the lowest cost Obamacare plans or disaster plans) while those with pre-existing conditions could not get new insurance (good luck if you got fired) Now because everyone has to get the Obamacare plans and now you have to cover pre-existing conditions, you have to raise the costs on everyone to cover that.
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