Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not if they bought a catastrophic policy. If they didn't, that was their CHOICE. Just like smoking, abusing drugs/alcohol, overeating their way to obesity, becoming unfit due to lack of adequate exercise, committing suicide are all CHOICES.
What's with the stupidity of insisting that people don't have to live with and pay for the consequences of their own CHOICES?
Let's say someone is paying but becomes ill and can't work, can't make the premiums even on the catastrophic policy. Medicaid won't be there after 2020. Have you ever been poor in America?
You have explained the problem well enough and I agree that even the young and healthy should have health and dental insurance.
Of course the plans must have low enough deductibles, co-pays and premiums that they will actually be usable.
In the past, employers provided high quality (typically BC/BS) health insurance and dental plans along with fully funded pension plans.
The system worked well when unions still dominated industry and looked out for workers.
This has all changed.
Free trade with third world hell holes has completely de-fanged unions to the point that they don't dare call for a strike because industry can always move to China, Mexico or some other low-wage, low-tax deregulated business nirvana.
The Democrats who used to be pro-worker are now just as bought and paid-for as Republicans, so while unions still throw money at Democrat candidates, all they get in return is a few public works programs and the exact same free trade deals Republicans are pushing.
It works fine for the 0.1% who finance political campaigns and public sector unions that can't have their jobs outsourced, but everyone else gets screwed.
The option of sending jobs out of the country has to be taken off the table PERIOD!
The next problem is the growing oversupply of labor in America.
Even while productivity has continued on the same linear track since the end of WWII, wages have remained flat since the 1970s because, union or not, employers simply have all the leverage.
Had wages kept up with productivity, the prevailing average hourly wage would be close to $30/hour instead of $20.41.
Until we once again get to a place where employers must compete for workers, the 0.1% who have shoved free trade, effectively open borders and guest workers down our throats will continue to collect the 50% of our wages they used to have to pay workers.
When the day comes that employers no longer have the upper hand, we will once gain receive the benefits we took for granted in decades past.
Nothing else will work.
You seem to be confusing productivity with employment and wages. Technology substitution/ industrial robotics increase productivity.
More jobs functions have been eliminated due to technology substitution/ industrial robotics than have been shipped offshore. One man operating a tractor is fare more productive than 10 men with shovels.
With Trump paying zero taxes, you are trying to school me on regressive taxes? I don't think so.
No regressive tax system = no single player health care. Your choice. Simple as that.
And if you think Trump is bad, billionaire Swede Ingvar Kamprad (IKEA) paid no taxes to Sweden for over 40 years. Yet Sweden has single payer health care, a regressive tax system, and the Swedes don't complain about paying regressive taxes for that benefit unlike the spoiled whiny American left.
Bingo! There needs to be penalties and higher costs for those living unhealthy lifestyles. Statistically, their medical care costs more. Prime examples: smokers and the obese.
Can't afford to pay more? Go without, or get healthy and fit.
Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllll lllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnsss sssssssssssss of people have autoimmune or genetic related diseases. They can live healthy lifestyles all they want yet still need multimillion dollar treatments due to an inherited disorder.
So what about them? F*ck'em right? Ever met a T1 diabetic? Guess how much insulin and the pumps would cost w/o insurance. You don't remember the nightmare for diabetics in the 90s and early 00s do you?
Who pays, and you should get what you pay for. Unless you are massively disabled or elderly, the public had no requirement to have the general public pay or cut rate your cost.
The ACA had massive government contributions that were artificial that went away this year. It died this year.
The leaked plan continues the Medicaid supplements till at least 2020.
How do you know whether the new catastrophic policies will be MUCH less expensive? That would be nice though, but I am not holding my breath.
A catastrophic policy only kicks in after a substantial amount of out-of-pocket costs have been incurred. For example, a $20,000 or $40,000 deductible. Many people can self-insure for that, or finance that if a catastrophic injury/illness occurs.
Quote:
I'd be ok with a $25,000-$40,000 deductible as long as we could get the "pre-negotiated rate" before the deductible kicks in and if the premium was low enough.
As would I.
Quote:
Pre-negotiated rate usually gives a discount of ~75%. For example, for x-rays that charged $575 originally, the pre-negotiated rate might be $137. You pay $137 if an in-network provider was used. You give the insurance card to the provider and then wait until the insurance processeses the claim. At that point the provider modifies the bill to $137.
Rates should be the same across the board, whether insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or self-pay. No more cost-shifting.
To me...is they should CAP profits in healthcare and insurance pharma etc. They can get rich of our cough but not buy a 55 ft yacht. I worked for a global Ins broker- all about sales and profits. -- has nothing to do with the sick people or their care.
ACA capped insurers' profits. An insurer has to demonstrate why it needs a higher premium. It made more sense for some insurers to leave unprofitable geo rated areas where claims exceeded premiums.
Health Insurers have been contracting via mergers and acquisistions and exiting the Individual Plan Markets for 25+ years.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
