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Valued Contributor
Posts: 600
Registered: ‎11-09-2014

Re: CAN'T RETIRE BECAUSE OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE


@reiki604 wrote:

@GSPgirl wrote:

@Nightowlz wrote:

That's the only reason DH is still working. It's ashamed people have to work until they are dead.

Our government needs to provide decent health care for all the people not just for them.


I suggest you go take a trip to the UK and wait in line for an operation.  6 months for cataract surgery.  Sound good to you?  Even my British friends, who live here, don’t want socialized medicine.  I lived in England for 5 years with my British husband. Our taxes were outrageous.  So, who do you think is paying  for free healthcare?  You are!


I know, right? Having a short wait for an elective surgery is soooo  much worse than not being able to get the surgery at all because you can't afford health insurance or the insurance you can afford is inadequate. 


 

 

Growing number of US are going bankrupt losing  everything to try and pay for medical care and it all goes back to decades ago when insurance companies were given too much power imo.

 

 

Frequent Contributor
Posts: 146
Registered: ‎03-15-2017

Re: CAN'T RETIRE BECAUSE OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE


@Ms tyrion2 wrote:

@NYC Susan wrote:

@Spinach30 wrote:

I'm the OP.  From the posts I'm reading I'm finding this situation outrageous!!!!  What can we do?  What direction do we take this?  Who will listen?  Our government doesn't seem to care!!!!  This mess started with the creation of the ACA - now what??????????


 

I disagree. This mess started a very long time ago.  Health insurance was outrageously expensive long before the ACA, which at least made a dent in the problem by enabling many previously uninsured people to finally have health insurance.


 

 

Not to mention ACA ended the egregious practice of refusing insurance for pre-existing conditions and making preventative healthcare free.

 

Millions of people who couldn't have healthcare insurance were able to be insured because of the ACA .


Yes, millions can now have healthcare but unfortunately it came at the backs of everyone else having to pay an extremely high premium...and some had to drop out because of rising healthcare costs...a no win situation

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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,764
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: CAN'T RETIRE BECAUSE OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE


@Spinach30 wrote:

@Ms tyrion2 wrote:

@NYC Susan wrote:

@Spinach30 wrote:

I'm the OP.  From the posts I'm reading I'm finding this situation outrageous!!!!  What can we do?  What direction do we take this?  Who will listen?  Our government doesn't seem to care!!!!  This mess started with the creation of the ACA - now what??????????


 

I disagree. This mess started a very long time ago.  Health insurance was outrageously expensive long before the ACA, which at least made a dent in the problem by enabling many previously uninsured people to finally have health insurance.


 

 

Not to mention ACA ended the egregious practice of refusing insurance for pre-existing conditions and making preventative healthcare free.

 

Millions of people who couldn't have healthcare insurance were able to be insured because of the ACA .


Yes, millions can now have healthcare but unfortunately it came at the backs of everyone else having to pay an extremely high premium...and some had to drop out because of rising healthcare costs...a no win situation


@Spinach30 I agree this is not a win-win. But those of us who had fabulous healthcare through our employers for many years already WERE paying for those who had little to no insurance.  Our health plans were charged higher rates and they paid them. (Remember the $30 Tylenol pill story?) 

 

Because healthcare is a “for profit” industry there will be some folks who can’t afford it and the rest of us have to pay because EVERYONE will need healthcare at some point in their life. So I think everyone should have to pay. They’re going to use it sooner or later so the a c a spread the cost across the population. Honestly, it hurt folks like me because for the first time in my working life I had to pay   for some stuff out of pocket. My deductible increased 5x. For the first time I had to pay coinsurance and copays. But I figured at least folks who needed insurance could get it. 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,910
Registered: ‎05-08-2017

Re: CAN'T RETIRE BECAUSE OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE


@Spinach30 wrote:

@Ms tyrion2 wrote:

@NYC Susan wrote:

@Spinach30 wrote:

I'm the OP.  From the posts I'm reading I'm finding this situation outrageous!!!!  What can we do?  What direction do we take this?  Who will listen?  Our government doesn't seem to care!!!!  This mess started with the creation of the ACA - now what??????????


 

I disagree. This mess started a very long time ago.  Health insurance was outrageously expensive long before the ACA, which at least made a dent in the problem by enabling many previously uninsured people to finally have health insurance.


 

 

Not to mention ACA ended the egregious practice of refusing insurance for pre-existing conditions and making preventative healthcare free.

 

Millions of people who couldn't have healthcare insurance were able to be insured because of the ACA .


Yes, millions can now have healthcare but unfortunately it came at the backs of everyone else having to pay an extremely high premium...and some had to drop out because of rising healthcare costs...a no win situation


 

 

@Spinach30,

That is what group health insurance has always been. The group pays the premium to cover the cost of  medical care for the  members.   Did you honestly think one person's premium was used just for their own expenses?

 

The cost of premiums has gone up every year for as long as I can remember.  

 

Do you approve of Medicare? That's the biggest group there is. Who do you think is paying for it?

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,764
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: CAN'T RETIRE BECAUSE OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE


@Ms tyrion2 wrote:

@Spinach30 wrote:

@Ms tyrion2 wrote:

@NYC Susan wrote:

@Spinach30 wrote:

I'm the OP.  From the posts I'm reading I'm finding this situation outrageous!!!!  What can we do?  What direction do we take this?  Who will listen?  Our government doesn't seem to care!!!!  This mess started with the creation of the ACA - now what??????????


 

I disagree. This mess started a very long time ago.  Health insurance was outrageously expensive long before the ACA, which at least made a dent in the problem by enabling many previously uninsured people to finally have health insurance.


 

 

Not to mention ACA ended the egregious practice of refusing insurance for pre-existing conditions and making preventative healthcare free.

 

Millions of people who couldn't have healthcare insurance were able to be insured because of the ACA .


Yes, millions can now have healthcare but unfortunately it came at the backs of everyone else having to pay an extremely high premium...and some had to drop out because of rising healthcare costs...a no win situation


 

 

@Spinach30,

That is what group health insurance has always been. The group pays the premium to cover the cost of  medical care for the  members.   Did you honestly think one person's premium was used just for their own expenses?

 

The cost of premiums has gone up every year for as long as I can remember.  

 

Do you approve of Medicare? That's the biggest group there is. Who do you think is paying for it?


@Ms tyrion2 And with regard to group plans, like those offered through employers, they work well because there is a wide range of ages participating. Those younger folks seldom need to use it which helps balance out the older workers who start to experience age-related health concerns. Even the healthiest of individuals have health issues as we age. And genetics are harder to avoid, too.

Thats why a c a needs everyone to participate. Yes, everyone!  

 

Speaking of aging, before the big M happened to me, my blood work was always fabulous! Low triglycerides, bad cholesterol was in the middle of acceptable range, but good cholesterol was high and therefore protective.  Within a few years of going through M, my bad cholesterol went way up!  Same weight, same diet, same activity level. The only difference was I lost that protective aspect of estrogen that helps women ward off heart problems and bone density problems and vascular problems and skin problems and on and on. 

 

So those of you ladies who are young’uns, enjoy your health now! M is a major game-changer, be forewarned! And make sure you have great H coverage heading into it.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,355
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: CAN'T RETIRE BECAUSE OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE


@hyacinth003 wrote:

If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.

 

Hyacinth


unless you make the decision to purchase an insurance that your doctor doesn't accept, just like it's always been.Lack of due diligence and education on what one is purchasing is on the consumer. If the Doc suddenly dropped the insurance you have. then it's on the  doc and no one else. No one can force a  doctor to accept any insurance, it's on them. Your tired old memes are just that. Tired, old and irrelevant.


'I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man'.......Unknown
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,814
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: CAN'T RETIRE BECAUSE OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE


@reiki604 wrote:

@GSPgirl wrote:

@Nightowlz wrote:

That's the only reason DH is still working. It's ashamed people have to work until they are dead.

Our government needs to provide decent health care for all the people not just for them.


I suggest you go take a trip to the UK and wait in line for an operation.  6 months for cataract surgery.  Sound good to you?  Even my British friends, who live here, don’t want socialized medicine.  I lived in England for 5 years with my British husband. Our taxes were outrageous.  So, who do you think is paying  for free healthcare?  You are!


I know, right? Having a short wait for an elective surgery is soooo  much worse than not being able to get the surgery at all because you can't afford health insurance or the insurance you can afford is inadequate. 


As someone that has lived in England and still has family and friends there, I  can tell you that none of us ever have had any complaints with the NHS.  I know several British people over here that are seriously considering moving back precisely because of the scary healthcare system in this country.  For a country that considers itself to be the greatest nation on earth, it should be able to do better and come up with a better "system" than what's out there.  Healthcare shouldn't be tied to employment and you shouldn't worry about outrageous medical bills or losing everything when you are ill.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,658
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: CAN'T RETIRE BECAUSE OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE

Well, I think we can all agree that it is a mess and not working for many.

There is a misconception though that because some are paying outrageously more, than that enables many others to have medical care. That is not happening.

I feel for the people who have to go back to work to pay for medical insurance but also the people who can't afford any. Not every state has the lower cost option either for people with lower income.

The insurance companies are probably making more money though.

And to say oh it's worse in England, France with their national health care, doesn't say that universal health care with some improvements is not the answer.

It doesn't mean we have to copy another system that doesn't work well.

I think we all wish there was a solution but as someone else said, if it was a simple answer, we would have found it.

I guess one thing we can do is vote in people that we trust and that are good people and have their constituents interests at heart.

And if anything good comes from all this discussion, it is good to know the problems from each end of the spectrum.

I actually don't think taking a percentage of taxes based on income to pay for universal healthcare is such a bad way to go.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"