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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,221
Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

On 1/6/2015 Qwackertoo said:
On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Fine, if you want to get technical - a LOT of people will still be getting rebates on their premiums. $500 million in one year is not peanuts:

Actually it is peanuts. Granted a rebate is better than no rebate. BUT in 2015 when B as in BILLIONS are tossed around and spent and even T as in TRILLIONs are spent with the stroke of a pen . . . 500 MILLION averages out to $1.58 per person in the USA.

AND we still have around 40 MILLION with an M . . . uninsured people in the USA.

I get it.

Some are very happy with ACA.

Some are not.

We don't have to all agree about the merits or lack thereof of the ACA.

edit typo

The $500,000,000 has nothing whatever to do with the number of people in the USA. That's just silly to equate it to that. That $500 million goes directly to people who paid health care premiums - and as the saying goes "every little bit helps". I would have been glad to get it when I was paying through the teeth to the "big Blue"! Ask anyone who is having trouble making ends meet what even a $100 check would do for them.

And as for the number still uninsured... chalk the majority of that up to those governors who refused to take expanded Medicaid for their uninsured constituents - even though IT WOULDN'T HAVE COST THE STATES A PENNY FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS, and after that an extremely minimal amount. Not to mention keeping hospitals open and keeping people working. It's a shame to make a poli^tical statement at the expense of suffering people.

No one, including "O" has ever said the ACA was perfect. In fact, they have said it can certainly use improvement. But it's better than nothing, which is what has been offered by the now "controlling party".

Super Contributor
Posts: 2,234
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:
On 1/6/2015 Qwackertoo said:
On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Fine, if you want to get technical - a LOT of people will still be getting rebates on their premiums. $500 million in one year is not peanuts:

Actually it is peanuts. Granted a rebate is better than no rebate. BUT in 2015 when B as in BILLIONS are tossed around and spent and even T as in TRILLIONs are spent with the stroke of a pen . . . 500 MILLION averages out to $1.58 per person in the USA.

AND we still have around 40 MILLION with an M . . . uninsured people in the USA.

I get it.

Some are very happy with ACA.

Some are not.

We don't have to all agree about the merits or lack thereof of the ACA.

edit typo

The $500,000,000 has nothing whatever to do with the number of people in the USA. That's just silly to equate it to that. That $500 million goes directly to people who paid health care premiums - and as the saying goes "every little bit helps". I would have been glad to get it when I was paying through the teeth to the "big Blue"! Ask anyone who is having trouble making ends meet what even a $100 check would do for them.

And as for the number still uninsured... chalk the majority of that up to those governors who refused to take expanded Medicaid for their uninsured constituents - even though IT WOULDN'T HAVE COST THE STATES A PENNY FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS, and after that an extremely minimal amount. Not to mention keeping hospitals open and keeping people working. It's a shame to make a poli^tical statement at the expense of suffering people.

No one, including "O" has ever said the ACA was perfect. In fact, they have said it can certainly use improvement. But it's better than nothing, which is what has been offered by the now "controlling party".

It was used to illustrate that 500 Million is indeed PEANUTS. In. The. Big. Picture.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 11,367
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

On 1/6/2015 SoX said:
On 1/5/2015 mstyrion 1 said:
On 1/5/2015 hyacinth003 said:

Yes, we have made up the losses. As one gets closer to retirement and needing the funds, it is scarier to have big losses. We sort of just let it be for a long time, thinking it was so far away. It is now not so far away. We saved for retirement when we didn't have an extra dime to spare.

So, now all of us get a much needed decrease in gas prices, only to have it affect another area badly.

So, gas prices are down, and that seems to be affecting the stock market adversely.

Our health insurance was given higher deductibles than we ever had last year. Now, not better coverage but higher premiums. We are trying to keep my daughter with decent coverage (not Medicaid) because she has developed a health issue. But, since it is COBRA coverage, it is now $558 month, up from $526/month. That is in addition to ours going up $1,500 per year. It is to cover the mess that is the ACA. And, all info points to this being worse for those of us who PAY for our coverage without subsidies.A

Hyacinth {#emotions_dlg.confused1}

This is confusing to me.

I believe I read that you stated your husband works as a claims adjuster for an insurance company. Most insurance companies offer group health for employees. For a group health premium to go up $1,500 per year, there had to be a major change in coverage--number of parties insured for instance.

Group health policies have not been affected in that manner by ACA. Is there more to the story? COBRA is another animal entirely and not related to ACA. It's one of the most expensive types of coverage out there.

There's always more to her story ... and since the 40% loss in the stock market story didn't hold water (she surely wasn't expecting those whose stocks recovered and ultimately made gains to chime in... but they did, indeed) a little backtracking was needed.

Who in the world would pay COBRA prices when it's not necessary? Something's not quite right here ... Oh, wait, it's about subsidies ... again. Now I get it.

Each person has their own financial situation and coverage issues. Might be best to not assume you know everyone's specific issues.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,997
Registered: ‎03-25-2012

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:
On 1/6/2015 Gooday said:

Remember O-care is a TAX. When did a tax get revoked or refunded? Not likely.

Time will tell. The entire system is messed up and will continue to be so until these lobbyists are cut off at the knees and I see that happening - NEVER!

May I ask how O care is a TAX? And it is proven in writing that rebates of premiums have been given out to millions of people - that cannot be disputed even though you might like to.

My son lost his job due to health issues and has not been able to go back to a regular job yet. Our state did not take expanded Medicaid, unfortunately, (we know who runs this state, don't we?), so without O care, he would have NO medical coverage whatever because no insurance company would have covered him.

If you ever wake up an hour after you go to sleep with a CLUSTER HEADACHE, and it happens every single night for months (sometimes two times in one night), you will be more than glad to have medical insurance so you can see a doctor for meds. He considers it a God-send, not a tax. If you don't believe it, look up cluster headaches - they have a nickname... "suicide headaches" - they're that bad.

My beloved sister had cluster headaches for years and I witnessed one on a plane with her when she could not go and hide (as she always did). They are horrendous! Her face would swell up on one side and tears would spurt out of her eyes, and she would get bright red. She would just sit there with her head down and sway back and forth for about 20 minutes to an hour. Then she'd be exhausted. Since they come in clusters, she would sometimes get as many as ten in one day. She tried oxygen and that never helped.

I know pain very well, I have it every day, but nothing like that, ever . . . and I had four babies too. It's different somehow.

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,221
Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

On 1/6/2015 Qwackertoo said:
On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:
On 1/6/2015 Qwackertoo said:
On 1/6/2015 kittymomNC said:

Fine, if you want to get technical - a LOT of people will still be getting rebates on their premiums. $500 million in one year is not peanuts:

Actually it is peanuts. Granted a rebate is better than no rebate. BUT in 2015 when B as in BILLIONS are tossed around and spent and even T as in TRILLIONs are spent with the stroke of a pen . . . 500 MILLION averages out to $1.58 per person in the USA.

AND we still have around 40 MILLION with an M . . . uninsured people in the USA.

I get it.

Some are very happy with ACA.

Some are not.

We don't have to all agree about the merits or lack thereof of the ACA.

edit typo

The $500,000,000 has nothing whatever to do with the number of people in the USA. That's just silly to equate it to that. That $500 million goes directly to people who paid health care premiums - and as the saying goes "every little bit helps". I would have been glad to get it when I was paying through the teeth to the "big Blue"! Ask anyone who is having trouble making ends meet what even a $100 check would do for them.

And as for the number still uninsured... chalk the majority of that up to those governors who refused to take expanded Medicaid for their uninsured constituents - even though IT WOULDN'T HAVE COST THE STATES A PENNY FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS, and after that an extremely minimal amount. Not to mention keeping hospitals open and keeping people working. It's a shame to make a poli^tical statement at the expense of suffering people.

No one, including "O" has ever said the ACA was perfect. In fact, they have said it can certainly use improvement. But it's better than nothing, which is what has been offered by the now "controlling party".

It was used to illustrate that 500 Million is indeed PEANUTS. In. The. Big. Picture.

That's fine, but we're not talking about the.big.picture... we're talking about the people who are actually going to get that money in their hands. And remember who will be controlling the purse strings now, for the most part. Let's see what happens. They would probably prefer that $500 million go into the pockets of big business instead of health care consumers.{#emotions_dlg.blink}

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,045
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

Insurance Claims adjustor's can be independents and have to supply their own insurance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Careful... I have caps lock and I am not afraid to use it.**
Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,476
Registered: ‎06-27-2010

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

On 1/6/2015 Marienkaefer2 said:
On 1/5/2015 esmeraldagooch said:

All of us with the fancy Cadillac plans are sitting great now, but our time is coming. Ladies with the union plans that is you too.

I can assure you, as someone who has been paying for insurance through the individual market for several years, I most definitely do NOT have a "Cadillac" plan. Smiley Happy

I think a lot of people complaining right now are the ones who have had generous coverage through employers, and they have been immune and ignorant of what it's like for many of us who do not have that coverage, either because the employer did not offer it, or we lost coverage because of reaching limits, or losing a job, being laid off, or we chose to strike out on our own and become self employed.

The fact is, we are in a transitional period. Health insurance should NOT be tied to employment. It should be something that everyone has individually, and is portable, no.matter where they move to. It actually should give you peace of mind because you shouldn't lose it if you can't work or lose your job, or if you choose to go out on your own. Right now I think we are moving in that direction, and there will be bumps along the way. Other industrialized countries have.already reached this.

Excellent post, Marienkaefer.

Also, kittymomNC -- your comments are spot on.

We desperately needed change, something had to be done to begin a direction away from healthcare-by-insurance clerk. With all due respect, most people who are able to step away from partisan politics have become aware of this. The problem is we've gone so far in the wrong direction and it's hard to get the insurance and drug companies out of politicians pockets (and vice versa), so it's going to take time to get momentum and see more improvement. It's a beginning, it's not perfect, but it's a start.

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,660
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

If you are that close to retirement and still have the majority of investments in the stock market you are very silly indeed. Any investment advisor will tell you that as you get closer to retirement you need to move your portfolio to ""safe investments"" wher you will not be subject to market fluctuations in order to preserve your capital. You will not see large gains but neither will you take losses. To worry about your retirement savings while still in the stock market close to retirement would certainly cause me sleepless nights. However the responsibility for changing your investment strategy clearly rests on your shoulders. You are rolling the dice if you remain in stocks and have no one but yourself to blame if we have another long downturn.
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,517
Registered: ‎09-18-2014

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

On 1/6/2015 croemer said:

Insurance Claims adjustor's can be independents and have to supply their own insurance.

Yes, insurance claims adjusters can be independent andSOME need to find their own insurance.. I seem to recall her saying her husband worked for a carrier, though.

As pointed out by several others, there are several questionable statements in the post.

~Enough is enough~
Regular Contributor
Posts: 183
Registered: ‎09-25-2011

Re: Can't catch a break it seems

IMO affordable health care should be a RIGHT and not a PRIVILEGE. Those with good health care coverage at affordable prices are no more worthy of being healthy than those with less money. A civilized society is one that takes care of it's more vulnerable - the very young, very old, the sick...just to name a few. Politicians are set for life with their benefits - they have no dog in the fight. They can afford to play the game of politics with the stakes being OUR HEALTH AND WELFARE. We've recently had to cancel our preferred, long time health plan for one that is more affordable. It simply became too costly to stay on our insurance. We have both been on it for years and have had all of our medical issues/illnesses well managed by physicians that we both knew and trusted. We simply had to give this up in favor of the insurance my employer provides. While not nearly as good, we are still very thankful to EVEN HAVE insurance provided by my employer - we are grateful. It's a very sad state of affairs indeed. I recently had some emergency dental work done on a very painful situation. I can't imagine the poor people who don't have insurance to cover something like this and have to suffer daily. As I said, I am lucky and thankful for the insurance we have but so sad and disillusioned for the poor people who don't have sufficient or any insurance at all. Sorry for the rant- just something I feel so strongly about