It's still way to early to know how it's all going to shake out, or is it? What do you hear will happen in the next 4 years in regards to USA Healthcare, Health Insurance, and IRS levied penalties for those with no coverage? Do you think that perhaps there will be a growth of health insurers with super high deductibles and next to no benefits ---- just something to meet the legal requirements of having health insurance for a low fee --------- or will Uncle Sam have that loophole plugged from the start. Your thoughts
From what I heard the fine is going to be $750. That means if you have a high income and would have to pay like $2k per month for insurance, you might as well not get insurance. Just wait until you get sick, then pay the fine and get insurance. After all...they cant deny you coverage now for pre-existing conditions. Obamacare has Epic fail written all over it. I predict that people people with high incomes will not pay, insurers will stop paying or really really delay payments, so much so that doctors will start refusing to accept insurance and work on cash only. The poor will still get shafted in the end.
This plan was designed to fail so people will have no alternative than to accept a national health plan like England's. The US is a studious student of England's government policies toward their citizens. Cameras are popping up all over the place now. Look no further than right across the pond to see what life will be like in the future. A national plan is on the horizon.
Quote from the1: This plan was designed to fail so people will have no alternative than to accept a national health plan like England's. The US is a studious student of England's government policies toward their citizens. Cameras are popping up all over the place now. Look no further than right across the pond to see what life will be like in the future. A national plan is on the horizon. =================================================== I've also heard the fine to be $750. I've also been told that an unemployed construction worker (as if there is some other kind of construction worker) like myself will be able to "Cash In" on Obysmal-Care for about $2k annually but it will have a $5k deductible. I currently spend an average of $1800 in Cash each year for treatment of various and assorted skin cancers. The cancers are obviously a result of years working in the sun back in the not too distant past. You probably remember those days when JOBS were something people went to, and not clever sound bytes uttered during photo opps. Anyway, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure that I'll be paying the fine. re: the1, I agree with you on England. However, if you want a truly clear picture of Obama's Vision, you'll need a time machine, travel back to England 250 years ago, don't forget to take along the surveillance equipment, and have a look at King George's world.
What is the delay going to be from the point where you sign up for coverage and the point where you get coverage? An accident-initiated emergency room visit is massively expensive for the first few days, then more than likely you are sent home fine and dandy or you are dead. If there's a 30 day lag from sign up to benefits starting, that wrecks the "wait til you get hurt" plan. But if you can sign up in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and be insured by the time you roll through triage, I will drop coverage also. How often in the fine assessed? Monthly? Yearly? Only when you sign up? When you drop coverage?
This bill failed miserably to address any of the issues that actually could have benefited this country. I predict that it will cause the US to either go to a 100% public option, or be repealed within 10 years (2024).
One needs to look at the Massachusetts plan to see where this is all going, since MA has a "mandated" state plan to get insurance through something (state, private, or employment) or else pay the fines, namely through losing your personal exemption on the state tax form. Right now it costs 0 if you are "poor" (by federal definition), then anywhere from $39-$116 a month depending on your income (up to $66K for a family of 4) & "plan" you choose. Copays are cheap too...as to what is "specifically" covered, well that's the usual fine print. Now I went with this because my "job" at the time for the virtual exact same coverage/numbers was about 2-2.5 times more a month...although I think it also included dental, numbers-wise it worked out far better for me not to have it and pay for the usual 2 cleanings a year + xray. Of course, there's bureaucracy! My income went up, so I had to re-submit forms as I moved into a new "tier." Then again. Then again. Then they're allegedly ending my plan because they "didn't get the paperwork." I submitted that bit a day before the deadline so it was at least "received." Then they wanted part of it AGAIN. When I did it THIS time (since the satellite office is a few minutes from me), I got the, "well, they're backed up now" deal. Shocker. Of course I could see it now if I was "in serious trouble" and held up because of all this. Joy. Take that times about 100,000 Or just read this recent CNNMoney article on this forum thread: http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/15/news/economy/massachusetts_healthcare_reform.fortune/
3 months ago i quit my day job of 28 years and when i quit i was given the option of retaining my health insurance (not including my dental or life) for just over $900 per month. I opted to go without insurance and have checked out similar mid-range policies that are similar priced and i checked out the bare bones policies with deductibles of $20 - $25k which would cost about $250 per month. I concluded that both i and the hospitals / clinics / doctors will be money ahead if i just pay out my healthcare bills as i can afford each month, and do not purchase insurance. Certain members of the healthcare community and Obama may feel differently about it, at least until 2014, that's my position. I may get my mind changed for me then.
The airports should give passengers a copy of those xrays to bring to the doc to cut down on expenses.
When flying out to family in SF next week, I'm going to ask the scanner operator to crank it up to "HIGH" so I can see how many kidney stones I have left.