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Nation Health Care Has Hit Me Hard (in the pocketbook)

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by righteousdude2, Jan 13, 2011.

  1. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    I am not posting this to solicit sympathy from anyone of you. I just want you to see that all the insurance companies (that cover state pension retirees) have not only raised their monthly/yearly premiums in anticipation of what is coming down the road; they have tripled all my copays. :BangHead:

    I am now being forced to go to my doctors and see what prescriptions I can get by without. I can no longer afford the copays on all of my medicines. This must be one of the ways the government hopes to use to rid society of senior citizens. If we can't afford the medicine, we stop taking it, and we eventually die, sooner than we would have, had we been able to continue to afford to pay for our prescribed medicines.

    What is this nation coming to? I have talked with quite a few other retirees, who are making the same decisions. It is nearly impossible to put gasoline in the car, pay utilities, and put food on the table because everything is costing more than ever! And now, we are forced to either trim more from other budget areas, or, just take less medicine and wait for the inevitable!

    Just what I feared when the health care bill was being debated has become a scary reality! :tear:

    Shalom,

    Pastor Paul :type:
     
  2. SpiritualMadMan

    SpiritualMadMan New Member

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    I think is called "Indirect" Death Panels?

    obamacare doesn't! And, niether does he!
     
  3. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    There will come a time in MY life as a pastor where I will be FORCED to choose between health insurance and common staples to carry on life

    Soon I will be forced to decide-----do I want to pay for health insurance or continue to buy gasoline for my car?? If I pay for health insurance I will have no money left to buy gasoline

    If I can't afford health insurance----well---I'm forced to drop it

    Then when I really get sick----like with heart attack------or the cardioligist says I must have bypass----and I know how much thats gonna cost-----well-----that leaves me with only one option

    I go the way of all men----sooner, perhaps, rather than later, because I had no way of paying for my bypass or my stints that would prolong my life by perhaps another 5-10 years ------------ BUT ---------I can leave knowing that those who COULD continue to afford insurance will be right behind me in my departure----------because, they too must go the way of all men-----I just went that way when I was fifty---and they went that way because they were able to stretch out their fifty another twenty years or so

    I've reached the point in my life where I can finally grasp the truth of what the Bible says----------

    "Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's"

    Whether I live to be fifty or whether I die at 80----I am the Lord's----regardless of whether I have the best insurance covering my rear end or have no coverage at all!!!!
     
  4. targus

    targus New Member

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    It's all part of the demoncrat's plan.

    Everyone knew that the Obama healthscare plan would drive up the cost of medical insurance - which is exactly what they want.

    To push more people out of the private health insurance system and into the government system.

    It isn't about reducing health care costs.

    It isn't about providing more people with health care services.

    It's about putting the government in charge of more and more our lives.

    So that they can accumulate more and more power for themselves.
     
  5. FR7 Baptist

    FR7 Baptist Active Member

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    I told you this would happen. I said a year ago:

    "The public option, mandate, and cost controls go hand in hand. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see this bill lowering costs. In fact, it may raise costs because there's no public option or Medicare buy-in. "
     
  6. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    My copays have been going up steadily every year for 6 years now. It has nothing to do with national healthcare. It has to do with those that subsidize our health plans (in my case my company, in your case the state) that negotiate lower premiums to pay.
     
  7. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Maybe not. If insurance companies are required to keep able bodied adults on the parents insurance and the companies are required to insure prior conditions, they have no choice but to raise the rates, as their outgo will drastically increase. Thats Economics 101, no actually its Econ 99
     
  8. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

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    Paul, isn't it time to cut you losses and get out of the state? Instead of white flight, it's middle class flight from a state that seems to care more about the rights of illegals, self-perpetuating poverty, migratory birds, and certain chemicals that are known, only in the State of California, to cause cancer than the rights of those who actually work for a living and foot the tax bill.
     
  9. StefanM

    StefanM Well-Known Member
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    Able bodied adults...who are probably the healthiest adults (read: youngest) in the insurance market.

    Pre-existing conditions--this point is valid.

    However, these costs are deferred, as the law is not yet in full effect.

    The premiums, therefore, should not necessarily be increasing at present. Why are they? Companies want to make money.
     
  10. tinytim

    tinytim <img src =/tim2.jpg>

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    But you can rest assured and be at ease because the cost of living hasn't risen! LOL
     
  11. targus

    targus New Member

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    I understand what you are saying.

    Have you considered the possibilty that your company may be negotiating with the insurance company - and accepting those higher co-pays - just to keep the premium form going higher?

    In other words - your company may be spending just as much on insurance premiums but it doesn't buy the same coverage that it used to.
     
  12. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    There is no "may" about it. But a nanny state public option would raise costs and taxes even more.

    It's a lousy bill...for everyone.
     
  13. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Young adults still get sick, need shots, ect -
    Pre-exist - Valid? The question is why did they not get insurance before they got sick/injured?
    Insurance rates are based on on stats applied equally.

    Supposed you have 3 brothers (& you make four). At the end of September your Dad says next year I want you guys to go out and mow lawns. In order to buy each of you a lawn mower (at $50 each) and the gas, supplies, advertising, ect needed for the summer - I will take $4 out of your allowance each week so in March we can buy the mowers. You balk and demand you don't want to be part of the team because you have a cast on your arm. So dad says ok - he does not withhold your $4. But on March 17 (St Pats day) you decide you want to mow lawns. So Dad does buy that mower for you, out of the "Mowing Insurance Fund", but now there is no $$ for gas, signs and other supplies.

    Is that fair to your brothers? Even if you had a "pre-existing condition".
    When there is a cost - it must be paid - There is no free lunch. Someone will pay.

    This may be a poor analogy - but I trust it gets the point across
     
  14. StefanM

    StefanM Well-Known Member
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    I meant that your point regarding pre-existing conditions is valid.
     
  15. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    That certainly may be true as well, but it would still hold true that it isn't because of national healthcare. I'm no fan of national healthcare, but the copays have been going up well before national healthcare was on the table.
     
  16. targus

    targus New Member

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    One of the things that has been driving health care costs and subsequently insurance premium costs has been new treatments.

    People are now afforded very expensive treatments and medical procedures that were previously not known.

    Those treatments have to cost something.
     
    #16 targus, Jan 14, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 14, 2011
  17. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Not only that, but often doctors will order tests, that really arent necessary, but "just-in-case-I-get-sued"
     
  18. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    Sorry About Your Copay Increases, but . . .

    . . . My copay for generic drugs was always $5.00. It is now $15.00. That is a drastic increase. As for name brands, they went from $15.00 to $45.00.

    Doctor's visits went from $10.00 to $30.00. And the overall premium, which my retirement fund still catches all of went from $638.00 to a hefty $998.00. This was a one time jump, and it was because of the impending healthcare changes, per my insurance company. This had to be in order to continue to provide the quality of care they had provided for years.

    There was a time when I paid nothing for scripts, and $5.00 for a doctor visit. Of course that was twenty years ago: still, we never had this kind of jump in costs in one year. EVER...

    Because I have several chronic health issues, caused by a work injury in 1987, I had to retire early on a forced medical and my fixed income is such that this type of a cost increase eats up money needed for other mandatory needs.

    Like Black Bird says, I have a better place to go to, and it looks as though the government has made a push to make sure that is only going to have senior citizens that are near the picture of perfect health.

    I can guarantee, that no matter how many health issues, the rich and those political leaders have. They will not lack for anything at any time in their life.

    Again, this is not just the fault of Obama - it was just his dream, which has started to become a nightmare for those who once depended on things to be stable in their golden years - but the doing of both our House and Senate.

    Am I bitter? . . NO! It just truly disappoints me to see this come about as the politicians decided to help so many without care. I've worked a life time for the right to my health care benefits, and I should never have had to make the kind of choices that I am going to have to make the next few months. So many, who will benefit from this healthcare plan, have never worked, and many others are underemployed.

    BTW, this cost increase also affects my wife and her quality of care too!

    Shalom,

    Pastor Paul
     
  19. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    Good Point, LOL

    In fact there are a few people I know who are taking comfort (Southern Comfort) in that same truth. :smilewinkgrin:
     
  20. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Then would it be a bitter pill (pun intended) for you to swallow to tell you this A.M., I picked up a Medicaid customer, to him to the doctors. $45 one way - waited 10 minutes and took him home - another $45.

    Today, I booked a grand total of $250 - all but $75 was Medicaid. The other $75 were county paid programs.

    Salty

    PS, you're right - I did not recieve any tips today
     
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