Obamacare Question

[Cartmann99]

3 hours ago, Childless said:

Repealing the ACA right off the bat with nothing to replace it is a good way to collapse the healthcare industry and throw the economy into another recession.  But what do they care?  They get government healthcare and can vote themselves a raise.  They're set.  The rest of us can just crawl into a hole and die.

Sadly, after doing some more reading, I think that could be part of Trump's plan. He gave an interview to Fox News back in 2014 about the ACA and unemployment. He said that the solution to getting rid of it, was to crash the economy so that people would start rioting and want to return to the old system.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/3179604851001/?#sp=show-clips

Next up, we have Trump's right-hand man, Steve Bannon:

Quote

 

Then we had a long talk about his approach to politics. He never called himself a “populist” or an “American nationalist,” as so many think of him today. “I’m a Leninist,” Bannon proudly proclaimed.

Shocked, I asked him what he meant.

“Lenin,” he answered, “wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.” Bannon was employing Lenin’s strategy for Tea Party populist goals. He included in that group the Republican and Democratic Parties, as well as the traditional conservative press.

I emailed Bannon last week recalling our conversation, telling him that I planned to write about it and asking him if he wanted to comment on or correct my account of it. He responded:

“I don’t remember meeting you and don’t remember the conversation. And as u can tell from the past few days I am not doing media.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/22/steve-bannon-trump-s-top-guy-told-me-he-was-a-leninist.html

Trump voters have elected a man who simply doesn't care about how his decisions will affect the lives of everyday Americans.

[bashfulpixie]

That is absolutely horrifying.  I can't even begin to wrap my mind around that.  And what's scarier is I feel completely helpless with this whole situation.  Like nothing I say or do is worth anything. 

I'm just glad I finally found a job with health insurance, because I've used the exchanges (shitty as they are in Florida), since the ACA went into effect. I feel awful for people who are going to lose their coverage because of these sociopaths.

Stupid Electoral College.  Giving rednecks with fucked up values more voting power than those of us that live in heavily populated states because "fairness".  Nothing fair about this whole situation.

[VelociRapture]

1 hour ago, bashfulpixie said:

That is absolutely horrifying.  I can't even begin to wrap my mind around that.  And what's scarier is I feel completely helpless with this whole situation.  Like nothing I say or do is worth anything. 

I'm just glad I finally found a job with health insurance, because I've used the exchanges (shitty as they are in Florida), since the ACA went into effect. I feel awful for people who are going to lose their coverage because of these sociopaths.

Stupid Electoral College.  Giving rednecks with fucked up values more voting power than those of us that live in heavily populated states because "fairness".  Nothing fair about this whole situation.

Your voice is absolutely worth listening to. Call your Senators' and House Representative's offices. Tell them what's concerning you and ask that they stand as strong advocates on your behalf.

http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/

http://m.house.gov/representatives/

Sign the SPLC's petition demanding Trump honor his pledge to be a President for all Americans:

https://www.splcenter.org/tell-donald-trump-reject-hate-and-bigotry-0

Call the offices for your State Senator and State Representative as well. Ask them about any concerns you have on the state level or ask about what legislation is being introduced to protect your right to Healthcare. 

The only way your voice is useless is if you don't use it. Maybe it won't do any good. Maybe it will. At the very least, you'll know that you did your part to fight for your rights and your health.  

[Toothfairy]

On Monday, November 14, 2016 at 9:15 AM, Childless said:

Repealing the ACA right off the bat with nothing to replace it is a good way to collapse the healthcare industry and throw the economy into another recession.  But what do they care?  They get government healthcare and can vote themselves a raise.  They're set.  The rest of us can just crawl into a hole and die.

This is fucked up. There should be term limits for Congress and they should have to live like us too

[GreyhoundFan]

7 hours ago, Toothfairy said:

This is fucked up. There should be term limits for Congress and they should have to live like us too

Oh, but Mitch McConnell said there are term limits for Congress. Yeah, that was really helpful...NOT. I wish someone strong would actually run against him and wipe that smug smile off his face.

Quote

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): "I say we have term limits now. They’re called elections. It will not be on the agenda in the Senate," McConnell told reporters the day after the election.

 

[Childless]

20 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Oh, but Mitch McConnell said there are term limits for Congress. Yeah, that was really helpful...NOT. I wish someone strong would actually run against him and wipe that smug smile off his face.

 

So much for changing Washington.  Trump fail.

[GreyhoundFan]

The Washington Post has published "The ultimate Q&A about health care under a Trump presidency" Interesting reading. I won't copy and paste the whole article, as it is quite long. Frankly, it makes me more nervous than ever.

[VelociRapture]

True story - I thought this was a hoax. Turns out, it's 100% legitimate. I just called myself and left my vote of support for Obama's plan. If you're concerned about healthcare in this country, then please give this number a call and make your opinion heard.

[GreyhoundFan]

@VelociRapture Thank you for the info! I just called. I also waited at the end to leave a voicemail message, but surprise, surprise, the mailbox is full. I plan to call from my work and cell phones too and have everyone I know do it. Sadly, I'm sure they'll ignore it, if the snotty staffer who recorded the message is any indication.

[RosyDaisy]

I can write letters until my fingers fall off, and it wouldn't matter. Alabama is ultra conservative, and wants the ACA repealed, along with a all other forms of public assistance.

[VelociRapture]

6 hours ago, RosyDaisy said:

I can write letters until my fingers fall off, and it wouldn't matter. Alabama is ultra conservative, and wants the ACA repealed, along with a all other forms of public assistance.

I'm sorry. The only thing I can think to say to you is that, at the very least, you're making your voice heard. Standing on the right side of history or standing up for those who need it is never a waste in my opinion.

Try not to get discouraged. The next four years are going to suck badly. But we can't give up hope.  

[formergothardite]

6 hours ago, RosyDaisy said:

I can write letters until my fingers fall off, and it wouldn't matter. Alabama is ultra conservative, and wants the ACA repealed, along with a all other forms of public assistance.

I called and wrote letters and I know it is pretty much going to do no good, but at least I could say I tried. Standing up for the right thing, even if it doesn't make a difference, is still doing the right thing. 

It can be very discouraging, though. 

[Childless]

7 hours ago, RosyDaisy said:

I can write letters until my fingers fall off, and it wouldn't matter. Alabama is ultra conservative, and wants the ACA repealed, along with a all other forms of public assistance.

I find this odd considering Alabama is one of the states that takes more federal dollars than they contribute and has one of the highest poverty rates in the country.  Why would people vote against their own best interests?

[mamallama]

Maybe you could call and tell them that your  liberal friends from NJ and other blue states that pay a lot in taxes and get little back in return are happy to see their feelings about accepting federal money since they get back $3 for every $1 dollar they send.  

Seriously, though my heart goes out to you for having to live somewhere where your values aren't respected.

 

 

[RosyDaisy]

I find this odd considering Alabama is one of the states that takes more federal dollars than they contribute and has one of the highest poverty rates in the country.  Why would people vote against their own best interests?

Because they think those on public assistance are welfare queens or lazy and are taking resources that should go elsewhere. They are ignorant about how detrimental their thinking. Oh, and they only care about abortion, gays, and guns. I know it makes no sense at all.

[feministxtian]

Healthcare: Thank GOD my husband is a veteran. He gets all his care through the VA now. He's on SSDI, and Medicare is a joke! First, they charge him 121.00 a month taken right out of his already pathetic SSDI check. Then, there's the deductible and only 80% of everything else is covered. His flipping prescriptions (type 1 diabetic w/no pancreas) run about 7 THOUSAND dollars a month. 20% of that is more than his entire check! I have "poor folks" medicaid. Without that, I would not be able to afford MY prescriptions. No matter how you look at it, we're screwed with these assholes in government. 

[Howl]

And what is the alternative?  Paul Ryan is already talking about doing away with MediCare, meaning instead of dealing with the government, we'll be dealing with for-profit "health-care" companies whose CEOs make mega million dollar salaries to make their stockholders happy.  

Look at the current  "Advantage" plan options if you want to see our collective healthcare future.  I hear your frustration, but MediCare is at least predictable and reliable.  The Ryan option is to give each senior a little bit of money, and let each person shop for health insurance in the market place.  Will you be covered by MediCaid in this scenario?  I don't know, but I honestly don't think you will be better off. Health care under a privatized system will become a combination of Hunger Games and death panels. 

And with the incoming administration?  Good fucking luck to all of us with controlling medication costs.  At least there was potential for the government to bargain with Big Pharma to lower costs; I can't imagine that happening in a Trump administration. 

As noted up thread, I opted for traditional MediCare over Advantage plans, as have a majority of seniors.   When I heard Paul Ryan was actively strategizing to do away with MediCare, my once-predictable retirement is now up in flames.

[JMarie]

I just got a letter from my insurance company.  My premium is going up 30%, but my Obamacare subsidy is going up more than that, so my premium will be less than what I'm now paying.  Republicans, please tell me again how Obamacare is unaffordable.

[JoyfulSel]

5 hours ago, JMarie said:

I just got a letter from my insurance company.  My premium is going up 30%, but my Obamacare subsidy is going up more than that, so my premium will be less than what I'm now paying.  Republicans, please tell me again how Obamacare is unaffordable.

My current insurance company will not be offered in my state next year, but the lovely Obamacare website set me up with a comparable plan, and it will actually be a $50 less premium per month! The plan is still great and covers what I'm looking for - frustrating to think this could all be taken away.

[bashfulpixie]

The ACA kept my butt covered when my work dropped everyone but management to below 30 hours and I lost my coverage, as well as some time that I spent between places with coverage.  It's sad that there's so many people out there with the attitude of "I've got mine, screw you"

[Mecca]

12 hours ago, JMarie said:

I just got a letter from my insurance company.  My premium is going up 30%, but my Obamacare subsidy is going up more than that, so my premium will be less than what I'm now paying.  Republicans, please tell me again how Obamacare is unaffordable.

This is not directed towards you. I just wanted to give a different perspective as to why the ACA needs some work. 

For the record: Obamacare is a start and I think it is a much needed start and a lot of good has come from it, but The ACA for us has really, really put us in the middle of some rather expensive and crappy healthcare. Bill Clinton was correct when he said the ACA is becoming burdensome for many with higher healthcare costs. There are people that have insurance that cannot afford to go to the doctor due to insane premiums and co-insurance costs. Those increases are due to some things within the act. 

There is a portion of the ACA that really sucks and has opened the doorway for employers and insurance companies to offer high deductible plans and has increased premiums. It is called the Cadillac Tax. It has to be fully implemented by 2020, originally 2018, but many employers and insurance companies are inplimenting it now. Basically, this tax is being used by employers to really cut back on benefits. Because of that, we have to pay well over a thousand dollars plus a month for the two of us in premiums with a lot less coverage than we had before. Our costs went from $200 a month in premiums with a deductible of $350 for our family in a calendar year with a small co-pay for RXs to $1,500 a month in premiums a month and a $10,000 deductible before they will pick anything up at 80/20. My drug costs are now tied into the deductible. With my recent cancer diagnosis, my healthcare cost for this year have been truly insane. Example: $300 plus out of my pocket just to see my OB prior to diagnosis for an office visit to talk about what was going on. Just to talk. No physical exam done on that visit. It is stressful seeing bills in my mailbox that cost more than my first car. 

Again, I want it known that I am not opposed to the ACA. A lot of good has come from it and I would never want anyone to not have coverage, but it is flawed and it is putting many people at risk even with insurance when they can't afford to go see their doctor. This is why I want a universal healthcare system. It is stupid that employers have so much control over healthcare. 

 

[zygote373]

@Mecca, I'm so sorry you have been on the losing end of the ACA. I completely agree that it has a lot of flaws.

What scares me is that other people whose health care costs have risen turned to Trump and the Republicans to do a straight repeal of the ACA, and not a more radical overhaul like single payer. In my opinion, the problem with our health care system is that the insurance companies want to make a profit off of the sickness of the Americans. The ACA just put a bandaid on that system. It helped some, but it wasn't enough for others like you.

I'm not sure what the solution is because I don't see single payer happening in this political climate. But I think a full repeal could be disastrous, too.

I hope you can figure something out as you navigate through your cancer treatment.

 

[Howl]

3 hours ago, zygote373 said:

In my opinion, the problem with our health care system is that the insurance companies want to make a profit off of the sickness of the Americans.

This, EXACTLY THIS!  That is why there is an attempt to do away with MediCare.  Health insurance companies simply cannot stand to see all that MediCare money going to provide dependable health care for seniors and disabled -- they don't want a piece of the action (they already have that), they want ALL of the action.  It's a greed driven dynamic and totally destructive.  Bernie Sanders is right.  He wants for-profit insurance companies out of the game and single payer for everyone. Sadly, neither of those things will happen, and probably not in my lifetime.  

And let me be clear for those who do not understand  MediCare:  it is a single-payer system that works well for many retirees.  It is not free: I pay $123 a month.  The 20% not covered by MediCare and drug coverage is provided by my retiree benefits.  DH has to have a separate policy for the supplemental 20% (an additional $150/month) and another policy for drug coverage.

I keep harping on the single-payer aspect because many (most?) Americans do not understand that single payer is already here for over 60 million seniors. 

[feministxtian]

There are two other single-payer systems in the US. The VA Medical system and Tri-Care for military, retired military and dependents. Hub just went this morning for bloodwork at the VA clinic. Very orderly, a little bit of a wait (less than 30 min) for his number to be called, free coffee and cookies available, no cashier. 

When we were active duty, well...things could get a wee bit chaotic at times at the Air Force hospital but in many ways good care. Again, no out of pocket expense then (don't know about now). 

What is the big opposition to single payer? Besides the insurance companies? Why are people so opposed to it? 

[Childless]

42 minutes ago, feministxtian said:

There are two other single-payer systems in the US. The VA Medical system and Tri-Care for military, retired military and dependents. Hub just went this morning for bloodwork at the VA clinic. Very orderly, a little bit of a wait (less than 30 min) for his number to be called, free coffee and cookies available, no cashier. 

When we were active duty, well...things could get a wee bit chaotic at times at the Air Force hospital but in many ways good care. Again, no out of pocket expense then (don't know about now). 

What is the big opposition to single payer? Besides the insurance companies? Why are people so opposed to it? 

If there was universal healthcare, then a poor person who couldn't afford medical care on their own would get that care.  And heaven forbid a rich or middle class person's tax dollars go toward helping "moochers".  Until, of course, they're the ones who need help then it's a-okay.  People like that make my blood boil.  I have a relative like that.  Her husband quit a perfectly good job that provided insurance to follow his dream.  His current " dream" job has no benefits and he doesn't make enough to insure his multiple children, so the kids are on Medicaid.  Apparently, its fine and dandy for the tax payers to fund his dream, but a terrible travesty to provide help to someone down on their luck.  They're special little snowflakes I guess.