"Blimey. This redistribution of wealth is trickier than I thought."

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

bunnies (8,334 posts)









Havnt posted on DU in years... But dammit I have an insurance rant...

 and I need the DU community to keep me from losing my mind over this!

So, after more than a decade without health insurance, I was elated yesterday when the offer to get covered finally came. The job I started a year ago in April was finally making it happen. My love and I can finally get the care we so desperately want and need. At least thats what I thought until we sat down and read the letter. We crunched numbers over drinks and wondered, is this some sort of joke?
 
$162.00 a week. Thats what they want for what they call "coverage". With a $2000 per person deductible and co-pays out the wazoo. $162.00 a week. Just about half my take-home pay. Thats $702.00 a month. $8424.00 a year.
 Oh, and double that to get the full cost of the plan since my employer pays nearly half.
 
And to think... just last year we both qualfied for assistance through our local hospital. This, we found out, when I literally crushed my hand. We waited two days to go, while my hand turned green, wondering how we'd pay the ER bill. All the while thinking about the other times we *should* have gone but didnt.
 We didnt go when my man of 12 years cut his thumb to the tendon on a piece of glass.
 We butterfly bandaged it up and hoped for the best.
We didnt go when I broke my elbow, which healed poorly and painfully for YEARS.
And which actually cost me full use of my right arm to this day.
But the hand was more than we thought we could deal with ourselves. So we broke down and went. And thankfully, the hospital covered my visit.
 
The assistance actually allowed us to get physicals for the first time since the mid 90's. And what a relief to find that we were both in good health. But this year, thanks to budget cuts, we no longer qualify. Though we have the same jobs, make the same money and live in the same apartment... we are now considered well-off enough to fend for ourselves.
 
Ok fine. We're more than willing to purchase coverage for ourselves. But how in hell are we supposed to afford this? What should we cut out? Food? Rent? Electricity? WHAT?!
 
We drive old cars. Mines a 91 honda I paid $600 bucks for. His is a 97 honda. A gift from his mom when she bought a car last year. We never eat out. We shop at goodwill. We buy the discounted produce at the supermarket. And all thats ok with us. We have each other, we get by, and we're happy. All we want is simple, basic health care we can afford. We shouldnt have to chose between having "health insurance" and living on the street.
 
So I guess we'll be checking the "elect not to enroll" box on the insurance form. And we'll just be a couple of the "free riders" republicans love so much to mock. But theres no freedom in watching someone you love suffer from lack of proper health care. Theres no freedom in getting shit credit due to an obscene doctor bill.
 Theres no freedom in hoping a tendon will magically re-attach itself because its the only "affordable" OPTION for you.
 And theres no freedom in needing to buy food over "health insurance".

And to my employer, who wants to shell out that $130.00 a week for a pile crap? I could really use a $4.00 an hour raise instead.
 
Its just. not. right.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002930849

[Freeper]

And here I thought 0bamacare fixed all this. 

[67 Rover]

bunnies (8,334 posts)









Havnt posted on DU in years... But dammit I have an insurance rant...

 and I need the DU community to keep me from losing my mind over this!

So, after more than a decade without health insurance, I was elated yesterday when the offer to get covered finally came. The job I started a year ago in April was finally making it happen. My love and I can finally get the care we so desperately want and need. At least thats what I thought until we sat down and read the letter. We crunched numbers over drinks and wondered, is this some sort of joke?
 
$162.00 a week. Thats what they want for what they call "coverage". With a $2000 per person deductible and co-pays out the wazoo. $162.00 a week. Just about half my take-home pay. Thats $702.00 a month. $8424.00 a year.
 Oh, and double that to get the full cost of the plan since my employer pays nearly half.
 
And to think... just last year we both qualfied for assistance through our local hospital. This, we found out, when I literally crushed my hand. We waited two days to go, while my hand turned green, wondering how we'd pay the ER bill. All the while thinking about the other times we *should* have gone but didnt.
 We didnt go when my man of 12 years cut his thumb to the tendon on a piece of glass.
 We butterfly bandaged it up and hoped for the best.
We didnt go when I broke my elbow, which healed poorly and painfully for YEARS.
And which actually cost me full use of my right arm to this day.
But the hand was more than we thought we could deal with ourselves. So we broke down and went. And thankfully, the hospital covered my visit.
 
The assistance actually allowed us to get physicals for the first time since the mid 90's. And what a relief to find that we were both in good health. But this year, thanks to budget cuts, we no longer qualify. Though we have the same jobs, make the same money and live in the same apartment... we are now considered well-off enough to fend for ourselves.
 
Ok fine. We're more than willing to purchase coverage for ourselves. But how in hell are we supposed to afford this? What should we cut out? Food? Rent? Electricity? WHAT?!
 
We drive old cars. Mines a 91 honda I paid $600 bucks for. His is a 97 honda. A gift from his mom when she bought a car last year. We never eat out. We shop at goodwill. We buy the discounted produce at the supermarket. And all thats ok with us. We have each other, we get by, and we're happy. All we want is simple, basic health care we can afford. We shouldnt have to chose between having "health insurance" and living on the street.
 
So I guess we'll be checking the "elect not to enroll" box on the insurance form. And we'll just be a couple of the "free riders" republicans love so much to mock. But theres no freedom in watching someone you love suffer from lack of proper health care. Theres no freedom in getting shit credit due to an obscene doctor bill.
 Theres no freedom in hoping a tendon will magically re-attach itself because its the only "affordable" OPTION for you.
 And theres no freedom in needing to buy food over "health insurance".

And to my employer, who wants to shell out that $130.00 a week for a pile crap? I could really use a $4.00 an hour raise instead.
 
Its just. not. right.

O.K. I can help here start with the internet then move on to the cell and cable. That should easily cover the $162.00 week.

[USA4ME]

Two things immediately come to mind.

One, this primitive needs to immediately solicit money from all the primitives who are getting back these insurance refund checks they claim are rolling in by the hundreds.

And two...

bunnies (8,334 posts)

So I guess we'll be checking the "elect not to enroll" box on the insurance form. And we'll just be a couple of the "free riders" republicans love so much to mock.

You're thinking of Nancy Pelosi.

Dems: Individual Mandate Is About Punishing ‘Freeloaders’
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/dems-individual-mandate-is-about-punishing-freeloaders-and-free-riders.php

.

[Ballygrl]

riverwalker (5,163 posts)
3. it's time for Medicare For All

Are they aware that Doctors are dropping Medicare in many places and only keeping their current Patients who have it?

[Freeper]

Are they aware that Doctors are dropping Medicare in many places and only keeping their current Patients who have it?

All 0bama has to do is sign an EO making it mandatory for doctors to take medicare patients. 

Sadly, that is only partially a joke, I wouldn't put it past him to do something like that if he can't get congress to do his bidding.

[Gina]

Sounds to me like bunnies and her man are two clumsy mofo's 

[ROCKURWORLD]

Sounds to me like bunnies and her man are two clumsy mofo's 

LOL you got that right. Maybe they need to work on improving their careers or getting a second job.

[Bad Dog]

Sounds to me like bunnies and her man are two clumsy mofo's 

They usually make folks like that wear a helmet.

[BlueStateSaint]

Hey, Snugs, maybe I'm treading on something that you want left unsaid, but . . .

bunnies (8,334 posts)

This a relative of yours?  (The whole 'bunny' thing, ya know . . . )

[Celtic Rose]

Seems like the first step they should take would be for one of the adults in the household to find a job with benefits if they keep having costly accidents.  Even Starbucks will pay benefits.

[Chris_]

Hey, Snugs, maybe I'm treading on something that you want left unsaid, but . . .

This a relative of yours?  (The whole 'bunny' thing, ya know . . . )

There's one in every family.

[Chris_]

Seems like the first step they should take would be for one of the adults in the household to find a job with benefits if they keep having costly accidents.  Even Starbucks will pay benefits.

Insurance premiums use up money they would rather spend on junk food and entertainment. 

$700+ a month for health insurance.  I guess this person never heard of an HSA, although there's not much point to having one now that Obamacare caps them at $2500 instead of the $4000-5000 under the Bush administration.  I suppose it would be too much to ask to be able to buy a policy that doesn't cover certain things while covering others, but liberal government regulations don't allow for that sort of thing.

[Wineslob]

Obamacare caps them at $2500 instead of the $4000-5000 under the Bush administration.

Psssst, DUmmies, this is where the Obummer admin won't allow me to put aside enough money for getting my shoulder fixed. Too much tax deferrment, don'tcha know. I'm in the under 50K income range, you know, one of the "99%".   

[Jasonw560]

First, by law ERs have to treat you whether you can pay or not.

Second, cut back on (wait for it....) your expenditures. Sell that second car. Take public transportation. Even here in the 3rd world, we have busses that go just about everywhere. That'll save on the price of gas, liability insurance, and preventive maintenance.

Third, Internet, cable, and cell phone go bye-bye. Basic prepaid phone, and use the computers at the library (big building, lots of books).

Fourth, second job. Even part time.

Finally, you can grow food in a small space. Websites can show you how. Wait- that's self-reliance. Never mind.

[thundley4]

Mines a 91 honda I paid $600 bucks for. His is a 97 honda.

Be glad those are foreign cars and not American union made ones or they'd be in the junkyard by now. 

[diesel driver]

Be glad those are foreign cars and not American union made ones or they'd be in the junkyard by now. 

I don't know about that.

My 78 Malibu is still going strong, with 290K on the clock.

[obumazombie]

I don't know about that.

My 78 Malibu is still going strong, with 290K on the clock.

Diesel conversion ?

[Bodadh]

First, by law ERs have to treat you whether you can pay or not.

Second, cut back on (wait for it....) your expenditures. Sell that second car. Take public transportation. Even here in the 3rd world, we have busses that go just about everywhere. That'll save on the price of gas, liabity insurance, and preventive maintenance.

Third, Internet, cable, and cell phone go bye-bye. Basic prepaid phone, and use the computers at the library (big building, lots of books).

Fourth, second job. Even part time.

Finally, you can grow food in a small space. Websites can show you how. Wait- that's self-reliance. Never mind.

All good advice but in fairness to the DUmmie, not all towns have great public transit. The one I live in has two vans ( no buses ) that serve the whole town. It would be a 3 and half hour walk according to Google maps for me to walk to the nearest stop down very dangerous back roads with no sidewalks.

As for internet and phone ( I don't own a tv so cable is a non issue and all you can get out here is satellite anyway ) my Virgin Mobile WiFi cost me $50 a month and my old Virgin Mobile Blackberry runs me $35. Not great coverage out here but better then nothing. Sometimes I think of not spending the 50 on WiFi but damn, I need some kind of diversion after work. Maybe one day I will get a hook up from Radio Shack to watch local tv on my lap top. I miss Burn Notice.

I work full time in a hardware store but a friend of mine told me the local Italian place is looking for dishwashers so I am heading there tomorrow for a second job. Wish me luck. I suppose I could grow my own food in a small place. I have everything I need at work. But so long as the Dollar Store sells meat, eggs, bread, and milk I will hold off on that option.

Now about not going to the doctor when you break bones or cut tendons.........WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU DUMMIE!?!?!? How productive can you be with badly healed injuries? Go and work out a payment plan.

[98ZJUSMC]

Two things immediately come to mind.

One, this primitive needs to immediately solicit money from all the primitives who are getting back these insurance refund checks they claim are rolling in by the hundreds.

And two...

You're thinking of Nancy Pelosi.

Dems: Individual Mandate Is About Punishing ‘Freeloaders’
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/dems-individual-mandate-is-about-punishing-freeloaders-and-free-riders.php

.

              

[BlueStateSaint]

I don't know about that.

My 78 Malibu is still going strong, with 290K on the clock.

I just traded an '02 Saturn SL sedan in yesterday on an '09 Toyota RAV4.  The Saturn had 138,108 miles on it.  It had to go though.  It's tough getting rid of a 30+ mpg car, but I think I did the right thing.

[diesel driver]

Diesel conversion ?

Still got the original V-6.  Synthetic oil and regular maintenance.

Tranny's been changed a few times, next time will be from a THM-200 to a THM-350.  Getting hard to get parts for 200's these days.

[formerlurker]

Are they aware that Doctors are dropping Medicare in many places and only keeping their current Patients who have it?

Which totally screws Tricare patients as they go hand in hand (Medicare pays more than Tricare).

[diesel driver]

I just traded an '02 Saturn SL sedan in yesterday on an '09 Toyota RAV4.  The Saturn had 138,108 miles on it.  It had to go though.  It's tough getting rid of a 30+ mpg car, but I think I did the right thing.

Last year, I traded my 2002 Jeep Cherokee for a 2004 Chevy Avalanche, because I wasn't comfortable towing my camper with the Jeep.  I lost about 2-3 mpg on the highway, but gained 2 while towing, so it's a tradeoff. 

FWIW, the Avalanche is the only car I have with less than 200k on it, and it has over 100K.   

[Jasonw560]

All good advice but in fairness to the DUmmie, not all towns have great public transit. The one I live in has two vans ( no buses ) that serve the whole town. It would be a 3 and half hour walk according to Google maps for me to walk to the nearest stop down very dangerous back roads with no sidewalks.

As for internet and phone ( I don't own a tv so cable is a non issue and all you can get out here is satellite anyway ) my Virgin Mobile WiFi cost me $50 a month and my old Virgin Mobile Blackberry runs me $35. Not great coverage out here but better then nothing. Sometimes I think of not spending the 50 on WiFi but damn, I need some kind of diversion after work. Maybe one day I will get a hook up from Radio Shack to watch local tv on my lap top. I miss Burn Notice.


I work full time in a hardware store but a friend of mine told me the local Italian place is looking for dishwashers so I am heading there tomorrow for a second job. Wish me luck. I suppose I could grow my own food in a small
place. I have everything I need at work. But so long as the Dollar Store sells meat, eggs, bread, and milk I will hold off on that option.

Now about not going to the doctor when you break bones or cut tendons.........WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU DUMMIE!?!?!? How productive can you be with badly healed injuries? Go and work out a payment plan.

I respect the Hell out of you for doing what needs to be done, and not following in the moonbats' footsteps.