For those who have lost jobs

[auntie]

Love the banks that are raising the credit card rates..after we've given them all this bail out money. I have my credit card for EIGHTEEN years..and I usually pay it on line. So sometimes..I don't even open the mailed statement. BAD idea. I noticed when I paid on line something didn't look right. Opened the statement to learn they raised my 12 percent interest rate to 19%.
I call them right away..and they tell me they sent me a notice. I said...I didn't get it. Anyway they say they can only lower it to 13.999. Not thrilled but... let's do that then. Fine.
This month..I go to pay my bill and something is REALLY off. Open that statement.. not only didn't they lower my rate..but they charged me a "late" charge of $39.00 and then raised the rate to 26%! I could not dial the phone fast enough.
I ask why it is the rate that was supposed to be lowered was raised..and what's with this late fee. Well, the late payment (which was NOT late) pushed the card to the higher interest rate. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?.
I politely told them I've carried this card for 18 years..and if it was late..it couldn't have been so by more that 24 hours late..as I pay it on line..linked to my bank accounts...the same day each month. I also asked if there was a record of my calling last month. Naturally..there wasn't.
Miss India..now tells me to wait just a minute to see what she can do. Yes..she see's I called now. She is going to remove that late charge, and she will "try" to see if she can lower the rate. I told her I don't have a problem with closing the account and will pay it off right now over the phone. Well, you know what?.. They must have freakin' Pixie Dust at the bank...cause they lowered the rate back to 12%.
I'll believe it when I SEE it!.

These are the toughest times people have had to face in ages..and this is how the banks repay the taxpayers who have bailed THEM out?....
I don't know...I think we should have let them all sink. I'm not seeing where any of this has helped the regular folk to keep their jobs..or made the lives of regular citizens easier.
Okay..I"m off the soap box now.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

If theres a turn around someone forgot to send the memo to MI.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I hope you knew I was be oh so sarcastic posting that....

Sarcasm eludes me.

 

[BRDof3]

Sarcasm eludes me.

It excites me, that's why I do it so much.

 

[liv luvs disney]

If the economy is recovering, it has nothing to do with the massive spending or incentives the government is putting into place, since the impact of this won't be realized for years, by the President's own admission. Any recovery is due to small businesses and their efforts to keep going in order to survive. These are the sources of new jobs for everyone who is being laid off by the big companies outsourcing to foreign countries or declaring bankruptcy.

If that's the case, then they should impose higher taxes on small business then to make up for all the money the big companies are writing off and the government is wasting. I'm sure that's coming next lol. Small businesses have always been the backbone of this country. The big corps have always passed the buck to the small guy.

Tell it like it is boys!! I love straight shooters and ya'll are both shooting straight!! I just don't get why so many in our country do NOT get it!

I am very fortunate to not have a job loss in my in my immediate family, but wanted to rant about what my parents are going through right now!

My Dad retired from the local phone company and in their small home town a few years back. He has worked since he was 11. His Mom died in childbirth with him and his Dad died when he was 8. My Dad went from family member to family member until he was out of school. Once becoming an "adult", he became a truck driver for many years and then worked 20 years at the phone company. He paid cash for everything his whole life except his house. He financed that for 10 years and sacrificed like crazy to pay it off. Upon retirement, the company allowed their retirees medical insurance. With his 401K and insurance he was enjoying life for the first time ever. Then a larger phone company bought out the smaller phone company and didn't offer the insurance anymore. (The smaller company never had any problems offering their retirees this great benefit!) Being as both of my parents are considered "high risk" (they've both had heart attacks among other health issues), the cheapest insurance they have found would cost them $32,000 a year!

I realize insurance is not an obligation of any company to their employees, let alone their retirees. It just saddens me that my parents are neither one "able" to work now-even for insurance. For the last year, they have been without it which just scares the crap out of me. I know, and so do they, that if they had to be hospitalized, they would loose everything they have worked their whole life for. They don't qualify for any kind of assistance because they have worked and have something to show for their years of blood, sweat, and tears. Why does doing what is right have to come back and bite you in the butt later on in life?

 

[stacktester]

Tell it like it is boys!! I love straight shooters and ya'll are both shooting straight!! I just don't get why so many in our country do NOT get it!

I am very fortunate to not have a job loss in my in my immediate family, but wanted to rant about what my parents are going through right now!

My Dad retired from the local phone company and in their small home town a few years back. He has worked since he was 11. His Mom died in childbirth with him and his Dad died when he was 8. My Dad went from family member to family member until he was out of school. Once becoming an "adult", he became a truck driver for many years and then worked 20 years at the phone company. He paid cash for everything his whole life except his house. He financed that for 10 years and sacrificed like crazy to pay it off. Upon retirement, the company allowed their retirees medical insurance. With his 401K and insurance he was enjoying life for the first time ever. Then a larger phone company bought out the smaller phone company and didn't offer the insurance anymore. (The smaller company never had any problems offering their retirees this great benefit!) Being as both of my parents are considered "high risk" (they've both had heart attacks among other health issues), the cheapest insurance they have found would cost them $32,000 a year!

I realize insurance is not an obligation of any company to their employees, let alone their retirees. It just saddens me that my parents are neither one "able" to work now-even for insurance. For the last year, they have been without it which just scares the crap out of me. I know, and so do they, that if they had to be hospitalized, they would loose everything they have worked their whole life for. They don't qualify for any kind of assistance because they have worked and have something to show for their years of blood, sweat, and tears. Why does doing what is right have to come back and bite you in the butt later on in life?

Great news. Obama is gonna take care of them. Tell em Nancy and Barack are on the way. The people of this country were dooped into believing all this and now we see the truth. I'm just glad they're doing it now so the smoke screen will be cleared out. Please vote for ultra conservatives next time. This guy is gonna mess things up so bad we won't have a chance.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Tell it like it is boys!! I love straight shooters and ya'll are both shooting straight!! I just don't get why so many in our country do NOT get it!

OH OH I know the answer to that one !!
Because there are WAY TOO MANY LEFT WINGERS !! You see the problem is ,,the boogers just won't fly away !

 

[des1954]

Tell it like it is boys!! I love straight shooters and ya'll are both shooting straight!! I just don't get why so many in our country do NOT get it!

I am very fortunate to not have a job loss in my in my immediate family, but wanted to rant about what my parents are going through right now!

My Dad retired from the local phone company and in their small home town a few years back. He has worked since he was 11. His Mom died in childbirth with him and his Dad died when he was 8. My Dad went from family member to family member until he was out of school. Once becoming an "adult", he became a truck driver for many years and then worked 20 years at the phone company. He paid cash for everything his whole life except his house. He financed that for 10 years and sacrificed like crazy to pay it off. Upon retirement, the company allowed their retirees medical insurance. With his 401K and insurance he was enjoying life for the first time ever. Then a larger phone company bought out the smaller phone company and didn't offer the insurance anymore. (The smaller company never had any problems offering their retirees this great benefit!) Being as both of my parents are considered "high risk" (they've both had heart attacks among other health issues), the cheapest insurance they have found would cost them $32,000 a year!

I realize insurance is not an obligation of any company to their employees, let alone their retirees. It just saddens me that my parents are neither one "able" to work now-even for insurance. For the last year, they have been without it which just scares the crap out of me. I know, and so do they, that if they had to be hospitalized, they would loose everything they have worked their whole life for. They don't qualify for any kind of assistance because they have worked and have something to show for their years of blood, sweat, and tears. Why does doing what is right have to come back and bite you in the butt later on in life?

Verizon's been trying to do away with retiree insurance since I retired in 2003. Thank God the Union keeps fighting to retain it for us. That was one of the intentions of working for them for 30+ years - was so we'd have medical insurance for life. I'd be s.o.l. without it.

 

[liv luvs disney]

Great news. Obama is gonna take care of them. Tell em Nancy and Barack are on the way. The people of this country were dooped into believing all this and now we see the truth. I'm just glad they're doing it now so the smoke screen will be cleared out. Please vote for ultra conservatives next time. This guy is gonna mess things up so bad we won't have a chance.

The only funny thing that happened the morning after election day was me telling my parents, "Well, you have nothing to worry about now. This new president is gonna take care of you and the rest of the world!" I think he has done a spledid job thus far. (This would be my rendition of being sarcastic!) Donnie, I AM ultra-conservative, so I will ALWAYS vote untra-conservative.

Verizon's been trying to do away with retiree insurance since I retired in 2003. Thank God the Union keeps fighting to retain it for us. That was one of the intentions of working for them for 30+ years - was so we'd have medical insurance for life. I'd be s.o.l. without it.

My Dad's sister owned the small phone company, but sold it to the larger one about a year before she died. Her only request was that they take care of the employees-especially the retirees. (She was a fabulous boss and really looked after her employees!) They did just that until a month after her death! Under the sister's ownership, the company paid a small portion of the insurance, but it still allowed the retiree a "group rate" which was MUCH cheaper than individual coverage. Under the new ownership, the retirees begged and pleaded to keep the "group coverage" and each individual would pay their full share. The company would have been out nothing! They would have nothing to do with it!

 

[liv luvs disney]

OH OH I know the answer to that one !!
Because there are WAY TOO MANY LEFT WINGERS !! You see the problem is ,,the boogers just won't fly away !

Frank, it is only 7:00 in the morning and I am already in a bad mood...reliving the insurance issue with my parents. Don't even get me started on left wingers!!!!!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

In my opinion, one of the biggest scams in America today is health insurance. Premiums have ballooned, while coverage has, at best, remained stagnant, and at worst, has declined. I have seen increased copays, increased deductibles, decreased covered proceedures, and benefits maximums that have literally remained unchanged in over 30 years. The insurance companies are reaping enormous profits, yet can show paper losses due to their creative accounting practices (how many companies can get away with declaring income for this year, but expenses based on 10 year projected costs?). I'm not sure of all of the Blues, but I do know that Pennsylvania Blue Shield is a "non profit" organization! They are regularly fined millions of dollars by the feds for having "too much money" but continue their business practices unchanged because of how profitable it is. Providers are paid crap, and when an increase in reimbursements comes through (and there hasn't been one from them in over 5 years), it is 1 or 2 dollars. They send the providers a cheery letter announcing how pleased they are to be able to provide this increase. Meanwhile, hospitals are operating in the red (and, in the case of at least 2 in my area, are closing), docs are leaving the state due to skyrocketing malpractice premiums, and patients are being replaced in practices by public assistance. Health care is a shambles, and the government plan will be written by insurance companies who have been paying off the politicians all along. I used to state that sometimes I felt like I lived in Russia. Sometimes I wish I lived in Russia.

 

[bord1niowa]

I'm not sure our hospitals are hurting very much as they are one of 3 industries that are doing any building. The government, of course, Banks, what a surprise, and the hospitals all have been adding to their facilities in a very DELUXE manner. My guess is it's the $5 aspirin and the overcharges that help hospitals. I'll tell you a funny story about overcharges by hospitals. My mother-in-law received a copy of a paid bill by the insurance and medicare for her baby they said she had in June a couple of years ago. Only problem is, she wasn't even in the state in that month, and she may be considered a bit old at 70 years old. When I called they never admitted an error but said they would look into it. I said I will be contacting the insurance and the government as I think they may take a dim view of this practice. From what I gather it's quite common. So I'm not sure how hospitals can be hurting if this type of thing goes on. My daughter was in the hospital for 2 hours and her bill was $6000. Hmmmmm, think that may be a bit excessive?

 

[auntie]

Health care is going to be the end of small business as well. The costs are KILLING us. Qualified people seek positions that offer health care benefits. Yet health care is so astronomical and the rates have increased so tremendously (with as you say..no increase in coverage), that we can now only afford to offer to a couple of long time employees and the family....and THAT is even getting to be too much. I see a business my dad started some 35 years ago, going by the way side and health care is a huge part of the nut we have to cover each month.
I'm not sure what the answer is though. Governement run health care..that's kind of scary.. yet a what point is enough..enough already?

It seems to me if you are wealthy enough ..you can afford the coverage. If you are poor enough..then you will qualify for medicaid. Yet, if you are in between..you're basically screwed. You work to pay the damn health care..which makes ya sick.

Oh..and two of my parents doctors have moved out of state..and another long time primary care physician stopped taking insurance all together. He went the route of a one time yearly payment from patients..and he's your doctor.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I'm not sure our hospitals are hurting very much as they are one of 3 industries that are doing any building. The government, of course, Banks, what a surprise, and the hospitals all have been adding to their facilities in a very DELUXE manner. My guess is it's the $5 aspirin and the overcharges that help hospitals. I'll tell you a funny story about overcharges by hospitals. My mother-in-law received a copy of a paid bill by the insurance and medicare for her baby they said she had in June a couple of years ago. Only problem is, she wasn't even in the state in that month, and she may be considered a bit old at 70 years old. When I called they never admitted an error but said they would look into it. I said I will be contacting the insurance and the government as I think they may take a dim view of this practice. From what I gather it's quite common. So I'm not sure how hospitals can be hurting if this type of thing goes on. My daughter was in the hospital for 2 hours and her bill was $6000. Hmmmmm, think that may be a bit excessive?

Not wishing to get into the intricacies of billing and reimbursement, but the itemized fees are seldom, if ever, what the hospital is reimbursed. Participation agreements dictate what the hospital will receive as payment if full. In addition, you can't break down an ER bill by the hour. It depends on what was done and by whom, and once again, the bill may have been $6000 but the hospital seldom if ever gets that amount. So to say the bill was excessive is ridiculous without knowing everything that was done. My guess with the situation with your mother in law was that another patient had a similar name and perhaps even a similar social security number and that your mother in law was in the system already as a previous patient. The error was most likely a clerical error and did not involve fraud at all. Many years ago my 80 year old grandmother got a parking ticket from NYC - where she had never been and hadn't driven anywhere in over 10 years.

 

[auntie]

The insurance companies don't pay the billed amount...BUT try going to the hospital and you're not insured. YOU will be responsible for the entire amount. My neighbors daughter did just that, and the kid's got a near $10,000. hospital bill. She's a student but recently married and the two of them don't have health insurance. What a way to start out married life.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

The insurance companies don't pay the billed amount...BUT try going to the hospital and you're not insured. YOU will be responsible for the entire amount. My neighbors daughter did just that, and the kid's got a near $10,000. hospital bill. She's a student but recently married and the two of them don't have health insurance. What a way to start out married life.

No argument from me on that, Phyllis. This is precisely what the insurance companies use to scare the crap out of us and convince us we need to pay huge amounts for insurance. But, consider this, as a self employed individual, I am paying about 800 bucks a month for myself and my wife's insurance. So I am shelling out $9,600 bucks a year just for insurance, which isn't covering anything so I am still paying my own medical. Multiply that by 13 years in my present office, and you can see I have paid over 120,000 bucks, still had to pay my own medical bills, and the insurance company hasn't done crap except process my forms and apply things to my deductible.

Re. bord's statement about construction - I have been involved in more than a few government and hospital building projects, and I'll tell you what - it takes YEARS for the planning of these projects. Any project you see going on now was planned long ago before the economy tanked. So planning and financing were in place long ago, and the projects are moving forward in anticipation of better times. Maybe things are better in Iowa, but for an example, the Reading Hospital in Reading, PA recently laid off over 30% of its staff - no deluxe renovation work going on here.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

By the way, Phyllis, most hospitals have plans to assist uninsured or underinsured patients with low incomes. In many cases, the bill is totally forgiven. They don't advertise this for obvious reasons, but if your neighbor's daughter calls the billing department and asks, she may get some relief.

 

[ntsammy5]

I don't know much about health care coverage, but between Tricare and my wif'es insurance through the county, it doesn't impact me at all. That's part of the problem - those of us with good coverage at little or no cost have no interest in changing things. The government will eventually run it all and I agree, that is scary.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I just hope the government doesn't mess with Tricare before I can collect my pension in 8 years.

 

[auntie]

By the way, Phyllis, most hospitals have plans to assist uninsured or underinsured patients with low incomes. In many cases, the bill is totally forgiven. They don't advertise this for obvious reasons, but if your neighbor's daughter calls the billing department and asks, she may get some relief.

She did just that..but because her husband is employed...they won't offer her any assistance. It was a county hospital in the county that she lives in too. They have a payment plan..but there was no reduction in the charge.

Oh and our insurance premium went from $1,350 a month to $1,532. a month as of July lst. for family coverage. My daughter just reached the age where she's not covered any longer. Thank goodness she got a job with a nationwide daycare company and they just now will provide health care for her. So it won't be an issue for her.
Our older son coverage is through his job.Thank goodness..and because he has a great union..his coverage for perscriptions and the like is great.

It's small business' like us that are dying under the costs involved with these kinds of premiums. How are we expected to offer this type of health care coverge to employees and still stay profitable. It's getting tougher every year.
My younger son wants to go into business for himself. I just don't see.