Major Budget Buster - HEALTHCARE

[jemgumby]

I have to disagree. Greed is the worst thing to happen to health care.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

 

[vicki_c]

The tax cuts that are expiring will only affect households with income above $250,000. per year. And then only the amount over that $250,000 with be taxed at the higher rate.

I don't think that's correct - this was from an article in today's Washington Post:
One of the problems is that if Treasury based the withholding tables on current law, under which the Bush tax cuts would expire, millions of low- and middle-income taxpayers would see significant tax increases.

For example, a family with two children and income of $40,000 could see the amount withheld rise by as much as $165 monthly, according to calculations by Roberton Williams of the Tax Policy Center.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/07/AR2010100706056.html?sub=AR
(I believe you need a free subscription to see the whole article.)

 

[Marionnette]

Unfortunately part of the proposed National Healthcare Reform bill to have a low cost government run plan to compete with insurance companies was not included in the bill. This would have forced insurance companies to keep their premiums low in order to keep customers.



The tax cuts that are expiring will only affect households with income above $250,000. per year. And then only the amount over that $250,000 with be taxed at the higher rate.

Great for anyone who makes more than that! You can afford to pay a bit more taxes. Especially since you have been saving money with these cuts for so many years.

No. The Bush tax cuts were for all taxpayers. There are some in congress who want to extend those cuts only for those making under two hundred fifty thousand. The tax cuts are due to expire for all taxpayers at the end of this year unless the lame duck congress is able to come to an agreement. But the previous poster is correct that the cuts are due to expire for everyone. And by the way those people earning over two hundred fifty thousand already pay a greater percentage of their earnings to washington than those who make less. You are misinformed.

 

[Pigeon]

Unfortunately part of the proposed National Healthcare Reform bill to have a low cost government run plan to compete with insurance companies was not included in the bill. This would have forced insurance companies to keep their premiums low in order to keep customers.



The tax cuts that are expiring will only affect households with income above $250,000. per year. And then only the amount over that $250,000 with be taxed at the higher rate.

Great for anyone who makes more than that! You can afford to pay a bit more taxes. Especially since you have been saving money with these cuts for so many years.

Yup. This exactly.

And if you think for a minute that healthcare cost wouldn't have gone up without the legislation, you really need your policy to have good mental health coverage.

 

[Marionnette]

Yup. This exactly.

And if you think for a minute that healthcare cost wouldn't have gone up without the legislation, you really need your policy to have good mental health coverage.

What a nice thing to say about people who dont agree with you.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

And if you think for a minute that healthcare cost wouldn't have gone up without the legislation, you really need your policy to have good mental health coverage.

As with everything, I expect our healthcare to go up as it has every year. But 100%!!!! That is more than just a normal price increase which I don't think I need mental health coverage to understand.

 

[jodifla]

I remember more than 10 years ago being shocked how much our health care was going up...and it's been that way each year.

It would have gone up with our without the health care plan...but the plan is a nice scapegoat for some to direct their anger at.

 

[tor]

Reading posts like these make me grateful I live in Canada.

And to think everyone here complains about the $250 per year Ontario health premium that is added to your income taxes. So many people here do not realize how great they have it.

Couldn't imagine paying that amount of $$ out of our budget on health insurance.

Who's Prime Minister flew to the USA for treatment????

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I normally avoid these threads, but after a week of dealing with tremendous back pain but can't get myself to pay the copays I need to get it looked at, I am feeling annoyed enough to post...

Our insurance went up a LOT this year too, and so did our copays, in fact they doubled. I have not been to the doctor yet this year and not because I haven't needed to but because I can't get myself to pay the copays we have. My DH has medical issues that make him go very often and to a specialist with even higher copays. Thankfully my kdis have been healthy though one did need x-rays 2 days into the new copays and one is in braces and one is started into braces and the 3rd needed her 4 wisdom teeth out this year and DH and one DD wear glasses, and she is to correct a wandering eye so we have to go there every 3 months, again the higher copay.

What annoys me is people who take advantage. I have a friend who has her family on state health care. She takes her kids to the doctor for everything, all the time cause she has no copay. And why does she qualify for state healthcare? They originally got it when her DH was laid off. Fine, I have no problem with that. But it was so good with no copays and everything that when he got a job he has decided to work less hours to still qualify. My DH works his taill off, often 80 hour weeks (salary, so no overtime) and after we pay our part of our medical and all our copays, they are living much better then we are and her DH doesn't even work full time. THAT is what bothers me. But my rant is over.

I worry every year how much ours is going to go up, and ever year it has. So far we can still afford to have it even if we can't afford to use it. When the kids are gone we plan to drop to a single plan for me and DH will go to the VA as long as the VAs are still near enough to go to them. Course that is years down the road who knows where we will be by then, but that has been our plan for some time.

 

[Colleen27]

Right now the insurance companies are doing exactly what the credit card companies did - jacking up rates to make a bigger profit now in retaliation for attempts to regulate the way they do business. The goal, no doubt, is to keep fanning the flames to get the bill repealed, so they'll be free to continue to raise rates and reduce coverage as they see fit well into the future.

BTW, increases are nothing new. We've had our premiums increase 20+% every year for the last six years (do the math, that means our premium doubles about every 4 years). I'm no fan of the health insurance reform bill - to me, the mandate is a massive giveaway to the very companies it attempts to regulate, and without a public option there is no meaningful competition created - but the status quo is completely unsustainable and something has to be done about it. Its just a shame that politics so often stands in the way of rational problem solving.

 

[bored]

Mine is going up over $200 month per the renewal I just got. Too bad haven't had a raise in 4 years to offset it.

 

[jemgumby]

I remember more than 10 years ago being shocked how much our health care was going up...and it's been that way each year.

It would have gone up with our without the health care plan...but the plan is a nice scapegoat for some to direct their anger at.

EXACTLY!!!!

 

[ajk912]

if DH's insurance goes up this year, and i'm sure it will, we're going to be sunk, financially. even with insurance, we can't afford to go to the doctor unless one of us is deathly ill, because copays are so high. i'm still waiting for MY "hope" and "change".

I'm with you. I keep putting off my girly physical because with money tight the $50 (specialist copay) is needed in so many other places. I have a kidney stone, but it doesn't hurt TOO bad, so I don't schedule the litroscopy (sp) which I would have to pay the deductible and then 20% of.

We're still paying off the bills from when my daughter broke her femur last October. This is all with insurance that is about 20% of my DH's paycheck.

 

[nunzia]

Correct but many companies are changing their policies on providing health insurance now. Also, many insurance co. are increasing rates. This is in the news most every day Just 2 days ago, it was announced that 3M was either cancelling or decreasing retiree insurance.

YepYepYep..my DH's health care, which we have to buy privately since his company doesn't offer it, just went up 26%. My plan will change to an HSA based thing where the dedcutible goes up to $2,000 (DH 's is $2,600 so that 2K doesn't look so bad) and they will give us a debit card with 1K on it to help pay stuff..very confusing,but I do like that they will add the 1K every year and it will be good forever into retirement..of course this only works well if you don't get sick... Everything will change and we are just seeing the tip of that Titanic iceberg. It was just silly that anyone could have possibly believed health care plans wouldn't change and rates go drastically up.

 

[ajk912]

I normally avoid these threads, but after a week of dealing with tremendous back pain but can't get myself to pay the copays I need to get it looked at, I am feeling annoyed enough to post...

Our insurance went up a LOT this year too, and so did our copays, in fact they doubled. I have not been to the doctor yet this year and not because I haven't needed to but because I can't get myself to pay the copays we have. My DH has medical issues that make him go very often and to a specialist with even higher copays. Thankfully my kdis have been healthy though one did need x-rays 2 days into the new copays and one is in braces and one is started into braces and the 3rd needed her 4 wisdom teeth out this year and DH and one DD wear glasses, and she is to correct a wandering eye so we have to go there every 3 months, again the higher copay.

What annoys me is people who take advantage. I have a friend who has her family on state health care. She takes her kids to the doctor for everything, all the time cause she has no copay. And why does she qualify for state healthcare? They originally got it when her DH was laid off. Fine, I have no problem with that. But it was so good with no copays and everything that when he got a job he has decided to work less hours to still qualify. My DH works his taill off, often 80 hour weeks (salary, so no overtime) and after we pay our part of our medical and all our copays, they are living much better then we are and her DH doesn't even work full time. THAT is what bothers me. But my rant is over.

I worry every year how much ours is going to go up, and ever year it has. So far we can still afford to have it even if we can't afford to use it. When the kids are gone we plan to drop to a single plan for me and DH will go to the VA as long as the VAs are still near enough to go to them. Course that is years down the road who knows where we will be by then, but that has been our plan for some time.

Ditto to the bolded. And I know it costs a heck of a lot more in the long run for us (and the insurance company too) to skip preventative care all the time, and it's sad that it has to be that way.

I remember reading a story about a month ago about a guy who skipped his heart checkup one month because he wanted to save the copay to apply to his wedding costs. He ended up having a heart attack and dying before his wedding. I may have mixed up a few of the details but the idea is there. I think preventative care should be more affordable. Considering a "regular" doctor can't do much in this day and age besides normal, run of the mill stuff, I wish specialists were covered at the PCP rate considering for anything beyond strep throat type stuff you are referred out, and you STAY referred out. There's a big difference between $20 and $50, for copays.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Ditto to the bolded. And I know it costs a heck of a lot more in the long run for us (and the insurance company too) to skip preventative care all the time, and it's sad that it has to be that way.

I remember reading a story about a month ago about a guy who skipped his heart checkup one month because he wanted to save the copay to apply to his wedding costs. He ended up having a heart attack and dying before his wedding. I may have mixed up a few of the details but the idea is there. I think preventative care should be more affordable. Considering a "regular" doctor can't do much in this day and age besides normal, run of the mill stuff, I wish specialists were covered at the PCP rate considering for anything beyond strep throat type stuff you are referred out, and you STAY referred out. There's a big difference between $20 and $50, for copays.

Our copays are up to $50 and $80! And they are going up in january, but not sure to what yet. All DH said was they are going up again. For me to get my bc looked at I have to go to my doctor for the referral, then go to get x-rays then back to the doctor to read the x-rays.

We have gone though this dance a few tiems and it was annoying enough when the copays were lower but now it will be $180 just in copays and they will likely again call it "unexplained" and nothing will come of it. I also have endometrosis and have not gone in yet to get my yearly exam because the endo is getting worse again so I am waiting to combine the visits. That is an $80 copay to see the dr, then I will go to ultrasound for another $80 then back to the dr to set up surgery for another $80 before paying my % of the surgery. Yep, have done that dance before too.

That is the only thing I go to the doctor for anymore. I get chronic strep and ear infections but find that they will clear up on their own if I wait them out and so that is what I do. It's not ideal but I often say I am going to go but once I go to make the appointment I just can't do it.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

Our copays are up to $50 and $80!

And I thought ours were alot at $30 and $50 each visit!

I may look into a lower health plan to save $150 - $200 a month, but I know that will greatly increase our deductible and copays.

 

[disneyfan55]

THe funny thing is that you HAVE to buy it. What about the many companies not going to offer health ins. or the unemployed! Where will the money come from to buy it with so many struggling to make ends meet. I really can't understand where it is that we HAVE to buy something what ever it may be! Enforcement will be a nightmare and another big govt mess.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

And I thought ours were alot at $30 and $50 each visit!

I may look into a lower health plan to save $150 - $200 a month, but I know that will greatly increase our deductible and copays.

Ours is the only option DH's work offers, so no choices for us.

 

[minnie1928]

Just a general comment to those trying to keep their medical costs in check. I've found that simple things like flu, strep, UTI, etc. you can use things like the CVS Minute Clinic in lieu of your family doctor. I went about a week ago and the appointment fee was $69. My family doctor fee is well over $120. It's also very convenient since they don't require an appointment.

My health insurance requires me to hit a deductible before they will pay 80%. Doing the minute clinic has allowed me to stay under my deductible amount so far this year.