ObamaCare Info

[eliza61]

I agree with this 100%. I will say this my husband is the bread winner of our family and after you add up all the taxes he pays we get around 50% of his annual income. We have to pay state income tax here on top of every other tax that everyone else pays.

I tjink it is ridiculous what an entitlement country we have become with millions and millions totally dependant on the government generation after generation.

So let's add one more entitlement program for us all to have to pay for.

And the bad thing is the whole plan for this is to eventually get to a single payer system. Socialized medicine. Which will be the end of quality healthcare as you know it.

I have friends in Canada that have told me the average wait to see a specialist there is around 18 months. It will be worse than that here because. We have many more ppl than they do.

How long do you think it takes to see a specialist here in the US without health insurance???

Your life time. If you have no health insurance you don't see a specialist. most likely you wait until the problem becomes catastrophic and then you go to the emergency room where they patch you up (at an exorbinant cost) , tell you to make an appointment for follow up care with a specialist, which you don't do because you don't have the money and every last doctor requires payment up front or an insurance card so you get sick again, and around goes the cycle.

So exactly what quality health care are you referring to?

Now it's very easy to say all our problems would be over if all the people on "entitlement" programs would just get off. And you'd still have a stagnant economy, a disappearing middle class and a top % of the population experiencing income growth. Our economy is based on spending.

Weren't we supposed to be socialist already? Seriously, every time society changes we are supposed to be a new "ism".

Martin Luther King was supposed to bring communism.
gay marriage was supposed to bring on hedonism and a break down of western civilization
This new President was supposed to bring on socialism and we were all supposed to be Muslim by this time.

Yesterday I went to my very Christian Baptist church and this morning Walmart was open as usual. I think we're safe.

 

[Robbi]

How long do you think it takes to see a specialist here in the US without health insurance???

Your life time. If you have no health insurance you don't see a specialist. most likely you wait until the problem becomes catastrophic and then you go to the emergency room where they patch you up (at an exorbinant cost) , tell you to make an appointment for follow up care with a specialist, which you don't do because you don't have the money and every last doctor requires payment up front or an insurance card so you get sick again, and around goes the cycle.

So exactly what quality health care are you referring to?


Weren't we supposed to be socialist already? Seriously, every time society changes we are supposed to be a new "ism".

Martin Luther King was supposed to bring communism.
gay marriage was supposed to bring on hedonism and a break down of western civilization
This new President was supposed to bring on socialism and we were all supposed to be Muslim by this time.

Yesterday I went to my very Christian Baptist church and this morning Walmart was open as usual. I think we're safe.

My daughter's friends on Medicaid saw high risk specialists w/in 1 week.

We already pay taxes to help the poor with healthcare. I don't like the gov't's arm twisting with this healthcare plan.
They've done such a good job with education. I can't wait to see what happens with health care

 

[eliza61]

My daughter's friends on Medicaid saw high risk specialists w/in 1 week.

We already pay taxes to help the poor with healthcare. I don't like the gov't's arm twisting with this healthcare plan.
They've done such a good job with education. I can't wait to see what happens with health care

Medicaid and the ACA is two different things.

If you have a job that doesn't offer insurance and you don't qualify for Medicaid or medicare. YOU ARE SOL. Medicaid kicks in after you are 65. If you are 55 and don't have
insurance you are not seeing a specialist in 1 week.
And no way in HELL are you seeing one on Medicare. I work with the poor 4 days out of the week. They can't even get to a primary in that time.
Now most go to a free clinic or a drug store clinic.

and I'm not talking generational welfare folks, I'm talking about my neighbor who is a dance instructor who simply does not go to the doctor because it's too expensive.
I'm talking about my son who if he was not on my policy, no way could he afford the expensive insurance on his part time salary. I'm talking about the guy laid off from his job
that no way can afford cobra coverage.

 

[Robbi]

Medicaid and the ACA is two different things.

If you have a job that doesn't offer insurance and you don't qualify for Medicaid or medicare. YOU ARE SOL. Medicaid kicks in after you are 65. If you are 55 and don't have
insurance you are not seeing a specialist in 1 week.
And no way in HELL are you seeing one on Medicare. I work with the poor 4 days out of the week. They can't even get to a primary in that time.
Now most go to a free clinic or a drug store clinic.

Medicare kicks in at age 65.
The girls are on Medicaid and they see both their regular obs and high risk pregnancy doctors. They are on the United Healthcare plan under Medicaid.
They saw the doctor on Monday of one week and the high risk doctor on Wednesday of the following week. Maybe our state handles it better.

There will also be 30 million out of luck with Ocare because they will not be covered.

 

[aw14]

How long do you think it takes to see a specialist here in the US without health insurance??? Your life time. If you have no health insurance you don't see a specialist. most likely you wait until the problem becomes catastrophic and then you go to the emergency room where they patch you up (at an exorbinant cost) , tell you to make an appointment for follow up care with a specialist, which you don't do because you don't have the money and every last doctor requires payment up front or an insurance card so you get sick again, and around goes the cycle. So exactly what quality health care are you referring to? Now it's very easy to say all our problems would be over if all the people on "entitlement" programs would just get off. And you'd still have a stagnant economy, a disappearing middle class and a top % of the population experiencing income growth. Our economy is based on spending. Weren't we supposed to be socialist already? Seriously, every time society changes we are supposed to be a new "ism". Martin Luther King was supposed to bring communism. gay marriage was supposed to bring on hedonism and a break down of western civilization This new President was supposed to bring on socialism and we were all supposed to be Muslim by this time. Yesterday I went to my very Christian Baptist church and this morning Walmart was open as usual. I think we're safe.

I am not sure I understand the thought behind this post. It is unfortunate that so many have fallen on hard times, and even more so under Obama, but that does not support the argument for tax payer supported health care. There were better options available, but this entitlement government focused on another way to make many more Americans reliant on the government. If you look at the actual statistics, over the last 5 years, there are more folks dependent upon the government than ever before. It is great to be upper middle class,and have to provide for those that can't.

This government focused on health care and not putting Americans to work. Wrong focus

 

[eliza61]

Medicare kicks in at age 65.
The girls are on Medicaid and they see both their regular obs and high risk pregnancy doctors. They are on the United Healthcare plan under Medicaid.
They saw the doctor on Monday of one week and the high risk doctor on Wednesday of the following week. Maybe our state handles it better.

There will also be 30 million out of luck with Ocare because they will not be covered.

once again, we're talking two different programs. In NJ we have the United healthcare plan also administered through Medicaid. The income requirement is pretty much poverty (about 26K for a family of four).

Now also with UHC they are also funded by your state, so the amount of people covered rises or falls with the state coffers. Think of places like Michigan and Alabama.

 

[eliza61]

I am not sure I understand the thought behind this post. It is unfortunate that so many have fallen on hard times, and even more so under Obama, but that does not support the argument for tax payer supported health care. There were better options available, but this entitlement government focused on another way to make many more Americans reliant on the government. If you look at the actual statistics, over the last 5 years, there are more folks dependent upon the government than ever before. It is great to be upper middle class,and have to provide for those that can't.

This government focused on health care and not putting Americans to work. Wrong focus

And I'm not supporting an argument for single paying healthcare.

My point is that the argument that this plan will cause long waits is false.
We already have long waits. the people who don't wait are the ones who generally have insurance and for them nothing will change.

For me once again the math is easy. If health care is predicted to eat up more and more of your budget, then you have to do some thing to lower the cost of health care. "those that can't" are not going to disappear.

So basically people are mad because now more folks will be able to go to the doctor, which is a benefit those who have insurance enjoy.

In this country as it stands right now, if you do not have health insurance which a great many of the middle class don't. primarily because they make too much for welfare and too little to buy it. You don't go to the doctor. you wait until it's catastrophic and then you go to the emergency room.

Health insurance or lack of it, has been an issue for longer than 5 years so there is no correlation to the rising cost of health insurance premiums and the increase in people on the government roles.

Does anyone remember when Hilary Clinton tried to tackle this problem, what was that 15 years ago?

 

[Muushka]

I hope that they vote to fund the law, exactly as it was written.
No waivers. No exemptions. No changes whatsoever.

That means that Obamacare for Congress, White House, everyone.
With no subsidies for staffers who earn 175K.

Next time congress hears that they need to pass the bill to know what is in it, they will remember this law.

I'm not young, so this law will only help someone like me.
So sorry for all the young healthy ones who will help fund this. Along with the taxpayers (I guess it will come out of my pocket.)

FUND THE LAW!!!

 

[Robbi]

And I'm not supporting an argument for single paying healthcare.

My point is that the argument that this plan will cause long waits is false.
We already have long waits. the people who don't wait are the ones who generally have insurance and for them nothing will change.

For me once again the math is easy. If health care is predicted to eat up more and more of your budget, then you have to do some thing to lower the cost of health care. "those that can't" are not going to disappear.

So basically people are mad because now more folks will be able to go to the doctor, which is a benefit those who have insurance enjoy.

In this country as it stands right now, if you do not have health insurance which a great many of the middle class don't. primarily because they make too much for welfare and too little to buy it. You don't go to the doctor. you wait until it's catastrophic and then you go to the emergency room.

Health insurance or lack of it, has been an issue for longer than 5 years so there is no correlation to the rising cost of health insurance premiums and the increase in people on the government roles.

Does anyone remember when Hilary Clinton tried to tackle this problem, what was that 15 years ago?

Of course, it changes. A lot of people who were covered at work now have their hours cut. Some are being let go all together.

People here go to thhe er as their primary care. They don't go just for catastrophic care.

Yes, I remember and I also remember that she didn't want mental illness covered.

 

[Robbi]

I hope that they vote to fund the law, exactly as it was written.
No waivers. No exemptions. No changes whatsoever.

That means that Obamacare for Congress, White House, everyone.
With no subsidies for staffers who earn 175K.

Next time congress hears that they need to pass the bill to know what is in it, they will remember this law.

I'm not young, so this law will only help someone like me.
So sorry for all the young healthy ones who will help fund this. Along with the taxpayers (I guess it will come out of my pocket.)

FUND THE LAW!!!

If all of our federal government had to be enrolled, go for it. As it stands, they are setting themselves up as a ruling class. We fought the Revolutionary War to get rid of a ruling class.

 

[aw14]

. For me once again the math is easy. If health care is predicted to eat up more and more of your budget, then you have to do some thing to lower the cost of health care. "those that can't" are not going to disappear. So basically people are mad because now more folks will be able to go to the doctor, which is a benefit those who have insurance enjoy.

This is just patently silly. I am not the least bit mad that people will be going to the doctor. I am mad because I will have to pay for it as well as see others lose hours or jobs as a result.

There are many that are "those who can't". Some are there based on their own volition and others due to circumstances beyond their control. However, nowhere in our government is it the responsibility of the "common" folks to take care of any where else. This is wealth redistribution plain and simple.

 

[delmar411]

And I'm not supporting an argument for single paying healthcare.

My point is that the argument that this plan will cause long waits is false.
We already have long waits. the people who don't wait are the ones who generally have insurance and for them nothing will change.

For me once again the math is easy. If health care is predicted to eat up more and more of your budget, then you have to do some thing to lower the cost of health care. "those that can't" are not going to disappear.

So basically people are mad because now more folks will be able to go to the doctor, which is a benefit those who have insurance enjoy.

In this country as it stands right now, if you do not have health insurance which a great many of the middle class don't. primarily because they make too much for welfare and too little to buy it. You don't go to the doctor. you wait until it's catastrophic and then you go to the emergency room.

Health insurance or lack of it, has been an issue for longer than 5 years so there is no correlation to the rising cost of health insurance premiums and the increase in people on the government roles.

Does anyone remember when Hilary Clinton tried to tackle this problem, what was that 15 years ago?

I find these broad sweeping statements to be based in fantasy. We haven't had health insurance since 2007. My kids go to the dr, they go to the dentist, when we are sick we go to the dr, both my ODS and I are on monthly medication and every few months I have to have blood tests to make sure it's not hurting my liver, I pay for the medication we need and I pay for the blood tests. My husband had a vasectomy without insurance and I have been to the ER without insurance. We paid our bills for those services just fine and the V required payment front. The only medical need that has been ignored is my female health needs but I'm pretty much a slacker when it comes to that anyway so no biggie.

I'm pretty sure we are normal, in terms of families not on welfare but without health insurance.

I'm not a fan of this new system, I don't want to be forced to buy insurance I can't afford just because big brother says I need it. Now I would be happy if I could buy catastrophic insurance but unfortunately we are over 30 so not allowed to get that under this act.

And regular doctors are really not that expensive, when you cash pay, you pay what the ins company pays so its not a lot of money IMO.

 

[eliza61]

If all of our federal government had to be enrolled, go for it. As it stands, they are setting themselves up as a ruling class. We fought the Revolutionary War to get rid of a ruling class.

Lol, we also fought a war for independance while enslaving a whole bunch of folks.

But i totally agree with you, Congress needs to fall under the same benefit as any other federal employee. And they should be the first to furlough.

 

[Muushka]

If all of our federal government had to be enrolled, go for it. As it stands, they are setting themselves up as a ruling class. We fought the Revolutionary War to get rid of a ruling class.

We did indeed.

But everything is great here in the US. Couldn't be better.

 

[manning]

I hope that they vote to fund the law, exactly as it was written.
No waivers. No exemptions. No changes whatsoever.

That means that Obamacare for Congress, White House, everyone.
With no subsidies for staffers who earn 175K.

Next time congress hears that they need to pass the bill to know what is in it, they will remember this law.

I'm not young, so this law will only help someone like me.
So sorry for all the young healthy ones who will help fund this. Along with the taxpayers (I guess it will come out of my pocket.)

FUND THE LAW!!!

This will affect you. To help fund it they cut over 700 billion dollars from medicare over ten years.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

But again, that's always been the case. If a bunch of major companies had decided to eliminate health benefits at the same time, particularly if concentrated in one industry, they could get away with it. Otherwise they'd lose employees. Nothing has changed on that front other than the fact that they'd now pay a fine for doing so (if they're big enough).

I don't believe for a second that any of these horror story predictions are anything but posturing by those who want to see the law repealed, but if they did I think it could very well be a blessing in disguise. The entire conversation about this law has revealed a stunning lack of empathy in our culture. The opposition is rooted in "The system works for me, so obviously it works" and "Let them get Medicaid" has become the "Let them eat cake" of modern America. I can't believe how many people there are in our nation who quite simply couldn't care less if the person who served them their coffee this morning or rang up their groceries over the weekend can afford adequate medical care.

Thank you Colleen. Well said. Sometimes people who are "lucky" don't realize how lucky they are & talk badly about those who are not so lucky. It only takes an illness or accident to put many of these people in the ranks of the "government entitlement community". An illness or accident is not from lack of working, just the bad luck of the draw!

Are these greedy, lazy, money grabbing people? -
1. Stay at home mother; hadn't worked in almost 20 years; husband owned a successful business; they lived well; husband (& court) left her with little - not enough to live on while supporting her daughter. Employers don't eagerly await someone who has been out of the job market for so long. She went from trips to WDW to government paid lunches for her daughter & food stamps & Medicaid for her daughter, but no health insurance for herself. She needed public assistance & should not be shamed for it. Our daughter & granddaughter in 2004.

2. Uninsurable since birth because of a kidney defect that was repaired by surgery. Docs said will NEVER be a problem again. Our granddaughter.

3. Middle income family man in his 30s; brain cancer; out of work a lot at first & then unable to work - little disabillity income from employer & did get insurance coverage - thank God we thought; wife needed at home to help take care of him & the 2 children (insurance didn't cover his at home care); she only had a minimum wage job anyway (uneducated & not skilled). He was in hospital for what he (& all of us who loved him) hoped to be a life saving surgery. We went to visit him. Surgeon walked in & advised him the surgery was canceled. Lot of emotional upset - WHY? "It's my only chance!" Reason - He had hit his lifetime limit of $1 mil - no insurance, no money, no chance to live! A social worker came in & advised him he needed to leave. We took him home. Our best man at our wedding.

4. Air traffic controller forced into early retirement & he had only been in the job for 10 years, so got a pittance of retirement pay. He is now working for $10 an hour - because of the job market, after several months without an income & running thru his savings. That was all he could find - even with his education & background. He & his wife are working desparately to save their house - I think they will make it. No shame for taking government entitlements. Our neighbor.

When I worked, our work group always had a useless Christmas drawing & bought useless gifts for each other So, I called the city's Aide Assistance Program to see if we could spend the money on someone who really needed it. The stories were so heartbreaking, but even more heartbreaking for us was to decide who to help. Here are a couple of the stories -
1. Elderly woman - Even with Social Security, and public & utility assistance, she did not have enough money for heat during the winter - we paid her heat all winter.

2. Mentally disabled woman - raising 2 children alone. We took Christmas gifts to her & the kids - so sad. Their living conditions resembled those of the 3rd world!

I wish I had the time & space to list all of the stories I personally know. But basically we are all lucky to be able to walk in our own shoes. But for me, I can never complain about helping others. And yes, along the way some people will scam the system. But I don't believe in throwing away good people just to avoid the bad apples in the basket.

I would love for those who have the time to post on a blog & have the money to live securely, call your local Aide Program & see who you can help this year. It will open your eyes & soften your heart.

 

[AquaDame]

This was passed by our government for our people - I can't wait until the coinage 'ObamaCare' dies. He did not decree - this came about through due process and with the support of our government.

You get what you pay for. The old adage has always been true -- and companies that slash benefits to save pennies will suffer for it through their inability to attract quality talent. Case in point:

Wal-Mart, the nations largest employer, announced Monday that 35,000 part-time employees will soon be moved to full-time status, entitling them to the full healthcare benefits that were scheduled to be denied them as a result of Wal-Marts efforts to avoid the requirements of Obamacare.

While some analysts believe that the move comes as Wal-Mart is attempting to deal with the negative view many Americans have of its worker benefits program, a closer look reveals the real reason for the shift

Wal-Marts business is going south due to the companys penchant for putting politics and the squeeze on Wal-Mart employees ahead of the kind of customer satisfaction that produces prosperity over the long-term.

In fact, Wal-Marts unwillingness to pay most of their workers a livable wage, while avoiding enough full-time employees to properly run a retail outlet, has led to the company placing dead last among department and discount stores in the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Indexa position that should now be all too familiar to the nations largest retailer given that Wal-Mart has either held or shared the bottom spot on the index for six years running.
For anyone who has not been following the Wal-Mart saga, sales have been sinking dramatically at the retailer as the company has turned to hiring mostly temporary workers (those who must reapply for a job every 180 days) to staff their stores while cutting full-time employees hours down to part-time status in order to avoid providing workers with healthcare benefits.

The result?

Empty shelves, ridiculously long check-out lines, helpless customers wandering through the electronics section and general disorganization at Wal-Mart store locations.

This is hardly a recipe for success.

The rest:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickung...macare-not-such-a-job-killer-after-all/print/

Exactly - I can't wait for this thing to get going so everyone can realize its not doomsday. Its a lot of blubbering and stuttering but at the end of the day its all soothsaying. We don't shop at walmart for the above reasons. Once they treat their people well we might think about it, but even this is a luxury that many can't afford.

There also comes a profound, depressing, and demoralizing sense of futility when you're working 60 or 70 hours a week and always have it in the back of your mind that you're one injury away from losing everything, when you're avoiding seeing doctors at all because you can't afford a diagnosis that would put insurance even further out of reach. And it doesn't help when the well-off tell you that it is for your own good.



You're only seeing one side - the ones who get treatment. You're not seeing the benefits for the families who need to come up with up-front money before getting treatment for cancer, the diabetic who goes without care until his disease has done enough damage for him to qualify for disability, the woman who is given weeks to live because the time she spent not going to a doctor she can't afford gave the cancer enough time to progress to the point of hopelessness.



It has been proven that charitable organizations don't go nearly far enough to meet need, that their budgets shrink at the very time the need grows, and that those with the most to give tend not to choose poverty-oriented causes. We give more than we can comfortably afford, but it isn't even a drop in the bucket compared to the need that exists even in our little community.

Yes, I care about my kids' and grandkids' futures. I care about the fact that our health insurance costs have more than doubled in the last decade and continue to rise by double digit percentages every year. The path we're on right now is not sustainable. We are heading down a road where two of the most essential aspects of a long and prosperous life - education and health care - are already out of reach of the lower and working classes and are heading out of reach of the middle class as well. I don't want to see this country become what is taking shape around us - a nation sharply divided between a professional class with access to the best health care and education in the world and a service class making near-poverty wages to bolster the stock portfolios of the "ruling" class while relying upon the uncertainties of charity for basic needs like health care.

Can't wait - my mother in law hasn't had any care for herself for years. Her husband had a horrid diabetic episode that landed him in the hospital and crippled them financially. He will never work again, and she's trying to do it all alone on a farm no less. I worry about her every day and am so grateful she will soon get care she desperately needs.

How long do you think it takes to see a specialist here in the US without health insurance???

Your life time. If you have no health insurance you don't see a specialist. most likely you wait until the problem becomes catastrophic and then you go to the emergency room where they patch you up (at an exorbinant cost) , tell you to make an appointment for follow up care with a specialist, which you don't do because you don't have the money and every last doctor requires payment up front or an insurance card so you get sick again, and around goes the cycle.

So exactly what quality health care are you referring to?

Now it's very easy to say all our problems would be over if all the people on "entitlement" programs would just get off. And you'd still have a stagnant economy, a disappearing middle class and a top % of the population experiencing income growth. Our economy is based on spending.

Weren't we supposed to be socialist already? Seriously, every time society changes we are supposed to be a new "ism".

Martin Luther King was supposed to bring communism.
gay marriage was supposed to bring on hedonism and a break down of western civilization
This new President was supposed to bring on socialism and we were all supposed to be Muslim by this time.

Yesterday I went to my very Christian Baptist church and this morning Walmart was open as usual. I think we're safe.

But the rich would be richer, and that's fair, isn't it? A temp worker at my company was just hired on full time - and took a 1/3 paycut once you add up all the extra programs we offer to do it. Now he has a 401K and insurance - this is all out of the reach of the new law mind you - and everything will be the same the next day after this launches for us too.

Medicare kicks in at age 65.
The girls are on Medicaid and they see both their regular obs and high risk pregnancy doctors. They are on the United Healthcare plan under Medicaid.
They saw the doctor on Monday of one week and the high risk doctor on Wednesday of the following week. Maybe our state handles it better.

There will also be 30 million out of luck with Ocare because they will not be covered.

Could be... on or off Medicaid/Medicare there is a wait. I'm still waiting for a callback from Kaiser to schedule a CTScan that I was told books 1.5 months out. Its just business as usual... he said we are plagued with need for ears/nose/throat doctors here as is everywhere in the US... supply and demand.

I find these broad sweeping statements to be based in fantasy. We haven't had health insurance since 2007. My kids go to the dr, they go to the dentist, when we are sick we go to the dr, both my ODS and I are on monthly medication and every few months I have to have blood tests to make sure it's not hurting my liver, I pay for the medication we need and I pay for the blood tests. My husband had a vasectomy without insurance and I have been to the ER without insurance. We paid our bills for those services just fine and the V required payment front. The only medical need that has been ignored is my female health needs but I'm pretty much a slacker when it comes to that anyway so no biggie.

I'm pretty sure we are normal, in terms of families not on welfare but without health insurance.

I'm not a fan of this new system, I don't want to be forced to buy insurance I can't afford just because big brother says I need it. Now I would be happy if I could buy catastrophic insurance but unfortunately we are over 30 so not allowed to get that under this act.

And regular doctors are really not that expensive, when you cash pay, you pay what the ins company pays so its not a lot of money IMO.

I thought you could opt out of it as an individual? Doctors for regular things are not spendy at all, nor are dental cleanings etc, its when something goes wrong or they can't find you an answer that things start adding up. If machines are involved? Fuggedaboutit! 4X or more higher than a # you see in your nightmares.

 

[Muushka]

This will affect you. To help fund it they cut over 700 billion dollars from medicare over ten years.

Oh yes, you are correct. I forgot about that.

It will be interesting!

No problem. Everything is going to be fine. No worries.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

The Medicare change did not adversely affect 'regular' Medicare. It cut 'Advantage Care', a specialty medicare program with minimal amount of users who can now switch to regular.

Medicare got a goody - a closing of the RX donut hole.

 

[aw14]

Thank you Colleen. Well said. Sometimes people who are "lucky" don't realize how lucky they are & talk badly about those who are not so lucky. It only takes an illness or accident to put many of these people in the ranks of the "government entitlement community". An illness or accident is not from lack of working, just the bad luck of the draw! Are these greedy, lazy, money grabbing people? - 1. Stay at home mother; hadn't worked in almost 20 years; husband owned a successful business; they lived well; husband (& court) left her with little - not enough to live on while supporting her daughter. Employers don't eagerly await someone who has been out of the job market for so long. She went from trips to WDW to government paid lunches for her daughter & food stamps & Medicaid for her daughter, but no health insurance for herself. She needed public assistance & should not be shamed for it. Our daughter & granddaughter in 2004. 2. Middle income family man in his 30s; brain cancer; out of work a lot at first & then unable to work - little disabillity income from employer & did get insurance coverage - thank God we thought; wife needed at home to help take care of him & the 2 children (insurance didn't cover his at home care); she only had a minimum wage job anyway (uneducated & not skilled). He was in hospital for what he (& all of us who loved him) hoped to be a life saving surgery. We went to visit him. Surgeon walked in & advised him the surgery was canceled. Lot of emotional upset - WHY? "It's my only chance!" Reason - He had hit his lifetime limit of $1 mil - no insurance, no money, no chance to live! A social worker came in & advised him he needed to leave. We took him home. Our best man at our wedding. 3. Air traffic controller forced into early retirement & he had only been in the job for 10 years, so got a pittance of retirement pay. He is now working for $10 an hour - because of the job market, after several months without an income & running thru his savings. That was all he could find - even with his education & background. He & his wife are working desparately to save their house - I think they will make it. No shame for taking government entitlements. Our neighbor. When I worked, our work group always had a useless Christmas drawing & bought useless gifts for each other So, I called the city's Aide Assistance Program to see if we could spend the money on someone who really needed it. The stories were so heartbreaking, but even more heartbreaking for us was to decide who to help. Here are a couple of the stories - 1. Elderly woman - Even with Social Security, and public & utility assistance, she did not have enough money for heat during the winter - we paid her heat all winter. 2. Mentally disabled woman - raising 2 children alone. We took Christmas gifts to her & the kids - so sad. Their living conditions resembled those of the 3rd world! I wish I had the time & space to list all of the stories I personally know. But basically we are all lucky to be able to walk in our own shoes. But for me, I can never complain about helping others. And yes, along the way some people will scam the system. But I don't believe in throwing away good people just to avoid the bad apples in the basket. I would love for those who have the time to post on a blog & have the money to live securely, call your local Aide Program & see who you can help this year. It will open your eyes & soften your heart.

I respect what you are saying, however, because someone is "lucky" doesn't not necessitate them being ok with a poorly designed Bill that possibly will cost trillions.

Also, I do resent the term lucky. I came from a low middle class family of an immigrant. Neither of my parents had education, but they focused a great deal on their 2 children bettering themselves and getting an education. We both took out massive student loans and each have a bachelors and 2 master's. Not luck....work!