Just got my bill for January's heath insurance, it more than doubled to $733, thanks.

Obama is making it so healthy people pay for those who heavily drink, smoke, ski off cliffs, weigh 500 pounds, never save a dime for a rainy day, swim with sharks, etc., etc.

Who here votes to give their money away?

zz.


Why stop with just giving our money away for health care? Before we went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, did you get to vote if we went? We don't get to vote for very much in this country when it comes to issues on a national level. Before we march off into foreign lands with the credit card of the American people where we run up debt in the trillions of dollars, we don't get to vote on whether we go or not. Why not be outraged at that?
 
Why stop with just giving our money away for health care? Before we went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, did you get to vote if we went? We don't get to vote for very much in this country when it comes to issues on a national level. Before we march off into foreign lands with the credit card of the American people where we run up debt in the trillions of dollars, we don't get to vote on whether we go or not. Why not be outraged at that?

Oh I am plenty outraged Mep / beyond outraged / in my case you are preaching to the choir.

The problem is that the general public is NOT outraged. The general public is 1000 times more interested in their tweets, Facebooks, IPods, football, basketball, baseball, etc., etc.

zz.
 
Well, since nobody has said it yet after 13 pages of posts...

Peter, I'm sorry to hear that your insurance premiums have gone substantially up. Kinda takes away from the audio budget, doesn't it?

Ron, good to hear from you. ;)

Tom
 
Obama is making it so healthy people pay for those who heavily drink, smoke, ski off cliffs, weigh 500 pounds, never save a dime for a rainy day, swim with sharks, etc., etc.

Who here votes to give their money away?

zz.

Chill. Heavy drinking / smoking / obesity etc. will get you a hike in premiums now and after Obamacare kicks in. Pre-existing conditions (through now fault of your own) makes you uninsurable now, but not under Obamacare. Not such a bad idea if you ask me.
 
Well, since nobody has said it yet after 13 pages of posts...

Peter, I'm sorry to hear that your insurance premiums have gone substantially up. Kinda takes away from the audio budget, doesn't it?

Ron, good to hear from you. ;)

Tom

Taking a look at Peter's stereo system, I'm having a hard time working up any tears. I think Peter will be just fine.
 
Taking a look at Peter's stereo system, I'm having a hard time working up any tears. I think Peter will be just fine.

While I understand the frustration...my tears are well...not there either.
 
Taking a look at Peter's stereo system, I'm having a hard time working up any tears. I think Peter will be just fine.

I was thinking the same thing when I first saw the post..essentially a bit of a whine. I was gonna offer up a plate of cheese...:cool:

BTW, I think Peter is an absolutely superb writer and reviewer, with tremendous knowledge in the audio arts. I can only
hope to one day write as well as him. His system, as you note, is pretty much beyond superlatives.
 
So let me get this straight. Just because someone has a nice stereo system, it doesn't give them the right to complain about something like a bill doubling in cost with no added benefit(s)?

*sigh* Never mind. Don't answer that. I equate the health care costs doubling for Peter [with no added benefits] the same as and possibly as ridiculous as a (hypothetically speaking) mandated mortgage doubling with no added benefits/monetary gain. But hey, that's just me. In my mind, it should not matter whether one is well off, wealthy, poor or not. IMO, YMMV and all that jazz....

Tom
 
seriously John :confused:

Yes, seriously Steve. As a healthcare professional it shouldn't matter who walks through the door. The level of coverage should have no bearing on how a patient is treated. Their job is to care for people and treat them as best as they can.

IMO that should never be questioned.
 
So let me get this straight. Just because someone has a nice stereo system, it doesn't give them the right to complain about something like a bill doubling in cost with no added benefit(s)?

*sigh* Never mind. Don't answer that. I equate the health care costs doubling for Peter [with no added benefits] the same as and possibly as ridiculous as a (hypothetically speaking) mandated mortgage doubling with no added benefits/monetary gain. But hey, that's just me. In my mind, it should not matter whether one is wealthy or not. IMO, YMMV and all that jazz....

Tom

Look, if you're struggling to make ends meet and living paycheck to paycheck and your insurance cost doubles because of Obama Care, I have sympathy for you and hope you will be OK. If you are at the opposite spectrum of those who struggle from paycheck to paycheck and you just want to complain, you need to look in the dictionary for sympathy and I will give you a hint: Sympathy can be found between sh*t and syphilis.
 
So let me get this straight. Just because someone has a nice stereo system, it doesn't give them the right to complain about something like a bill doubling in cost with no added benefit(s)?

*sigh* Never mind. Don't answer that. I equate the health care costs doubling for Peter [with no added benefits] the same as and possibly as ridiculous as a (hypothetically speaking) mandated mortgage doubling with no added benefits/monetary gain. But hey, that's just me. In my mind, it should not matter whether one is well off, wealthy, poor or not. IMO, YMMV and all that jazz....

Tom

Let's get THIS straight. The Law had NOTHING to do with the rates doubling. That was the sole decision of the insurance company, within an industry that enjoys huge profit margins.
 
Here is the other thing I don't get-if you had some insurance coverage whether your own plan or an employer's plan and your rates doubled, I would think that you had some pretty marginal coverage. This is especially true if you purchased your own plan outside of an employer. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Sometimes you get lucky and you get more than what you paid for and sometimes you get less than what you paid for. On average, you probably get what you pay for if you do your homework.

Just like you can buy the state minimum liability auto insurance, you can also purchase comprehensive car insurance that provides comprehensive coverage in case something catastrophic happens to both life and property. If someone crashes into you, which type of insurance do you hope that person has? If you buy the equivalent of the state minimum car liability insurance for your health care insurance and now you are forced to buy a better grade of insurance, are you really surprised that your rates went up?
 
Let's get THIS straight. The Law had NOTHING to do with the rates doubling. That was the sole decision of the insurance company, within an industry that enjoys huge profit margins.
.....as a result of the ACA. If the law hadn't been passed, do you think that the government would allow such a drastic hike in premiums?

Tom
 
.....as a result of the ACA. If the law hadn't been passed, do you think that the government would allow such a drastic hike in premiums?

Tom

Nonsense. Everyone of my self employed friends have had their rates rise arbitrarily rise for years.

Stop spreading uninformed BS.
 
Yes, seriously Steve. As a healthcare professional it shouldn't matter who walks through the door. The level of coverage should have no bearing on how a patient is treated. Their job is to care for people and treat them as best as they can.

IMO that should never be questioned.

Interesting point--BUT not reality here in the US ( or maybe anywhere else for that matter). Many years ago a client of mine who was a very well respected cardiologist, stated to me that it was well known in the health care industry that those with money received a FAR better level of care than those without.
So much so, that her primary business was to solicit the wealthy to donate to the hospital that she worked at...wherein those individuals would be guaranteed a better room, doctor, and general care if they ever needed it.
I doubt this has changed one bit over the years!
 
Andre, watch your tone.

I will respectfully bow out of this conversation if my conclusions are considered what you call them and simply go back to moderating. It's not in my nature to argue. Discuss yes. Argue, no. With that said, I'm out.

Tom
 
Wow. This thread sure exploded. I will say something from experience. Costs for medical benefits rise every year. I've purchased insurance for small companies (under 20 employees) in Virginia, Ohio and now Washington. When I first started at Genesis in 2005, the monthly premium per employee was $300 a month - with a 3 figure deductible. Now it's $600 with a 4 figure deductible. I select the best "bang for the buck" for my employees, but sometimes the selection - what the companies are offering, is just **** poor.
 
John

I agree completely about patients having rights but you said doctors should not have rights. Suppose I said that to you that in your job you have absolutely no rights. You would not take it lightly. That is a pretty bold statement John. Talking to my doctor friends in Canada if you think they like being treated the way you suggest, you are sadly mistaken. It was this very reason that in 1978 I moved to Southern California where I felt I could practice medicine the way I want and still have rights as a human being. I have never looked back. I now feel for my doctor friends here whose practices have become completely fractured and no longer can look after life long patients because of what has happened.

BTW John the uninsured here are looked after the same as the insured with respect to ER, hospital admissions etc. Invariably they qualify for Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) so IMO the uninsured often gets better than adequate care

You make it out to be that doctors are civil servants. Perhaps they are in Canada and they have no rights but here south of the border I would like to think that doctors like any other human in this country has rights
 
Andre, watch your tone.

I will respectfully bow out of this conversation if my conclusions are considered what you call them and simply go back to moderating. It's not in my nature to argue. Discuss yes. Argue, no. With that said, I'm out.

Tom

I have no problem with watching my tone as long as posters do not try to pass off opinions as facts.

Health Insurance companies that raise their premiums DO SO BY CHOICE, and have been for years.

When I first moved to San Diego my neighbor was a self insured day trader who would tell me his rates
would as much as DOUBLE every few months. This predates so called Obamacare by 8 years my friend.
 

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