wow Jim - this is important to you.
Of course it is and it should be important to every American because the new government health care law will affect us all.
All I know is this:
I have worked and paid taxes since I was a teenager, until fall of 2009 when I had to quit my job at Purdue University due to on the job injuries - in an appeal to collect unemployment benefits, a judge reversed the decision and I now collect - temporarily, due to the federal extension. I currently pay $500 per month for medical insurance and am steadily going through my life savings...I can not find work, so I'm enrolled in school this fall, preparing to take on huge student loan debt to retrain to do work in three years, that will provide enough income so I don't have to lose my house. I will be 59 years old if I finish in three years.
In March2010, COBRA will expire and I will have to get insurance through Indiana's high risk pool program - In Jan, a new premium (the cheapest one) of about $670 per month with a $5000 deductible will be available to me...hopefully, I can afford this. The local hospitals that are not-for-profit have assured me they will not turn me away - so I will have a huge bill for my MRIs. The brain MRIs are almost $4000 each. That's what's ahead of me, in spite of paying those high premiums. In 2014, those premiums will be government subsidized, thank god. I have no family that is in a position to help me. I am 55 and a half years old and live alone.
So you're right - we do disagree. I am angry Jim. I have worked all of my life - paid taxes all of my life - saved money - have never had a credit card or debt. I raised two wonderful kids, one of whom was class valedictorian. I am rewarded with this, as I approach my older years. I saved money, so am ineligible for any type of public assistance. But my savings account (currently $16,000) is negligible in light of the high insurance payments I make. When unemployment runs out, I'll be living on student loan money and what ever part time work i can find while I go to school full time. I have no retirement money. This year, I have spent 1/3 of my income on medical bills.
Incidentally, I am also a lifelong community volunteer, working in the public schools for hours with no pay, singing for years in a community chorus that raised money for poor people...
Today, I am met with our government shrugging its shoulders and writing me off. If it was up to the average citizen, seriously, I feel that no one cares if I drop dead.
Nancy, I'm truly sorry to learn of your current struggle trying to pay for your medical care. I've been in a situation very similar to yours at times in my life. My income too low to pay for medical insurance yet too high' to qualify for any kind of government aid program. I hated being in that position so I can somewhat empathize with your feeling of being cheated and welcoming what has been sold as 'universal' medical insurance coverage for every American, regardless of income. Sounds wonderful. Too bad that it very likely won't turn out to be what many folks seem to expect. I really hope ObamaCare ends up helping you, Nancy, but I also hope that your expectations aren't too high, although I suppose, in your case, anything will seem better than nothing, so I don't have to agree with you to understand your feelings on the issue and, however it happens, I hope your financial situation improves in the coming months.
I have to echo Lois' comment that what we call 'ObamaCare' is about our health care, not our politics. Unfortunately, the politicians in Washington have politicized our health care system by 'fixing' it. Most Americans didn't want this 'fix' but the politicians voted it into law, anyway, against the expressed will of the people. That is not how a democratic republic is supposed to work and many of us are angry about the usurpation of our freedom to choose our health care and how it's paid for. I know that many people who voted for the current president are outraged at this forced 'nationalization' of our health care system, to be run by bureaucrats on a cost/benefit basis, with doctors having little say in what their patients are allowed to receive in terms of surgery, radiation, therapy and medicine. As Lois correctly pointed out, under the new health care law, that hypothetical MRI you mention getting may be denied on the basis of your age and the availability of MRI apparatus/technicians. Many doctors are planning to retire when the full ObamaCare program takes effect by 2014, so you may be lucky to find a doctor that will treat you, even though you have your (subsidized) government health insurance. Frankly, I resent being basically pushed aside for younger, more productive Americans when I need an MRI or other medical service, which is what will very likely happen under ObamaCare. I've worked and paid taxes all my life too, over 50 years, in fact, so I have ample reason to be pessimistic about the ramifications of the nationalization of our heath care system, which, admittedly, is being accomplished incrementally, so the full extent of it's negative impact won't be immediately felt. Of course, I don't claim to be omniscient and time may disprove my pessimistic view of the health care law, but I doubt it.
I have to mention that you seem to be a bit ill-informed regard the 'Bush Tax Cut for the wealthiest Americans'. Although tax rates
will go up (
to as high as 39.6%) on capital gains, which usually affect the wealthy (
the people who run businesses and hire other people to work for them) so will the tax rates for the regular folks, like us. The lowest income tax bracket rate (
annual income under $34,550.) now at 10% will go up to 15%, a 33% increase. The Child Tax Credit will be reduced from $1,000. to $500. with tougher rules to qualify. The Marriage Penalty will return. So much for the 'Bush tax cuts' only affecting the wealthy, a manipulation of reality by politicians and the media that too many Americans willingly accept because it feeds class envy, which is regrettable.
I know many people who happily collect Medicare benefits who oppose the idea of anyone else being helped through tax money.
Really? I wonder who that would be?
Over a million working people with jobs are on taxpayer-funded
Medicaid and many more Americans are 'covered' - at no cost to them - by various taxpayer-funded programs administered by state and local governments, all paid for with tax dollars. The taxpayers have been funding millions of people's medical care for years, Nancy, but it's 'invisible' to most of us, unless we need to utilize those taxpayer-funded services. In addition, the indigent have received their health care gratis for decades in local hospitals and clinics. The hospitals and clinics simply raise their rates and because private insurance companies pay most of the medical bills in this country, they, in turn, raise
their rates, costing us more. So, again, we pay, whether we realize it or not. In short:, there is no free lunch. As for Medicare, I'm on that program - but not by my choice. My private insurer automatically ends medical coverage when a policyholder reaches 65 leaving me the choice of having no medical insurance at all or accepting Medicare coverage, which isn't free and doesn't come close to what I had under my 'private' medical insurance. However, I tried but couldn't stop from turning 65 . I would opt for my old policy, at a cost of over $2,000. annually, in a heartbeat but it simply isn't available. You see, I don't like being at the mercy of a government bureaucracy that can decide what medical services I receive. I could always fight my private insurer and appeal to the state insurance commissioner or simply switch insurance companies the next year if I was unhappy with their decisions, but now, on Medicare, I've lost those options. So will you when the ObamaCare kicks in. It'll be interesting to see how that works out.
Frankly, I never liked the employer-sponsored health care deal we all lived under our entire working lives. Yes, it was nice being covered for a relatively small amount because the employer subsidized the insurance cost but I would have rather been paid more and been able to purchase my own health insurance, tailored to my needs. Besides, I was unemployed more than once and had to gamble on not getting sick because I had no medical coverage. That was no fun. Fortunately, that was never a real problem because I'm healthy, but it could have been. However, the days of 'private' health insurance, tethered to your employment are soon to end as we venture into the brave new world of nationalized health care, which usually fails in large, diverse populations. We'll see.
Back to the forum! I WILL find a way to get by. And even if I owe a ton of money to the hospital, I WILL get those necessary MRIs. Everyone else's bills will go up if I can't make my payments, but...this is the American way!
sorry to vent...maybe we ALL need to keep the politics off of this forum...we each have different circumstances, and are all having a problem with the current situation, in our own ways...
Agreed, Nancy. It's obvious that we all have our own unique perspective on this issue and, as I noted in a previous post, I have no intention of arguing 'politics'. Of course that would be a lot easier if the politicians hadn't decided to meddle with our health care system, but alas, that ship has sailed. Let's see what the November elections bring and were we are with ObamaCare in a year or so. For your sake, I hope you're in a better financial position and things work out for you, however that happens. Thanks for your input. It's been interesting.
Jim 
