What do you ALL think about OBAMACARE?

[Dakine10 5,452]

You are right! The problem there will not change and the ignorance on the part of the population represented by the poster you responded to will help perpetuate serious difficulties being faced by many hospitals in this country! Whether the right wingers want it or not, those who have chosen the healing professions are not likely to turn their backs on those who present to emergency departments in need of care, regardless of whether they are 'legal' or not and whether the hospital will be paid under ACA or not. It is simply not MORAL to base your decision on whether to treat or not on a person's immigration status or on their ability to pay. Political considerations based in part on ignorance required the ACA to not include coverage for care of 'illegals'. This does not punish illegals nearly as much as it punishes the hospitals, doctors, and nurses that do not consider it morally acceptable to turn their back on these human beings. When these hospitals go under it will also punish all the legal citizens that depended on them!

True. The hospital where my wife works had 30% of ER visits listed as unbillable last year. Imagine 30% of Walmart or McDonalds customers not paying their bill. No other "business" could operate like that. Hospitals can't either. For the second year in a row, their overall number of patients seen increased, and for the second year in a row they ended up laying off ~10% of their staff. They didn't want to that - they just couldn't afford to pay them.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

True. The hospital where my wife works had 30% of ER visits listed as unbillable last year. Imagine 30% of Walmart or McDonalds customers not paying their bill. No other "business" could operate like that. Hospitals can't either. For the second year in a row, their overall number of patients seen increased, and for the second year in a row they ended up laying off ~10% of their staff. They didn't want to that - they just couldn't afford to pay them.

What Walmart and McDonald's would do is jack up the price to offset the loss as any business does. I work in a hospital's critical care cluster and many of our patients are septic - where what started out as probably a small infection spread to their major organs. That happens when people don't seek medical attention. When people have medical coverage, they go to their doctor's more often and that's good because that's the place where preventative care is most effective which in turns reduces hospitalization.

[Neonred 3,562]

Will be interesting when people that never had insurance finally get it then need to use it. Especially when they discover what it means to have a $2500 deductible and a 50% copay.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Will be interesting when people that never had insurance finally get it then need to use it. Especially when they discover what it means to have a $2500 deductible and a 50% copay.

Never heard of anything like that. I was looking at coverage recently in case the inlaws want to live here. The cheapest/worst was 30% coinsurance.

Right now, I'd still rather get a 50% bill at the insurance plans negotiated rate than 100% at the hospitals "full price" rate.

[^_^ 5,021]

Here are some 50 percent coinsurance plans.

http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_insurance/ihcseh/ihcratepage_sp.pdf

[Pooky 3,782]

And watch out for coverage exclusions. When an insurance company excludes obesity-related health issues, you probably wouldn't be surprised to find out what they can stretch that to include. A colleague at work found that out the hard way.

[MyLittlePony 340]

Another fine example of spending the money white house dont have.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Another fine example of spending the money white house dont have.

The white house only gets money by demanding it from people, or, borrowing it from someone else, and demanding people pay it back. Just like my inlaws.

[dalegg 143]

I think its awesome. I don't think we can actually afford it, but I am totally in love with the idea that the Government can now punish you for not buying something you need.

Pretty soon I won't have to worry about whether or not I have enough cash to eat at the Vietnamese restaurants because we can tax them for not putting in Credit Card readers. It is after all in their best business interest to accept credit cards.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

And watch out for coverage exclusions. When an insurance company excludes obesity-related health issues, you probably wouldn't be surprised to find out what they can stretch that to include. A colleague at work found that out the hard way.

That would fall under denial of pre-existing conditions and against the law.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I think its awesome. I don't think we can actually afford it, but I am totally in love with the idea that the Government can now punish you for not buying something you need.

Pretty soon I won't have to worry about whether or not I have enough cash to eat at the Vietnamese restaurants because we can tax them for not putting in Credit Card readers. It is after all in their best business interest to accept credit cards.

That doesn't even make sense.

You do realize that under the individual mandate, they can't force you to buy insurance, just fine you a penalty, which the IRS cannot even collect on through its ordinary powers. So basically, anyone who is that hardheaded about getting medical insurance can refuse to without ever paying a dime. I suppose will always have a certain number of deadbeats who refuse to accept their social responsibilities, just like there are still derps driving around without car insurance.

[dalegg 143]

That doesn't even make sense.

You do realize that under the individual mandate, they can't force you to buy insurance, just fine you a penalty, which the IRS cannot even collect on through its ordinary powers. So basically, anyone who is that hardheaded about getting medical insurance can refuse to without ever paying a dime. I suppose will always have a certain number of deadbeats who refuse to accept their social responsibilities, just like there are still derps driving around without car insurance.

Wait,, ,why doesn't that make sense?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Wait,, ,why doesn't that make sense?

Because the individual mandate is basically toothless. They can't dock your wages, or jail you or go after your assets if you refuse to pay the penalty, which is the opposite of when a person doesn't pay their taxes.

But beyond that, I don't understand why people would get upset with a mandate when it is mandatory to have car insurance if you own or drive a vehicle. Anyone who's been hit by an uninsured driver quickly becomes a fierce advocate for mandatory coverage.

[rocks 494]

Because the individual mandate is basically toothless. They can't dock your wages, or jail you or go after your assets if you refuse to pay the penalty, which is the opposite of when a person doesn't pay their taxes.

But beyond that, I don't understand why people would get upset with a mandate when it is mandatory to have car insurance if you own or drive a vehicle. Anyone who's been hit by an uninsured driver quickly becomes a fierce advocate for mandatory coverage.

Exactly. Stop complaining about nothing, this is a good thing.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Here are some 50 percent coinsurance plans.

http://www.state.nj.us/dobi/division_insurance/ihcseh/ihcratepage_sp.pdf

Wow. They're not kidding when they say NJ is expensive. Those premiums are outrageous compared to what I found too.