View Full Version : What aspects of your life will be tied to health care costs?
I would like to have you prognosticate what new laws and regulations will be enacted which will control how you live your life because of the cost to health care.
We already see sugar, sodas, and salt starting to be targeted because of obesity and blood pressure issues.
So, have at it. Let's hear your predictions. Serious posts would be appreciated.
Here are a couple of mine:
The 55 mph speed limit will return because high speed crashes create more injuries and this affects health care costs.
Participation in sports activities will be regulated by permit and the fees gleaned from those permits will be used to offset the costs to health care brought on by these risky activities. The more dangerous the activity, the higher the fees.
What say you?
I'm still piecing the monstrosity together.
There's more 'references' in the bill than my Scofield Bible.
It seems there is a lot left up to the discretion of "some person as yet unknown". (or panel)
let us count the ways the sky might fall. woe is us. woe.
um, this is Law now, not a bill.
That "might" should be a "will" now. It's a done deal.
makes you feel justified in your ignorance as Americans (http://www.popmodal.com/video/4371/Michelle-and-Barack-Obama-INSULT-America)
ResearchMonkey
4/12/10, 02:54am
let us count the ways the sky might fall. woe is us. woe.
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/4272/3317900073571f686b59.jpg
a matter of perspective I suppose.
REAL 'mericans wouldn't be asking chicken little questions, but figurin' out how to make money off this new health care thingy.
nice pic RM. yes, the world is ending. just like all those other countries that no longer exist because of bloated public heath care. maybe you can help me make a list.... germany... now there's an unproductive place... sky fell on them years ago uh huh french friend potatoes. :erm:
REAL 'mericans wouldn't be asking chicken little questions, but figurin' out how to make money off this new health care thingy.
We can muti-task. :cocktail:
Smoking!
Aw crap..that's already the way in the pre-Obamacare way of doing things? Sheet...why didn't anyone tell me.
WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT
*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
*Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college.
*Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.
*A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.
*Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.
*A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
*A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2011
*Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.
*Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients.
*A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.
*Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.
*Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees' W-2 tax forms.
*An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2012
*Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form "accountable care organizations" to improve quality and efficiency of care.
*An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.
*The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2013
*A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.
*The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.
*The Medicare payroll tax is raised to 2.35 percent from 1.45 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.
*A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2014
*State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.
*Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don't. Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.
*Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
*Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren't counted for the fine.
*Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2015
*Medicare creates a physician payment program aimed at rewarding quality of care rather than volume of services.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 2018
*An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions.
OMG! How dare the government try to regulate insurance companies and force them to stop ass raping us! This is America, dammit! We should be given as many ass rapings as the insurance companies see fit for us! :mad:
It's the End Of The World As We Know It (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eyFiClAzq8)
they aren't going to "try", they are going to "do".
until....
there's only the gov. ins. program left, because all the private companies closed.
Welcome to the USSA.
ResearchMonkey
4/12/10, 06:49pm
Farmers are raping us too, diving nice trucks-n-shit. Let's force them to work for free to feed us, food is a right.
Yeah, I want to model our nation after France lo.lololol.
Pretend all you like, this will not end well.
Farmers are raping us too, diving nice trucks-n-shit. Let's force them to work for free to feed us, food is a right.
Yeah, I want to model our nation after France lo.lololol.
Pretend all you like, this will not end well.
I've got news for you, RM, farmers in France do not feed anyone for free. ;) I'm not sure where you're getting that information from.
they aren't going to "try", they are going to "do".
until....
there's only the gov. ins. program left, because all the private companies closed.
Welcome to the USSA.
There is no gov't insurance program for everyone, only Medicare and Medicaid which not many people qualify for.
There is no gov't insurance program for everyone, only Medicare and Medicaid which not many people qualify for.
oh, they have one. They just haven't opened the doors yet.
Gotta have bailout of the current ins. companies first. (more) Look for that soon.
That will be the start of That Change you can believe in, in earnest.
ResearchMonkey
4/12/10, 08:28pm
Food is right, it should be provided by the government and those evil farmers should quit making a profit off of food.
amidoinitrite?
OMG! How dare the government try to regulate insurance companies and force them to stop ass raping us! This is America, dammit! We should be given as many ass rapings as the insurance companies see fit for us! :mad:
It's much better when we ass/face/abdominally rape and kill the insurance companies. :cocktail:
Single payer universal health care is the plan.
Smoking!
Aw crap..that's already the way in the pre-Obamacare way of doing things? Sheet...why didn't anyone tell me.
WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT
*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
Month 2, insurance companies go out of business
Diana Smith has gone through six months of radiation and chemotherapy -- one week out of every month. She is in remission and had a donor for a transplant; being in remission is prerequisite for the transplant.
In April, (her insurance) canceled her universal health care policy because her income level had risen with her son's payments – making her ineligible for the insurance program. The problem is Jackson Memorial Hospital cannot provide the procedure because the risk is too high.
Her insurance carrier? Medicaid.
The reason? Social Security.
Can you say Death panel? (http://cbs4.com/health/Diana.Smith.Woman.2.1623788.html)
The thing I love about the "QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS" (H.R. 3590) is that they left out half of us.
The word "breast" appears 40 times in the text of the law.
The word "prostate" appears nowhere in the law.
Breast cancer, breast feeding, breast milk expression, breast awareness, etc. are all over the place. Who cares if men have a healthy prostate. Just shut up and die.
obviously, it's all about fucking over older white christian males. duh...
let us again count the ways we are victim.
let us not even consider the radical imbalances between money devoted to research and treatment of male vs. female conditions that is historical fact.
just take the pill, girlies, it's a solution to damned near everything.
no, no, we are victim. again and again.
...and there was a request for serious responses...
:rofl2:
Month 2, insurance companies go out of business
Funny...there are plenty of Insurance companies around here, despite Universal HealthCare. And it's been decades n'everything.
Mr B, this isn't Canada.
We'll see.
Mr B, this isn't Canada.
We'll see.
Granted...but also understand that none of this is meant to replace existing medical insurance at all. It's meant to fill in the gaps in existing health-care.
Universal Single-payer Health-care would've been a kick to the head of existing health-care insurance companies..but still wouldn't have killed them.
ResearchMonkey
4/13/10, 02:10pm
you're right about that, it isn't designed to replace the current private insurance options, its designed to destroy the current insureance options leaving only single payer. It;s design is more akin to the metamorphism of Mothra.
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9777/mosurai.jpg
RUN!!!!!
Granted...but also understand that none of this is meant to replace existing medical insurance at all. It's meant to fill in the gaps in existing health-care.
How do you know that? Says who?
obviously, it's all about fucking over older white christian males. duh...
let us again count the ways we are victim.
let us not even consider the radical imbalances between money devoted to research and treatment of male vs. female conditions that is historical fact.
just take the pill, girlies, it's a solution to damned near everything.
no, no, we are victim. again and again.
...and there was a request for serious responses...
:rofl2:
No problem. When it comes to your prostate just do what the government tells you to do. "Sit on it and rotate."
How do you know that? Says who?
You currently have 1/10th of your population without health insurance. Not because they don't want it, nor because they don't see the necessity for it..but because they are refused it due to 'pre-existing conditions' or the expensive work-arounds to those conditions (Having to pay more for minimal insurance).
Part of what this does is remove the barriers to access. The insurance companies can't refuse entry to the system, nor deny claims based on so-called pre-existing conditions. For them, it's going to be a cash-cow. Wo0t..new customers.
It's not like this says "Thou shalt buy only GVT insurance!"
What I can see happening is people leaving their overpriced personal insurance plans and going for the gvt option. That's capitalism for ya.
No problem. When it comes to your prostate just do what the government tells you to do. "Sit on it and rotate."
perhaps they'll contact you as an expert to help develop the program.
but should the government be commenting on "the heart and soul of every man" as you've posited the prostate?
yes, when they contact you, you must refuse!!!!
You currently have 1/10th of your population without health insurance. Not because they don't want it, nor because they don't see the necessity for it..but because they are refused it due to 'pre-existing conditions' or the expensive work-arounds to those conditions (Having to pay more for minimal insurance).
I'd like to see the break-down on that stat you are referring to.
Got a link?
Granted...but also understand that none of this is meant to replace existing medical insurance at all. It's meant to fill in the gaps in existing health-care.
Universal Single-payer Health-care would've been a kick to the head of existing health-care insurance companies..but still wouldn't have killed them.
Curious...how much does your government support your insurnace industry? When more money goes out than comes in, as will happen in your scenario, somebody has to make up th ediffernce.
You currently have 1/10th of your population without health insurance. Not because they don't want it, nor because they don't see the necessity for it..but because they are refused it due to 'pre-existing conditions' or the expensive work-arounds to those conditions (Having to pay more for minimal insurance).
Part of what this does is remove the barriers to access. The insurance companies can't refuse entry to the system, nor deny claims based on so-called pre-existing conditions. For them, it's going to be a cash-cow. Wo0t..new customers.
It's not like this says "Thou shalt buy only GVT insurance!"
What I can see happening is people leaving their overpriced personal insurance plans and going for the gvt option. That's capitalism for ya.
All you have to do is completely ignore the numbers of the young and healthy who do not see the need for health insurance and choose not to buy it.
I went without health insurance for the first 57 years of my life. I was a cash customer if I needed to go to the doctor. The money I chose to save by not buying what I didn't want, and didn't need, went to the things that I did want, and did need.
By the way, your "10%" figure includes illegal immigrants. The actual figure is closer to 6%; but even 1% would likely be unacceptable to you.
I'd like to see the break-down on that stat you are referring to.
Got a link?
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567737
It's actually over 15%, but who's counting.
Curious...how much does your government support your insurnace industry? When more money goes out than comes in, as will happen in your scenario, somebody has to make up th ediffernce.
It doesn't support it. Health Insurance covers two parts... items not currently 100% covered by Universal ((high-end *jumping the queue* tests in private clinics like MRIs, angiograms, plus aids like crutches, wheelchairs plus services not covered at all like dental, glasses, orthopedic shoes etc.) .. plus travel insurance. The second is drugs/medication.
Health Insurance companies generally don't do JUST health insurance, but life, mortgage insurance, car etc..as well. They do quite well, financially.
As for the second part. Health Insurance is exactly like a Ponzi scheme. They do everything possible to make sure that they have more money coming in than going out...much like any other type of company.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/567737
It's actually over 15%, but who's counting.
*raises hand
I'm counting.
I can't see anything in your link except a login page.
I don't particularly want to register.
It doesn't support it. Health Insurance covers two parts... items not currently 100% covered by Universal ((high-end *jumping the queue* tests in private clinics like MRIs, angiograms, plus aids like crutches, wheelchairs plus services not covered at all like dental, glasses, orthopedic shoes etc.) .. plus travel insurance. The second is drugs/medication.
It doesn't support it? Re-read what you wrote.
Your insurance is like the Meidcare gap coverage.
Our GVT doesn't put a penny into the Insurance companies..those live on their own profits. Taxes don't 'support' insurance companies.
I suppose that it's similar to the 'gap coverage'. :shrug:
only laissez-faire capitalism is fully compatible with Western civilization
Barack Obama, Talking Crap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3S09QPlsg8)
only laissez-faire capitalism is fully compatible with Western civilization
try telling that to george zip.
http://www.watchmojo.com/blogs/images/airplane.jpg
(and germany, the UK, sweden, et cetera...)
Nah I think I’m gonna go with Nixon and peddle it in Peking.
(and germany, the UK, sweden, et cetera...)
They haven't been capitalists for generations.
Wait a minute, when were they ever?!? wtf?
They tried it during the early 50's.
well then I guess Hitler was right
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