Maybe I'm misinterpreting your post, but why should the healthy 30 year old single guy who hasn't been to the doctor in 5 years be forced to have insurance?

 

Now, if you're saying if a person incurs medical bills and they have no insurance and aren't able to pay them then you put a lien on their house, I think I can get behind that.

 

Sure, that 30 year old healthy individual can go without insurance. Just know that if he has an accident and goes to the hospital and runs up a huge bill that we're taking your house and every other asset that you've got in a rather quick manner to pay all those bills. I am not paying his bills in my insurance premiums or my health care costs. If he takes the risk, he pays the price.

Sure, that 30 year old healthy individual can go without insurance. Just know that if he has an accident and goes to the hospital and runs up a huge bill that we're taking your house and every other asset that you've got in a rather quick manner to pay all those bills. I am not paying his bills in my insurance premiums or my health care costs. If he takes the risk, he pays the price.

 

And does the same go for the family on welfare that can't afford health insurance? As long as it's applied to everyone, I could get behind it.

As someone who has been using the system and services much more than desired the last few months and that included being a table last week with ablation catheters running through my heart to fix p-afib I can say ACA did not kill the system. It seems to still be working - for now.

 

There are so many factors involved - states laws, companies policies, etc. the politicians do need to keep the physicians creed in mind - "first, cause no harm".

 

I hope you're doing better.

 

The problem with it for me isn't that in a situation that I couldn't get care, it's how much the care will cost me.

 

Unfortunately I too have some current issues that are making me utilize the system. Nothing serious so far, knock on wood, but I figure before all is said and done I'm going to be about $1000 out of pocket and I have insurance (that I have a bi-weekly payroll deduction of $65 to pay for "my share"). Quite frankly I don't have a spare grand laying around so I guess I get to go a little deeper in debt. Before Obamacare my deductibles and co-pays were about half what they are now, but I guess I supposed to be happy because Obamacare is one of those "greater good" things.

^I'd be doing back-flips if mine was anywhere close to as cheap as yours is....

And does the same go for the family on welfare that can't afford health insurance? As long as it's applied to everyone, I could get behind it.

 

Do families on welfare not qualify for Medicaid? Or are you saying that will go away when ObamaCare is changed?

Do families on welfare not qualify for Medicaid? Or are you saying that will go away when ObamaCare is changed?

 

I'm hopeful government will have zero role in health insurance once the ACA is done away with or significantly altered.

I'm hopeful government will have zero role in health insurance once the ACA is done away with or significantly altered.

 

What is your solution on health care for the poor?

What is your solution on health care for the poor?

 

I'm okay with providing it for children under 18.

 

Have to remember, I hate government involvement in anything pretty much other than infrastructure and defense. It's my belief that healthcare is not a right.

^I'd be doing back-flips if mine was anywhere close to as cheap as yours is....

 

I understand that there are some in much worse shape then I am. My point of comparison is where I was versus where I am. The most ardent Obamacare supporters seem to be perfectly OK that many are in my boat. We had coverage we liked but no longer have it, but that's OK because we expanded coverage to more people.

 

I have no problem with expanding coverage, but I do have a problem with it being to the determent of people like me.

I hope you're doing better.

 

The problem with it for me isn't that in a situation that I couldn't get care, it's how much the care will cost me.

 

Unfortunately I too have some current issues that are making me utilize the system. Nothing serious so far, knock on wood, but I figure before all is said and done I'm going to be about $1000 out of pocket and I have insurance (that I have a bi-weekly payroll deduction of $65 to pay for "my share"). Quite frankly I don't have a spare grand laying around so I guess I get to go a little deeper in debt. Before Obamacare my deductibles and co-pays were about half what they are now, but I guess I supposed to be happy because Obamacare is one of those "greater good" things.

 

Higher and higher deductables are probably the most noticable impact of the added cost of ACA/Obamacare. ACA really did nothing at all to control or lower costs other reducing what is paid to doctors from the government run plans.

 

I have not seen dramatic increases but both deductible and rates have both gone up in the last 7 years. The rise in deductible in the insidiously hidden higher cost.

 

As a family, we have found that the 'self-insursed' plans, funded by the bigger employers can vary greatly in cost to the family and individual. For a family of 5 there are easlly thousands of dollars per year in difference in some plans. We saw that directly.

 

Finally, the 'list price' and 'negotiated price' differences are such that I find it hard to believe anyone knows the 'real cost' or 'fair price' of almost anything. Between negotiated rates that show up to 80%+ 'discount' and varying cost of plans from employers and providers that have very different cost for the same services its clear that individuals and families are paying very different actual charges for same product.

What I have now is basically major medical so let me go ahead an pay cash for small stuff and keep the insurance company out of it. I know that would reduce costs.

How about this simple provision. If you don't have insurance to pay your medical bills, create a streamlined process that allows the healthcare providers and hospitals to put a lien on your house and move to foreclosure or they are allowed to confiscate other assets? Create lower-cost stop-loss policies and put in that provision and a lot of people will make sure they have health insurance

 

There is maybe a way to ensure people have at least catastrophic coverage - build it into medicare. Kick up the medicare tax and provide universal catastrophic insurance for all. If medical billing exceed $10,000 in a calendar year then this coverage would kick in.

 

Like them or not the payroll deducted taxes are basically forced participation. So extending forced participation for at least catastrophic coverage already has a model.

Old Tan man needs to shut up . It sure to heck wouldn't happen if he were running things

8 years of belligerent opposition to Obamacare and when Republicans finally have the power to make changes they have no clue what to do. All these years people kept asking them what is your plan and they still don't appear to have one. Boehner lived with this indecision first hand and that is why he believes what he said.

This is just another illustration of why I hate Boehner, Ryan, McConnell, and the rest of the GOP party "leadership." Obviously, I hate the Democratic leadership team even more, but Boehner is essentially confessing that all of those bills the House passed to repeal Obamacare was just political gimmickry.

 

One thing Trump has done that I strongly disapprove of was appointing Reince Priebus his Chief of Staff. Priebus and the GOP establishment has nothing but contempt for the conservative wing of the party. I am under no illusion that Donald Trump is a conservative, but the only thing conservative about Priebus and the party hacks in Congress that make up the party's "leadership" team is their campaign rhetoric. Obama could not have done nearly as much damage to this country had it not been for weasels like McConnel, Ryan, Boehner, Corker, McCain, Graham, et al. cutting backroom deals with him while bashing Obama in public.

 

Voters who expected Republicans to repeal Obamacare need to hold Trump and the Republican Congressional weasels accountable. VOR is absolutely correct about there being no excuse for the GOP not having a replacement plan for Obamacare ready for Trump to sign into law. They have had almost 8 years to prepare such a bill and the fact that they are dragging their feet will become a huge issue in the 2018 campaign.