I hate the Un-affordable Obama Care

[The Annoyed Man]

To add a little more fuel to the fire chasfm11 refers to which will affect seniors more than the young, by virtue of the general degradation of health that accompanies old age: The threshold for being able to write off medical expenses on your income tax return has gone up significantly from 7.5% to 10% of adjusted gross income. So in addition to having increased costs all around (premiums, deductibles, medical device taxes, etc., etc.), at a season of life when income begins to taper off, seniors have to pay out a much larger percentage of their shrinking income dollars in medical expenses before they can claim a tax write-off. People often like to say that the measure of a civilization is how well it takes care of its weaker members. Seniors are learning with a vengeance exactly how little their government values them.

I remember a great nation in which government cared about encouraging the creation and preservation of the wealth of its people. I defy anybody to tell me that nation still exists as anything except a leviathan which views its people as a cash cow it can squeeze while its elites in DC live a sybaritic lifestyle completely disconnected from realities outside the beltway, and completely absolved of the financial consequences of their own decision-making.

[chasfm11]

To add a little more fuel to the fire chasfm11 refers to which will affect seniors more than the young, by virtue of the general degradation of health that accompanies old age: The threshold for being able to write off medical expenses on your income tax return has gone up significantly from 7.5% to 10% of adjusted gross income. So in addition to having increased costs all around (premiums, deductibles, medical device taxes, etc., etc.), at a season of life when income begins to taper off, seniors have to pay out a much larger percentage of their shrinking income dollars in medical expenses before they can claim a tax write-off. People often like to say that the measure of a civilization is how well it takes care of its weaker members. Seniors are learning with a vengeance exactly how little their government values them.

I remember a great nation in which government cared about encouraging the creation and preservation of the wealth of its people. I defy anybody to tell me that nation still exists as anything except a leviathan which views its people as a cash cow it can squeeze while its elites in DC live a sybaritic lifestyle completely disconnected from realities outside the beltway, and completely absolved of the financial consequences of their own decision-making.

For me, the governmental rationing of care is the most scary part of all of this. Those who have called the possibility of "death panels" a conspiracy theory should have to sit beside me for the remaining years of my life and witness how wrong they were. It is almost a poetic ending that the government will solve the some of the unfunded liability of the budget out years of the Baby Boomer Social Security by being in control of the medical care to make sure that they don't collect. The same government who passes social legislation to aid those who "need" it does not count the health needs of the senior population, especially the ex-military portion, that is is under its control in that need equation. There, it is solely based on finances. Look at the cuts already slated for Medicare and Tricare to see exactly what I mean.

[gringo pistolero]

It's interesting to observe many of these complaints are coming from people who already embraced socialist medicine in the form of medicare, etc. Don't take this the wrong way because I'm not in favor of obamacare. In fact, I think it's unconstitutional like 90% or more of the federal laws on the books, despite what old people in robes say, but I think it's an interesting comment on the differences between principles and practice.

[rotor]

Dear Gringo
When I turned 65 I had only one choice if I wanted insurance, going on Medicare or going bare. To call that embracing Medicare would be far from the truth. I went from a very affordable Blue Cross plan to what for me was a more expensive Medicare plan when I factored in my monthly withdrawal from my SS, supplement and Medicare D. Prior to Medicare every doctor would see me, now the doors are no longer open. When you turn 65 there are no private plans available. Medicare stinks but at least it was put forward as the only choice for a vulnerable part of our society. What Obamacare does though is it forces everyone into a plan even though they had a choice before to get or not get insurance. the only members of society that did not have a choice were those age 65 or older. Even those with high risk situations could have joined a state pool to get insurance but not the senior. I would have been very happy to have the government require private insurance to insure seniors and I am not talking about advantage plans which stink. I would still have my Blue Cross policy now and not be on Medicare.

[Beiruty]

At $7070 with supplemental insurance to pay for the 20%, Medicare is not cheap for those on retirement income.

My solution, beat the System, make as much green-beans before I hit 65, the only catch-22 is if in 20 yrs, this great country of U.S. is no more. The biggest enemy of USA is it people represented by its elected officials.
Where are the US' patriots?

[The Annoyed Man]

It's interesting to observe many of these complaints are coming from people who already embraced socialist medicine in the form of medicare, etc. Don't take this the wrong way because I'm not in favor of obamacare. In fact, I think it's unconstitutional like 90% or more of the federal laws on the books, despite what old people in robes say, but I think it's an interesting comment on the differences between principles and practice.

That would exclude me. My "supplemental" insurance had nothing to do with medicare, as I am not yet on it. It was a privately sold product, like AFLAC, but not AFLAC. A major part of my complaint is that Obama/DemocratCare forces me into a dependency I don't want: subsidies for now, because Obama/DemocratCare puts insurance completely outside of the realm of affordability now, and medicare later because Obama/DemocratCare mandates it when I reach a certain age.

There is both an insult to the individual citizen (now subject), and an insult to the entire structure of government and its relationship to its subjects. Obama/DemocratCare has forced more people onto federal subsidy of some kind than any previous program in the nation's history. Here's why:

• Don't want to depend on Social Security? Then don't apply for it and collect it. You are not required by law to participate as a recipient. Yes, you are required to pay into it, but that is calculated as a tax upon your wages/income, and if you start collecting social security, you no longer pay FICA. You have (for now) the freedom to provide for your own retirement. . . . or to not provide for it, and starve. But at no point will you pay a fine for refusing to participate as a "beneficiary."
• Don't want to accept unemployment compensation? Then don't. There's no law that says you MUST receive it if you are unemployed.
• Don't want food stamps? Then don't get them. There is no fine for refusing to accept food stamps.
• Don't want to be on welfare? Then don't apply for it. There is no penalty for poor people who would prefer to dig their way out of poverty without any help from Comrade Sam.

I could go on, but you get the point, I'm sure. Obama/DemocratCare is the first program in the nation's history which A) artificially increases the price of the insurance product, B) limits the selection of available plans, C) forces those citizens who lack the wealth to buy the product at the inflated price onto a new federal dependency, D) forces those who can afford it to subsidize those who cannot, and E) in the final insult, forces those who cannot afford it but don't want to be part of the subsidy to pay a punitive fine for refusing to participate.

How exactly does this kind of abuse of the citizenry separate the U.S. from the U.S.S.R.?

And this is where it becomes relevant to the 2nd Amendment. How long will it continue to exist in a nation which now has the legal power to tell you that your gun ownership is a threat to the (politically driven) actuarial tables upon which this entire obamanation is based? The right may exist as a human right, but its observance as a constitutional guarantee may well not. We have witnessed general erosions of the rest of the Bill of Rights. The 2nd Amendment is the one most dangerous to a government seeking to impose an immutable will upon a resistant populace. Obama/DemocratCare is exactly such an imposition of will.

[Alf]

If it were not for a catastrophic situation, I would be far better off abandoning everything and simply paying my doctors in cash. I would have actually saved money this year by doing that.

Me too. Not only for medical insurance but for homeowners insurance and automobile insurance too.

[03Lightningrocks]

If it were not for a catastrophic situation, I would be far better off abandoning everything and simply paying my doctors in cash. I would have actually saved money this year by doing that.

Me too. Not only for medical insurance but for homeowners insurance and automobile insurance too.

Thank goodness the federal government has decided to mandate those as well.

[mamabearCali]

It's interesting to observe many of these complaints are coming from people who already embraced socialist medicine in the form of medicare, etc. Don't take this the wrong way because I'm not in favor of obamacare. In fact, I think it's unconstitutional like 90% or more of the federal laws on the books, despite what old people in robes say, but I think it's an interesting comment on the differences between principles and practice.

Well we are not on any govt plan and though we are not getting messed over as much as others here. (Yet), it still hurts. It still stings. If we lose our insurance which is not totally out of the question, I think we will likely look at something like medishare and then pay the fine if we need to.

[chasfm11]

It's interesting to observe many of these complaints are coming from people who already embraced socialist medicine in the form of medicare, etc. Don't take this the wrong way because I'm not in favor of obamacare. In fact, I think it's unconstitutional like 90% or more of the federal laws on the books, despite what old people in robes say, but I think it's an interesting comment on the differences between principles and practice.

If you are feeling adventurous when you turn 65, you can try to avoid Medicare. I'm guessing that things won't go well for you when the Social Security Administration learns of your decision. As TAM pointed out, no one will sell you a "full" medical insurance policy because then they, too, would be breaking the rules. You can only buy Medicare supplements after that age.

Now to be clear, you must have Medicare Part A. You don't have to add Parts B or D. I pay extra for Part B but before my employer policy was cancelled due to Obamacare, it would not pay anything unless I had Medicare Part B so I have Part B and the monthly bill for it, too. Part B for the money that paid for it this year, proved to be pretty worthless. But it is pretty much a trap that I don't know how to get out of at the moment. It covered my flu shot and nearly nothing else.

[baldeagle]

It's interesting to observe many of these complaints are coming from people who already embraced socialist medicine in the form of medicare, etc. Don't take this the wrong way because I'm not in favor of obamacare. In fact, I think it's unconstitutional like 90% or more of the federal laws on the books, despite what old people in robes say, but I think it's an interesting comment on the differences between principles and practice.

Embraced you say? Pay attention grasshopper. When you are three months before your 65th birthday, you are required to sign up for Medicare. If you miss the deadline, the government will FINE you. Does that sound like embracing to you? I have a Medicare card, but I don't use Medicare. I have insurance. I don't want Medicare. But I'll be darned if I'm going to pay those bloodsuckers a fine by refusing to sign up.

[mamabearCali]

It's interesting to observe many of these complaints are coming from people who already embraced socialist medicine in the form of medicare, etc. Don't take this the wrong way because I'm not in favor of obamacare. In fact, I think it's unconstitutional like 90% or more of the federal laws on the books, despite what old people in robes say, but I think it's an interesting comment on the differences between principles and practice.

Embraced you say? Pay attention grasshopper. When you are three months before your 65th birthday, you are required to sign up for Medicare. If you miss the deadline, the government will FINE you. Does that sound like embracing to you? I have a Medicare card, but I don't use Medicare. I have insurance. I don't want Medicare. But I'll be darned if I'm going to pay those bloodsuckers a fine by refusing to sign up.

Wow....that is terrible. That stinks so bad I can smell it clear from TX to VA. I would comment further, but I think it might cross the political lines that have been drawn here.

[03Lightningrocks]

I own a small business. I have 13 employees. We were lucky and our insurance company offered us the option of changing our anniversary date to December 15th. We had to pay a 3% increase in our policy but we are able to allow our employees to stave off odumbell care for another year. Our other option was to wait until our previous anniversary date of July 1 and at that time our renewal would be based on the dear leaders new requirements for his subjects and We will be facing a three fold increase in premiums to maintain the same insurance.

Let me explain. We have one person over fifty, one person over sixty and one person over seventy. We are all three in good health. My business partner and accountant is seventy two but in better health than most fifty year olds. He is on Medicare so our insurance is only covering his supplemental care plus his sixty year old wife. But it matters not under the new socialized medical care system. The premium for he and his wife will be quadruple current rates. My premium will double. The feller who is sixty two and in good health will be triple. None of us qualify for any subsidies because we choose to work for a living rather than sitting on our butts or taking easy jobs that don't pay well.

The good news is that I will be covered to get my uterus removed, get a mammogram every year and get birth control pills. The bad news is, I like being a male so I don't get to take advantage of these new benefits.

On the flip side, the one female we have will see a reduction of two percent, which does not come close to making up for the increases listed above. The rest of our employees are male and all in "the sweet spot" for age groups. They will see a twenty percent increase and an increase in yearly max out of pocket for major medical care in the amount of six hundred dollars.

In the typical style of socialists, the dear leader decided it was not "fair" to charge people based on the past experience. Now it is blindly determined by age.

Needless to say, as of December 15 2014, myself, Don and Charlie will all be pushed to the insurance pools and our dear leaders idea of "what's best for us". It will be accompanied by an average increase for the three of us at 150 percent. We will all three have higher deductibles and so far, at least for me, my doctor has nothing in place for the plans included in the government pool. I cannot tell you how happy we are that odumbell came to our rescue.

My hope is that it will be worked out by then or even better, totally dismantled. I believe the entire debacle is going to come crashing down. The problem we all have at this point is that the damage has already been done. Odumbell's legacy is going to be that he completely destroyed the finest health care system in the world.

In my home, one is allowed to spit on the floor in any situation where they are forced to say the word, Obama.

[sjfcontrol]

The good news is that I will be covered to get my uterus removed, get a mammogram every year and get birth control pills. The bad news is, I like being a male so I don't get to take advantage of these new benefits.

I wonder if ObummerCare covers sex change operations so you can take advantage of those new coverages?

In my home, one is allowed to spit on the floor in any situation where they are forced to say the word, Obama.

Must be really wet around your house. Do you supply galoshes for visitors?

[jmra]

In my home, one is allowed to spit on the floor in any situation where they are forced to say the word, Obama.

Must be really wet around your house. Do you supply galoshes for visitors?

You would need a pirogue to navigate my home if we had that rule.
Right after the spawn of satan was elected the first time I got a call from my sons first grade teacher. Apparently they were discussing how elections work and the role of President. My son very enthusiastically shared my opinions. It was all I could do not to laugh as the teacher shared his colorful comments. Took him out for ice cream after school.