General Discussion

Donnachaidh

(19,749 posts)

42. Too bad they didn't put in any sort of CAP for premiums in the first place

Sat Dec 31, 2011, 12:43 AM

Dec 2011

Most people praising this *act* have *no clue* what it's like to walk into an er for a sprained knee only to face bills of over 100K. Or worse.

I have a kid that is on our insurance till he is 26. But I fully expect the insurance companies to expect him to become an indentured servant to them once he is on his own. And even then I don't expect them to offer him anything affordable. Because ONE accident for him can kick the bills into the stratosphere.

This bill is a badly place bandaid, done for pr purposes. It does NOT address the fundamental problems with insurance and rampant greed by the medical industrial complex.

It turned a serious problem many americans face daily into a shiny metal can, to be kicked down the road for some other schmuck to fix.

Excuse me if I don't do cartwheels over this mess.

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I don't think the Health Insurance Reform Act was a great progressive achievement. [View all] boston bean Dec 2011 OP

2.5 million under 26 like it as they are now insured. banned from Kos Dec 2011 #1

Right on, I know 6 members of my wife's family who sarcasmo Dec 2011 #5

Obama had insurance and facilities at the table instead of doctors and patients. SugarShack Dec 2011 #66

Fail surfdog Dec 2011 #77

Fail. tpsbmam Dec 2011 #130

Aw, SNAP! (n/t) derby378 Dec 2011 #145

Seems like Ezekiel Emanuel set the agenda... Octafish Dec 2011 #107

And many millions of others are still not covered. SomethingFishy Dec 2011 #10

If you seen two people drowning but could only help one would you let them both drown? NNN0LHI Dec 2011 #12

No but I also wouldn't save one of them and talk about a victory.. SomethingFishy Dec 2011 #15

I would have handled that situation differently NNN0LHI Dec 2011 #75

Well now you are changing the situation.. SomethingFishy Dec 2011 #124

It's not President Obama's fault you didn't know you could change the rules in midstream. A Simple Game Dec 2011 #132

Those "very high deductibles"... Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #144

I notice the article you linked to doesn't say what the maximum allowable out of pocket expense is. dflprincess Dec 2011 #149

I found what you found... Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #153

That $5950 is in addition to premiums dflprincess Dec 2011 #161

Found this... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #168

And a single 55 year old making $46,500 a year dflprincess Jan 2012 #169

Yep... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #171

After you pay your $500 or $600 payment per month that you can't afford, A Simple Game Dec 2011 #156

If you have a $500 to $600 a month premium under the PPACA... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #164

Do you know what kind of health care the chronically ill get from Medicaid? unapatriciated Jan 2012 #191

You might want to read the PPACA provisions... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #205

What makes you think I haven't read this. In fact I have read every part of this very long piece.... unapatriciated Jan 2012 #210

... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #211

medicaid and medical are two different animals did you even read what I wrote. unapatriciated Jan 2012 #215

MediCAL... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #219

Yes you are correct I meant medicare and medicaid are not the same. unapatriciated Jan 2012 #221

It depends... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #222

My son is not in a rural area. unapatriciated Jan 2012 #223

Those are good things sandyd921 Dec 2011 #51

Is that 2.5 mil in real numbers, MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #59

covered by insurance is NOT Carolina Dec 2011 #79

They are "now insured" because Obama passed a law REQUIRING them to have health insurance. Leopolds Ghost Dec 2011 #116

Requiring them to carry PRIVATE health insurance, mind you. Leopolds Ghost Dec 2011 #117

Insurance execs who wrote the bill said "the goal is to create a captive pool of young, low-risk" Leopolds Ghost Dec 2011 #118

I hope the young people refuse to buy into it. girl gone mad Jan 2012 #195

So, less than 1% of the population? N.T. Donald Ian Rankin Jan 2012 #200

Neither Do I! jannyk Dec 2011 #2

I have two kids Control-Z Dec 2011 #3

This was the immediate and real benefit for us, too. PeaceNikki Dec 2011 #8

I also have an 18 YO daughter, Control-Z Dec 2011 #13

Great news for you and your kids. MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #60

I'm so sorry, MedicalAdmin. Control-Z Dec 2011 #62

This lawns about access to insurance, MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #64

what a truly screwed up country we are. This just does NOT happen anywhere else in the civilized wo inna Dec 2011 #113

And the only access that poor people will have is A Simple Game Dec 2011 #134

Wrong. Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #146

Sorry, I assumed the Medicaid was a given. A Simple Game Dec 2011 #157

I posted detailed numbers in another post... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #167

How is an additional $1300 a month not financial ruin? dflprincess Jan 2012 #170

Would $1300 a month ruin some folks? Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #172

UnitedHealth Group is predicting increased growth and increased profits dflprincess Jan 2012 #173

How does a person buy a home or car... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #174

You can grow and increase profits... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #175

In other words, dflprincess Jan 2012 #186

Victims to fleece? Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #187

"Some out of pocket expense" dflprincess Jan 2012 #188

Are people going to choose to die... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #189

For the chronically ill Medicaid is little or no health care. unapatriciated Jan 2012 #192

Read the provisions of the PPACA... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #206

Will they be able to afford mandated coverage after they turn 26? Matariki Dec 2011 #25

Do you understand that there will be subsidies for premiums, based on income? Ikonoklast Dec 2011 #38

Too bad they didn't put in any sort of CAP for premiums in the first place Donnachaidh Dec 2011 #42

I can not believe that anyone on DU would defend that mandated bs. Blows my mind. SammyWinstonJack Dec 2011 #93

When the offer of coverage is so high you can't afford it -- will you still be fined? Donnachaidh Dec 2011 #141

I am a contractor, and like most self employed... MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #65

The subsidy is to keep premiums to 10% of gross income. Deductibles and out of pockets are another TheKentuckian Jan 2012 #190

I can't read the future Control-Z Dec 2011 #58

Which is why Hillary called them "deadbeats" on the campaign trail. Leopolds Ghost Dec 2011 #120

The maximum cost? Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #147

It turned out fairly well for Connecticut's insurance oligarchy thanks to their boy Joe Lieberman. phasma ex machina Dec 2011 #4

Well, ProSense Dec 2011 #6

It was a way to stay at the bottom. immoderate Dec 2011 #7

YES! You are right. Mimosa Dec 2011 #36

It was not a great Constitutional achievement either. TE Lawrence Dec 2011 #9

That's for sure. But I guess that doesn't matter to a great many here. SammyWinstonJack Dec 2011 #94

Well it demonstrably was. Schema Thing Dec 2011 #11

According to Rahm Emanuel one of the biggest pluses of the Profit Protection Act is that it dflprincess Dec 2011 #39

no, that's a republican (I presume?) lie. Schema Thing Dec 2011 #43

Access to care is not guaranteed dflprincess Dec 2011 #45

"false smear" - pure/classic projection inna Dec 2011 #110

It's NOT a Republican Lie. I was reading about this bill in the Washington Monthly at the THINK TANK Leopolds Ghost Dec 2011 #121

Please do not equate health insurance with health care. They are worlds apart. n/t A Simple Game Dec 2011 #136

Right you are. sandyd921 Dec 2011 #52

Sure, insurance companies love it... Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #154

Touche Carolina Dec 2011 #80

I see. So if we apply your 'logic' to the republican or libertarian platform, what do we get? Edweird Dec 2011 #74

Except that as I noted, we got real progressive "progress" Schema Thing Dec 2011 #100

Sorry, the RW individual mandate is neither progressive nor progress. Edweird Dec 2011 #101

The 'individual mandate' is not progressive... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #166

Insurance is NOT healthcare. Edweird Jan 2012 #176

No, insurance is NOT healthcare... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #177

No, insurance is 'for profit' and profits by denying care. Edweird Jan 2012 #178

Under the new health care legislation, the PPACA... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #179

There's no justification for the existence of insurance companies. Edweird Jan 2012 #180

You might want to check that "all" in your claim... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #181

Bowing to the political clout of insurance companies is NOT progressive nor progress. Edweird Jan 2012 #182

Absolute failure to get anything done is not progress... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #184

Now you've descended into rote DLC memes. Edweird Jan 2012 #196

Sorry... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #208

"Insurance is how we avoid getting ourselves into situations where we need expensive healthcare" girl gone mad Jan 2012 #198

How clever of you... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #209

What makes you think having Health Insurance will keep you from losing everything? unapatriciated Jan 2012 #212

Health insurance will not keep absolutely everyone... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #214

lol unapatriciated Jan 2012 #216

Let's check facts... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #217

In frickin Texas, of all places Schema Thing Dec 2011 #14

According to the information available at dflprincess Dec 2011 #40

not very affordable for many people, myself included... but VERY VERY progressive. Schema Thing Dec 2011 #41

It's hardly progressive to expect people to pay for a product they can't afford to use dflprincess Dec 2011 #47

Oops... Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #148

As the Minnesota Attorney General found out several years ago dflprincess Dec 2011 #150

Geezeeee............ Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #155

I don't think it's much of a stretch to assume that insurance companies dflprincess Dec 2011 #162

At least two states... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #165

Sorry but the Insurance Companies were more than willing to engage in "criminal" behavior. unapatriciated Jan 2012 #213

I'm not sure that criminal action is what is best... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #218

this plan is no different than Romneycare. provis99 Dec 2011 #115

Well if Massachusetts... Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #158

Same for AZ Cameron27 Dec 2011 #70

I hear ya. dflprincess Dec 2011 #151

And you felt compelled to share this Dewey Finn Dec 2011 #16

I told my friend who had pre-existing conditions that tsuki Dec 2011 #17

Consider yourself sued. Millions are better off now, and very few are worse off... TreasonousBastard Dec 2011 #18

Then why do so few believe they are better off? girl gone mad Dec 2011 #20

77% of Americans, by one measure, Dewey Finn Dec 2011 #23

I understand why people believe in angels. girl gone mad Dec 2011 #29

Because they're ill-informed Dewey Finn Dec 2011 #31

I don't believe this to be the case. girl gone mad Dec 2011 #72

Very simply... TreasonousBastard Dec 2011 #61

a gallup in november actually had the highest number rating quality of healthcare Tiggeroshii Dec 2011 #143

I hope this is not how you mean your comment, MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #63

Actually, it does nothing for me at all. I'm sorry it does nothing for you, either... TreasonousBastard Dec 2011 #73

You have the best name. MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #84

Everyone is entitled to their opinion... Uben Dec 2011 #19

Oh man... PeaceNikki Dec 2011 #28

Best wishes to you and your wife. MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #67

I'm familiar with your situation.... Uben Dec 2011 #76

It is no longer in me to shout this from the rooftops. MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #86

Well, maybe you don't know enough about it Motown_Johnny Dec 2011 #21

Dream on. Mimosa Dec 2011 #35

and precisely which provision in the Affordable Care Act Motown_Johnny Dec 2011 #68

The actual name Carolina Dec 2011 #81

you have a right to your opinion Motown_Johnny Dec 2011 #105

Yup, pay to play features to grease the wheels for rehash from the Heritage Foundation, Dole, Newt, TheKentuckian Dec 2011 #22

ty; i wish i could rec your post / nt inna Dec 2011 #27

+1 Cameron27 Dec 2011 #71

"What it is, is fascist." SammyWinstonJack Dec 2011 #96

As long as it's a political win for their hero, rusty fender Dec 2011 #108

Just today I heard how insurance rates have steadily gone up in Massachusetts Matariki Dec 2011 #24

Absolutely! +1 n/t. sandyd921 Dec 2011 #57

Highest insurance premiums in the country are in Massachusetts. That's how well it works. kenny blankenship Dec 2011 #95

Agree nt Raine Dec 2011 #26

Private health insurance companies, just in the state of Michigan alone, have to rebate 80+ million phleshdef Dec 2011 #30

I don't think I've heard anyone describe it as a great progressive achievement. subterranean Dec 2011 #32

Ok. My 2 kids and 2 step kids are healthier cause they're insured where they wouldn't be... cry baby Dec 2011 #33

We needed single payer. n/t Mimosa Dec 2011 #34

+1 slay Dec 2011 #55

YES- Preventing the insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions SUCKS Nye Bevan Dec 2011 #37

Health insurance companies don't like it, either. nt killbotfactory Dec 2011 #44

a friend of mine got a knee replacement from President Obama spanone Dec 2011 #46

Exactly, the pre-existing condition thing is a big deal. A Simple Game Dec 2011 #140

Neither do I. joshcryer Dec 2011 #48

Ok, I agree BootinUp Dec 2011 #49

Medicare was a true milestone sandyd921 Dec 2011 #50

One portion of this bill... Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #160

It wasn't slay Dec 2011 #53

But it was progress. n/t Bolo Boffin Dec 2011 #54

The Affordable Care Act is actually less progressive sandyd921 Dec 2011 #56

So? Zoeisright Dec 2011 #69

I believe 90% of the Progressive Caucus voted for it, so it was a "progressive" achievement if not pampango Dec 2011 #78

LOL. nt Romulox Dec 2011 #88

I think it was a huge victory for corporations... 99Forever Dec 2011 #82

LOL! Settle for anything and hope it "gets fixed" down the road. LOL! SammyWinstonJack Dec 2011 #98

At least... 99Forever Dec 2011 #103

Right after NAFTA and NCLB get fixed. n/t dflprincess Dec 2011 #152

Partner and I don't have any health insurance, but we're not under 26 NorthCarolina Dec 2011 #83

What health insurance reform? I call it the Health Insurance Industry and Big Pharma Protection Act Better Believe It Dec 2011 #85

Strongly agree... in many ways it may have been a step backwards. jimlup Dec 2011 #87

agree and MM showed us just how sick that plan was. unapatriciated Jan 2012 #194

It's mandatory private insurance. It is a fucking disaster. nt Romulox Dec 2011 #89

and you'd be correct. KG Dec 2011 #90

What will happen. They will be fined. MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #131

Neither do I, but it was something...a step. MineralMan Dec 2011 #91

I agree MedicalAdmin Dec 2011 #133

Worse, it is reactionary. blindpig Dec 2011 #92

I googled 'Health Insurance Reform Act' and got nothing. GeorgeGist Dec 2011 #97

I think you need some Google training. girl gone mad Jan 2012 #199

My newborn sons would have no insurance if it weren't for AMA. Think a little harder. MjolnirTime Dec 2011 #99

Neither do I. nt Poll_Blind Dec 2011 #102

Well ProSense Dec 2011 #104

It was a step in the WRONG direction. bvar22 Dec 2011 #106

K&R (n/t) a2liberal Dec 2011 #109

As I remember it neither was Social Security when it was first introduced. The program was still jwirr Dec 2011 #111

Obama Bad Obama Bad Obama Bad JoePhilly Dec 2011 #112

how do you get away with posting this lame and vicious crap? inna Dec 2011 #114

How is that viciuos? JoePhilly Dec 2011 #119

" Obama Bad Obama Bad Obama Bad " - WTF?? for real? inna Dec 2011 #122

Its sarcasm ... JoePhilly Dec 2011 #123

It was a step forward because it got the government more involved in health care. Was it.. mvd Dec 2011 #125

I also would not call it "great," ZombieHorde Dec 2011 #126

I have two words to describe this healthcare bill gyroscope Dec 2011 #127

maybe that's because rapturedbyrobots Dec 2011 #128

It wasn't progressive at all. Cleita Dec 2011 #129

It didn't help us guitar man Dec 2011 #135

Oh, it was a brilliant scam. woo me with science Dec 2011 #137

Max Baucus and the Insurance Companies wrote the bill.... lib2DaBone Dec 2011 #138

So disagreeing is suing? (nt) ehrnst Dec 2011 #139

until last year, all my money was going to healthcare and i couldnt afford a lawyer Tiggeroshii Dec 2011 #142

it was the largest increase of federal power in the last 50 years and one of the largest in the last grantcart Dec 2011 #159

I'm confused... Bob Wallace Dec 2011 #163

Riiight? Texasgal Jan 2012 #183

Some people don't seem to know their history... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #185

What confuses me is that so many people actually expected more. joshcryer Jan 2012 #193

Some people thought... Bob Wallace Jan 2012 #207

I didn't even know there was a Health Insurance Reform Act...n/t vaberella Jan 2012 #197

Far too little, far too late, but clearly better than nothing. Donald Ian Rankin Jan 2012 #201

I know it isn't. mmonk Jan 2012 #202

That's okay. Skinner Jan 2012 #203

and millions who can't afford to use the insurance boston bean Jan 2012 #204

I respectfully disagree unapatriciated Jan 2012 #220