Health care |
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Waterdog
Grand Poobah Joined: April-27-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2020 |
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Posted: March-08-2010 at 10:39am |
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Let me get this straight......we're trying to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke.
What the hell could possibly go wrong???? |
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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And here I thought these Kafka-like stories could only happen in our country...
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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Okie Boarder
Gold Member Joined: August-31-2009 Location: OK Status: Offline Points: 779 |
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Andy,
No kidding huh? Brilliant plan isn't it? ;-) Kristof, Does your country have "socialized" health care? |
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tullfooter
Grand Poobah Joined: March-02-2007 Location: White Lake, MI Status: Offline Points: 2225 |
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I really like the fact that Obama stated that we "need" to pass something quickly, even if it is only partially done. Basically, the government wants control, and then they will start to work on improving the program. Sounds like a perfect plan to me. In 15 years or so, when I retire, I'll just supplement my health care with my social security.
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Play hard, life's not a trial run.
'85 BFN '90 BFN White Lake, Michigan |
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eric lavine
Grand Poobah Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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"regulated healthcare is the correct word"
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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Yes Andy, we do. But we have this since decades, and it also took decades to get where we are now. Don't think this is something you boys are gonna do in a flash... And, it will get worse before it gets better. It's a long term project, because there's a mentality change needed first... |
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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Okie Boarder
Gold Member Joined: August-31-2009 Location: OK Status: Offline Points: 779 |
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So, how is the care?
What do you pay in taxes? Would you rather have private like we do? |
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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I don't think so. Okay, MHO, if you're young and fit, no problem in getting medical insurance. But, for people that are a little older or have any kind of medical condition, I think they have to pay top dollar or even get excluded for certain conditions.
Mind you, we also have extra hospitalisation insurance, and they are private, so they have these exclusions or extremely high rates. But, the socialized health care allows everybody to at least get the basic medical attention for "free" (and that medical attention is quite good)... On average 45% of my gross earnings is going to taxes. Funny thing is, biggest chunk out of the federal budget here is going to the Defence and health care department. |
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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Okie Boarder
Gold Member Joined: August-31-2009 Location: OK Status: Offline Points: 779 |
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When you say 45% to gross earnings, is that only for Federal Income tax?
Do you also have sales taxes? Property taxes? Other taxes? |
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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Yes it is and yes we do.
We have for example value added tax or VAT, road tax (the bigger your car, the more you pay ), diesel tax, community tax (different from town to town), waste collecting tax, tax on pollution of surface waters (lakes, rivers,...)combined with sewage, property tax, province tax,... Another example is a tax included in the sales price of each electrical appliance, called "recupbel", for the recycling costs. Or, a tax on packaging materials that are not environmentally friendly. |
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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Oh and BTW, my net income is 1687,57 euro a month (2318,48 $), and all these taxes still have to come off of that
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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Okie Boarder
Gold Member Joined: August-31-2009 Location: OK Status: Offline Points: 779 |
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So, would you rather pay all those taxes and provide all the "free" social programs or not have to pay the taxes and let people survive on their own with private services?
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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Well, I'm not always happy with it, but I kinda do like our system...
I've got a pretty steady job and my wife has a good business, but our system still provides us with an anchor just in case of the "what if...?"-situation... |
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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tullfooter
Grand Poobah Joined: March-02-2007 Location: White Lake, MI Status: Offline Points: 2225 |
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I'm assuming your wife knocks down some decent cash, and cost of living is quite different over there. Because with my calculations, your $28K per year would not allow you to be rockin that sweet Nautique, or drinking those fine Belgian beers.
Wait, I figured it out. You eat, sleep, and work in your one room bath tub. |
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Play hard, life's not a trial run.
'85 BFN '90 BFN White Lake, Michigan |
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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Wow Tull, you hit the nail on the head straight away... Man, you're good!! |
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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We have a small appartment and Chantal has a good business. Also, we don't have children... That's why we can enjoy our sweet Nautique...
I think you can count the boat owners among my army colleagues across the country on one hand |
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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eric lavine
Grand Poobah Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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would that be called living within your means? and he drives a diesel!!
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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Kristof
Grand Poobah Joined: October-08-2007 Location: Bree, Belgium Status: Offline Points: 3399 |
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Yeah, and fuel prices are about three times higher here too Eric...
Djeez, the more I think about this, the more I wanna get a green card, join the US army and move to FLorida... Sun, lakes, boats and cheap gas too... BTW Eric, I'm considering selling the Beamer and buying a Ford F150... More practical for towing the boat and a cool truck too. How did this happen you ask? Well you told us to "buy American" quite a few times on this site LOL... Oh well, it's just considering, nothing planned yet. I do like the BMW very much... |
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- Gun control means: using BOTH hands!
- Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
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eric lavine
Grand Poobah Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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Kristoff, show a big presence in the Middle East and your gas would be cheap too,
BTW, something big happened yesterday and im ready to roll on this one, 12 hours invested in watching C-Span |
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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75 stang
Senior Member Joined: August-11-2008 Location: northwest ohio Status: Offline Points: 475 |
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I feel my tax rate going up, guess i'll keep the 75 a few more years...
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Okie Boarder
Gold Member Joined: August-31-2009 Location: OK Status: Offline Points: 779 |
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I'm interested to see what happens in the senate, then also what happens in November.
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phospher
Gold Member Joined: July-19-2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 557 |
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Sure, if your making over 200K a year or 250K for a married couple. Fact is most people who are currently given health care benefits by their employer won't even notice a change. Perhaps you may be interested in checking out the non-partisan, non-profit, website FactCheck.org. |
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Okie Boarder
Gold Member Joined: August-31-2009 Location: OK Status: Offline Points: 779 |
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Or if you are a small business that makes that type of money.
The other aspect that is overlooked, besides taxation, is price increases. The insurance companies are being dictated to in this bill regarding denying coverage and capping costs. Those will be passed along to the subscribers and rates will go up. Contrary to many folks' belief, health care is not a right, in the sense of natural rights our Constitution spelled out. You could say it is perceived as a right and is being provided by the government. Any "right" provided by government can be taken away just as easily as it was given. |
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eric lavine
Grand Poobah Joined: August-13-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13413 |
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normally compettiton brings the price down, when your the only game in town you can name your price, just like auto insurance.
once again the insured pay for the uninsured in high premiums a good example or regulation is the housing crises, it was de-regulated and what happened |
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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phospher
Gold Member Joined: July-19-2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 557 |
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It's from my understanding that it's based on number of employees and salaries earned. Companies with 50 employees or less are exempt.
"The Congressional Budget Office estimated that for those in the group market — those who get insurance through their employers — premiums would largely stay the same. The change in the average premium in the large group market would be between 0 percent and a 3 percent decrease, for instance, compared with where they’d be under current law in 2016. The average premiums for those who buy insurance on their own would go up, however, by 10 percent to 13 percent. The reason is that benefits would become a lot better for this market under the bill. Also, most people buying their own coverage would receive subsidies that make their net costs for these plans substantially lower than they otherwise would be. "
But it's the "right" thing to do. |
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phospher
Gold Member Joined: July-19-2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 557 |
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Yes, capitalism at it's finest. |
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Okie Boarder
Gold Member Joined: August-31-2009 Location: OK Status: Offline Points: 779 |
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I agree providing for others is a very good thing to do and shows a compassion we should have for our fellow man. It is best given out of the kindness of our hearts, rather than required by government, IMO.
I really think this thing will never actually get off the ground. But, if it does, we can feel pretty confident of where this country will be headed. Just look at all the other socialist type countries. If that is what you want, keep voting these folks in and letting them pass legislation to take the country that direction. If it isn't, November is coming around soon and your voice is your vote. Phil, Just out of curiousity. If I came to you and asked you to give me 40% or more of your income to take care of your neighbor, would you just hand me the money? |
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MI-nick
Gold Member Joined: January-12-2009 Location: Ypsilanti, MI Status: Offline Points: 813 |
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i don't understand why no one seems to be interested in atacking the issue of why health insurance is so expensive in the first place.
if costs are high and you just "cap" what you'll pay, how does that fix anything?? for example, insurance costs are high because it's costs a lot of money to go to the hospital. if it cost's $1000 to go to the hospital, capping what you'll pay at $500 reduced what you pay, but doesn't address the issue of why it costs $1000 in the first place. my guess it that doing that type of analysis is too hard so they just gave up..."we don't know why costs are high...but we have to do something". if you attack the root cause of why the cost is high and actually do something to reduce the cost (not just what you'll pay) then everybody wins. am I missing something here?? i think we need more engineers in politics.... |
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As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure...
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phospher
Gold Member Joined: July-19-2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 557 |
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Heck no I wouldn't but I will continue to do my share and pay my taxes. It's the price for civility. And this health care bill is so far from Socialism. I know that all the conservative talking pundits want you to think it's Socialism... The U.S., in fact, has socialized education through high school, socialized highway systems, and socialized fire departments. Strange how they aren't screaming socialism about our roads. Wouldn't it be terrible to have a 35 hour work week and 4 weeks paid vacation like France? This health care bill is actually very pro-business. Health care companies and doctors have the potential to get 32 million more people in business. |
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skicat2001
Platinum Member Joined: November-24-2008 Location: Ft. Worth TX Status: Offline Points: 1950 |
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He is a socialist and this is a socialist heatlh reform bill. The bill will "Kill" our Senior Citizens. Tax and tax more to pay the tax. But dont worry, he knows him and his liberal team, he a one term president, if he even makes that.
O yea, also set up some more of them abortion clinics... A revolution is coming.. Where is Ronald Reagan when we need him.. |
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