How is the government shut down affecting you?

[dogofwar]

Did you price health insurance on the individual market before the ACA?

I would bet that if your income is truly low enough that you'd qualify for discounts to private insurance or Medicaid (unless you're in one of the states whose Governors decided not to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid for their uninsured populations under 133% of poverty).

So you have no insurance? Who do you think would pay for your care if were, say, bitten by a snake and needed to be Lifeflighted to an emergency room and then given anti-venom? First, you'd be bankrupted by the medical bills. The hospital that gave you care would swallow a chunk of the noncollectable debt for your care. And the taxpayers the balance.

Same thing happens all the time when people without insurance have auto accidents.

That's the thing most folks don't understand: You not having health insurance just shifts the cost to the rest of us who are responsible enough to have it...

Matt

I am a grad student working 2 jobs to keep myself out of debt (which is nearly impossible currently). The least expensive insurance that is available to me according to Healthcare.gov is around $175 each month. To give you an idea of how that would affect me, I allow myself $75 each month for things like going out with friends to eat, see movies, tank fills and park fees for scuba, etc. I keep about $300 in the bank for when I need it (truck breaks down, random fees for school, etc.) but otherwise do not have any other available money. The rest of it goes to rent, tuition, car payment, bills, and so on. If this bill goes through, IT WILL NOT HELP ME, IT WILL BREAK ME! And I know that I am not alone in this.

Getting back on topic, I was hired to give a presentation at a nature park that is on federal land. They were to pay for gas and lodging over the weekend. For my birthday, my husband booked a dive trip in the area that is non refundable. If the Gov't stays shut down through the end of this month then I will not get paid or have lodging over the weekend then we will have to forfeit the $300 we spent on the dive trip.

 

[petspoiler]

is the company going out of business? maybe they aren't able to compete in a more aggressive market?

My phrasing, they "are folding up" portrayed inaccurately. Companies are dropping Health insurances, but continuing Home, Auto etc. These are not small obscure Insurance Co's, but major ones. They are not out of business. Insured people are. Choice of policy type & coverage, no longer ours.
Premiums, yearly deductible and co-pay were already a struggle to maintain.
Info found thus far: (for people not covered through employers) monthly premiums will be high, the total out-of-pocket completely unaffordable, with actual coverage reduced.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

Did you price health insurance on the individual market before the ACA?

I would bet that if your income is truly low enough that you'd qualify for discounts to private insurance or Medicaid (unless you're in one of the states whose Governors decided not to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid for their uninsured populations under 133% of poverty).

So you have no insurance? Who do you think would pay for your care if were, say, bitten by a snake and needed to be Lifeflighted to an emergency room and then given anti-venom? First, you'd be bankrupted by the medical bills. The hospital that gave you care would swallow a chunk of the noncollectable debt for your care. And the taxpayers the balance.

Same thing happens all the time when people without insurance have auto accidents.

That's the thing most folks don't understand: You not having health insurance just shifts the cost to the rest of us who are responsible enough to have it...

Matt

Dude you have no clue....

 

[lp85253]

My phrasing, they "are folding up" portrayed inaccurately. Companies are dropping Health insurances, but continuing Home, Auto etc. These are not small obscure Insurance Co's, but major ones. They are not out of business. Insured people are. Choice of policy type & coverage, no longer ours.
Premiums, yearly deductible and co-pay were already a struggle to maintain.
Info found thus far: (for people not covered through employers) monthly premiums will be high, the total out-of-pocket completely unaffordable, with actual coverage reduced.

I think maybe they are doing you a favor ,in the long run. Sounds like if it came time to pay up on a catastophic claim they might not have covered the claim under the old system ..as far as the second problem (new coverage) give it a shot .. don't let inaccurate media coverage worry you,just yet,, there are gonna be plans that will work for you at a decent price... I THINK .. one negative thing this will lead to however(I experience this with medicare drug coverage now) is that you may have to change plans often to keep insurance providers from gouging you on premiums on second and third year coverage, after giving good rates at first to get you to switch to their plan ..good luck I Think it's going to work ou much better than you fear .. one last thing...there will be public health organizations that you can call to help you find the best deal...social security does that for us po' folks now.. and it's a great help keeping the bill down

 

[popss]

its funny, they did a on the street poll asking what folks they thought of obama care and affordable care act. overwhelming folks said they did not like Oboma care, but thought the affordable care act was great. they are same thing. Its just a name tag that the politicians attached to it.

 

[lp85253]

its funny, they did a on the street poll asking what folks they thought of obama care and affordable care act. overwhelming folks said they did not like Oboma care, but thought the affordable care act was great. they are same thing. Its just a name tag that the politicians attached to it.

pretty much describes a large portion of our country in general...uninformed but have an opinion about EVERYTHING

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

its funny, they did a on the street poll asking what folks they thought of obama care and affordable care act. overwhelming folks said they did not like Oboma care, but thought the affordable care act was great. they are same thing. Its just a name tag that the politicians attached to it.

Thats because they list the good aspects of ACA but the the EXTREME list of negatives. Its bad a bill

 

[popss]

we tend to think because we pay our taxes every thing is being taken care of and go about our lives, this could turn into a big wake up call for us and the yahoos in WA. in less than 2 weeks we have the raise the national dept thing coming up. i am thinking these jack asses in WA best get it together before they get a hard reminder of who they are working for.

 

[lp85253]

I think it mis-characterizes what "raising the debt limit means"

Is it true that raising the debt ceiling gives Congress a "license to spend more"? No.

Raising the debt ceiling simply lets Treasury borrow the money it needs to pay all U.S. bills and other legal obligations in full and on time.

Those bills are for services already performed and entitlement benefits already approved by Congress.

So raising the debt ceiling is more like a license to continue paying what the country owes. And the obligations are incurred because of countless decisions made by lawmakers from both parties over the years.

A good overview: http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/27/news/economy/debt-ceiling-faqs/index.html

Matt

that LINK is a great read ,, for those ,like myself, who tend to let media hysteria get in the way of fact.. although I Must confess , I know the difference between the gov. shutdown and the looming debt ceiling disaster

 

[lp85253]

we tend to think because we pay our taxes every thing is being taken care of and go about our lives, this could turn into a big wake up call for us and the yahoos in WA. in less than 2 weeks we have the raise the national dept thing coming up. i am thinking these jack asses in WA best get it together before they get a hard reminder of who they are working for.

another self edit,,