How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

Post by lutorm » Fri, Mar 24, 2017, 9:39 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #8

toomuchtodo wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm rolling the dice. My high deductible plan is now $400/month (I'm fully out of pocket for the first $6500); its $750 to cover my wife and my daughter on their own low deductible PPO plan. That's $1150/month | $13800/year. I spend $500/month to cover my disabled mother's health insurance and some of her medical expenses. I'm still paying off hospital bills from my daughter's birth in August. With Trump's executive…

Is there a significant difference between paying for healthcare with insurance premiums & deductibles vs. paying with taxes? (I realize this is a big question, just looking for a starting point because it's not clear to me.)

Post by paulddraper » Fri, Mar 24, 2017, 10:34 PM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #6

esaym wrote: post #2

I pay $800 for rent and once my monthly insurance cost got to $800 a month I canceled it and claimed "religious exemption" on my taxes. Including deductibles, I would have paid over $12000 a year. Plus my wife used a birth center instead of a regular OB for delivery. That wasn't covered by insurance either, so my potential max per year on "healthcare" was $16,000. That basically means that unless I get cancer, it is…

And then when you do get cancer or some other expensive disease, the rest of us get to pay for your treatment. Costs need to come down, but opting out of the system because you're currently healthy isn't good.

Post by paulddraper » Fri, Mar 24, 2017, 10:47 PM UTC

mikeash wrote: post #14

paulddraper wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's again his religious beliefs to have healthcare, so I hardly see how you would/should pay for that.

They claimed a religious exemption so the government wouldn't punish them. If they actually get cancer then I'd bet they'll seek treatment.

Post by paulddraper » Fri, Mar 24, 2017, 11:16 PM UTC

ng12 wrote: post #16

paulddraper wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then they should have to pay. There are people who legitimately do not want medical care, because of religious beliefs, because they're 85, or just because f--- off. It might sound harsh, but there should be a way for these people to really-for-really opt out.

That's such a tired old argument. I don't have kids, why do my taxes go to schools? Because it's a requirement for a functioning society. The current system isn't good either, but we need to start by ensuring everyone participates in the healthcare system, use it or not.

Post by mikeash » Fri, Mar 24, 2017, 11:18 PM UTC

paulddraper wrote: post #17

ng12 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's such a tired old argument. I don't have kids, why do my taxes go to schools? Because it's a requirement for a functioning society. The current system isn't good either, but we need to start by ensuring everyone participates in the healthcare system, use it or not.

> I don't have kids Education taxes aren't for parents; they are for kids. And young children cannot yet plan or provide for their education. Contrast that with retirement, healthcare, life insurance, auto insurance, etc. These are all decisions made by people who should have the right to choose to participate.