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How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

newyorker.com

21–30 of 35 posts

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#21
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.

> And young children cannot yet plan or provide for their education.

But young children can plan for their own healthcare, or the healthcare of their providers?

> retirement

Exactly, we have social security here in the US. You can't opt out of that.

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#22
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.

[deleted]

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#23
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

Mandatory auto insurance isn't for the buyer, it's for the people the buyer might potentially harm due to negligence.

And yet you can opt out of even this "mandatory" insurance. How? Don't drive an automobile.

Does this make sense for your situation? Maybe it does, maybe doesn't. But no one will force you to spend your life working to pay auto insurance.

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#24
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mandatory auto insurance isn't for the buyer, it's for the people the buyer might potentially harm due to negligence.

And yet you can opt out of even this "mandatory" insurance. How? Don't drive an automobile. Does this make sense for your situation? Maybe it does, maybe doesn't. But no one will force you to spend your life working to pay auto insurance.

You can't opt out of the healthcare system though. If you're in a serious accident they're going to take you to the hospital healthcare or not.

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#25
post #6
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.

  And then when you do get cancer or some other expensive disease, the rest of us get to pay for your treatment.
Yes, that's the exact strategy that Obamacare rewards.

The Democrats could have limited "preexisting condition" protections to those who obtained coverage in the first year for as long as they retained coverage (in any form, including MedicAid). They chose not to.

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#26
post #25
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

And then when you do get cancer or some other expensive disease, the rest of us get to pay for your treatment. Yes, that's the exact strategy that Obamacare rewards. The Democrats could have limited "preexisting condition" protections to those who obtained coverage in the first year for as long as they retained coverage (in any form, including MedicAid). They chose not to.

The mandate is what prevents this. The only failing is that the penalty was too small.

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#27
post #25
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

And then when you do get cancer or some other expensive disease, the rest of us get to pay for your treatment. Yes, that's the exact strategy that Obamacare rewards. The Democrats could have limited "preexisting condition" protections to those who obtained coverage in the first year for as long as they retained coverage (in any form, including MedicAid). They chose not to.

Well, not really.

You can only start a new insurance plan for a few months around the new year, or if you move from one state to another, get married, or some other list of major life events.

I mean, if you want to have no insurance, and then expect to make a go of treating your cancer by waiting for a plan to kick in after the new year...

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#28
post #14

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.

It's a come to Jesus moment.

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#29
post #6
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.

No, I die. <- period

Re: How healthcare regulations affect even those who have good insurance plans

#30
post #26
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And then when you do get cancer or some other expensive disease, the rest of us get to pay for your treatment. Yes, that's the exact strategy that Obamacare rewards. The Democrats could have limited "preexisting condition" protections to those who obtained coverage in the first year for as long as they retained coverage (in any form, including MedicAid). They chose not to.

The mandate is what prevents this. The only failing is that the penalty was too small.

Really, there should be a default (probably public, but perhaps just the lowest-cost bronze plan you could buy off the exchange) option, for which you pay the premium, rather than a penalty.

If you want coverage to be mandatory, make it really mandatory.

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