Fight the Anti-Health Care Nutters: Drop your HMO

Fight the Anti-Health Care Nutters: Drop your HMO

by Liv Published on August 12th, 2009, 11:07 am Rift: News

So I've been thinking... what if everyone this fall (when most businesses have re-enrollment) drop their HMO. I've considered it for myself back in the days of 'working for the man'. I know it's a scary thought, but honestly it's not so bad... and if we all, all of us who want to see the change dropped our health care coverage we could be a catalyst for instantaneous change. We could shut up all these nutters in a moment, if we all just worked together. I realize that your scared of this idea, that you might be fearful of not having health care, but I think, speaking personally... that the fear is unfounded. I've been without health care since February. I've saved a lot of money, and these days you can get most of your prescriptions for $4.00 at walmart, or overseas through the mail. As I mentioned in that article above, you can even speak to a doctor and have them prescribe stuff over the phone for about $50.00 if you need to.

The truth is I save $250.00 a month on my HMO fees, and then I still had to pay co-pays. One particular medicine Shannon uses costs us the same amount of money to have it shipped to us via an off-shore pharmacy as it did when our HMO paid for it, and we went to a pharmacy and paid a co-pay.

The difference is I don't pay the $250.00... I'm actually making money. I registered with out local medical clinic, and get subsidized health care if I need it, but have never had to use it.

So drop that HMO, it's just for one year... let's make that change, and we all might be better off.

Sure there's a risk. In my case, I couldn't afford the $800 Cobra coverage... but that's okay. I did register with our local medical clinic

[Questioner]

The problem with this suggestion is that if you really need care (like when you had that infected tooth), you may not be able to get it. The worst thing would be if you discovered a lump in your breast. Cancer treatment is very expensive, and in many places, you would not qualify for Medicaid. That means your highly curable cancer would go untreated until it killed you. If you were in a bad accident, the hospital ER would have to treat any life threatening injuries. But not anything that isn't life threatening. A man who lived in Aurora Colorado where there isn't any public hospital broke his ankle and could not get anybody to set it because he had no insurance and no money to pay up front.

By the way, if you did get treatment for a life threatening injury, you would be liable for the bill, and your wages are subject to garnishment. The bankruptcy laws now generally will not absolve you of the entire debt, and you could end up seriously impoverished over such a debt. By the way, in garnishment, they are allowed to take 25% of your GROSS pay (that is before taxes or deductions). So for most people, that means they end up taking about 30% - 40% of your take-home pay. How many people could survive with that type of a pay cut. By the way, if you put the money in a bank account, they can force the bank to turn over the entire amount to them, including any savings you might have. If it is a joint account, they can get at Shannon's money if she works. Just something to think about before you go bare.

[saazuka]

Universal health care is not the answer to America's health care problems. I'm from Canada where we have that system and you want to know why I ended up in the US? Because of universal health care; my mother is a RN and had been for nearly 16 years when the government decided to cut back on the number of nurses. My mother, a single parent of 3 children, decided that she couldn't afford the risk and came to the US to work. She gets paid better than she ever did working in Canada. My mother was not the only Canadian nurse that came down to the US to work. There were about 13 others (doctors and nurses) from the same province as us, Nova Scotia.

Most of my family still lives back in Canada and a couple years ago when I went back to visit for Christmas my younger sister got strep throat. She was taken to a doctor for it, but had to wait 3 agonizing days to actually be diagnosed and get medication for it. The whole time she was crying and in pain.

I think there could be another solution other than putting everyone on socialized medicine. Your taxes will go up and your care quality will go down. Sales tax alone in the province that I'm from is 18%. So, yeah, you'll be saving money on your pay stub, but when you think about when you go to buy groceries or anything else, you're paying for it there. They still have all the other taxes deducted from their pay checks as well, but since I've never worked in Canada, I can't give you the percentages. I asked my father about it and he says they still pay income tax. You're not getting "free health care" for free.

[A Person]

So jobs are scarce in Nova Scotia and your mom got a better job in the US? You'll be telling us that it gets cold in winter next!

Your sister's experience seems atypical and does not match mine. I found doctors only too willing to prescribe antibiotics for every childhood ailment, whether bacterial or viral. When my daughter as an infant got an antibiotic resistant strep infection in her lungs, the care she received was exemplary. She had both lungs collapsed, was on a ventilator in ICU and IV broad spectrum antibiotics. We were worried enough and I'm glad we didn't have to worry about the bill.

In almost every measure, health care outcomes are better in Canada than in the USA. Glenn Beck says prostate cancer outcomes are better in the USA, if he can be believed then that is one of the few that is. Life expectancy and infant mortality are certainly higher in Canada.

The HST (Federal and Provincial Harmonised sales tax) in Nova Scotia is currently 13% not 18%. It has never been higher than 15%. They must have added the IST (Idiot sales tax) to your bill. Other provinces have lower tax rates. It's 5% where I live.

In the USA sales taxes can vary from 0% to 18.5% depending on the state. Texas for example is 6.25 state plus 8.25 city.

I have been offered jobs in the US and when I examines taxes in detail it's a wash. About the difference between moving from Ontario to Alberta. e.g. the maximum marginal tax rate in the USA is 45%, in Canada it's 50%. If you calculate it out for your tax bracket and factor in health care premiums and co-pays you'll find it's not so very different.

[Liv]

For some reason, where I use to live in California, had a ton of ex-canadians... and they all use to waddle around Ventura complaining about Canada.... These of course were people living in a city where the median home value was a .5 Mil....

Of course if you can swing a 4500.00 a month mortgage on the ocean then money, and U.S. health care isn't a concern.

Now go find me a bubble of Canadians in America working for a salary of $25,000 a year paying a mortgage of $200,000 and has four children in the public school.... Ask them, if you can find them what they think of the U.S. health care system... but you won't fine them, because they're not here.

Find me away to legally insure my children for life, anywhere in the world, and I'd trade my citizenship in, in a second.

[fuenteselaine]

The problem with this suggestion is that if you really need care (like when you had that infected tooth), you may not be able to get it. The worst thing would be if you discovered a lump in your breast. Cancer treatment is very expensive, and in many places, you would not qualify for Medicaid. That means your highly curable cancer would go untreated until it killed you. If you were in a bad accident, the hospital ER would have to treat any life threatening injuries. But not anything that isn't life threatening. A man who lived in Aurora Colorado where there isn't any public hospital broke his ankle and could not get anybody to set it because he had no insurance and no money to pay up front.

By the way, if you did get treatment for a life threatening injury, you would be liable for the bill, and your wages are subject to garnishment. The bankruptcy laws now generally will not absolve you of the entire debt, and you could end up seriously impoverished over such a debt. By the way, in garnishment, they are allowed to take 25% of your GROSS pay (that is before taxes or deductions). So for most people, that means they end up taking about 30% - 40% of your take-home pay. How many people could survive with that type of a pay cut. By the way, if you put the money in a bank account, they can force the bank to turn over the entire amount to them, including any savings you might have. If it is a joint account, they can get at Shannon's money if she works. Just something to think about before you go bare.

[BecauseHeLives]

...and your wages are subject to garnishment.

By the way, in garnishment, they are allowed to take 25% of your GROSS pay (that is before taxes or deductions).

None of this is valid in NC. In NC only the state or federal government is allowed to garnish your paycheck and then only with a court order.

[Nfidel]

The truth is I save $250.00 a month on my HMO fees, and then I still had to pay co-pays.

So drop that HMO, it's just for one year... let's make that change, and we all might be better off.

I just dropped my coverage. I'm self employed, well I used to be self-employed, now I guess I'm self-unemployed. I've had one brand or other of health insurance for nine or ten years, paid for out on my own pocket. Having only worked about three weeks since February, I've had to decide between the possibility of an illness and the rock solid reality of the electric bill. The electric bill wins.

I had Blue Advantage of NC. My rate went up in January by 25%, their explanation being that either my medical condition had changed or my age bracket did. I only went to the doctor twice the previous policy period and for the usual stuff, so I suppose me turning 50 in 2008 jumped the rates.

So Beth, if you have any other tips for me I'm listening. Any tips are welcome, be they about living frugally or finding cheap health care. As far as I know, there aren't any government programs, for healthcare or otherwise, to assist 50 year olds that don't have small children. I almost wish I were 15 years older.

[thesumofyourfears]

Lie #1: No one is "anti health care" as you claim.

[Liv]

if you have any other tips for me I'm listening. Any tips are welcome, be they about living frugally or finding cheap health care. As far as I know, there aren't any government programs, for healthcare or otherwise, to assist 50 year olds that don't have small children. I almost wish I were 15 years older.

Well I live off of four corners pharmacy, and it's a whole lot cheaper than my old HMO.... Just bought a 500 count bottle of Metformin for $44 dollars... whereas when I had United Health Care it would have cost me $50 co-pay plus my monthly fee for 30 pills....

Matt (Yes, that Matt) even showed my how to use the paypal plugin to generate a secure card and order the drugs with a "one time use card" so I don't have to call the bank each time to activate out of country use....

...Basically right now, I'm just trying to keep from doing stupid stuff which can get me hurt or killed... No chainsaws, speeding, etc.... just being a little cautious....

If I get sick and need medical attention I have signed up with "mercy medical" in Asheboro, though I haven't used it.... and if it gets real bad I'll show up at the ER and say my name is "Maria Hernandez" from "Coooba"..... with no social and get me some free health care.

[A Person]

Lie #1: No one is "anti health care" as you claim.

No? Just against health care that doesn't bankrupt the people it doesn't kill

As recently as 1981, only 8% of families filing for bankruptcy did so in the aftermath of a serious medical problem. By contrast, our 2001 study in 5 states found that illness or medical bills contributed to about half of bankruptcies.

But hey - more work for an accountant. No wonder people turn to faith healing. At least it's a cheap way of dying

[Nfidel]

-


Death panels are real!

[Liv]

Oh that's good.

[Nfidel]

Lie #1: No one is "anti health care" as you claim.

If you're against reform, you're against health care for those who can't afford it. The right wingers like to quote the myth that all of us who can't afford health care or insurance can get taken care of in the emergency room. That may be true for emergencies, but say someone needs bypass surgery but isn't in immanent danger, they must wait until they have a heart attack.

Oh, and here's the queen of anti-health care nutters.
Michelle Bachman: We Should All Slit Our Writsts, be blood brothers against healthcare reform

[Questioner]

...and your wages are subject to garnishment.

By the way, in garnishment, they are allowed to take 25% of your GROSS pay (that is before taxes or deductions).

None of this is valid in NC. In NC only the state or federal government is allowed to garnish your paycheck and then only with a court order.

Interesting. How do debt collection agencies get money out of debtors then?

[BecauseHeLives]

...and your wages are subject to garnishment.

By the way, in garnishment, they are allowed to take 25% of your GROSS pay (that is before taxes or deductions).

None of this is valid in NC. In NC only the state or federal government is allowed to garnish your paycheck and then only with a court order.

Interesting. How do debt collection agencies get money out of debtors then?

The only recourse they have is to file for civil judgement in court and place a lein against property. That is rare especially with delinquent non-active open-ended debt having a SOL of 3 years in NC (but it does happen occasionally). Of course pressure can be applied with negative entries into one's credit report as well. Judgements don't go away and can last infinitely on a person's credit report (assuming the creditor re-news the judgement every 10 years and the person hasn't filed personal bankruptcy). In NC it is fairly easy to thwart judgements as well if you know how to do it.