Baby Boomers Going Bankrupt at Record Levels

originally posted by: DBCowboy

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: DBCowboy

Instead of worrying about paying for such high costs, I'd rather look for ways to reduce costs.

We don't seem to be making much headway on that. It's getting worse.

You're right.

Because those we elect only want to find ways to pay for the high costs instead of just lowering costs.

Is it up to the government to set prices for expensive hospital equipment? Those high tech machines they use for running test are very expensive. MRI, PET, other things I don't know about.

I have a friend in Mass. who's husband travels the world selling those kinds of things. They live like millionaires.

a reply to: Phage

If you are an employer, what does the ACA have to do with your medical plan?

Are you for real? The ACA drove costs up for EVERYONE!

Let's see how much it's going up...

arge employers will see a 4.3 percent increase in health benefit costs next year after they make planned changes such as raising deductibles or switching carriers, according to early responses from HR consultancy Mercer's 2017 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans.

How do you like the wording of that paragraph? It's only a 4.3% increase after you spend tons of man hours and money switching plans and carriers! This is a lot of money for an employer with lots of employees spending a small fortune!

And before anyone tries to say that it's all due to Trump, the rates for employers jumped 6% back in 2011, one year after Obamacare was enacted.

I'm sure large employers paid a pretty penny lobbying Congress to delay the Cadillac Tax again that was supposed to go into place in January too. Apparently, they managed to delay it AGAIN until 2022. Why? Because ACA was a poorly designed piece of crap from the get go and ultimately cost Obama and plenty of Democrats their jobs. That's why Republicans don't want to touch the issue of health care before the midterms. They know it's the kiss of death!

www.shrm.org...

a reply to: angeldoll


Government does regulate prices for those machines.

Remember GE? The CEO was chummy with DC and politicians a while back.

I don't understand why anyone would be giving you "vitriol and condescension" for pointing out the problems with inflation and stagnant wages

Because they're bad people? Or very ignorant. Our economy is corrupt, predatory, unsustainable and immoral. Socialism is the best option at this point, though it could easily go too far the other way of course. The democratic socialist movement is going to keep growing as the economy keeps bankrupting people.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: angeldoll


Government does regulate prices for those machines.

Remember GE? The CEO was chummy with DC and politicians a while back.

But those aren't utilities. Does the government setting prices not interfere with a free market?

a reply to: Deetermined

Are you for real? The ACA drove costs up for EVERYONE!

As a bookkeeper, I'm quite aware that the costs of group health care plans have risen. As they did before the ACA came into effect.

As an employee, I'm quite aware that the deductibles of group health care plans have not risen since the ACA came into effect.

a reply to: CB328

LOL! The Democratic Socialist Movement is the fastest leap to bankruptcy that there is!

a reply to: Deetermined

6% # the last year I paid it jumped 22% where is this I'll move to that state

a reply to: Phage

And here I am thinking you crafted surfboards for a living.

originally posted by: CB328

I don't understand why anyone would be giving you "vitriol and condescension" for pointing out the problems with inflation and stagnant wages

Because they're bad people? Or very ignorant. Our economy is corrupt, predatory, unsustainable and immoral. Socialism is the best option at this point, though it could easily go too far the other way of course. The democratic socialist movement is going to keep growing as the economy keeps bankrupting people.

According to you I am a bad person. So what are you going to do about it?

Go on, entertain me abit!

Screw your narrative up a bit doesn't it when someone doesn't care about what you think of them doesn't it?

originally posted by: Deetermined
a reply to: CB328

LOL! The Democratic Socialist Movement is the fastest leap to bankruptcy that there is!

there is no such thing as democratic socialism it just doesn't exist, the nordic countries are heavily heavily taxed capitalist countries with social programs and they are voting those programs out

it's all bad propaganda

a reply to: angeldoll


For example. . .

Government says that they will reimburse for Medicare if the x-ray machine, CT, MRI performs at a certain level.


So that means that hospitals have to purchase these machines from these companies (who lobbied DC politicians) in order to get reimbursed.

So hospitals now have larger payouts for equipment which they have to make up in order to get the minimal reimbursements they get from government.


Government keeps changing the goal posts for the same amount of reimbursement while getting lobbied by equipment manufacturers to raise the bar.

a reply to: toysforadults

Yes, all of the individual plans went up at least that much and more. I'm merely pointing out the increase in employer paid health care plans. For some reason, people who don't pay for their own plans didn't come to that realization because they're not paying attention or paying the bill!

originally posted by: angeldoll
Does the government setting prices not interfere with a free market?

Yes.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Deetermined

Are you for real? The ACA drove costs up for EVERYONE!

As a bookkeeper, I'm quite aware that the costs of group health care plans have risen. As they did before the ACA came into effect.

As an employee, I'm quite aware that the deductibles of group health care plans have not risen since the ACA came into effect.

How dense do you have to be to not realize that employers are changing plans, carriers, and upping their deductibles on an average of every two years?!

a reply to: Deetermined


Ad hominem? Really?
I'm not very dense. But I do know what my employer is paying for our medical plan and what the deductibles are.

a reply to: toysforadults

Credit cards and loans were handed out like candy in the 1980s.

a reply to: carewemust

now too, look at the debt to income ratio's everything we have now is debt, personal savings is basically non existent

a reply to: toysforadults

I have some savings and my income pays my bills.

Can't get a HELOC though.