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Originally posted by ferretman2
Toad.............if the wait time was days......it could maybe considered.
Originally posted by Vitchilo
I'm in Canada, and I'm currently waiting for a little ``operation``. I called for a meeting end of november, I went there last week. So it took about 1 month and 1 week. So it's not that bad. But it wasn't urgent. Another time, it was urgent, I went there and 10 minutes after I was on the operation table. I spent 4 days at the hospital, 0$.
But last week, I heard that a woman in a hospital waited 18 hours in urgency... She nearly died there. But that happens 1 time a year... so no big deal.
Bush is proposing to make health insurance premiums taxable income, with people who get employer-provided plans that cost more than $15,000 a year facing a tax hike if they do not get cheaper insurance, the White House said. Average family coverage offered by employers costs about $11,500 annually.
The president is proposing tax deductions -- $15,000 for a family and $7,500 for an individual whether or not they purchase their own health coverage or get it from their job -- to help buy insurance.
news.yahoo.com...
Baicker said about 30 million Americans could face higher taxes under the president's plan "if they didn't change their behavior" -- meaning giving up an employer's more generous health plan in favor of a less-costly one. The White House added that "more than 100 million Americans" would save money under Bush's plan.
news.yahoo.com...
Under Bush's plan, states could subsidize health insurance premiums directly, they could establish high-risk pools for the sickest people, and could help individuals and small businesses create their own insurance pools.
To get the federal money states would need to make health insurance affordable by such means as "reducing benefit or premium mandates," it said. Currently, each state has its own set of mandated conditions that health insurers must cover.
news.yahoo.com...
Originally posted by closettrekkie
Wow, I do think this is rediculous! What the heck is this guy thinking? I'm getting tired of the government thinking the only way we can fund things is by raising taxes rather than being fiscally responsible. Why don't we cut some of the benefits the do-nothing government workers receive?
Originally posted by ferretman2
What is so stupid about this plan?
He is trying to health more affordable for people who do not receive it through their job.
Companies which do provide company healthcare plans will be taxed accordingly.
Having worked in 'coporate America' and now being self-employeed, coporate insurance was great.....I had excellent coverage at a very low cost...it was very nice.
Now that I'm self employed my insurance costs ~$6,000/yr..........and that only covers major medical issues......mainly my heart has to leap out of my chest, smack me in the face a few times and then burst into flames
and then..........I'd be covered....maybe.
I'd like a break. Insurance companies should have to be more competetive.
If this is so stupid........what is your idea
[edit on 22-1-2007 by ferretman2]
Originally posted by Glyph_D
bare with me because im not an insurance wiz. but how i see it>
if people start dropping their policies, insurance companies start losing money. lets say you find a better policy and better priced with a different agency, your current agency will lose a source of income. at some point the two agencies will start to compete with each other, within the capped rates range. to get there money that they so desperately need.
its kinda like how car insurance is nowadays
Originally posted by Glyph_D
i understand why someone would say this is bad but.....
there are people in this country that dont get insurance through their work. and people that dont have insurance becuase its priced to high.
what bush is doing is(i think what he trying to do) is hes going to force insurance companies to lower their rates. becuase nobody will settle for a tax hike, "supply and demand".
what this will do is make it more affordable across the board for the lower class citizens.
the people that need insurance are the ones who cant afford it.
if this hurts your current system- im sorry but your the sacrifice, the poor are the target audience here.
[edit on 23/1/07 by Glyph_D]
Originally posted by ShadowEyes
If I'm not mistaken, I think that an emergency in Canada, such as a heart attack does not require a wait at all because it is so serious. Perhaps some of our Canadian members could clarify this?
Originally posted by moving away
There are problems on every level here including big business insurers, pharmaceutical companies, the fact that health insurance has anything to do with your employer is just illogical, the cost and payment for medical tests vs cost and payment for your doctor to actually talk to you - examine you - diagnose your problem, the idea a lot of people have that you can watch tv to figure out what is wrong with you AND what medicine you can take to fix it, insurance companies deciding how long you get to stay in the hospital or which test you can have or which med you can take, and of course let's not forget that the problem also exists on the insureds end as well. There is certainly NO easy solution here. This is a huge problem and will reach crisis levels within the next 5-7 years because there is no way the people, the insurance companies nor the government will be able to pay for treatment of all the diabetics that will be in this country. It would be helpful if there was no more smoking, everyone would stop eating so damn much and no one supported (bought, took or asked for) any medication that is advertised on tv or in mags/newspapers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And do we really want the government to run our healthcare??? Have you tried to navigate the "new government medicare drug plan" for yourself or someone in your family? What a completely idiotic, poorly designed idea. Disgraceful!