Quote:
Originally Posted by woj
it's not a "claim", it's a fact...
if someone is paying less now, or getting better coverage for the same price, or is in any way benefiting from obamacare, it's because their healthcare is getting subsidized... and that is welfare... no?
there are really 2 groups of people.... one group that benefits from obamacare, and another group that is getting fucked by it... there is nothing at all douchebagy about bitching about getting fucked...
on the other hand, it does seem a bit douchebaggy to benefit from obamacare, and then telling those that are getting fucked by it: "quit bitching... obamacare is great!"
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I usually don't like to get involved in these threads but I have to say that this isn't necessarily true.
1. There are other changes to the health insurance laws besides just subsidies. For instance you can't be denied coverage for a preexisting condition -- now can you have your rates raised because you actually use your coverage. There are others as well such as the elimination of annual and lifetime maximums. This means that almost everyone who gets health insurance will benefit.
2. I have a relative who had no insurance. He got some sort of infection but just tried to let it go because they couldn't afford care. A month later they had to take him to the ER by ambulance. He almost died and had like a 25% chance to live. He needed multiple heart surgeries and other things because infection had spread to his lungs and other organs. He was in the hospital for about a month.
Now let's talk about the bill. $700,000. Yes, 700. They have few assets so guess who will pay (and no it's not me!)? But wait, there is more! He also is probably going to qualify for Social Security Disability FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. That by the way also gets him full Medicaid automatically.
HE IS ONLY 40 YEARS OLD!
Let's say he gets about $12,000 for SSI disability per year and let's say his medical bills will average about $15,000 a year for the rest of his life (he is going to need valves replaced, back surgery probably, etc). Let us say he will live to be 70 so another 30 years. Let's round it up to $30,000 a year in total to help account for misc. expenses and COL increases.
$30,000 * 30 = $900,000
Now add on the $700,000
$1.6 million this incident will cost taxpayers.
Now here is the fun part. If you are against HCR I want you to pull up close and read this carefully and with your full attention
Guess how much it would have cost (which they did not have at the time) if he had just went to the doctor (he has never been to one in the last decade before this) and got prescribed antibiotics?
Less than $150 in total.
Plus think of all the lost income and all the taxes he would have paid over the next 30 years of working. All that is gone. He cannot walk more than 15 paces.
Understand? It's much cheaper (and better for people) if we treat conditions before they turn critical rather than making everyone wait until they get to the ER.