Poll: Healthcare Insurance

[Dickhead]

I got a lot of health care for my out of pocket maximum of $1450 this year. But the state system is still full of bugs so when I updated my income, it went insane and first put me on Medicaid, just like it did last year, and I make too much money for Medicaid. Then it misoverestimated my income by like 60% so my credit or subsidy was way too low. Then they jacked the dog for a month or so before kicking me out of the system and making me start all over again, which I just did yesterday, one day before the deadline. Still can't actually buy or shop for health insurance and it's now been a total of 15 months that they have not gotten any part of any calculation right. Mostly it continues to work out in my favor though, so I know some other sorry bastard is getting screwed to make up for the shit I am manipulating.

But thinking about the theory behind Obamacare, I am much healthier than I was for the prior five years or so when I had no insurance, and thus could be more productive. So, now that I know I will have at least one more year of affordable health insurance, I am going to work 80% more this year than I did last year and I selected that based on repaying the 2014 subsidy I got.

I've given this a lot of thought and I think, "Where was this when I was young and poor?" Because I would have been way more productive in my teens and twenties if I'd had health care. I'd encourage people who are against or skeptical about Obamacare to consider the possibility that they got to age 18 or 21 with a better base of health care than maybe some others, given that health insurance has been historically distributed rather randomly. The whole idea of employer-paid health insurance was an end run around WWII wage controls, for those who don't know.

[Dickhead]

OK, so this was going on long before the ACA, but this whole "80/20" copay thing is bullshit. My new doctor ordered seven blood tests. The billing rate totaled $1,031.00 so my share would have been $206.20 except I've already met my out-of-pocket max for the year. But, the "negotiated rate" that the lab settled for from the insurance company was only $88.83 so really, I would have paid 100% of the bill and the insurance company 0%. So uninsured people are paying approximately twelve times the price at which the lab is obviously already making some profit. Jesus.

The doctor tells me I should get these same tests every year. Then he says, "We do these tests but we don't really know if they do any good." Hmmm well maybe I won't get them done every year, unless of course they're free. But I did get three free Viagra pills.

[Dickhead]

That sounds like a 50% success rate with Argie doctors to me, and I'd like a little better odds if undergoing procedures.

[ElAlamoPalermo]

Nothing you wrote speaks to the skill of the doctors. Yeah, if you have good insurance, you can get lots of tests. Just like my friend where they put his wrong arm in the sling. That was not a public hospital. It was Hospital Alemn if memory serves me correctly. So some guy is orthopedist for the Argentine Olympic team. How many medals did they win? He still went to medical school when he was 18 and didn't know shit.

I was attended by the doctor who told me to stick my dick in the tea within 5-10 minutes too (that was Clinica del Sol in Palermo, which has a lofty reputation for some unknown reason). He still didn't know what he was doing. What good does it do to be able to get an MRI at the drop of a hat if the fuckheads can't interpret it correctly? You are confusing service with skill here.

To expand a bit, I first went to a younger orthopedist that was located near my place of business; he was an idiot as he claimed I had a SLAP tear and did not order an MRI. I did some research and decided I needed a second opinion so I found who I deemed to be one of the best orthopedists in Buenos Aires. This guy (the olympic team orthopedist when the Argentine men's olympic basketball team won the gold medal, defeating the USA team) said that the original orthopedist was an idiot and could not possibly know what the issue was without an MRI; so I went and got an MRI, brought the MRI results to him and he correctly diagnosed the problem, recommended a way to heal it, and within a month or two the issue was healed. I also sent the MRI results to my cousin who is an Orthopedic Surgeon at Columbia/Presbyterian in NYC and he concurred with the diagnosis and course of healing.

Like anywhere else there are incompetents and quacks, but to say categorically that all doctors in Argentina are unskilled or unqualified is simply not accurate; before seeing any doctor you can easily access their CV and see how experienced they are and whether they have been educated/attended conferences in the USA or Europe in their specialty.

[Dickhead]

Nothing you wrote speaks to the skill of the doctors. Yeah, if you have good insurance, you can get lots of tests. Just like my friend where they put his wrong arm in the sling. That was not a public hospital. It was Hospital Alemn if memory serves me correctly. So some guy is orthopedist for the Argentine Olympic team. How many medals did they win? He still went to medical school when he was 18 and didn't know shit.

I was attended by the doctor who told me to stick my dick in the tea within 5-10 minutes too (that was Clinica del Sol in Palermo, which has a lofty reputation for some unknown reason). He still didn't know what he was doing. What good does it do to be able to get an MRI at the drop of a hat if the fuckheads can't interpret it correctly? You are confusing service with skill here.

[ElAlamoPalermo]

Argie doctors don't know shit from apple butter. I had the clap and the doctor told me to stick my dick in apple tea. Another friend fell and injured both arms. One was broken and one not. They read the xray wrong and put the wrong arm in the sling. Another friend went to the public hospital for diabetes and they were going to cut his leg off at the knee that very day. He went elsewhere and only lost his toe. And I could go on and on. Not having any medical procedures done in Argentina. The fucking doctors go to medical school right out of high school. Two med students I partied with said they had each missed over ***100*** days of class that year.

I agree somewhat in that I would never set foot in a public hospital under any circumstances. However I disagree in the assessment that there are no competent doctors in Argentina; some of the private hospitals are perfectly acceptable and there are plenty of competent doctors working in private practice. I personally have OSDE 450 which allows me to utilize any private hospital in Argentina and virtually any private doctor (there are a select few only working for cash) and I am quite satisfied with it. I was able to use the orthopedist for the Argentine Olympic team and a highly qualified ENT doctor (both with training in the USA) all for zero out of pocket expense. On several occasions I have went to Swiss medical at 2 or 3am for minor medical issues and also was attended to by a doctor within 5/10 minutes again with zero out of pocket expense. I have been able to get MRIs and Ultrasound/Doppler studies done at the snap of a finger with no delays and no approvals or out of pocket expense. For about $230 USD per month I cannot complain.

[Dickhead]

Argie doctors don't know shit from apple butter. I had the clap and the doctor told me to stick my dick in apple tea. Another friend fell and injured both arms. One was broken and one not. They read the xray wrong and put the wrong arm in the sling. Another friend went to the public hospital for diabetes and they were going to cut his leg off at the knee that very day. He went elsewhere and only lost his toe. And I could go on and on. Not having any medical procedures done in Argentina. The fucking doctors go to medical school right out of high school. Two med students I partied with said they had each missed over ***100*** days of class that year.

[Moore]

Wouldn't it be much cheaper to get your medical procedures done in BA?

My plan is to be living in Argentina at least 6 months per year by the time I'm at the age when I need a lot more medical care.

In the case of major surgery, I guess I'd still feel more comfortable having it done in USA, but that's why I'll have a very high deductible US plan.

[Miami Bob]

I love my 2014 blue cross shield plan/platinum. $1060 per month with no deductible in network and huge national network. All my doctors and prefered facilities are in-network. Before ACA my non-ACA policy was almost double the price and had a huge deductible.

For 2014 my renewal will be $1355 monthly. I did not go near the website. I used the same insurance agent i have used for years. My agent told me that florida had stopped price regulation--tree tea party freedom loving governor and legislature. He is going to get some quotes if similar coverage is available from other carrier.. I will check out with likely care and preventative work whether the no deductible plan works out better than say a $3000 deductible and lower premiums. I will spend the money one way or the other.

I am 62 years olds. Last year had surgery and lots of expensive tests.

[Dickhead]

So the subsidy is based on the taxpayers' 2013 estimate of their 2014 income. If the income turns out to be higher than the estimate, the taxpayer will owe money. Sounds good so far. But they did two stupid things. Number 1, they made it such that if your income ends up being greater than 400% of the poverty level, which is $45,960, you have to pay back the entire subsidy. Now, if you were at exactly $45,960, you would be eligible for a subsidy if you were 50 years old or older: $167 a year at age 50 up to $3,245 a year at age 64. So if you are that 64 year old person, the 45,961st dollar you earn ends up costing you $3,244 plus the Social Security and income tax on the dollar. Not too good of a deal.

The other stupid thing they did is cap the payback at $1,250 for a single person. So say a 64 year old person estimates their income at the minimum level to get the subsidy and stay off Medicaid, which is 139% of the poverty level or $15,971. They would get an up-front subsidy of $7,070 a year. Then oh whoops my bad I actually made $45,960 and should only have gotten $167 as indicated above. But, instead of having to pay back $7,070 - $167 = $6,903, I only have to pay back $1,250 and even that I don't have to pay back until April 15. I haven't found out yet if they are going to charge interest on that but it sure is a nice windfall. My example is the maximum extreme but many older people will be getting a free ride on this.

Good thing I will be one of them.

[Rev BS]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/04/yo...tml?ref=health

Enrollment & Re-Enrollment period is coming up. Even as I read the article, it is quite challenging to understand your plans, your needs, and your pocket book. I probably do not need to take any action for my Advantage Plan to be renewed automatically. Somewhere at home in Los Angeles, I probably have some notification sitting there advising my options. My plan is an hold-over from my working days, $5 for co-payments for visits, prescriptions, procedures and admissions.

As it is, all these benefits are totally useless in Bangkok for routine physician visits. So far, they have been averaging a few hundred dollars a year, mostly of the doctor viists / lab tests variety. These are not consider emergencies and would have been denied anyway. This year, I had some tetanus / rabies shot which I could have claimed but choose not to do so. Any big claims which I do not wish on myself can be covered by my US plan but you have to show that you are only visiting Thailand. A look at my passport, and I might have to do a great deal of explaining but which I probably could.

Most people have it far more complicated than me. Wish you all the best.

[Member #4112]

http://www.latimes.com/business/hilt...01-column.html#page=1.

Everything in life, there are good & bad outcomes. Often, it is up to you whether you had a nice time with a chica or you don't. Read hotel reviews and you get the picture. A common trend is for people who pay for a 3 star to complain about a lack of 5 star hospitality.

But here's my tip of the day. As you know, the scumbag that Obama is, his ACA policies is skewer to benefit liberals more than rednecks. Sorry, I meant conservatives.

You just have to pay more, that's how it is. Life is never fair.

So for a measly $499.99, I can coach you how to get on the right side of ObamaCare. There is a secret code that only the insiders like me knows. But time is running out. As you know, passwords only have short lifespan, and I am not sure I have enough inside pull to get the next one. Well, I need money, so I'll reduce it to $19.99.

What a deal, eh!

Your a hoot Rev.

I got a better deal for you. I have this nice bridge that goes from the mainland to Galveston Island I will be willing to part with for a bargain basement price. You can put up toll booths on both sides and make a fortune!

[Rev BS]

http://www.latimes.com/business/hilt...01-column.html#page=1.

Everything in life, there are good & bad outcomes. Often, it is up to you whether you had a nice time with a chica or you don't. Read hotel reviews and you get the picture. A common trend is for people who pay for a 3 star to complain about a lack of 5 star hospitality.

But here's my tip of the day. As you know, the scumbag that Obama is, his ACA policies is skewer to benefit liberals more than rednecks. Sorry, I meant conservatives.

You just have to pay more, that's how it is. Life is never fair.

So for a measly $499.99, I can coach you how to get on the right side of ObamaCare. There is a secret code that only the insiders like me knows. But time is running out. As you know, passwords only have short lifespan, and I am not sure I have enough inside pull to get the next one. Well, I need money, so I'll reduce it to $19.99.

What a deal, eh!

[Member #4112]

Just received my new premium notice for my current employee healthcare plan. My new premium for this coming year, 2015, for the SAME COVERAGE is going UP 29.7%.

Since I fall under the 50 employee cap I don't get the cancellation notice on my current plan until next year, 2016, and if I were to attempt to continue the same coverage I now have for my employees I get to pay the "Cadillac Plan" penalty and I can assure you none of my employees considers our current plan to be a "Cadillac".

Oh thank you so much Obamanation!

[Dickhead]

The investigation has been completed. The insurance commission's investigator found that the fault was essentially with the health insurance exchange and that CIGNA was only following the orders they had received. The exchange sent three separate sets of paperwork with three separate start dates and each time this led to cancellation of the prior policy. The billing is 98% straightened out except for now they have to go back and re-figure what I'm responsible for, because I met the deductible while the denied claims were in limbo and so now they have to give me back the co-pays from those. CIGNA had apparently put some kind of gag order in my file because they were conducting an internal investigation of why their system would allow retroactive billing, and that's why their agents would not give me information about the status of my account. CIGNA's officer apologized for this in writing (great).

I got nothing for the fact that I was uncovered for forty-two days that I had paid for, and I was sick as shit the whole time. I'm getting better now that I'm getting treatment, and now that I've met the deductible for the year, I'm going to get every single fuckin' wart and hangnail and such taken care of before the end of the year. And then I am going to get the fuck out for a while. I also got nothing for the fact that I only had six months to meet the deductible and the fact I had to pay the premium of someone a year older than I was at the start of the year ($15 a month more). These things I am going to pursue through the consumer advocacy arm of the state health insurance exchange. One issue is that neither CIGNA nor the exchange will give me copies of these three alleged communications between the exchange and CIGNA that led to the mistakes in the first place. I think if push comes to shove they will have to give them to me, and then maybe I can at least find someone to blame.