Because We Probably Ought to Know.....?

Alarming Tax Increases What does this mean? Americans probably should know. We're being taxed to death now so what is coming? For me, it is probably going to mean bad things.  

It's Done Good? Bad? Or Ugly?  I knew this was coming. And I've already experienced the first wave. Welborn Health Care will no longer carry health insurance because the changes involved under new laws make it financially impossible to provide the same level of services. This is an HMO, one of the cheapest insurances plans out there. My company just renewed with them for about the 10th year. By January we have to get a new company which will cost even more. We expect cuts in benefits and increase in costs to the employee from this alone. This affects not only my company but the School Corporation here. So a few thousand people. I believe you will see more insurance companies stop carrying health insurance. The cost to everyone will rise as choices and the quality of care decline. Pay attention to this paragraph: 

Starting in 2015, doctors will get paid for keeping patients well, not necessarily for every test or procedure. That means, in theory, that a doctor will get paid the same by Medicare or Medicaid whether she gets a patient's blood pressure down by prescribing drugs or by persuading him to lose weight and exercise.

Here's how I read it: Doctor thinks:  "So, since I'm not going to recover the cost of this test anyway, I'll just say it isn't necessary and tell them to diet and exercise. So what if this problem is caused by something else. No test, no proof. My educated judgement is all this form needs. If they die, well they should have taken better care of themselves."

Can't happen? Says who? And if you think you can't afford it? Think again, you will be taxed in addition to paying for health care for those who don't get health care. So, you will pay double for a single person. Will it force employers to carry  you? No. I already know of a couple of companies who say the penalty is cheaper to pay than it is to insure their employees. My sister's company just went to a cheaper play because of the coming changes. Her plan went to a $5000 deductible on medical treatment PLUS $5000 deductible on prescriptions before the insurance will pay a dime. This means my sister has to fork out $10,000 a year for her deductibles AND maintain a medical savings account with a minimum of $300 and pay her premiums for it! She makes $7.25 an hour. If she worked a 40 hr week, she would gross $14, 790. She doesn't get 40 hours a week. She gets more like 32. So... she has less than $4000 to live on a year if she pays all that. Her rent is $3600 a year.... Her medicine is $2500 just for insulin. So, her solution? Don't buy her insulin. Don't buy enough food. And if she chooses to drop this plan due to the astronomical costs? A penalty tax is coming for her. Brilliant. 

Makes sense. Too much light is not good for you, particularly electronic light.  After dealing with a sleep disorder for years, I know that the evenings I watch t.v. or play on the computer late, the more trouble I have sleeping. If I limit it to a few hours in the early in the day or early evening I do much better. 

Have a nice day.