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These stories are tragic. I’ve always lived in societies (Australia and Canada) that provide universal free health care, and it seems to me that of all the injustices perpetrated in the US, exploiting people facing sickness, injury and aging (ie. all of us) for profit is the most perverse. It’s a testament to how completely the elites control your politics and media that there is no meaningful dissent against a system that makes the lives of everybody else significantly and demonstrably worse.
We can't have nice things here in the US, including universal health care. We would ruin it.
I'm sort of not kidding. We're so fucking fat that it might just bankrupt our country if we gave it all away.
The US spends more money per capita on healthcare than any other country in the world. It's reasonable to expect universal healthcare would positively impact that figure even with a population of fat fucks.
NopeQuote:
Originally Posted by Art Shirk
S name here
Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
Yeah, it's asinine. My family lost our health insurance months ago since we've just about lost everything and couldn't afford it any longer. $1000/month with a high deductible plan for a super healthy family of 4 while on the verge of losing it all is just not doable. Nice that we're going to get dinged for it too! Looking forward to that penalty. Also don't qualify for a cheap plan due to bureaucratic reasons. We are so broke these days that we literally sold our couch a couple weeks ago to buy groceries. I'm not exaggerating. Life sucks these days. But hey, at least a chain-smoking, fast-food 3 times/day eating borderline diabetic person with other questionable lifestyle choices can get dirt cheap healthcare, and other govt bennies!Quote:
Originally Posted by fastfred
I swear, I'm doing it wrong. After we sell our house, finish dumping the rest of our assets, and move to a cheaper state, I am honestly tempted to just settle into a minimum wage job where we can qualify for everything. We would honestly come out way ahead versus how it's been the last few years. Seems so screwed up that our system encourages this, but it's where we're at. My in-laws literally just semi-retired so they could qualify for an exchange plan since their rates went up so much they couldn't afford it any more longer. Working half as much, they are coming out ahead, but of course still broke so things still suck. They'd love to try and make more money, but then they'll get penalized by higher taxes and health coverage they can't afford. With our current system, we just can't win. You're either WAY ahead of the curve, or you're at the bottom. It is REALLY freaking tough for those of us in the middle.
True that. Was having a conversation with a local mag about that a couple weeks back. My position is basically that I'd be FOR universal health care if only we treated medicine and wellness the way that western Euro countries do. But until we can CULTURALLY do something about obesity, over-medicating, and generally treating our bodies like crap, then I don't think we can do it. Doesn't help that we have powerful pharmaceutical lobbyists either.Quote:
Originally Posted by huckbucket
One of the simplest examples of why we can't do it is in the documentary, "The Business of Being Born." It's basically about how we treat births in the US. Compare that to the way they overwhelmingly do it in Europe. ie, utilizing midwives for normal, healthy births versus using hospitals and OBs (who are surgeons by trade) for EVERYTHING.
That is just ONE tiny example. There are many more across the board. We do healthcare SO wrong in the states. Even a conservative like me can recognize it. Again, the changes need to start with the culture. Our expectations of what healthcare and wellness should be need to be altered dramatically.
i'm pretty sure doc just bills the medical plan directly up here
doesnt it just cost more money to have an insurance company as a middle man ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AustinFromSA
exactly my thoughts, right there, power to you if you do it, it's scary, I've considered doing the exact same, dump everything, stop working so hard and (give the fuck up, ride my bike every day, goof off, ski, and have no worries) that job at the 711 or any other low paying, bullshit job sounds so nice
my accountant told me to go without insurance and I can't stomach saving 300 bucks for a total shit health care plan, I love to injure myself so health ins is a must
I dig single payer and universal health care. But occasionally I read things on TGR about people in countries with universal care and they are waiting around to see a doc/specialist or get an opperation done, made a phone call, saw my specialist doctor the next day whose the bomb for ortho, he said he could have in me in surgery the next week, can't beat that
Thanks, Seamus. I know a Colorado skier named Kinnick so figured I'd check.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kinnikinnick
Capitalism has victims. Necessity.Quote:
Originally Posted by kootenayskier
The amount of high paying medical jobs in the US is staggering and still with strong demand. Call it public subsidy.
Yup.Quote:
Originally Posted by XXX-er
There's a reason that impoverished areas often rank higher in "happiness" surveys than your wealthier neighborhoods where depression rates are off the charts. I've lived in ghetto neighborhoods before and can say that there is something to that. The guy who's chilling all day on his front porch drinking 40s with his homies, is going to be much less stressed out than somebody like me who is stressed out to the max, losing sleep every night worrying about how I'm going to pay my bills or deal with my ultra-complicated taxes. I am so done with it all.Quote:
Originally Posted by fastfred
While running my business (which I recently shut down), having employees and a family who depend on me for their livelihood, and being stressed like 100% of the time, I too have often looked at people with low-paying, low-consequence jobs with a bit of envy. Some of my all-time favorite jobs in the past have been menial, BS jobs. I seriously may do that again. It sounds awesome. Just go punch my time card and when I'm done for the day, I am DONE. Time to go chill! (and ski, and bike, and fish, and...)
I was a corporate manager and have been a landlord. Hate both. Being accountable for people with adult problems blows. They’re not my friends.
Ahhhhh... the lament of white privilege.Quote:
Originally Posted by AustinFromSA
The first sentence is true after a small fix. Regarding the 2nd, many countries with Universal Health care still pay health care employees really well.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4matic
The issue is the same as it has always been in this country, the frontier mindset of "work hard and carry your own weight or fuckin die on the Oregon Trail you slacker".
Amurikans have all been brainwashed that they are living in a John Wayne movie where either they are self sufficient or they are nothing and no one gives a shit. :nonono2:
As Kootenayskier stated, I find this attitude appalling and I want out of here so bad, but the misses isn't having it.
Austin, I am so sorry to read what you posted mag. I hope your home sells soon so you can move on and hopefully have a much better 2018.
Hillbilly moran. Take some English classes or go back to your native land.
Ask Warren Buffett. If you have unfettered capitalism at some point one person will own everything. In uncivilized countries that person gets killed.
The USA economy walks the razors edge of unfettered capitalism.
If you think any form of capitalism doesn’t have victims you’re a simpleton.
Oh yeah, because my whiteness has privileged me SO much. :rolleyes: Yeah, not going down that road right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by skaredshtles
Ok, then. Let me switch it up in a way that perhaps sounds less culturally insensitive. "The white trash yokel who's relaxing on the front porch on his trailer drinking Lite beers with his hunting/fishing buddies, is going to be much less stressed out than somebody like me..."
At either end of the socioeconomic scale lies a leisure class.
And that attitude is a YUGE part of the problem. But I get it, you got yours, so fuck everyone else. You are the apologist for so much that sucks about this country.Quote:
Originally Posted by 4matic
Bravo
Edit: Actually, your not the apologist, you always simply state; "it is what it is, so fucken deal with it." I typically find your comments both insensitive and indifferent to the issues that plague this country. IMO, people like you can :fuckyou:
Conundrum: Excellent thought.
Wait a minute. A conservative who puts all of their votes and political capital behind a party that extols the virtues of capitalist competition fails at running his business and then complains that he can't get subsidies for health insurance ($1,000 a month for a family of four is a good deal btw) is seriously considering intentionally working minimum wage to use the safety net that people like him are trying to get rid of.
Additionally he complains about his taxes being too high and suggests that they are high because of aforementioned safety net while his party just passed a tax cut for the rich.
Quit fucking whining, get out there and use your skills to build a new business.
If people like you weren't always trying to destroy the safety net maybe you'd have some help doing that.
Holy fucking wow.
Thank you. We'll get through it. Wife just got a job waiting tables at night. I'm working two jobs. It's tough as hell right now, especially with two babies, but once the house sells, our situation will (hopefully) drastically improve. These past few years have been a HUGE learning experience in why you don't try to make something of yourself in a ski town when you're up against a bunch of billionaires who don't like competition from plebes like us. Woops!Quote:
Originally Posted by liv2ski
up here the MD's are averaging narth of 200K they are still independant business people ( half of all grads are female ) they incorporate and they bill the system directly which sounds like a pretty good gig for them.
By the time they are qualifyed Doctors they have been to at least like grade 21 and are smart enough to figure out what a patient needs and what the system will allow them to bill for
so there is no need for an insurance company something which must seem unfathomable in America?
i went to emerg last week they ask name/ date of birth/ok here you are in the computer, 10 minute wait, doc takes a look , nurse slaps some steri strips on the cut a tetnus shot ... out the door in about 20 minutes
So much wrong here with your presumptions here that I simply don't have time to engage, but I'll just say that you're incorrect on just about every point. Conservative =/= Republican. Nor does it mean anti-safety net. Nor does it mean pro-Trump. Nor... ... ...Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSilverSurfer
And no. $1000 is NOT a good deal. How rich are you?!
Austin, I am sorry that you're going through rough times. But what you think of all the poor folks just sitting back getting their govt bennies is not reality. It may look like some people have it easy because they don't seem to be struggling from your vantage point, but your vantage point isn't theirs (ie, they may not be struggling with the stuff you are, but they may be struggling with all sorts if stuff that you are not). As someone who used to administer the govt bennies system (food stamps, cash assistance, medicaid), let me tell you a few things. It isn't easy to qualify for benefits, it's extremely difficult to live on whatever benefits you do qualify for, and it's difficult to stay qualified for those benefits. It may look like a better option for you right now, but I am virtually certain -- without knowing a single detail -- that trying to qualify for benefits, or being in a situation where you do qualify for benefits, is worse than being in a situation where you don't.Quote:
Originally Posted by AustinFromSA
ETA: You're a good mag and if there is some way that the community could help you, speak up.