Supreme Court upholds the Affordable Health Care Act in its entirety

[Purlina]

Oh, I'm not against providing insurance to the poor people. Not at all. Just cut expenses elsewhere to make up for it. Don't tax ME for a.) not wanting it, and b.) being able to provide it to others.

You already pay for some of the operations on those people. When someone without insurance goes to the hospital the rest of us pay for it...

(You can't turn someone away from the ER)

[Tinykong]

your looking at the lowest cost situation. yes it sucks but its insurance against something catastrophic. like cancer or a hit and run. maybe sevear 3rd degree burn on 40% of your body. yea a $2500 deductible sucks for everyday things, but if you need $100,000 worth of care you obligate for the $2500 minuses what you have payed already that year. i think that's a good deal. plan quality is going to be a big problem in the future. we are going to have to institute minimum levels of care.
i personal think we are over thinking thing.

So, I'm paying into the system because something MIGHT happen?

If that's the case, then shouldn't everyone be paying car insurance? I mean, in theory, anyone could jump into a car and drive it, causing an accident. Shouldn't they then be required to carry coverage to protect us/them in the event that happens?

How about life insurance? Everyone is going to die, some people might even die leaving behind a mount of debt. If they have no estate, and no money, why should everyone else have to absorb that loss?

Lunacy.

[alturic]

You already pay for some of the operations on those people. When someone without insurance goes to the hospital the rest of us pay for it...

I don't. I don't have insurance.

[Kasierith]

So, I'm paying into the system because something MIGHT happen?

If that's the case, then shouldn't everyone be paying car insurance? I mean, in theory, anyone could jump into a car and drive it, causing an accident.

I thought car insurance was legally required in the US?

[alturic]

You already pay for some of the operations on those people. When someone without insurance goes to the hospital the rest of us pay for it...

(You can't turn someone away from the ER)

Also, I don't know who you think really "eats" the costs of people going to hospitals without insurance but it's not the government. It's not the insurance companies (directly), it's the hospitals. They are forced to eat the costs.

[Vanyali]

I don't. I don't have insurance.

Your taxes pay for the cost the hospital eats.

No insurance person goes to the hospital, receives care, doesn't pay ---> tax dollars make up the difference.

[lanerios]

Welcome america, to the rest of the world! Finally it's starting to shape up and actually becoming a decent country. It's quite intruiging that Americans are so against anything "social" nowadays. Seriously, following this hwole thing from a dutch perspective was just strange.

[Puremallace]

I am still confused about this health care reform. Can someone tell me if this plan will benefit me or hurt me?

I currently am under my employer's insurance plan (Aetna) and I have HMO insurance. I only make like $36k a year and I pay $350/month for the insurance for a family of 3. I live in Nevada.

People say it might be good because I'll get subsidies, but then I hear that I most likely wont have an insurance plan under my employer anymore because its cheaper for them just to pay an annual fee then pay for employee's health insurance. Can anyone clarify which is it?

Your rates should go down. The tax that people are talking about is this

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-o...our-taxes.html

The entire mandate thing works because more people are participating in the programs

[ptwonline]

That is EXACTLY what is wrong with this "law". Trying to force a private business into being a public business.

I also find it hilarious how there is (and I'm neither republican or democrat, as far as voting parties go) facts about people from Canada who come to the US because the waiting lists are so long in Canada to even be seen, let alone treated.

Of course, not having sources to show people stating these things will make it look like I'm a republican whack-job, do some googling and you will see.

You're right that shoe-horning private to be more public-like is not a good solution. However, it's the kind of compromise Obama chose because he thought he could get more people onboard that way--including lobbyists and Republicans--and actually get it done. Then they all turn around and claim he rammed it through without consultation LOL. Now I think he realizes that the other side has no interest at all in bi-partisanship and so giving them what they want is not going to get him anywhere.

As for Canada, the waiting times are long but that's not actually because of the public health care system. The waiting times are long because the various bodies that control the flow of doctors deliberately manipulate the supply to keep it in high demand, and thus doctors can make a lot more money each. Besides, even with waiting times you have to ask yourself what solution is better/worse: waiting several months for a hip replacement, getting a second mortgage on your home for a hip replacement, or never getting a hip replacement at all.

[alturic]

I thought car insurance was legally required in the US?

In every state but Virginia, New Hampshire and Mississippi. You can elect to not have insurance as long as you have a cash bond.

[Vanyali]

Why do people think its ok to pay for welfare? I've never understood this. Why can't people take care of themselves? This is America after all. You have more opportunities to be successful here than any other country in the world and yet we still bend over for the lazy people who can't take care of themselves or make stupid decisions.

Our system is flawed, yes. Like everything else.

However, if you get laid off because the company is struggling and can't find work elsewhere, should you just starve? It should require more than it currently does, and is abused more than it should be, but to say that if you lose your job through your employers fault and decision you should starve on the street is ridiculous.

[Purlina]

Also, I don't know who you think really "eats" the costs of people going to hospitals without insurance but it's not the government. It's not the insurance companies (directly), it's the hospitals. They are forced to eat the costs.

Where do you think those costs go? The hospital adds it into the bill to the insurance company / tax payer.

Just like general and administrative fees. Why do you think an asprin in the hospital costs $5 - $10?

[Tinykong]

My point was that driving a vehicle is a privilege. The insurance is a requirement for exercising your privilege to drive.

So using the analogy, that would be like saying living is a privilege, and to exercising my right to live, I am required to have health insurance.

Having health insurance doesn't guarantee you proper medical care, it only provides you with the means to pay for something which you cannot afford.

Medical professionals save lives and keep peopel healthy, insurance companies operate a money scheme that makes it appear as though people can afford something they cannot. Don't confuse the two.

[Halicia]

Yeah you're right; ideally the government should absorb all private health corporations and create a public federal one that taxes the public and in return gives anyone that needs it free medical care... But as you're hell-bent on having private enterprises control the public's health status based on their available funds and income, Obama, great guy that he is, steps up and makes a bad compromise that at least pushes those enterprises to act more like a public healthcare service and in turn act more humanly and actually do what they "advertise",(as if life should ever be advertised) they're doing to ALL people and not just rich, healthy ones.

I find issue with expecting the health insurance industry to behave like a public service, but continue to be a for-profit industry.

You wanna get them to play fair ? Give americans the option of paying their premiums to a NON-PROFIT government (preferably state OR federal) insurance.

And yeah, Justice Roberts' opinion made this decision well worth reading, both in this matter and in the role of elected officials. If only we had more government positions that werent beholden to the party Law and coffers.

[alturic]

Where do you think those costs go? The hospital adds it into the bill to the insurance company / tax payer.

Just like general and administrative fees. Why do you think an asprin in the hospital costs $5 - $10?

That is exactly why wasteful spending needs to be looked into. I'm actually surprised insurance companies deny $5-10 aspirins (see: dumb costs) and either tell the hospital to eat it, or send the bill to the policy carrier.

[Tinykong]

I thought car insurance was legally required in the US?

Only if you own a car. What about the people who don't own them? They could illegally drive a vehicle and crash it into someone or something, causing uncovered damages. If they don't pay, and it gets written off as a business expense, that's fundamentally no different than someone who breaks their arm jumping off their roof into a moon bounce, and gets their medical debt charged off. Using the logic that "you need it because you MIGHT use it someday" then liability car insurance should be complusory for anyone over the age of 16.

[Deleted]

What is with all the people in this thread who are comparing car insurance to health insurance...

Health care is an essential service in ANY country, whether poor or developed. You can't seriously be comparing health care issues to some hypothetical situation of someone not being able to get car insurance.

Honestly I'm not sure if this is worse than when people compare food to health care or not.

[Purlina]

I thought car insurance was legally required in the US?

It is legally required in the US. If you don't have liability insurance they can arrest you...

(If caught driving)

[ptwonline]

I find issue with expecting the health insurance industry to behave like a public service, but continue to be a for-profit industry.

You wanna get them to play fair ? Give americans the option of paying their premiums to a NON-PROFIT government (preferably state OR federal) insurance.

And yeah, Justice Roberts' opinion made this decision well worth reading, both in this matter and in the role of elected officials. If only we had more government positions that werent beholden to the party Law and coffers.

I have always felt that the best system is a public system with mandated minimum service levels mixed with a private system where you could pay for better/faster treatment and certain more expensive drugs/therapies.

As for Roberts, don't get TOO high on him yet. Yes, this decision showed that he will not ONLY decide in purely partisan ways, but this is still the dumbass supporting Citizens United.

[Vanyali]

Only if you own a car. What about the people who don't own them? They could illegally drive a vehicle and crash it into someone or something, causing uncovered damages. If they don't pay, and it gets written off as a business expense, that's fundamentally no different than someone who breaks their arm jumping off their roof into a moon bounce, and gets their medical debt charged off. Using the logic that "you need it because you MIGHT use it someday" then liability car insurance should be complusory for anyone over the age of 16.

The insurance of the person owning the vehicle pays it and/ or the person gets a collection agency after them. And a court judgement.

Health bills not being paid can continue to be unpaid forever, vehicle will not.