US Elections (& Politics) :)

We're the lucky ones.

Imagine being independent paying open market rates, either ACA or private insurance. I know 3 people doing so, 2 Private and 1 ACA.
All 3 are paying in excess of $800 p/mo with one 62 year old single Mom with a small business is paying $1600 p/mo BEFORE '26 increases for her and her daughter (well the one with ACA will without subsidies)
 
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bigredfish said:
Currently by LAW they have to spend 80% min. on actual claims/care.
Click to expand...
Assuming that's correct, the insurance companies' profit skyrockets when the cost of medical care skyrockets, giving the insurance companies an incentive to at least hope that costs go up. Aside from that I wonder how much of claims/care goes to actual care? ACA forced a lot of extra administrative work on the care providers, and the insurance companies add to that. Plus I'd be pretty sure that the insurance companies consider all of their expenses as part of claims/care, so if they can skim 20% of the premiums as profit, that's a pretty good return.
 
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While they are companies doing business for profit, I'm sure they take advantage of every loophole they legally can.
They are more regulated than you may think, and their liability insurance must be outrageous.
I still say the majority of the costs are from the healthcare companies themselves. They set the price of a $25 tylenol and a $10 cotton swab

www.healthinsurance.org

Billions in ACA rebates show 80/20 Rule's impact

Since 2012, health insurance customers have received almost $11.8 billion in medical loss ratio rebates from insurers, who refunded portions of prior-year premiums that were essentially too high.
www.healthinsurance.org www.healthinsurance.org

What is the minimum medical loss ratio for the ACA?

The ACA requires an annual, minimum 80% MLR for individual and small group insurance plans, and an annual, minimum 85% MLR for large group plans. Congress
insuredandmore.com insuredandmore.com
 
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bigredfish said:
I still say the majority of the costs are from the healthcare companies themselves. They set the price of a $25 tylenol and a $10 cotton swab
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Getting to the bottom of this could be a very long debate, a fact finding one, not a fighting one. Yes, the companies set the prices, but the insurance companies pay a contracted rate, often much smaller. I only have details of my own medicare bills. In one example, the MRI provider billed $1,594 and medicare approved $206. For a doctor visit, the bill was $559 and medicare approved $136. On the opposite side, my cancer pills are billed at $16,534/month and medicare pays $13,227 thanks to a newer "manufacturer discount program". Last year medicare paid $17,459/month. In Canada, the manufacturer price is $10,503 usd per month, and in the UK $12,763. At one India pharmacy, a generic is $700 usd per month. Generics not available in US, Canada, etc. because of patents.

I totally agree that the pharma company has sunk a huge amount of money into R&D and clinical trials and deserves to have this paid back and earn profits from it. I just can't help feeling that they're unreasonably milking it to line their pockets to the fullest extent. This whole medical cost system is so screwed up and complicated that I don't think any of us here can figure out who the good guys and the bad guys are.
 
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Agreed.

And but think Medicare plays by a different set of rules than Private and Employer Insurance which is, combined with ACA, 185 million people
 
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It’s like talking to a toddler …


Reporter: What is your message to the 24 million Americans who will see their insurance premiums go up?

Trump: You make it sound so bad. Obviously you are a sycophant for Democrats, you are obviously a provider of bad news for Republicans.

 
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bigredfish said:
We're the lucky ones.

Imagine being independent paying open market rates, either ACA or private insurance. I know 3 people doing so, 2 Private and 1 ACA.
All 3 are paying in excess of $800 p/mo with one 62 year old single Mom with a small business is paying $1600 p/mo BEFORE '26 increases for her and her daughter (well the one with ACA will without subsidies)
Click to expand...

Come to think of it why couldn’t we divert some of the hundreds of Billons $$$ we’re sending to Israel, Afghanistan, NATO, Argentina, and god knows how many other programs that don’t help Americans, and enable Medicare for ALL Americans?

With everyone paying same as as retired guys, about $500 p/mo
 
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Who says that support is wavering? Not in my eyes it's not! ICE ICE BABY!

Again, if you are here legally.......
 

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At risk of yet again being labeled a liberal, part of the problem

  • actual numbers are relatively low -
  • recruitment and apparent screening issues of ICE agents seems to be less than adequate. There are dozens and dozens of videos of them being overly aggressive, shit muzzle control, lacking ID, and arresting people who are citizens. It’s creating pushback in targeted cities.



$50,000 signing bonuses may encourage some who maybe shouldn’t be Federal officers.


DHS to focus on arresting illegal immigrants with serious offenses amid negative polling on ICE raids: report​

www.foxnews.com

DHS to focus on arresting illegal immigrants with serious offenses amid negative polling on ICE raids: report

DHS is shifting immigration enforcement away from mass raids and focusing its efforts more on arresting convicted criminals amid negative polling concerns.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com


That said I think the majority of ICE are doing their job well.
 
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All they know is he is male and wore all black. I'll probably be proven wrong but to me this screams that he wasn't white as being white is what they usually lead with.

www.usatoday.com

What we know about the Brown University shooter

Law enforcement said they believe there is only one shooter, noting that it is a developing situation that may evolve.
www.usatoday.com
 
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