A life question for the older nuts

[cheap_walmart_art]

The need of healthcare for my family and myself has kept me tied to my job. I've thought of trying a different prospective options, but the thought of no coverage (my wife has medical issues) is horrifying. I just keep hoping that here in the United States we can step up like the rest of the developed world and provide healthcare for all our people so that people aren't chained to a job because of coverage. Our children deserve it.

We found an AcA plan that we can afford but it doesn't really cover anything other than catastrophic. I keep my fingers crossed that we can figure something out with our healthcare system that family's won't lose everything and go bankrupt for a major medical issue.

 

[Bonsaidoorguy]

We found an AcA plan that we can afford but it doesn't really cover anything other than catastrophic. I keep my fingers crossed that we can figure something out with our healthcare system that family's won't lose everything and go bankrupt for a major medical issue.

I'm lucky enough to have healthcare at the moment, but the fact that it's tied to my employer is ridiculous. Profit from the misfortune and suffering of others is immoral and as a country we are putting profits for corporations before the health and safety of our people. We spend more on our military budget than the next ten countries combined, some of those allies, but yet we're told we can't afford healthcare. Bullshit.

 

[Bolero]

I don't think Government sponsored Healthcare is the way to go, too much like Socialism and that would undermine everything that has made USA the Great Country that it is.....Free Enterprise.

 

[Bonsaidoorguy]

I don't think Government sponsored Healthcare is the way to go, too much like Socialism and that would undermine everything that has made USA the Great Country that it is.....Free Enterprise.

How is government sponsored Healthcare any different in theory than government sponsored protection in the form of the military complex? They both theoretically provide for the safety of this country. Government sponsored education already is in place and should be expanded to help our future generations to be competitive in changing world, and it's a good thing because with that attitude, who knows how much a free market would charge for a basic education.

 

[JoeH]

I don't think Government sponsored Healthcare is the way to go, too much like Socialism and that would undermine everything that has made USA the Great Country that it is.....Free Enterprise.

Ohh yeah gouging people on insurance and healthcare is working so well and making the country "great" Its not supposed to be a privilege, it should be a treated as a right. The rich stay healthy and the sick stay poor.

 

[Paradox]

Just ask the veterans how well that government provided health care is working out for them

 

[PABonsai]

Man this really took a turn. I don't think he was looking for a political fight about health insurance.

 

[Bonsaidoorguy]

Just ask the veterans how well that government provided health care is working out for them

How much does that cost them again? Oh that's right, it's provided. Are there flaws? Sure, dig into that bloated defence budget and make it better for the men and women who have defended this country in stead of trying to use it as an excuse. The latest round of tax cuts could have done wonders to improve VA benefits. If Republicans truly cared they would help get something done, but they're more concerned with lining the pockets of their doners.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Man this really took a turn. I don't think he was looking for a political fight about health insurance.

I just accept that this is what most posts are reduced to after so many replies haha.

 

[PABonsai]

How much does that cost them again? Oh that's right, it's provided. Are there flaws? Sure, dig into that bloated defence budget and make it better for the men and women who have defended this country in stead of trying to use it as an excuse. The latest round of tax cuts could have done wonders to improve VA benefits. If Republicans truly cared they would help get something done, but they're more concerned with lining the pockets of their doners.

You don't have a clue how tax cuts actually work. The latest round of tax cuts saved our family about $6,000 in taxes. And we sure as hell aren't "Rich republican donors". You have no clue of how things actually work so stop discussing this matter. This thread has nothing to do with your stupid political views. No one here cares what your political views are. It isn't anyone here's fault you are depending on your job for your health insurance.

 

[Dav4]

How much does that cost them again? Oh that's right, it's provided. Are there flaws? Sure, dig into that bloated defence budget and make it better for the men and women who have defended this country in stead of trying to use it as an excuse. The latest round of tax cuts could have done wonders to improve VA benefits. If Republicans truly cared they would help get something done, but they're more concerned with lining the pockets of their doners.

This implies that you expect the politicians, both democrat or republican, to do the right thing... don't hold your breath.

 

[coh]

This implies that you expect the politicians, both democrat or republican, to do the right thing... don't hold your breath.

They only do the right thing for themselves, the rest of us are on our own...republican and democrat alike.

 

[Paradox]

How much does that cost them again? Oh that's right, it's provided. Are there flaws? Sure, dig into that bloated defence budget and make it better for the men and women who have defended this country in stead of trying to use it as an excuse. The latest round of tax cuts could have done wonders to improve VA benefits. If Republicans truly cared they would help get something done, but they're more concerned with lining the pockets of their doners.

I want to be less dependant on the government, not more. While I believe that affordable health care should be available and accessible to everyone, I dont want to give up my own health care and go to a strict system of socialized medicine simply because I do not trust the government to provide any kind of proper health care system or do anything other than whatever they think is going to get them re-elected.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Id like to see health insurance totally separated from employment and obtained through the private sector with government issuing a families total cost as a tax break of some sort. Government handles everything shittily except bombing enemies and launching missiles so Im fine with that being their main job.

 

[Pitoon]

Just ask the veterans how well that government provided health care is working out for them

As a disabled Veteran I use the Maryland VA system for certain things becuase I don't have to pay. I still work for the Army as an Army civilian and have health insurance through that for myself and family. I can just say that though the VA health care is free in my case it is not the best, but something is better than nothing. I still can't imagine paying so much for health insurance in the private sector. There's diffinately a plus side for working with the federal government.

 

[Paradox]

As a disabled Veteran I use the Maryland VA system for certain things becuase I don't have to pay. I still work for the Army as an Army civilian and have health insurance through that for myself and family. I can just say that though the VA health care is free in my case it is not the best, but something is better than nothing. I still can't imagine paying so much for health insurance in the private sector. There's diffinately a plus side for working with the federal government.

It should be free for you, you were willing to sacrifice your life for this country but you should be getting much better than you are..
You shouldnt have to wait 6 months to over a year to see a doctor for the care that you need.
There are countries with socialized medicine systems where people wait 6 months or more for an operation and they have a 40% or higher tax rate to pay for it.
Where as here its one or two months to wait and while we do pay, we do not pay as high as that.

I am not saying the system we have is perfect, far from it. There is much room for improvement, such as the costs of prescription drugs where the cost to the patient is 1000 times what the ingredients cost. That is rediculous and something should be done about that along with the other run away costs in medical care. However since that might be construed as interfereing with capitolism, it will probably never happen

 

[Dragon60]

Getting back to the op, doing the music thing is definitely the way to go - as long as they can make enough money to get by. Med insurance can come thru the gov't marketplace as long as they are making the $ minimum required to qualify. I do find it strange that with all the gov't programs we have including education and the military, no one cries 'socialism' very loud. But as soon as 'universal healthcare' is mentioned, people cry socialism! As far as I know there is only one industrialized 1st world country that doesn't have some form of universal healthcare and that is the USA. There's still around 40+ million people without health insurance in the US.

 

[Bolero]

If Congress and the Senate passed Universal Health Care another 200,000 folks would be hired to administer it and Monkeys, Dogs and Cats and maybe Parakeets would also be covered...
Congress and the Senate retire at Full Pay, Medical & other Perks after 8 years of Service....?????
I live in the near Detroit Area across the Detroit River from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, the Bridge and Tunnel always packed with Canadians coming over for their Medical issues, they just love their Socialized Medicine.......

 

[Orion_metalhead]

"Healthcare is too expensive"

The US budget is 4.5 Trillion. Healthcare costs in the country accounted for 3.5 Trillion. There is a deficit of 800 Billion so if you add that to the budget as a hypothetical the US budget should be 5.3 Trillion. This means healthcare costs account for more than 50% of expenditures.

Ask yourself: "If I kept 50% of my federal taxes, could I afford private insurance?" I could, and get a phenomenal private plan that is specific for my needs.

Now, imagine also getting that amount as a tax deduction.

End government healthcare, end tying healthcare and insurance to employment, end the dependency state, end the overarching iron grip of government intrusion into privacy. Smart regulation, competitive environment, and an option to opt out of the system for healthcare and save your tax dollars would solve the majority of of this over time.

The buzzwords socialism, and communism, and the emotional arguments mean nothing to me when we are speaking of policies which should be based on objective principles and solutions.

I think the OP should follow his passions as long as he will be able to afford the life he wants to live.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Well, its looking good so far! Less than a week into the new year and I have 3 bass students today. Two in their 50's with no musical experience who want to learn how to play Double Bass and one 15 year old who played fiddle in a community orchestra I was part of who now wants to play bass. I've been putting my lesson plans together and creating folders for each of these students. Wish me luck!