Obamacare? what are your thoughts

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Hello ladies!

As healthcare professionals, what are your opinions on Obamacare?

They do have medicare however as we know it doesnt cover nearly enough on the retirement income they are on. The plan they had then lost was much more helping in prescriptions which is what they need in their late 70's. I am attempting to get them on to my plan so they can get better coverage.

Having Medicare which doesn't cover everything is v. different from not having "any insurance at all," which is what you have repeatedly stated here in regard to your parents. They do have Medicare. It's a shame they lost your father's retirement coverage plan but, as already noted, lots of employers have been dumping their retiree coverage, and that trend started long before anyone was even talking about the ACA.

Since you mention particular difficulty with getting coverage for your parents' medications, I'll just point out that Medicare Part D prescription coverage was a Republican invention.

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Since you mention particular difficulty with getting coverage for your parents' medications, I'll just point out that Medicare Part D prescription coverage was a Republican invention.

What difference does that make?

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What difference does that make?

I mentioned it because the poster has been so adamant that her/his family's health insurance problems are all due to the ACA and Obama. Contrary to popular belief, not every problem any American faces is a result of the Democrats and Obama ...

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I mentioned it because the poster has been so adamant that her/his family's health insurance problems are all due to the ACA and Obama. Contrary to popular belief, not every problem any American faces is a result of the Democrats and Obama ...

Right but I thought this thread was about the ACA and not part D. It seems like you are just trying to stick your finger in the posters eye.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
Right but I thought this thread was about the ACA and not part D. It seems like you are just trying to stick your finger in the posters eye.

Why does that fact seem like a poke in the eye?

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Specializes in Critical Care.
They do have medicare however as we know it doesnt cover nearly enough on the retirement income they are on. The plan they had then lost was much more helping in prescriptions which is what they need in their late 70's. I am attempting to get them on to my plan so they can get better coverage.

You're trying to put your parents, in their late 70's, on your non-medicare plan? That's typically not possible, insurers aren't really interested in covering medicare age people with plans priced for those less than 65, and have developed a number of protections to keep that from happening.

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People for "Obamacare" can say what they wish. I am a nurse and my insurance has gone up $200 a month and both my parents were dropped from my fathers retirement plan. I have no problem with giving everyone health coverage, but I think a lot more planning and considerations should have been looked at before starting this MESS we are all stuck with paying for now. I have issues with those who dont work becuase they have 10 kids and arent willing to lose their tv time during the day knowing the government will continue to give them food stamps and welfare for nothing. (I know my example will make someone mad but that is only 1 scenario I've seen). I dont like that I am paying for those who wont pay for themselves. I have no problem with those who deserve the care my check provides them. But how do we weed out the worthless?

Alright- honest question here. I looked up your area on the OPM website (you have said you are a VA RN) Looking at health insurance and using Kaiser as an example:

Standard plan for one person is $136.17 per month

Standard plan for family is only $312.83 per month

I understand you may not be using Kaiser, but I would imagine the numbers can't be that much different for the other plans...or no one would use them.

For your insurance to have gone up $200 per month you would have had to have been getting a seriously incredible deal before. It is impossible for it to have gone up that much if you are purchasing a single person option.

If you are now forced to pay up to $300 for a family plan....consider yourself lucky. I pay $1500 (employer kicks in another $300) for my inferior Kaiser family plan.

Then again....maybe I am just not understanding your complaint. It may seem like a more realistic grievance if you could tell us that your numbers went from $blank to $blank. Because what I see on the OPM website really does not justify any outrage at all.

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All I am going to say is: annoying!

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I run marathons and am a physically healthy 40 something with no major family history of illness.

This may be a little off topic, but maybe your insurance carrier should charge you MORE for that marathon habit...

What exactly are the problems caused by training for long periods of times at high intensities such as what occurs during a marathon? Several things. . .

  • Debilitating osteoarthritis . . . at young ages

  • Tendonitis and other repetitive strain injuries

  • Recurrent upper respiratory infections

  • Increased oxidative damage (free radical production)

  • Decreased fat metabolism

  • Susceptibility to injury

  • Loss of bone density

  • Depletion of lean muscle tissue

  • Coupled with the common high refined carbohydrate intake promotes a dangerous level of continuous systemic inflammation.

Source: Warning: Running a Marathon Can Seriously Harm Your Health

Your post implies that since you are "healthy", you should get to pay less. Less than whom? Someone who is disabled? Has poor genetics? Has chronic illness?

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
This may be a little off topic, but maybe your insurance carrier should charge you MORE for that marathon habit...

What exactly are the problems caused by training for long periods of times at high intensities such as what occurs during a marathon? Several things. . .

... Source: Warning: Running a Marathon Can Seriously Harm Your Health ....

oh, yes...quoting an article in the healthy home economist is completely credible. Overall, people who properly train for marathons, and allow for recovery periods, are healthier than the general population.

yeah, it is definitely off topic.

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.
You have practically come to hate your Medicare Advantage patients? You are saying you do everything you can to avoid seeing them and avoid sending them to specialities because you feel you are not adequately reimbursed? Or have I misunderstood you? These patients trust you with their lives. You are saying you don't make a conscientious effort to provide good care for these patients? Please do your patients a favor and publish your name and the name of your practice.

Of course we try to keep them out of the office! No, I never said we don't provide good care. Yes, you are completely misunderstanding me and misconstruing my words.

Adv insurance plans do not permit specialty referral without reams of documentation, so we don't do it on a lark. Just because they think they want to go see an ologist because Dr. Oz mentioned oneis not a good enough reason. They need to have to go. It takes an act of congress to get a CT or MRI approved, so we don't order them just for good measure. Clearly, however, we order the necessary tests and referrals.

Do you not have any inkling of how capitated health care works? We would be bankrupt if we didn't play by the rules. And we don't make the rules, nor do we sell the patients these plans.

Of course we don't hate capitated pateints individually, most of them are lovely people. We have come to hate capitated patients as a group.

As a rule, I also hate used car salesman. It isn't personal. Calm down.

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oh, yes...quoting an article in the healthy home economist is completely credible. Overall, people who properly train for marathons, and allow for recovery periods, are healthier than the general population.

yeah, it is definitely off topic.

Yeah? OK, thanks for verifying.

The point is, no one's health is guaranteed, and no one can count on not needing healthcare. Not even marathon runners.

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