USA Healthcare Costs are Ridiculous

[dishstaller]

Priorities ...

I guess so. Obviously he didn't really need those pills....or at least HE didn't think so.

 

[harshness]

not cancel it outright but do away with the portion which covers wind damage.

Other than fire, what other kinds of damage do you guys get down there?

 

[harshness]

My prescription before Medicare took over was $30 for 90 days, Medicare took over, now it was $375 last January and $150ish after that 90 days worth.

My Ozempic went from almost $400 every four weeks to $11 with a $0 Part D plan. That plan will be $5.63/month in 2027.

Make sure you've shopped around this open enrollment season.

 

[dishstaller]

Other than fire, what other kinds of damage do you guys get down there?

Not much else. Fire is the only thing I really worry about. I honestly didn't know I could remove wind coverage until someone told that they had....dropped their annual rate from $6,500 to $1,800. I'm currently paying $5,160.

 

[navychop]

So he HAD money for a remote but not $4 for this medicine that somebody somewhere thought he needed.

Sounds like a self correcting situation.

 

[Jimbo]

Not much else. Fire is the only thing I really worry about. I honestly didn't know I could remove wind coverage until someone told that they had....dropped their annual rate from $6,500 to $1,800. I'm currently paying $5,160.

Does the Wind portion cover Hurricanes ?

 

[dishstaller]

Does the Wind portion cover Hurricanes ?

Yes. I covers ANYTHING wind related. If the wind blows down a tree on my roof...that is wind related.
That is why I want to take out a few trees first before I drop it.

I'm not worried about my roof. House was very solidly built and has hurricane straps. I put the metal roof on myself with the help of a friend and I recently replaced all of the outer screws with #12 2 in screws which I also dipped the tip in silicone before driving them in. Any other damage I'll fix myself like I did after Michael gave us a visit in 2018.

 

[dishdude]

The other thing you can look at are deductibles. I bumped my homeowners up to $10k and it dropped my premium in half - I'm not filing a claim unless the damage is catastrophic.

 

[Jimbo]

Yes. I covers ANYTHING wind related. If the wind blows down a tree on my roof...that is wind related.
That is why I want to take out a few trees first before I drop it.

I'm not worried about my roof. House was very solidly built and has hurricane straps. I put the metal roof on myself with the help of a friend and I recently replaced all of the outer screws with #12 2 in screws which I also dipped the tip in silicone before driving them in. Any other damage I'll fix myself like I did after Michael gave us a visit in 2018.

So, the Roof will stay, hopefully the rest of the house stays as well ... if the Hurricane decides to take the house and move it down the street, well at least the roof will go with it !

 

[meStevo]

The other thing you can look at are deductibles. I bumped my homeowners up to $10k and it dropped my premium in half - I'm not filing a claim unless the damage is catastrophic.

Yeah, I made our homeowners insurance deductible tied to a percentage of value or something - basically will only use it if the place burns down.

 

[dishstaller]

So, the Roof will stay, hopefully the rest of the house stays as well ... if the Hurricane decides to take the house and move it down the street, well at least the roof will go with it !

Why be such a smartbutt.
We went through a cat 5 hurricane.....the foundation is sound. Trees hitting the house are the only thing I am worried about when it comes to wind related damage.
IF you had actually been through multiple hurricanes like I have, you would know that most of the damage, unless you were stupid enough to build along the coast.....something ALL of our ancestors knew better than to do, is roof related. In a lot of cases the roof gives way and then the house suffers water damage due to the heavy rain.

 

[slow_poke_pete]

Such a scam. Healthcare.gov shows me cheaper individual plans available for 2027 from ambetter that ambetter doesn't show on their website. Looked it up. I've spent $68,000 in premiums the last 5 years and got nothing out of it except a few doctors visits and labs.

have you even been abroad. talk about the cost of health care the whole cost of living in merica is a scam. were taxed to death so bad everyone's a slave to the govt. explore the cost of living in other countries it might blow your mind!!!

 

[AZ.]

have you even been abroad. talk about the cost of health care the whole cost of living in merica is a scam. were taxed to death so bad everyone's a slave to the govt. explore the cost of living in other countries it might blow your mind!!!

Yes and they have healthcare.

 

[dishstaller]

Yes and they have healthcare.

There are some recent videos on Youtube where Americans who left the US for the utopia of Europe are having serious second thoughts and the "free healthcare" is one of the primary things they mention.

 

[navychop]

I've had CTs etc within MINUTES of entering an ER (A&E).

In Canada, they publish wait times (months) for CTs. And track the number of deaths of such people while waiting.

 

[b4pjoe]

have you even been abroad. talk about the cost of health care the whole cost of living in merica is a scam. were taxed to death so bad everyone's a slave to the govt. explore the cost of living in other countries it might blow your mind!!!

OK

Examples of Tax Rates in Universal Healthcare Countries

• • Denmark
    • Tax Wedge / Top Rate: Has some of the highest income tax rates in the world, with top marginal personal income tax rates reaching around 55.9% to 60.5%.
    • Tax-to-GDP Ratio: Around 45.2% (one of the highest in the OECD).
    • Healthcare Funding:
  • France
    • Tax Wedge: The average single worker's tax wedge is approximately 47.0% to 47.2% of labor costs.
    • Tax-to-GDP Ratio: Around 43.5%.
    • Healthcare Funding: Funded via Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) payroll contributions, income taxes, and specific levies on alcohol and tobacco. Patients typically pay 20% to 30% out-of-pocket or use complementary insurance
  • Germany
    • Tax Wedge: The average single worker's tax wedge is approximately 47.9% to 48.3%.
    • Healthcare Funding: Dual statutory and private health insurance model funded by joint employer-employee payroll contributions (calculated as a percentage of gross wages up to a ceiling) plus general federal subsidies
  • United Kingdom
    • Tax Wedge / Rates: Progressive income tax rates range from 20% to 45% for individuals, plus a 20% Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services.
    • Healthcare Funding: The National Health Service (NHS) is funded primarily out of general national taxation rather than a dedicated social insurance contribution.
  • Canada
    • Tax Wedge / Rates: Progressive federal and provincial income tax brackets vary by province, with top marginal rates generally scaling from 40% to 53% combined.
    • Healthcare Funding: Canada's public medicare system is tax-funded through federal and provincial revenues, though prescription drugs outside hospitals, dental, and vision care often require private insurance or out-of-pocket payment.
  OECD Average Reference
  • Across OECD countries with universal coverage, the average single-worker tax wedge sits at 35.1% of labor costs, showing that rates range drastically from lower-tax systems (like parts of Latin America or Asia) to high-tax European welfare states.

 

[dishstaller]

Well done

 

[Ronnie-]

Just got our renewal and its going up to over 1900 a month. Deductible is going up too.

Im probably dropping myself off of it and just keeping it on my wife and daughter. This is utterly ridiculous and pisses me off on a yearly basis.

 

[osu1991]

I've had CTs etc within MINUTES of entering an ER (A&E).

In Canada, they publish wait times (months) for CTs. And track the number of deaths of such people while waiting.

Must be nice. My mother waited hours in the ER for that when she fell over the summer and hit her head.

Heaven forbid they think you have a swallowing issue. They'll just let you die unless you void a DNR order and agree to be intubated with a feeding tube. Hospitalist refused any other option and told me to prepare for the end. I had to call a doctor friend that recommended that I move my mother to hospice care which would take over care from hospital staff and approve giving her something. She didn't pass their swallowing test but had no problem actually swallowing. 2 days after hospice took over and she actually had some nutrition she was back to normal. After that I refused any more $2100 ER transports from long term care. They did the same to my dad 6 years ago when he was in the hospital and couldn't pass their swallowing test even though he had been fine eating and drinking for a week while there under the care of the cancer hospital before being moved to the main hospital. It led to his health decline after showing improvements towards being released.

I know more now and will push back if ever in those situations again. Also ticks me off the hospitalist doctor has final say over any of the specialists actually caring for the patient. In my opinion all of these hospitals and clinics being bought by two or three large national groups has led to poorer care.

 

[AZ.]

In 1993 they were trying to address healthcare, now the problem is a damn monster!.....We need more drs, and nurses to start. Rural hospitals are closing down left and right. It looks like my closest hospital(26 miles away) doesnt think they will make it through next year. The whole thing is a mess! And by the first of the year it will be on steroids!

hold on tight