Is Massachusetts Health Care Actually Working?
- Thread starter Crabcake Johnny
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Our casino law passed a few years back. Now we have three and the fourth is going up about 10 miles from me:
Maryland Live! Casino | A World-Class Gaming and Entertainment Destination at Arundel Mills
No table games however. Our casino bill only allows for slots and other electronic games. I will say this - the casino near me is now hiring 1,500 people and I can't say that's a bad thing.
Maryland Live! Casino | A World-Class Gaming and Entertainment Destination at Arundel Mills
No table games however. Our casino bill only allows for slots and other electronic games. I will say this - the casino near me is now hiring 1,500 people and I can't say that's a bad thing.
- 3,352
Ok, lets go back to the original thread and let me continue to poke around at this. Is the MASS law really successful?
1. Hasn't it taken a massive amount of federal money to keep this MASS house of cards health plan afloat? It doesnt matter if 98% are covered and everybodys supposedly happy with the MA plan if its not self sustaining.
2. If we try this on a federal level, ala Obamacare, hows it going to be self sustaining? Wheres the money gonna come from to bring life blood to the plan? Trillions of dollar deficits already on tap and we haven't even truly begun to fund this bad boy.
Again I say, wheres the money? Massive taxes coming to you in Obama's second term. Our country may not be ruined, but if this socialist healthcare pozi scheme is implemented, we are way on the road to forever becoming a look a like to Europe.
What in the hell happened to our country to allow this fiasco? I thought we were always different than the rest of the world because we were smarter, harder working, we took care of our families, our own pile of shiat in our own backyards.
Maybe not anymore. That suction sound is the sound of money leaving your wallet and paycheck because Obama's second term, well over half your paycheck for everybody in the middle class belongs to everybody in an income strata below you to pay for their Obamacare subsidy.
Im not crying the sky is falling, but seriously, there is going to be so much money taken from marginally sucessfull people and given to their neighbor in the form of a healthcare subsidy that our country is going to be changed forever in so many ways we haven't even calculated it yet.
I always wanted to live in Switzerland, or Holland. Yea right. But maybe AL3 is right, its coming. Our country is being fundamentally changed.
Taking responsibility for your own life has now become an option because if you don't have what your neighbor has somehow, today - thats not fair.
What a nation of whiners.
And we, the middle class are supposed to be a part of what Obama calls "shared sacrifice" when addressing his most recent "budget"? We are supposed to, as he says, "eat out less or put off that family vacation" to help this nation in the form of higher taxes. Really? Is this the nation we have deevolved to?
How about eating out more, and going on more lavish family vacations to spur the economy because we are all becoming more successful? This is the type country I want to live in.
Oops, I guess its ok to take a family vacation to Vail on a whim, if that is what floats your boat - Mrs. Obama. I wonder how long she put off that vacation? Maybe shes dining in on TV dinners with her daughters in Vail as well.
1. Hasn't it taken a massive amount of federal money to keep this MASS house of cards health plan afloat? It doesnt matter if 98% are covered and everybodys supposedly happy with the MA plan if its not self sustaining.
2. If we try this on a federal level, ala Obamacare, hows it going to be self sustaining? Wheres the money gonna come from to bring life blood to the plan? Trillions of dollar deficits already on tap and we haven't even truly begun to fund this bad boy.
Again I say, wheres the money? Massive taxes coming to you in Obama's second term. Our country may not be ruined, but if this socialist healthcare pozi scheme is implemented, we are way on the road to forever becoming a look a like to Europe.
What in the hell happened to our country to allow this fiasco? I thought we were always different than the rest of the world because we were smarter, harder working, we took care of our families, our own pile of shiat in our own backyards.
Maybe not anymore. That suction sound is the sound of money leaving your wallet and paycheck because Obama's second term, well over half your paycheck for everybody in the middle class belongs to everybody in an income strata below you to pay for their Obamacare subsidy.
Im not crying the sky is falling, but seriously, there is going to be so much money taken from marginally sucessfull people and given to their neighbor in the form of a healthcare subsidy that our country is going to be changed forever in so many ways we haven't even calculated it yet.
I always wanted to live in Switzerland, or Holland. Yea right. But maybe AL3 is right, its coming. Our country is being fundamentally changed.
Taking responsibility for your own life has now become an option because if you don't have what your neighbor has somehow, today - thats not fair.
What a nation of whiners.
And we, the middle class are supposed to be a part of what Obama calls "shared sacrifice" when addressing his most recent "budget"? We are supposed to, as he says, "eat out less or put off that family vacation" to help this nation in the form of higher taxes. Really? Is this the nation we have deevolved to?
How about eating out more, and going on more lavish family vacations to spur the economy because we are all becoming more successful? This is the type country I want to live in.
Oops, I guess its ok to take a family vacation to Vail on a whim, if that is what floats your boat - Mrs. Obama. I wonder how long she put off that vacation? Maybe shes dining in on TV dinners with her daughters in Vail as well.
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How well does the MA law work? We've all read articles that say the opposite of what that article in the original post said, and there are many more factors, including the tax burden and premium amount. Below is a link to the IRS publication where page 5 shows the 2011 state average premiums for the small group market. They are in alphabetical order and show single & family, but for brevity I'll show family cost with the highest first: :
$15,262 - Massachussetts
$14,701 - Alaska
$14,553 - Rhode Island
$14,523 - New Hampshire
$14,096 - Connecticut
$14,093 - New Jersey
$14,024 - District of Columbia
$13,911 - Wisconsin
$13,631 - New York
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8941.pdf
The MA law was primarily aimed at getting everyone insured, which designers of that law admit was the aim. I'm certainly not against getting everyone covered, but the cost and corresponding consequences must be another factor. In fact, Tim Murphy who helped design the law as Secretary of Health and Human Services for MA under former Governor Mitt Romney is quoted in Politico as saying, "The Massachusetts law is a work in progress -- not the solution for our country. It met the primary objective, to expand health insurance access, but it needs constant fine-tuning. With the focus now on containing costs, the state must avoid market-distorting actions, like Governor Patrick's recent price control recommendations. Instead the state should reduce burdensome insurance regulations, promote the direct purchase of health insurance by consumers and eliminate the free care program left over from the days before universal coverage. "
$15,262 - Massachussetts
$14,701 - Alaska
$14,553 - Rhode Island
$14,523 - New Hampshire
$14,096 - Connecticut
$14,093 - New Jersey
$14,024 - District of Columbia
$13,911 - Wisconsin
$13,631 - New York
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8941.pdf
The MA law was primarily aimed at getting everyone insured, which designers of that law admit was the aim. I'm certainly not against getting everyone covered, but the cost and corresponding consequences must be another factor. In fact, Tim Murphy who helped design the law as Secretary of Health and Human Services for MA under former Governor Mitt Romney is quoted in Politico as saying, "The Massachusetts law is a work in progress -- not the solution for our country. It met the primary objective, to expand health insurance access, but it needs constant fine-tuning. With the focus now on containing costs, the state must avoid market-distorting actions, like Governor Patrick's recent price control recommendations. Instead the state should reduce burdensome insurance regulations, promote the direct purchase of health insurance by consumers and eliminate the free care program left over from the days before universal coverage. "
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- 8,448
That listing of small group per-family costs is a real eye opener! Is there any type of "help" from Mass. government to assist employers with paying the premiums..or it just a strict mandate to buy insurance for your employees.
If the Health Reform Law holds till 2014, won't all these small groups pretty much fall apart as the majority of families enroll in Exchange health plans to receive the Federal Subsidy?
ac
If the Health Reform Law holds till 2014, won't all these small groups pretty much fall apart as the majority of families enroll in Exchange health plans to receive the Federal Subsidy?
ac
Love it! Let me ask you this in all honesty. What republican or conservative President do you know that didn't raise taxes and grow government?
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- #17
- 14,808
None. Two of the largest expansions of government were under Reagan and Bush. Reagan alone was responsible for our national debt going into the trillions for the first time in our history.
This is why the main Republican mantra of "less government" is totally laughable.
This is why the main Republican mantra of "less government" is totally laughable.
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Funny how this coincides with a 50% stock market drop. Look at this chart starting in 1937 at 194 dow jones, down to 98 by early 1938. Dow Jones Industrial Average (1920 - 1940 Daily) - Charting Tools - StockCharts.com
John.
Good news that in MA a health system works. Maybe it will catch on!
We were so busy making money and building schools and athletic fields and 3rd & 4th cars and time shares and condos and cruises and de-fat centers that we, yes we, neglected the silent part of our society that were underfed, under educated, under housed and under medical cared for. We left it up to others and gladly lent our financial support to community chest, churches and other organizations to provide care for the "poor". O.K., why didn't they get a job? Because of lack of mental health care, and all of the above. In spite of the fact that we, who could afford decent livings and in many cases middle upper class living, didn't care that the U.S. ranked way down on the list of health care for children and overall health care as a Western Nation. We had ours and were working hard to keep it and get more. And now, that MA health care seems to work, we can find every excuse to have the SC overturn Obamacare. We could get the whole unemployment situation solved and have tax revenue meet all the needs plus the deficit if we had a major effort to rebuild the US infrastructure. Roads, Bridges, sewers, water filtration, schools, science etc. And, of course do away with the billions and billions sucked out of the system by managed care companies and others. Do away with health insurance? Absolutely. single payer? Of, course. Increase payments to doctors? Absolutely. And close 1/2 of overseas bases and let the countries involved use their own military. How about cutting defense that is already over armed and let the drones do it. How about National Public Service, 2 years for every, that is every high school graduate and those not graduating serve at the age of 18 for 4 years. Let 'em learn discipline, respect and maybe a trade or at least learn about work.
Well, that is all beyond the Gordon Gecko philosophy. And, the 1% would never let it happen. Why go beyond "lazy fair". Or something like that. And, most of us would need to go training seminars and learn a new trade. Never happen!
Good news that in MA a health system works. Maybe it will catch on!
We were so busy making money and building schools and athletic fields and 3rd & 4th cars and time shares and condos and cruises and de-fat centers that we, yes we, neglected the silent part of our society that were underfed, under educated, under housed and under medical cared for. We left it up to others and gladly lent our financial support to community chest, churches and other organizations to provide care for the "poor". O.K., why didn't they get a job? Because of lack of mental health care, and all of the above. In spite of the fact that we, who could afford decent livings and in many cases middle upper class living, didn't care that the U.S. ranked way down on the list of health care for children and overall health care as a Western Nation. We had ours and were working hard to keep it and get more. And now, that MA health care seems to work, we can find every excuse to have the SC overturn Obamacare. We could get the whole unemployment situation solved and have tax revenue meet all the needs plus the deficit if we had a major effort to rebuild the US infrastructure. Roads, Bridges, sewers, water filtration, schools, science etc. And, of course do away with the billions and billions sucked out of the system by managed care companies and others. Do away with health insurance? Absolutely. single payer? Of, course. Increase payments to doctors? Absolutely. And close 1/2 of overseas bases and let the countries involved use their own military. How about cutting defense that is already over armed and let the drones do it. How about National Public Service, 2 years for every, that is every high school graduate and those not graduating serve at the age of 18 for 4 years. Let 'em learn discipline, respect and maybe a trade or at least learn about work.
Well, that is all beyond the Gordon Gecko philosophy. And, the 1% would never let it happen. Why go beyond "lazy fair". Or something like that. And, most of us would need to go training seminars and learn a new trade. Never happen!
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