Political & Elections

pima · Guru

RE: Obamacare impacts already... even college

john doe · Guru

5 Things You Need To Know About Obamacare

November 22, 2012 | Filed Under » Government and Politics, Health Insurance, Healthcare, Laws and Regulation, Personal Finance

A hot topic in the U.S. and the world at large right now is fighting the high cost of healthcare. In the United States, a polarizing issue is the Affordable Care Act, better known as "Obamacare." There are many people up in arms about the future of healthcare in America. There are many components of the Affordable Care Act that are widely misunderstood by many citizens

. Here's a look at five things you need to know about Obamacare and why it's not as scary as you think.

It Doesn't Replace Private Insurance
Contrary to what many citizens may think, Obamacare is not replacing private health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare. The Affordable Care Act works hand in hand with private insurance by regulating insurance practices, giving citizens affordable options and making sure that every American citizen has access to affordable healthcare. Without private insurance, the Affordable Care Act would not work. There is no specific "government" plan; you are free to select whichever plan you desire.

Obamacare Regulates Insurance Company Practices
One of the restrictions that will be put into place includes enforcing a cap ceiling on what insurance companies can charge in terms of premiums. Other terms include the removal of pre-existing condition clauses, in which an insurance carrier refuses coverage due to an existing health condition. By regulating insurance company practices, the Affordable Care Act is helping to lower healthcare costs and help protect the financial

well-being of American citizens.

Healthcare Exchange Provides More Options
The healthcare exchange that comes alongside the Affordable Care Act will provide a diverse selection of policies to choose from. Citizens can select from free or low-cost insurance coverage

, or opt for a higher-priced plan from a private health insurer. Obamacare is not stripping citizens of their liberties, as many people believe, it is actually giving them more choices and protecting their wallets in the process.

Obamacare is Projected to Lower the Deficit, Not Raise It
A complaint many taxpayers have is that they believe the Affordable Care Act will increase the already-enormous deficit. The reality is much different than this belief, however. By the year 2022, the American people will have saved $84 billion as a result of Obamacare. The reason for the massive savings is due partially to the cap being placed on insurance carrier premiums, along with a number of other factors, including offering more low-cost options to cash-strapped Americans, as opposed to going without insurance.

In 10 Years, Obamacare Will Insure 30 Million More Citizens
In today's society, a big complaint from many consumers is that they cannot afford health insurance on their present salary. Obamacare puts an end to this complaint. By offering a variety of low-cost options, citizens who previously couldn't afford health insurance now have access to a variety of choices. It has been estimated that by the year 2022, more than 30 million additional citizens will be insured

thanks to Obamacare.

The Bottom Line
There are many misconceptions surrounding the Affordable Care Act. The purpose of the act is to put regulations and restrictions on insurance companies

so that Americans can better manage their healthcare costs. This is done in order to protect the American people, not hinder them or encroach on their liberties. The Affordable Care Act provides budget-friendly choices and keeps insurance companies from increasing premiums past a certain level, while also restricting other pre-existing condition clauses. By making health insurance more affordable, Obamacare aims to improve the quality of life of millions of Americans, while also protecting their financial well-being.

Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1112/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-obamacare.aspx#ixzz2DZCXRNHL

longprime · Guru

cry cry cry cry

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

We did petition. They lifted hardly a figure and the answer was no, there is nothing we can do. They didn't get our vote in November after that. Didn't matter. Still got elected.

catahoula · Guru

Sympathy isn't worth much but you and he both have mine. That your business is doing well is much better news.

Sounds like busdriver's willing to sponsor your emigration... maybe you ought to go ahead and do it before the Assembly wises up and levys an exit fee?

-- Edited by catahoula on Tuesday 27th of November 2012 07:55:42 PM

longprime · Guru

I'd petition to your Congressman and Senators for sometype of relief. Your son got caught in a perfect conflueence.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

No Powerball ticket options for me. They don't sell them in California.

Yes, Pima, it's oldest son. He has had some issues with his stomach that continue to grow over the last several months. I think it's the stress of the year and his sudden career change, his debt to the government and it's either an ulcer or gallbladder. He can't eat without pain that persists. I told him that he needs to do yoga, if nothing else than to find a way to de-stress and relax.

I don't want to say 2013 will be worse. All things said, 2012 wasn't that bad, considering that we had regular jobs and my business grew exponentially this year. Except for the ROTC thing. That basically sucked. Still does.

Do hope that 2013 will be better!

pima · Guru

Please tell me Samurai it wasn't your DS? I am betting you can't wait for 2012 to end! Hope you purchased a powerball tckt because you are owed some great karma.

Thx, for your post, I really was questioning myself regarding why 01/01/13 and healthcare. Hopefully LP will enlighten us what they meant.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

The Affordable Care Act. Not affordable and the care aspect is in question. Or maybe that is just my take after being in urgent care tonight with a kid. Not tied to Jan 1 fiscal cliff, at all. I am not sure what you mean, either.

pima · Guru

LP, I am sorry, but I can't get a read on you at all.

What issues?

Obamacare is not part of the fiscal cliff come 1/1/13.

I am probably too tired to get what you are saying.

longprime · Guru

As I said before, Obamacare will probably end up as a interium program until HI companies, the public, the providers, and the budget can get a better feel of where this will endup. The electorate is now in a different position than it was just a month ago. The President is now in a different position. And the political parties are in new positions. Good or bad, I am fairly sure that in 4 years we will see more changes in HI, medicare, social security, and taxes.

What amazes me is that everyone thinks that these issues can be resolved before Jan 01.

Razorsharp · Guru

If the cost of hiring someone increases dramatically because of Obamacare, an employer who cannot pass on the cost to its consumers must either employ fewer people or reduce the number of hours worked per week by employees. This is an obvious side effect of Obamacare.

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

My cost doesn't increase to add adult children to insurance. They don't charge per person. How is it a moneymaker for health insurance companies?

catahoula · Guru

I think the assumption is that someone else is going to end up helping cover your kid, jd, just as they will mine. Does make you wonder where the tab is going to land, though, and I suspect at least one of us is going to be surprised. Maybe both.

Scratch that: I'm sure all of us (including longprime) are going to be unpleasantly surprised with that Anacin they close our arthritic fingers around, right before helping us out onto that floe.

john doe · Guru

Obamacare has really impacted us in regards to my kid. Instead of paying an outrageous amount of money for health insurance, she is covered on our insurance which was significantly cheaper.

pima · Guru

It depends.

I love you longprime because you see everything with rose colored glasses. I would love to see our economy that way, but I can't.

You talk about the public sector vs private. Govt employees have had to endure the last 3 yrs with pay freezes, including COLA, meanwhile many of them are retirees and their retirement pay also has taken a hit, and now their medical bennies are changing regarding health care and life insurance. Things that were once promised to them for defending this country are being pulled away yr after yr.

This CC may seem like nothing, but in the area I live in, and my family members, I would say 50% of our children are using the IS program where if they attend any CC and maintain a 3.0 cgpa+ for 2 yrs., they are automatically accepted to any IS college, and all credits transfer. The reason why is cost and even with merit, the debt is still insane.

It costs 5K a yr in VA to attend a CC, 18K for IS colleges. They can go to a CC, and transfer to UVA,, a school called/described as a Public Ivy. Same is true for NC and UNCCH. Employers are looking at where they graduate from, and their cgpa. In their cases, they will save at least 25K in cost. Their debt will be lower, and that means when they get a job, they may not need to live back at home with the folks, and even if they do, they will still have more disposable income than their peers that didn't do the CC route.

That means money into our economy. So if you take that premise, the CC's impact our economy more than we can imagine.

The fact that these employees who are not fresh out of college, but older with mtgs, car pmts, kids, etc., will also impact our economy in a negative impact.

Your DS's college IMPO is unique to offer full bennies to part time employees. The thing is that was 2 yrs ago before Obamacare, I wonder if they are being so gracious now.

pima · Guru

No doubt razor. You are preaching to the choir.

However, what has yet to be realized is many people don't get higher education falls into that ability to pass on the cost to its consumer. Hence, why CCAC is cutting 400 adjunct professors. Why companies will reduce hrs so not to raise prices.

The only positive I can see from employment purposes are companies like Kelly services. In essence, Microsoft can hire you, me or the man behind the tree to work for them 40 hrs a week. I am a temp., and they can do this forever. I am not a Kelly Services employee, I am an independent contractor. Kelly, not Microsoft are liable to offer my HI. I am not an employee for either of them, even if I work 40 hrs a week.

That is also why this idea of PBO's Obamacare costs is total BS.

As an employer, my bottom line is safe. Yes, I pay more for the Temp service, but that is offset by not paying HI, sick days, personal days, and vacay days. As an employer, if you were smart, Obamacare may have become a God send regarding your bottom line. His "interim" program, just allowed me to cut employees, and rehire them cheaper. Very few people realize those indirect bennies cost about 1/3rd of the salary. Make 90K a yr., for them with 401K matching, vesting options, and hiring a temp to do your job when you are on vacay, their real cost for salary is 120K.

Welcome to the true impact of Obamacare regarding employment.

We are only seeing the newest fall out. I am afraid of what we will see come next July when small companies plan for 2014.

Bullet asked me yesterday what I want for Xmas, and I didn't have an answer. I think I am going to research companies like Kelly services and buy stock because IMPO they are going to be the next big boom!

I would not want HI companies in my portfolio, nor hospitals. They are going to tank.

-- Edited by pima on Monday 26th of November 2012 07:40:51 PM

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

We will all be part time before long.

pima · Guru

LP, it has only been 3 yrs., because that is how long it has been in place. For all we know it could be 7-10 yrs more. Sorry, but the HDTV issue is like me saying you know where your ABS brakes, or Nav systems come from? The govt.! They were tested out 1st in military hardware. That's just our capitalistic society at work.

Additionally, this is true for retirees. You know the guys and girls that were willing to die for us? Yep, every yr., that retirement pay is eroded because as the Std. of living increases, they are held 1% below that increase. Heck, how about our AD members. Do you realize they come out of the fed. budget, and many of our enlisted members that are deployed have spouses back stateside buying groceries via WIC. These retirees and AD members must pay for HI.

That is our current system.

As far as this being an interim system, gee great! Let's create more costs and bureaucracy because we rushed to get something done.

One of my bosses had a great saying regarding hiring. A hole is better than arse hole! It is true. You take the time and do it right because in the long run it will save time, money and energy.

I linked that article for 2 reasons.
1. To illustrate how large of an impact this decision will be on us all.
2. Made me LMAO
~~~ Colleges are the bastion of left leaning voters. It is a perfect illustration of be careful of what you wish for because it might come true.
~~~ Don't you think some of these profs thought that this was a great interim solution like you? They were in their minds helping others, that it would have no negative impact in their personal life. Afterall, even if they didn't get HI through the college, they could afford it on their own. They never thought that financially they would be on the short end of the stick, yet here they are now. Adjuncts are paid per class taught. 5 hrs, is basically 2 courses they will lose. All because of Obamacare.

I wonder what they will think next semester or the semester after that when their wallets take a hit.

I feel the same way about taxes. Go and raise the rate, close every loophole, including mtgs. Yes, it will ding us, but not as bad as all of those Hollywood/Musicians that came out for PBO, like Geffen, Streisand, Beyonce and JayZ. Can't wait to see how they feel when their accountants tell them how much more they owe. Tax them at 50/60/70%, they supported PBO and his idea of share the wealth.

I agree it is time Springsteen shared his wealth with us poor folks. Don't tell me about his charitable acts. I give too, but I am in the scheme of things less fortunate than them, so it is time I get a few pennies back, afterall I bought a lot of his albums!

OBTW as far as insurance companies making more money by keeping them onto 26...wrong IMPO. The reason why is children would be on it when they entered college at 18, thus they aren't making more money. If the child gets a FT job out of college, even at DC Cupcakes, or the now defunct Hostess, they would be offered HI. The companies are making more money either way. They are just shuffling the deck differently.

Think about it, if your child at 26 has yet to get a FT job, HI is the least of yourworries.

Our insurance will allow our kids to stay on as long as we provide proof every semester that they are a FT student. If they went to Med school, Law school or Grad school, they are on policy. The minute they graduate, they are covered for 30-45 days (can't remember which). We were informed snail mail that DS would be dropped from our insurance shortly after his graduation. They knew of it because we had to provide proof, and the school sent a letter stating May 22nd he would graduate.

Like SLS, it is a family program, and we are all insured, but the cost doesn't change since it is "family", not individual.

-- Edited by pima on Monday 26th of November 2012 06:25:33 PM

longprime · Guru

Would you want to pay full benefits to an people who are parttime?

It's about time that public sector employees match SOP in the private sector. If they don't like the conditions of employment-quit.

longprime · Guru

IMO, retaining adult children to age 26(?) on your family HI plan is a money maker for the insurance companies.

We need universal-single payor or none. This inbetween HI solution hopefully is just an interium solution until a better one is found.

I don't tolerate branded aspirin well either in the pocket book or healthwise.

-- Edited by longprime on Monday 26th of November 2012 05:04:00 PM

longprime · Guru

Just and only 3 years without pay raises or COLA. No such thing as COLA in the private sector.

I went longer than that in high tech that allow you to watch digital TV over broadband on a single chip. DW did the same with the company that made the metal that allowed high performance planes to fly.

Have we benefited from Obama's stimulii - you betcha. The pig has lipstick and it is time to slaughter the pig. PBO knows it. Congress knows it. And that is why we will avoid the fiscal cliff. Painful but necessary.

-- Edited by longprime on Monday 26th of November 2012 01:02:25 PM

-- Edited by longprime on Monday 26th of November 2012 01:02:55 PM

longprime · Guru

Winchester, does say some truisms. sometimes.

The various Stimulii Acts have run their course. Probably the stimulii prevented a massive economic collapse but they did not propell the economy to great economic growth.

DS worked for the state's flagship university as staff researcher, during the 2009-2010 crash, hired by his undergrad professor-advisor. After 4 months, he went halftime (20 hrs). I said great, now you can buy your own HI and fund your own IRA and investments and have the ability to take or to walkaway from any job. - You won't have the golden benefit handcuffs.

"Well," he said, "I still get full health insurance (health, dental, prescription, vision -~$50/mn) and retirement benefits including a match. " IOW, the benefit handcuffs got tighter.

So he lost potential income for 18 months. However he had some very interesting personal projects that facilitated his way into current job. He skiied a lot, came home often, and his mother visited him. Thankyou, State.

So, Do you think that part-time is good or bad?

-- Edited by longprime on Monday 26th of November 2012 10:59:31 AM

-- Edited by longprime on Monday 26th of November 2012 11:04:44 AM

pima · Guru

I think you are missing the point. ECONOMY

If you want to go down the public sector path, and divert this topic, tell me how you feel about teachers K-12? They have a union, the adjuncts don't! Want to save money, don't jump over the nickels to pick up the pennies. K-12 teachers, and their unions are from a RE/State/Fed tax perspective are the nickels.

-- Edited by pima on Monday 26th of November 2012 10:11:51 AM

pima · Guru

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/11/21/Surprise-PA-College-Slashes-Hours-To-Avoid-Obamacare

Pennsylvania's Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is slashing the hours of 400 adjunct instructors, support staff, and part-time instructors to dodge paying for Obamacare.

"It's kind of a double whammy for us because we are facing a legal requirement [under the new law] to get health care and if the college is reducing our hours, we don't have the money to pay for it," said adjunct biology professor Adam Davis.

On Tuesday, CCAC employees were notified that Obamacare defines full-time employees as those working 30 hours or more per week and that on Dec. 31 temporary part-time employees will be cut back to 25 hours. The move will save an estimated $6 million.

For those that believed organizations wouldn't skirt the laws, and the cost would come in close ot the estimate, welcome to the new world.

Now CCAC will have to have larger class sizes, offered less frequently because of Obamacare. Seriously, I bet many of the CC's around the country are now looking at CCAC. CC's don't have endowment funds like many colleges. VT has @500 million in endowments, the question is will they raise tuition to cover the costs, reduce employee hours, or dip into their endowments ? My bet is they will follow CCAC. Many will reduce adjuncts and associate profs to 25 hrs., whil raising class size. Others will increase tuition rates to absorb the cost, keeping class size the same. I doubt any college will tap into the endowment funds.

Yet, whatever path they choose, our children will pay one way or another.

Remind me again why everyone that supported this type of health care as a great option? It is now hitting not only small businesses, corporations, but our educational system too. Do those that opposed this issue have to wait 13 more months before we get to say "I told you so"?

-- Edited by pima on Monday 26th of November 2012 08:23:32 AM