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Old 30-06-2014, 11:56   #136
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

Thanks Phantom.......

Good info.
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Old 30-06-2014, 12:27   #137
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

Good topic, as usual ruined by the same old people throwing out their bombastic anti-(Obama)government rants! Politics gets into everything with some people, can't even enjoy watching the World Cup with some commentators on Fox making fun of Americans who watch soccer. Really gets tiring
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Old 30-06-2014, 20:47   #138
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

An important point that I've tried to make by documenting REAL cost numbers for the cost of care is just how darn affordable things are outside of the USA. My experience is Mexico, so maybe that doesn't hold true for NZ, AUS, or Italy...I have no personal experience, so I don't comment.

Here's another valuable data point.

My 16yr old daughter needs braces. The Cost is $1800 in Mexico compared to $6300 to $7600 based on the price shopping we have done in the States (Our local area in California). It's just a no-brainer to have the braces done down in Mexico. We got over the American-Ego-Trip of thinking the USA was the only place in the world that didn't use leaches or Voodo for Medical care a long time ago, so it doesn't bother us a bit to drive down to Mexico to have the braces installed and then once/month for the next 12-15 months for adjustments. Why pay for dental insurance when I know this option exists? It would be financially foolish. Besides now I will get a nice Taco Fix on a regular basis plus add about $5000 to our cruising kitty.
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Old 30-06-2014, 23:58   #139
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

Quote:
Originally Posted by barboak View Post
Good topic, as usual ruined by the same old people throwing out their bombastic anti-(Obama)government rants! Politics gets into everything with some people, can't even enjoy watching the World Cup with some commentators on Fox making fun of Americans who watch soccer. Really gets tiring
The anti-Fox rants get old as well, but I wouldn't say they ruined the discussion, or got in the way of me enjoying the World Cup...

Odd that if you disagree, it's a "rant", but if you agree, it's just "common sense", isn't it?
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Old 01-07-2014, 03:39   #140
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

Third Day thanks…….

Those real numbers regarding braces make a difference.

Pay as you go outside of the U.S. is an important component of health care costs as we cruise. Or so it seems……...
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Old 01-07-2014, 07:05   #141
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

In the BVI my father once walked his eye into a low hanging sea grape branch, requiring stitches.

Mind you, he had no BVI insurance and would have been able to pay price.

Total cost for 2 day hospital stay plus stitches and drugs.. $20


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Old 01-07-2014, 08:01   #142
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

Listen to how people talk about their health care plan...what do they usually comment about:
"I only have a $20 dollar Co-pay for Office visits"
"I get $5 percriptions filled"
"I have a $500/yr deductable or no deductable"
"I have a 80%/20% plan"

The whole mindset for a lot of people (and you saw a little of it earlier in this thread) is just how little out of pocket costs you can get. The less out of pocket costs you had meant that you had "better insurance". Through work, or through your teacher union, or a policy you bought yourself. The "problem" with this type of yardstick/thinking is that you are no longer buying a Health Insurance Policy but rather a Health Care Policy. There is a Big Difference between the two and this is an important thing to understand, it's not just some abstract political talking point.

One of the worse things that has happened to health care was it being a benefit and compensation package tied to your Job. [The history of how that happened is classic unintended consequences 101 of Government policy, but that's a story for another thread and day.] Once people stopped paying for their health care and knowing how much things costs, there was no incentive to shop around, why would you when someone else was paying. If I wasn't paying out of pocket for my daughter's braces would I still make the 6hr drive to Mexico for them or would I just do them down the street? Would I care about the $5000 price difference? What incentive would there be to not go with the most expensive option? The providers (what I call the Medical Industrial Complex...even if My wife is part of it) would realize this and prices would spiral upward, which they have.

The ACA doesn't help of solve this problem, it actually makes it worse. The ACA just put another layer of "someone else paying the bills" between the consumers and providers, rather than just the employer and insurance company now we have sugar daddy Government. You can call it is susbidy or whatever phrase helps you sleep better at night, but it's a silmple welfare handout. Now our elected leaders get a new campaign issue and cash every 2 and 4 years on who will GIVE the voters more free stuff, who's subsidy will go up and who's will go down. What Cancer treatment will get covered and which one won't. Everyone in power wins and once again freedom loses.
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Old 01-07-2014, 09:28   #143
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

I cannot imagine boasting about, or being happy about the fact that I just got a bill from the hospital for $800,000…………

In the 19th century, you got sick, you crawled under the back porch and you died. Not saying that they had it wrong. Its just that times have changed. We have to work with the system that we have.

Corporate America has decided that in order to compete they must lower costs. Employer sponsored health insurance is on the way out. It is too costly for the boys. Just my guess. So its not just some group, or block of voters that decide this. Nor is it some group of liberal politicians forcing this on an unwilling public. When the boys in big business decide they will no longer pay…… thats when they will pawn it off on government. Its the best government money can buy. Consider the traditional pension plans (defined benefit) of the past. Replaced entirely with a system that poses no cost and no risk to the Company.

So, if you believe that health insurance is or should be a fundamental part of our society, then we have to figure a way to administer to that. But I leave that to others. Its not my interest.

There are definitely changes occurring. So how best to shop the market place for what is available? How best to protect your personal assets if you get sick? How best to enjoy a little sailing and travel with some level of security? How best to do this with what is available to us now??……. Not in some reality that does not exist.
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Old 01-07-2014, 10:15   #144
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

Having just returned from Russia where I had a conversation with a Russian physician who is familiar with the US ACA through her contacts with US medical personnel is of the opinion that Obamacare will collapse under its own weight without massive additional government financial support or a significant reduction in service levels. Should a Russian seaman fall ill or be seriously injured away from his/her home country, the last place they would want to seek health care would be the US.
Russia has provided virtually free quality health care to all Russian citizens since the Soviet years. The only change that has been noticed is that recently wait times for non-emergency health issues has increased slightly. There is now a major initiative underway to attract candidates to medical schools to deal with a projected doctor shortage. Folks I talked to over there were very satisfied with the quality and availability of healthcare in Russia. Phil
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Old 01-07-2014, 11:36   #145
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Re: Cruising and the Affordable Care Act.

Quote:
Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3 View Post
Odd that if you disagree, it's a "rant", but if you agree, it's just "common sense", isn't it?
+1 Unwitting hypocrites abound.
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