Obamacare = early retirement anyone?

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by cfarrar

None of us are going to change the law, but threads like this could be really valuable to U.S. cruisers if we focus on the practical implications of the law.

Does anyone know whether the insurance policies available through the Affordable Health Care Act (through the insurance exchanges, I assume?) will cover Americans cruising outside the U.S.?

There is so little written about that, I have no clue.

I would love to know what my US based health insurance coverage would be if I got sick in Australia, Canada, or Europe? Would they cover it? Would the state-run health insurance pay for it? In Australia, I was paying the 10% VAT sales tax that other healthy tourists are paying too.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by twrdocktor

As a neighbour, I would say that if your defense budget was reduced by 20%, you'd all be out if debt and have balanced budgets. That's what should be talked about.

As a neighbour if we did reduce the defense budget by 20% yours would have to go up 50%...think about it.

[propellanttech]

Funny, people think the insurance costs will come down just because the government is going to put the insurance companies out of business.

Nope...not going to happen. When an aspirin cost $12 in the hospital, how can the costs come down. The only way I see that is to deny coverage to people who are extremely ill. Then there is no need for MICU, ICU, and other departments. Cancer.....your screwed.

Mandatory insurance does not reduce health care costs.

I have a brother who works in the automated health care field. He makes $160,000.00 per year. Guess who pays his salary (yes salary). Not the hospital.

So before you praise the new Obama-care, please tell me who is going to underwrite this insurance?

I see bad things happening from this. This is about money, not health. You can calculate it any way you want. It doesn't add up.

James L

[S/V Illusion]

Since when did it become fashionable for other people to pay your health insurance? Since it isn't free and you aren't paying for all of it, the rest of us are left with the burden. Looks like the "what's-in-it-for-me" attitude prevails.

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Dave, thank god for the NHS (National Health Service). It would worry me cruising the US if something went wrong.

What happens in the US if you don't have insurance and something serious goes wrong like a badly broken leg?

Pete

In the US doctors cannot 'refuse' emergency service, so you go to the ER and they will fix you.

They will then present you with a $30,000 bill for the surgery/hospital stay, which you can't pay so it will ruin your credit rating. All of the people who complain about socialized medicine costs will happily pay the bill when it is hidden in their expensive premium, while happily voting to expand the military.

After surgery, you will not be able to go to physical therapy, because you can't afford it. So your limb will never really work right again, limiting your work options.

eventually, if you really save up you'll be able to afford to file bankruptcy and start your life over again in your mid forties. Unless something else happens when you get old. Then we struggle with whatever health issues we have, going to the doctor as little as possible until medicare kicks in at 65. So we hit the medicare system in poor health instead of having dealt with health problems early on. And the people that complain about socialized medicine get to pay for the poor outcomes and extra expense again. But now they are older and think Medicare is awesome.

[ohdrinkboy]

It's lengthened the time until I can retire to go sailing. My cost next year in insurance premiums for my family will be @$7000. Add in the decreases in coverage and I have to be prepared to pay a total of $15,000 dollars next year for medical.

12 yrs ago my out of pocket expenses to have my daughter born were $200. Next year, just over $7000. That's progress?

We need socialized medicine, but not what we are getting. There needs to be a base level of care. No choices, no luxuries (think hospital wards, and no doctor choice) if you are on the government plan.

I feel my cruising dreams slipping away due to healthcare expenses and the overspending the generation previous to mine did. I've done better at saving than 98% of the population, but it still won't be enough.

I'm generally not in favor of government intervention. They screw things up. However, what we have now (including Obamacare) will only bankrupt the country.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by twrdocktor

As a neighbour, I would say that if your defense budget was reduced by 20%, you'd all be out if debt and have balanced budgets. That's what should be talked about.

A one second search on the web shows that 20% is roughly 200 billion dollars. Our national debt is close to 16 trillion and growing at about one trillion per year. My guess is you must have issues with our military because math certainly doesn't add up.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by dsmastern

If anyone really believes that mandatory insurance will stay low cost, please ride your unicorn over to my place...I'd like to actually see one!

The way the healthcare system in the States works, I don't think Obamacare will solve it.

I do know that in the universal healthcare system up here in Canada, we spend about 1/3 less of our GDP on healthcare, and the outcomes are that people live longer.

Friend of mine just bought 6 months insurance to snowbird it down in Florida. No pre existing conditions, he is 65, and he paid $812 for the whole 6 months from RBC insurance. Part of that insurance of course means that as soon as he is stabilized, he gets med-evacuated back to Canada.

I could not even begin to imagine paying $900/month on health insurance.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by tookish1

Full implementation in 2014 is now likely whereas had the election gone the other way, Obamacare would have been dismantled.

Full implementation or dismantling, either way it takes an act of Congress. Romney would not have been able to dismantle anything without the cooperation of Congress, and since the balance of power in Congress remains unchanged, it is kind of silly to think that the presidential election has made any important difference.

I honestly don't wish to offend, but like so many Americans, I think you are grossly over-estimating the amount of control that the president has.

[s/v 'Faith']

The implications of the political rumblings in the US seem far more likely to decrease opportunity for cruisers... Many who make enough to purchase cruising boats are going to find much higher tax rates.

Those of us who already have boats may 'cash out' and avoid some of the rough road ahead, but it seems highly unlikely that increased health care costs or other likely changes are going to work out well for us.

[terminalcitygrl]

Wow. Clearly some folks have some really opposite ideas about how Obamacare works and how it will impact their lives and the lives of their neighbours and friends and communities. It will be interesting to see how, once fully implemented, Obamacare will transform the US healthcare system. With so much misinformation out there currently, I'm really looking forward to this conversation in 3 or 5 years, once folks have more experience with the new system.

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

The implications of the political rumblings in the US seem far more likely to decrease opportunity for cruisers... Many who make enough to purchase cruising boats are going to find much higher tax rates.

Those of us who already have boats may 'cash out' and avoid some of the rough road ahead, but it seems highly unlikely that increased health care costs or other likely changes are going to work out well for us.

This is F.U.D.
My boat cost $6,000
Many people can cruise on a boat under a couple hundred grand.
ANd the fact is that for MOST people in the population taxes have gone down, not up.

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by terminalcitygrl

Wow. Clearly some folks have some really opposite ideas about how Obamacare works and how it will impact their lives and the lives of their neighbours and friends and communities. It will be interesting to see how, once fully implemented, Obamacare will transform the US healthcare system. With so much misinformation out there currently, I'm really looking forward to this conversation in 3 or 5 years, once folks have more experience with the new system.

This is exactly right, if you poll people "Obamacare"=Bad but then if you ask them about all of the individual components of it they universally agree with them.

[CarlF]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Since when did it become fashionable for other people to pay your health insurance? Since it isn't free and you aren't paying for all of it, the rest of us are left with the burden. Looks like the "what's-in-it-for-me" attitude prevails.

In the US it became fashionable on July 30, 1965 with the signing of Medicare by Lyndon Johnson. Everyone over 65 gets free health insurance (Part A) with no means test.

US Cruisers over age 65 have had this for almost 50 years and it didn't seem to bother anyone.


Carl

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by xymotic

...My boat cost $6,000
Many people can cruise on a boat under a couple hundred grand......

Sure, mine too.... BUT. When you go and look at who is cruising in what, you find that a very significant number of people are sailing very expensive boats.

Priced a new Catamaran lately? They are filling up anchorages now... and they are not cheap.

Truth is that many who actually do go out and cruise are coming from a higher tax bracket then the public at large...