ACA repeal - latest attempt.....

When the government wasn't involved, my monthly premiums as a fairly healthy individual were almost $700 for what was mainly catastrophic care coverage, annual checkups cost me, NO coverage for pre-existing conditions. At the time it was the best I could find. Yeesh. 

It was a fine line between paying a majority of my spendable income on premiums, and wondering if I should "bet the farm" (or, house) on "how bad could it be" to be a MIA (medically indigent adult). After seeing the bills from this surgery, I'm so glad this didn't all hit when I was insurance-less. My car is way too small to live in.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, I had insurance that made it reasonable for me to seek medical care and my RCC was found and taken care of. My first follow up scan, too. We'll see what's ahead. 

Abunai,

Tell that to the Kidney Cancer Association whose political trolls offrnd myself and others.

Icemantoo

icemantoo said:

Poloticcs

Abunai,

 

Tell that to the Kidney Cancer Association whose political trolls offrnd myself and others.

 

 

Icemantoo

I've not seen that, iceman. Maybe I haven't been around long enough to have seen the Kidney Cancer Association political trolls.

I'm not saying I'm offended by anything anyone else posted, I just get enough political bickering everywhere else on the Internet. I'd hoped this would be a place I didn't have to see that.

I'll just be more discerning in the discussion threads I choose to click on.

Well said, Jerzy.  I appreciate your comments.

Stub

JerzyGrrl said:

I really appreciate...

The presenting of widely differing views doesn't happen very often, but I really appreciate those times when obviously different opinions are expressed on the kidney forum, people are respectful. That's what makes this such a safe and supportive site. If any of us start bickering about a topic or attacking others, we do certainly deserve to be "taken aside," have our inappropriate actions pointed out to us, and appropriate responses taken.

On the other hand, there are bound to be things related to our healthcare and treatment plans and options that we feel strongly about.  We're indeed LIVING with cancer, but that @&#% could kill us which is why we're seeking treatment. So sometimes we rant, sometimes we vent, sometimes we point out the irony, sometimes we express our gratititude, and sometimes our vulnerability about the future's uncertainty is painfully obvious. 

Thanks to all who've had a say in this thread.  It's too bad so many of us have to wait until we have a crisis like cancer to show up on a public forum like this to prove that we really can make nice. On the other hand, a whole lot of people go through life and never find that out.

Not sure that I'd ever recommend getting cancer as an entry level way to learn about communication and getting along, though. 

I have to add that I love Jerzey Grrls comments-so right on and so well humored.

The items that really scare me is that the states can decide what is required and is not required.  So, it is possible that they will put on maximum lifetime benefits and eliminate the maximum out of pocket expense for a year.

The former might mean that I would have to change jobs...the latter would mean I can no longer predict my annual costs when budgeting.  I know I will spend 6K a year (max out of pocket for the family), usually by May.

The goal was good, but the implementation was bad.  The problem is, people making 50K, for example, are just screwed.  In my company, I pay 4500/year premium (not bad), for a family plan with a 6000 max out of pocket.  That effective reduces the person making 50K's salary to 40K if they have serious medical issues, or a 20% drop.  In my case, my expenses are nearly the same as that person, amounting to about 6% of my income.  And someone who earns 2x me -- is going to pay the same 10K, or about 3%.

If medical care was a tax, it would be extremely regressive.

We could make it work (I think), if everybody paid 10% of the income to medical care.