obamacare and vaping?

[Mohamed]

Just saw this post in the Law and E-cigarette forum
You've got to be kidding.....Tobacco Affidavit

I just saw that as well. I have no idea how they could distinguish between different delivery systems such as the patch, gum, or vaping. Apparently since the FDA doesn't approve of vaping you must pay an "Obama Care" tax on it if you want health care.

 

[Dacholiday Dach]

Your missing my point. KJ. You said you have witnessed people being turned away and told "no" when trying to be seen in the ER.
Those stories you mentioned above, while they are heartbreaking and no doubt true, they were still seen by a doctor. The hospital failed to provide the correct care and treatment. But they were seen. That's my point. EMTALA. They can not turn anyone away. Well participating hospitals can't. Im sure MOST hospitals in our nation follow EMTALA guidelines.

Sent from my HTC VLE_U using Tapatalk 2

Being seen does you absolutely no good. People need to be treated, and hospitals DO NOT have to treat anything that is not life threatening. Hell even with insurance they don't have to.

 

[xpackaday]

again a false rumor started by the Rush/Lindbaugh camp. The following is included in the bill about to be passed tonight guaranteeing no subsidies for those making 4 x the poverty limit(that would include Congress, Senate and the largest chunk of federal employees as well).So subsidies for them would be considered fraud.

"Republicans, convinced of the potential for fraud in Obamacare, have called for verification procedures that might have truly hobbled the new exchanges (the majority of which, as you might have heard, aren't running that smoothly now). But the provision in the Senate deal sounds more innocuous: It would call for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to certify that adequate verification processes were already in place, or something like that, with the Inspector General providing some kind of subsequent audit. The law should satisfy that criteria already, for reasons Judith Solomon of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explained over the summer."

before the bill was passed. This provision was already in the affordable care act. So they got nothen for closing the government, but the appearance that they got something.

 

[ambientech]

Hows that fundamental change going? For every 1 person signed up on Obamacare 10 have lost theirs. I am one of those because my policy didn't cover maternity and drug abuse treatment. I have had my kids and have no plans on having more and not a drug user in need of treatment. To get a new policy that equals what I had, plus the maternity and drug treatment will cost me $1,300 a month. That is 3X what I was paying. The progressives of today are no different than the progressives of the past. It has never worked and it never will.


Since I can no longer afford health insurance I have no worries about paying a smokers fee, and have adjusted my withholding's so there is nothing for them to take to cover the fine. Thanks goes to the progressives and the entitlement generation for taking my families health insurance away, and for their work in progress of destroying everything that made the USA the greatest nation in the world.

 

[Mohamed]

I'm fortunately still on my companies health care plan but not sure how much longer that will last. We've had a spike in our costs this coming year. One thing that bothers me the most about the new system if I were to switch is that we're forced to pay for pregnancy and maternity benefits as well as drug/alcohol dependency treatment like you stated. My wife can't have kids...I don't plan on cheating on her and knocking someone else up so we don't need that. We both use alcohol in moderation but never have used any drugs and in our late 50's I doubt either of us is going to start a drug habit so why do I need to pay for that?

What would have been a lot easier or more cost effective would have been to allow the health care companies to cross state borders. Basically opening up options and competition across the US. I don't know all my facts on that last issue but have heard it raised several times.

 

[Cavediver]

During a conversation with the owner of our company, I was told of the coming increase in our premiums. That's no surprise, as costs have been stepping up anywhere from 5 to 15% every year, depending on the provider and the plans selected.

This year, our current carrier offered us a great deal. If our company chooses to lock in by December (our renewal doesn't actually take place 'till February), we can limit our costs to a 30% increase.

Some deal.

The kicker: If we don't lock in, our rates could go up by as much as 50%

No word yet on the increased fees for smokers, tobacco users, or those of us who vape.


Most folks (owner included) dislike our current carrier, and it's likely we'll switch no matter what. By the time it's all said and done, I'm expecting to see a 25%+ increase.

I work for a great company, and they pick up a lot of our healthcare costs, especially those of use who are 5 or 10 year employees. This is going to drive up their costs, our personal costs, and the prices we charge our clients. In the end, insurance or not, everyone will feel the effects of this cluster#*$&, 'cause it's not like this will be limited to our industry. This model will be true across the board. Grocery prices will rise. Transportation costs will rise. Costs of consumer goods will rise. Those increases will be tiny, but there will be literally tens of thousands of them.

What's that saying about death by a thousand cuts?

 

[Mohamed]

During a conversation with the owner of our company, I was told of the coming increase in our premiums. That's no surprise, as costs have been stepping up anywhere from 5 to 15% every year, depending on the provider and the plans selected.

This year, our current carrier offered us a great deal. If our company chooses to lock in by December (our renewal doesn't actually take place 'till February), we can limit our costs to a 30% increase.

Some deal.

The kicker: If we don't lock in, our rates could go up by as much as 50%

No word yet on the increased fees for smokers, tobacco users, or those of us who vape.


Most folks (owner included) dislike our current carrier, and it's likely we'll switch no matter what. By the time it's all said and done, I'm expecting to see a 25%+ increase.

I work for a great company, and they pick up a lot of our healthcare costs, especially those of use who are 5 or 10 year employees. This is going to drive up their costs, our personal costs, and the prices we charge our clients. In the end, insurance or not, everyone will feel the effects of this cluster#*$&, 'cause it's not like this will be limited to our industry. This model will be true across the board. Grocery prices will rise. Transportation costs will rise. Costs of consumer goods will rise. Those increases will be tiny, but there will be literally tens of thousands of them.

What's that saying about death by a thousand cuts?

I'm not sure where you work but the sad thing is the 25% increase to you usually means a 25% to your employer as well. At least that is the what happens where I work. That means if you are paying an extra $100 at of your pocket your employer is contributing an extra $100 to the insurance company as well. Most people don't realize that is what is meant by an employee benefit.

Spread that over a year and your employer may not be able to afford to give you a $1,200 raise next year. From their perspective you already got a raise through benefits and that's eating into their profit margins.

 

[Cavediver]

I'm not sure where you work but the sad thing is the 25% increase to you usually means a 25% to your employer as well. At least that is the what happens where I work. That means if you are paying an extra $100 at of your pocket your employer is contributing an extra $100 to the insurance company as well. Most people don't realize that is what is meant by an employee benefit.

Spread that over a year and your employer may not be able to afford to give you a $1,200 raise next year. From their perspective you already got a raise through benefits and that's eating into their profit margins.

Exactly. A lot of folks think this is just going to mean higher rates; they haven't considered the rest of the story...

 

[bgail]

That's exactly right once Obama Care insurance marketplace companies get people signed on cost are going to increase significantly for all. Simple supply and demand. Companies can afford to give your employers discounts if you sign up before the "lock" takes place, even though they extended the deadline. Sometimes if they sign up now they can lock in rates for even two years and this will give this marketplace time to settle in. IF you have a choice as an individual seeking insurance not through your employer, do not sign up even if it means paying the penalty as once you do you belong to them and you can not get out of their system without paying an even higher penalty. We have not explored that yet as everyone is trying to sign up so we are not hearing about the process of quitting the program and I think folks are again going to be amazed.

 

[Petrodus]

Obama Care ??!!

 

[retired1]

As this has morphed into something that is totally unrelated to the OPs question, closing.