Study: Americans Struggle To Pay For Health Care, With 40 Percent Delaying Treatments Or Services

Reuters:

WASHINGTON - Americans are struggling to pay for healthcare in the ongoing economic recession, with a quarter saying they have had trouble in the past 12 months, according to a survey released on Monday.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Comments

[cuchulain]

@wdw505,

FICA tax is for both Social Security and Medicare. You are very confused. The ceiling for that tax is 100K, as I said. What you said about Medicare is the percentage of taxation, not the ceiling. Social Security is 6.2%. Medicare is at 1.45%. But you don't get taxed those percentages on earnings above 100K.

You need to get a clue, junior.

__________

http://taxes.about.com/od/payroll/qt/payroll_basics.htm

FICA Taxes

FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. The FICA tax consists of both Social Security and Medicare taxes. Social Security and Medicare taxes are paid both by the employees and the employer. Both parties pay half of these taxes. Employees pay half, and employers pay the other half. Together both halves of the FICA taxes add up to 15.3%. The 15.3% FICA tax is broken down as follows:

* Social Security (Employee pays 6.2%)
* Social Security (Employer pays 6.2%)
* Medicare (Employee pays 1.45%)
* Medicare (Employer pays 1.45%)

[wdw505]

no ceiling regarding fica have ever been 100k.....it is 106,800 for 2009.......but nice try junior

[ErnestineBass]

Had the FICA ceiling kept pace with inflation, it would have been raised to $200,000 during Clinton's last year in office...but it wasn't.

Now...I suggest you say "THANK YOU" to Slick Willy, scumbucket.

[cuchulain]

Uh, Junior, you're agreeing with me, without even knowing it. Unless you're just being anal and saying I'm wrong because I'm off by 6,000 dollars.

I rounded off the number, Junior.

100K. You're going to nitpick and say it's 106K now?

Fine.

Thing is, the FICA ceiling has slowly, very slowly been going up. So you're wrong when you say it's never been at even my rounded off figure.

But that's beside the point. The point being we can pay for Medicare by raising the ceiling. As in, removing it entirely.

Your attempt at distraction failed, junior.

Laughing, as you would say!! Laughing!!!

;>)

[slarabee]

It seems to me that if the House and Senate cannot put aside their own personal campaign finance interests and get this done then we need to start a movement to demand they be stripped of their government funded health care until they do.

If they screw this up I do not think it will be to hard to get signatures to take health care benefits away for them and their families.

They say to hell with us I say to hell with them.

[Easyrollins]

If single-payer Health care reform were to pass, It would free up trillions of dollars of consumer income, that would be injected into the economy, either in purchases and or savings and investments It could by itself end this recession,

[Easyrollins]

If single-payer Health care reform were to pass, It would free up trillions of dollars of consumer income, the would be injected into the economy, either in purchases and or savings and investments.

[wdw505]

do you actually believe that employers will pay more out to the EMP......to put more money in the hands of the consumer as most people receive their health care coverage from their employer

[slarabee]

I do not think he meant that employers would pay more so much as the employees cost would be significantly lower allowing employees to have more discretionary spending dollars. It is a logical argument.

[Easyrollins]

The reduce cost of health care from a single payer system, paid out of pocket by the consumer, would go back into he economy, That would translate into a huge boost to the economic engine.

[JeffE]

Gee, I wonder if this is what republicans mean when they talk about "rationing" of health care. Democrats and republicans better wake up and realize that Americans are angry about this stupid debate over a public option. Insurance companies may throw a lot of money around congress, but we the people vote - and we'll vote your greedy asses out of office if you don't deliver a meaningful public option.

Stop pushing the lie that we America has the "best" health care in the world. We do not. We have a broken system that desperately needs fixing. Sure, it'll cost money. But we're already paying through the nose. At least lets spend our money paying for better coverage.

[sunnybunny]

I know people talk about this "rationing" thing, Do they realize how long the wait is when you have to get the cash together first? I just was able to get a relatively minor procedure done that I had to wait 2 yrs to do(that was how long it took for my family to have the extra money). In the meantime not only did my condition worsen (adding additional costs) but the cost of the procedure went up as well . WTF?

[ladyvader]

Rationing is when the employers provided insurance goes from unlimited dr. visits to seven and allowing only one surgery in a calender year.

[Easyrollins]

Let's get this straight, the president can't make laws, He is not the legislative branch of government, He can try to line up the ducks in a row and get his agenda passed, using his political muscle that he derides from us. If we back him up with pressure on our congress people, then something gets done. Now if you got a congressman that is a lobbyist booty-boy, instead of a one for the people, the president cannot get anything passed. Now is the time to pressure those who are waffling on health care. A people movement is the only way to get health care passed.

[wdw505]

i don't want government run health care

[jmpurser]

Okay. Then don't join the Military or go to jail. No one is talking about nationalizing health care in this country.

[ladyvader]

So you want to keep the for profit health care that is ruining this country?

Single payer is the only way to get real reform.

[cuchulain]

So you prefer the present system of FOR-PROFIT companies deciding whether or not you get health care?

They have every incentive in the world to DENY you coverage when you need it. The government, if it does the finances, doesn't. It doesn't need to make a profit. It doesn't need to make shareholders happy with higher dividends. It doesn't have to pay its execs millions and millions of dollars.

Medicare has an overhead cost of 3% a year. Private insurers are lucky to come in at 30% a year. Single Payer, not-for-profit, government FINANCING of health care would be far more efficient, far less costly, and far less likely to deny you coverage.

Add to that: Single Payer means no copays, no premiums and no out-of -pocket costs. Private insurance means you pay all of that. And more and more private insurers are kicking sick people off their roles, simply for NEEDING the service they thought they paid for. They do that RETROACTIVELY, too. It's called "recission", and it's becoming more frequent.

There are NO benefits for Americans to be gained by retaining our current system. Government Single Payer is far, far better for all of us, and it's the one solution we're not even allowed to debate in Congress.

[Easyrollins]

Health care reform is not a mandate that you participate, get a private doctor , and pay accordingly.

[RedneckDem]

Only in America can a human being...

*Pay an insurance premium monthly and then, when we get sick, have to pay an even larger decuctible. Then have to beg/negotiate for the insurance company to actually fulfill their part of the payment/co­ntract/obl­igation.

*Pay a higher premium to get a lower deductible and yet not receive one iota of improved medical care. I like to call the premium a hedge for the deductible, as oppssed to anything that actually helps us.

*Be put into bankruptcy to save a family members life.

*Be relegated below a stockholder or upper management. How can anyone even conceive of such greed? Profit taking over life itself.

*Be lied to over and over again by all politicians, only to, in the end, receive the same f*****g every time. But.... but... TV sure has improved...

I voted for Obama, I convinced my wife to vote for Obama, but he is caving all of the way around. For all of the repubs out there, don't celebrate yet because everything you have offered up would be far worse. There is no choice anymore. Ignorant people will vote against their own best interest because they dont understand what they are voting against.

[wdw505]

there is nothing wrong with greed when used properly

[PinkMoore]

Greed is never used properly.

[slarabee]

greed
–noun
excessive or rapacious desire, esp. for wealth or possessions.

Use the proper words if you are going to make arguments such as these.

Greed is never a good thing.

Working to make a profit is not necessarily an example of greed however the health insurance industry is rampant and over run with greed. if you are not ware of that you do not provide insurance for your employees and if you do it is crap.

[CintiBlue]

I've said many times: Give us McCain/Cheney coverage.

The poster boys for pre-existing.

[cuchulain]

@robdysktra,

Actually, a far better way of doing Single Payer is extending Medicare to everyone. We do that after removing all vestiges of any connection with private insurers. That's been creeping into Medicare for years now.

We don't want or need private sector insurers to be involved at all. That's the current problem. For-profit insurance is the problem. Why bring them into the picture in any way, shape or form?

Tweak Medicare and extend it to everyone. No copays. No premiums. No out of pocket expenses. Strictly not-for-profit.

One point of finance for everyone. Medicare then finances health care for all American citizens. You get your card, you present it at the doctors and hospitals. They do the paperwork -- which will be far less expensive for them -- and you just concentrate on getting healthy.

We pay for it this way:

Raise the ceiling on FICA tax. It's currently at 100K. Nothing above that amount is taxed under FICA at present. Raise the ceiling and we can fund Medicare for everyone for generations.

I'd also raise the top rate to 42% for people making 400K or more. I'd close the loopholes for corporations that have allowed MOST of them to go without paying ANY taxes in the last decade. 90% of them pay 5% or less. That's unacceptable.

Outside of the new FICA tax (no more ceiling), I would not raise taxes on people making less than 400K. Not so much as a penny increase. Not necessary.

[RobDykstra]

Some very good ideas.....­..........­....

[wdw505]

co-pays need to be there to avoid abuse of the system..co­rporations don't pay much tax as profits are paid out in dividends, higher salaries or bonuses...­......then the recipients pay tax

[frantaylor]

That's a myth. Who wants to sit in a doctors office if they don't have to?

[wdw505]

Social Security (6.2%) is already at a ceiling of 102,000 for 2008 and 106800 for 2009

get your fact right please.....

[cuchulain]

wdw505,

looks like you have difficulties reading. I said the ceiling was at 100K. I got my facts right. Then I said that if we lift that ceiling entirely -- as in, do away with it altogether -- we can fund Medicare for everyone for generations.

[HollywoodRecluse]

I have been a nurse for thirty years. I have high blood pressure, a messed up gut and need to have an outpatient surgery. At $50 a visit co-pay, I can not afford to see a doctor to lower my BP. When I was first diagnosed I lowered it through diet and exercise. Since I am now working more hours than I ever had before, I have no time to exercise. I can't buy healthy food, as I am making half of what I made five years ago. The outpatient surgery will cost 2 to 3K in deductables and co-pays, so that's out. As a nurse, I work for a family taking care of their disabled child. Neither work. They live off the child's social security money. They claim they are seperated so the mom can get more money from the government. I work two jobs and watch them spend in one day what I spend in a week for food. In July, I am changing my insurance (which I receive/pay for through my retirement plan) to Kaiser. Hopefully, I can get my health issues taken care of.
We let Bush stage a coup in his first non election. I watch the people of Iran risk their lives for their freedom.
When are we going to hit the streets and stand up for ourselves?

[wdw505]

it just sounds like you need better insurance.­........an­d to call your state's waste fraud and abuse hotline to turn them in

[slarabee]

Nice advice. Useless but nice.

[loosehead]

Between 25 and 30% of our income goes to health insurance alone. This does not include copays, 100% dental costs, meds, etc. After downsizing homes significantly, monthly medical insurance is 4 x our mortgage payment. Ridiculous!

[GerryS]

2 health problems and $10k paid out in less that a year-

I am ready for some changes in how health care is managed in this country!

[TLV]

One of the biggest issues with the elderly is that when it is a couple, they may both need medical intervention. My father is in an ongoing battle with bladder infections due to prostate problems and had not paid off the last round of hospital bills when new ones arrived because of his most recent infection and stay. Now my Mom has been experiencing tingling in her arms which may indicate potentially fatal blocked carotid arteries leading to stroke. She will not go to the doctor because she says they can't afford it! I wonder what she thinks the bills will be for a stroke victim? Something has to give.

[LanosIceland]

Sound like there's someone standing between him and the doctor. Guess what! It's not the government. It's capitalism.

[CintiBlue]

So true, TLV.

People who have drug coverage probably have no idea of how expensive meds are A few years ago, I was using Advair and it increased every time I refilled (5/10 dollars increase every 60 or 90 days). When it hit 240.00. I stopped. And, this was 5 or 6 years ago. Can't imagine the price now.

Seems no one wants to work on how to change things and yes, the insurance companies will take a hit, but come on its beyond time to fix something that is nothing but a disaster waiting to happen.

[civilbehavior]

Psssst Do Something.

Two thousand years ago a Roman senator suggested that all slaves wear white armbands to better identify them. “No,” said a wiser senator. “If they see how many of them there are, they may r.e.v.o.l.t.”

The insurance industry control that has been consolidated at the top of our government, including members of Congress, know that keeping us unseen and divided about what we can agree upon has worked to their advantage.

Every single payer advocate and supporter needs to begin wearing a BLUE BANDANA. The bandana can reach critical mass very quickly

. Remember while we are busy the health care insurance industry is succeeding in destroying us because we can’t even see who “us” is.

I say stand out where you are and let me see you. START TODAY wearing a BLUE BANDANA. When they see how many of us there are, will we see then what they think about conducting “business as usual.”

We need to SEE bandanas. And so do THEY

[ladyvader]

You can not use something that others could take as a gang symbol. Especially red or blue.

And we couldn't use yellow or black. Gang colors also.

[slarabee]

I think this is a fantastic idea. No little ribbons but arm bands that everyone can see and they know exactly what it means. I do not think bandannas are a good idea either. It needs to be something that cannot be mistaken for something else.

I would say the place to start ideas like this is withing the different activists groups. I will ask around.

Great Idea!!!

[slarabee]

I think a great way to go would be:

Plastic medical wrist bands.

http://www.wristbandexpress.com/category/3/PlasticSecurBand.aspx

A box of 500 is $47.00 or $0.94 a piece.

I am betting that for another .25 cents you could get them pre-printed (I am not sure on that though).

However even if you couldn't you could get a single color like neon green to represent the movement.

[SimJack]

And the assault continues on another front. Those with health care run the possibility of having their policy revoked prior to claims being paid out...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105680875

Carrying one pitchfork isn't going to be enough.

[RobDykstra]

Its a felony in the Netherlands for an insurance company to deny benefits because of a pre existing condition. Totallly criminal.

they HAVE to insure you.

[wdw505]

then move to the netherlands