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Health/Medical
See other Health/Medical Articles

Title: Taxpayers on the Hook as Obamacare Exchanges Near the Edge of Collapse
Source: [None]
URL Source: http://cnsnews.com/commentary/phil- ... e-exchanges-near-edge-collapse
Published: Aug 13, 2016
Author: Phil Kerpen
Post Date: 2016-08-13 09:35:51 by Justified
Keywords: None
Views: 8663
Comments: 96

The health insurance exchanges that are the beating heart of Obamacare are on the edge of collapse, with premiums rising sharply for ever narrower provider networks, non-profit health co-ops shuttering their doors, and even the biggest insurance companies heading for the exits amid mounting losses. Even the liberal Capitol Hill newspaper is warning of a possible “Obamacare meltdown” this fall.

Three states – Alaska, Alabama, and Wyoming – are already down to just a single insurance company, as are large parts of several other states, totaling at least 664 counties.

UnitedHealth is pulling out completely, Humana is pulling out of 88 percent of counties it was in, and last weak Aetna strongly suggested it will be exiting, too, unless it gets bribed to stay with a huge, annual infusion of direct corporate bailout payments from taxpayers.

Dealing with the wreckage will be at the top of the agenda for the new president and Congress next year, and their options will be limited – especially if, as appears likely, we will continue to have divided government. Most Democrats would prefer moving toward a totally government-run system while Republicans continue to favor repeal.

The most likely outcome, then, is the muddled middle, keeping gravely ill Obamacare on life support, with the major policy fight being over the extent to which taxpayers should be forced to provide billions in direct corporate bailout cash infusions.

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini was pretty blatant in a recent interview with Zachary Tracer of Bloomberg.

Here’s the key part:

“Rather than transferring money among insurers, the law should be changed to subsidize insurers with government funds, Bertolini said. ‘It needs to be a non-zero sum pool in order to fix it,’ Bertolini said. Right now, insurers ‘that are less worse off pay for those that are worse off.’”

In other words: everybody is losing money, so taxpayers need to pick up the tab.

The Obama administration is already playing fast and loose with the law to shovel as many bailout bucks to insurers as they can – on top of Obamacare’s huge subsidies to lower income consumers and a penalty tax on people who don’t buy in. They shortchanged taxpayers by $3.5 billion that, contrary to law, they sent to insurance companies instead. And their legal posture in a $5 billion lawsuit to contravene a funding restriction expressly enacted by Congress to prevent a bailout via the so-called risk corridor program amount to a promise that they will somehow get them paid in the future.

Democrats will likely support legalizing these payments and authorizing even larger direct corporate bailouts on an ongoing basis as a way to keep insurance companies in the Obamacare exchanges and avoid admitting failure.

Republicans will likely be attacked as saboteurs for resisting bailout payments, but that misses the point. Direct corporate welfare to bribe companies to participate in a poorly designed program is throwing good money after bad, masking rather than fixing problems while the cost to taxpayers climbs into the stratosphere.

We won’t be able to get to a real solution until we acknowledge that Obamacare is too rigidly structured and regulated to offer products people actually want, and needs to be reformed or replaced with genuine, functioning markets that give us a much wider variety of plans with different benefit packages, provider networks, and payment structures.

Before that can happen, Obamacare supporters need to be held accountable for the law’s manifest failures – not permitted to paper them over with billions more of our tax dollars.

Phil Kerpen is head of American Commitment and a leading free-market policy analyst and advocate in Washington. Kerpen was the principal policy and legislative strategist at Americans for Prosperity for over five years. He previously worked at the Free Enterprise Fund, the Club for Growth, and the Cato Institute. Kerpen is also a nationally syndicated columnist, chairman of the Internet Freedom Coalition, and author of the 2011 book "Democracy Denied."

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#56. To: Justified (#53)

As for hidden taxes look to the socialist/progressives if you want to argue that point. I have many times told people the hidden tax stifling.

There's nothing "Hidden" about sales taxes or property taxes. I have had folks who did not want to admit that the poor pay taxes argue with me that car registration fees are not "taxes", but they are.

I don't need to "argue" anything. My point is, and has always been, that everybody pays taxes, and therefore everybody has a stake.

I understand that many people treat income taxes as though they are special, different, and the only real taxes. This is not a viable position, and I won't argue it with anybody because it's a waste of time.

Because all of these things are taxes, I treat them all the same, and I look at the aggregate total of money that comes out of people's hides, not the simple income tax, because it is only the smaller piece of taxes most people pay. Social Security and Medicare tax are not income taxes, they are taxes on WAGES, just wages, and the Social Security tax is highly regressive, hitting the first dollar of wages with no deduction, but ceasing to apply to wages once they are high.

That is a class-based tax, but I did not make it so - it IS so, and it particularly hits the lower and middle classes. Likewise, property tax on homes, car registration taxes and sales taxes all aim at middle class and working class wealth and necessities.

The income sources for the upper class are mostly capital gains and dividends, and these sources of income have the lowest taxes of all income sources. That form of property is not hit with sales taxes or property taxes, or social security or Medicare taxes.

That is why Romney pays lower taxes, as a percentage of his income, and FAR lower taxes as a percentage of his gross wealth, than his secretary. The system is rigged that way by the rich, and it is not morally defensible.

That, in turn, is why I support replacing all taxes with a flat gross wealth tax of about 2.5%, without deductions. Gross wealth taxation is completely fair, it is not regressive (it is flat), and it distributes the burden evenly on everyone per dollar of wealth.

Those with more wealth do not pay more taxes as a percentage of their wealth than those with less, but there are no loopholes and games.

That is fair on the revenue side.

On the expenditure side - that is where things really need to change if we are to sustain a budget.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-21   6:47:41 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#57. To: Vicomte13 (#55)

God ran a nation once. And the foundation of that nation was an assignment of the land, unalienably, to the people, by family, for free.

Im not sure what this has to do with anything?

He told people how to live and left it up to them to live.

Justified  posted on  2016-08-21   15:57:24 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#58. To: Vicomte13 (#56)

There's nothing "Hidden" about sales taxes or property taxes. I have had folks who did not want to admit that the poor pay taxes argue with me that car registration fees are not "taxes", but they are.

You do not pay taxes if you are given money from other peoples taxes.

I don't need to "argue" anything. My point is, and has always been, that everybody pays taxes, and therefore everybody has a stake.

50% plus do not pay income tax. Thats just a fact.

The tax system is broken and those that want to keep raising taxes are nuts. If $3.5 Trillion dollars is not enough to run the federal govenrment alone then what amount is enough? Tax is not about money but about control of one group over another by using the power of taxation.

God only ask 10% which should be more than enough for government but it never is enough. To some 100% is not enough.

Forced robinhood will not work and will always cause resentment.

Im not sure how you fix such a broken system. Socialism has just destroyed capitalism. Sad.

Justified  posted on  2016-08-21   16:14:02 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#59. To: Justified (#57)

Im not sure what this has to do with anything?

Of course you're not.

And yet you'll wield "God" against me in an argument, as if "God" is supposed to somehow force me to do and think and believe this or that.

But when I wield God, what God ACTUALLY SAID, and ACTUALLY DID, it's of no consequence and irrelevant.

In truth, we are both nobodies, and any conversation we have about anything is also of no consequence and irrelevant. So why even bother to have it?

There is no reason to at all. Everything will be determined by power. Neither you nor I have any, and to the extent that supernatural power COULD be harnessed to help the weak, it's a cinch that God will offer no help whatsoever to people who don't think that what he said or did is of any consequence.

God, please lend your power to my weakness so that my will can be done, but yours is irrelevant and of no interest to me? That has never worked, and never will.

So, our masters will be the ones with the money on this earth. and what they want is clear.

We will have President Clinton, and she will do all of those things she has said I'm already adjusting my mind to that reality, to numb myself to it. I won't be out there screaming and bleeding out the eyes and ears when it happened.

I invoked the ONLY POWER that could help, and everybody has essentially told God to fuck off. So I know there will be no help from that vector. I also know that the ridiculous bullshit the Right Wingers CLAIM is the will of God bears no resemblance to what God ACTUALLY SAID and ACTUALLY DID. THAT I have studied extensively, and thought about, and it's about 120 degrees (not quite 180) out from what the Right says.

So I know that the Right will be defeated, having no appreciable allies in God OR men. Simply being the weaker, poorer side of a debate - with neither the morality to make them acceptable NOR the money to make their will stick.

They just make noise and then lose.

I'm content to let them.

Men will not listen to God, and if they won't listen to God they're CERTAINLY not going to listen to ME, so it's all pointless.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-21   16:59:35 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#60. To: Justified (#58)

Socialism has just destroyed capitalism. Sad.

Actually, slavery destroyed American capitalism.

But really, these conversations are just pointless.

Signing off.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-21   17:00:54 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#61. To: Vicomte13 (#59)

nd yet you'll wield "God" against me in an argument, as if "God" is supposed to somehow force me to do and think and believe this or that.

No I just point out that you are doing the devils bid by forcing others to be over taxed and over regulated because you somehow think Government is God. God is God and he told you how to live. Using government to force compliance in some vindictive manner is my problem. Even if you are pure as a snow flake others are not and they will use that power you so desire to do good to do far more harm that could ever be done in good.

Like I said the road to hell is littered with good deeds!

Justified  posted on  2016-08-21   17:04:32 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#62. To: Vicomte13 (#60)

Actually, slavery destroyed American capitalism.

Why only America? Every country upon this earth has seen slavery. Why is it only America that is to be punished with crimes of slavery?

But really, these conversations are just pointless.

I agree. But I will leave you with this because I can not be any clearer or more concise. The difference between us is you believe in the benevolent of government and are willing to surrender all to it but your above statement proves govenrment can never be trusted and the real power should be left to the individual with govenrment only having the power to regulate basic human rights.

Justified  posted on  2016-08-21   17:09:40 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#63. To: Justified (#61)

No I just point out that you are doing the devils bid by forcing others to be over taxed and over regulated because you somehow think Government is God.

Ever met God? I have.

Our conversation is already bearing bad fruit. Notably, the line I quoted above.

So let's end it now.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-22   7:35:08 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#64. To: Vicomte13 (#5) (Edited)

Bottom line of your pathetic argument is jesus is wrong, you karl marx and Obama are right. Pathetic.

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-22   7:46:36 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#65. To: Vicomte13 (#52)

Housing is not free and you are a liar!

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-22   7:49:55 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#66. To: A K A Stone (#65)

We've reached the end of the road.

There's nothing more to say. Really, nothing has been said for a long time other than insult.

These issues will be resolved by raw power, not reasoned argument.

So be it.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-22   13:27:47 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#67. To: Vicomte13 (#66)

We've reached the end of the road.

There's nothing more to say.

At #18, you reached the end when you quipped: --

People who don't work get neither Social Security nor Medicare.

Which is correct ONLY if you're nitpicking words.

There are dozens of other medical and welfare programs that non-working people qualify for, and you know it.

tpaine  posted on  2016-08-22   13:51:21 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#68. To: tpaine (#67)

At #18, you reached the end

We reached the end a long, long time ago here.

I used to think that it was possible to get a fair hearing here from the Right. I've been Right of Center all my life.

It isn't, and I've given up on the American Right.

Given that this is a Right Wing website, and what I have to say does nothing but result in anger and accusation, it's pointless to even try anymore. Life is too short to waste time dwelling with people who are determined to be your enemies.

The world will go on, and the Right - YOUR Right - will get crushed by it. You yourselves have chosen that it should be so, by an unyielding, unreasoning intransigence about every single thing - a marked lack of charity, and a particularly dark streak of racial prejudice that keeps rearing its head.

If Trump manages to get elected, you'll have somebody who really isn't much like you, but who at least cares about the needs of your socio-economic class (which he does, as do I).

If he doesn't, you're going to crushed by the Left, and you're going to be alone as they do it. I used to be with you enough to be willing to fight for you. But you people have spent so much time fighting with me and insulting me, about every subject where we disagree that I'm no longer willing to fight for you at all.

So many times I have seen the desire to fight - to actually bear arms and rebel - expressed on this Right Wing site. The complete inability to negotiate or compromise ultimately traps you there: you either surrender and lose everything, or you fight to the death - and because you're a dwindling minority, that means that you get the death you're willing to fight for, and your opponents get the victory.

You very desperately need moderate, level-headed people to bring you back out of the fever swamps. But you don't want us.

For my part, I'm shoving off. It's been an interesting several years. At the beginning, I felt myself very much in the mainstream here. Now, ten years on, it's clear that arteries have hardened all around, hearing has been lost, and attitudes on the hard Right have become mulish.

Enjoy each other's company. Vote for Trump and hope he wins, because if you get Hillary, it's Waterloo for you.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-22   14:10:29 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#69. To: Vicomte13, lf bolsheviks, no God, country, libertarians, anarchists, druggies (#68)

in
your
spare
time

do
a
study

how

jewish
soviet
bolshevism

took
over

the
dnc
party

most
of
the
usa

love
boris

If you ... don't use exclamation points --- you should't be typeing ! Commas - semicolons - question marks are for girlie boys !

BorisY  posted on  2016-08-22   14:27:47 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#70. To: Vicomte13, -- posts his swan song, and shoves off. (#68)

People who don't work get neither Social Security nor Medicare.

Which is correct ONLY if you're nitpicking words.

There are dozens of other medical and welfare programs that non-working people qualify for, and you know it.

We reached the end a long, long time ago here. --- I used to think that it was possible to get a fair hearing here from the Right. I've been Right of Center all my life.

To most here, you've posted more like a leftist communitarian, imho.

It isn't, and I've given up on the American Right.--- Given that this is a Right Wing website, and what I have to say does nothing but result in anger and accusation, it's pointless to even try anymore. Life is too short to waste time dwelling with people who are determined to be your enemies. --- The world will go on, and the Right - YOUR Right - will get crushed by it. You yourselves have chosen that it should be so, by an unyielding, unreasoning intransigence about every single thing - a marked lack of charity, and a particularly dark streak of racial prejudice that keeps rearing its head.

And you style yourself as a voice of fairness, - after calling us racists? ---- Get real.

If Trump manages to get elected, you'll have somebody who really isn't much like you, but who at least cares about the needs of your socio-economic class (which he does, as do I).

There you go again, putting us here in a lower 'class' than yourself. -- Laughable, but almost as bad as the racist crack.

If he doesn't, you're going to crushed by the Left, and you're going to be alone as they do it. I used to be with you enough to be willing to fight for you. But you people have spent so much time fighting with me and insulting me, about every subject where we disagree that I'm no longer willing to fight for you at all.

With 'allies' like you, were all in trouble, fer sure.

So many times I have seen the desire to fight - to actually bear arms and rebel - expressed on this Right Wing site. The complete inability to negotiate or compromise ultimately traps you there: you either surrender and lose everything, or you fight to the death - and because you're a dwindling minority, that means that you get the death you're willing to fight for, and your opponents get the victory. --- You very desperately need moderate, level-headed people to bring you back out of the fever swamps. But you don't want us.

You're right, -- we don't need your type to fight, we just need you to leave..

For my part, I'm shoving off. It's been an interesting several years. At the beginning, I felt myself very much in the mainstream here.

From the beginning, you were fooling only yourself.

Now, ten years on, it's clear that arteries have hardened all around, hearing has been lost, and attitudes on the hard Right have become mulish. --- Enjoy each other's company. Vote for Trump and hope he wins, because if you get Hillary, it's Waterloo for you.

If Trump loses, we'll survive to fight on another day, -- whereas, -- leaving makes you the loooser, imo.

tpaine  posted on  2016-08-23   21:16:18 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#71. To: Vicomte13, hasta la vista baby (#68)

I for one am sorry to see you go. Thank you for explaining your position well, and God speed.

Just because you can't see positive results right now, doesn't mean that you failed in the long run. The Lord works in strange and mysterious ways.


The D&R terrorists hate us because we're free, to vote second party

Castle(C), Stein(G), Johnson(L)

Hondo68  posted on  2016-08-23   21:33:57 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#72. To: tpaine, Vicomte13 (#70)

leaving makes you the loooser, imo.

I think you meant LoOser.

Fred Mertz  posted on  2016-08-23   21:34:59 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#73. To: Fred Mertz (#72)

--- leaving makes you the loooser, imo.

I think you meant LoOser.

Sorry Fred, I forgot the politically correct way to spell that.

tpaine  posted on  2016-08-23   21:39:57 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#74. To: hondo68 (#71)

Just because you can't see positive results right now, doesn't mean that you failed in the long run. The Lord works in strange and mysterious ways.

The lord doesn't like loOsers.

tpaine  posted on  2016-08-23   21:42:54 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#75. To: tpaine, *The Two Parties ARE the Same* (#74) (Edited)

The lord doesn't like loOsers.

Yes, I'm sure that God hates Trump. You'll see in November..


The D&R terrorists hate us because we're free, to vote second party

Castle(C), Stein(G), Johnson(L)

Hondo68  posted on  2016-08-23   21:54:27 ET  (1 image) Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#76. To: hondo68 (#75)

I'm sure that God hates Trump.

And I'm sure that your version of God would hate you for your hateful comment.

Pray to be forgiven.

tpaine  posted on  2016-08-23   21:59:59 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#77. To: hondo68 (#71)

I for one am sorry to see you go. Thank you for explaining your position well, and God speed.

Thanks.

It's tough to stay away from a place that I have been so long.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-24   10:45:54 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#78. To: Vicomte13 (#66)

Housing is not a right. People should help people out, but no one is entitled to the fruit of anothers labor.

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-24   22:42:33 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#79. To: Vicomte13 (#68)

Im not your enemy. It is my duty to point out when i believe you are wrong. Sorry if i point out that you lie or at least are incorrect about housing being a right. Even Jesus DID NOT HAVE HOUSING AT TIMES. It is a worthy goal to have housing for everyone but it cannot be a right.

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-24   22:47:04 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#80. To: Vicomte13 (#68)

You are ok with abortion. You said you could vote for hillary. Now run along youve shown yourself to be thin skinned and a coward at times. I actually like you but im just pointing out the way i see it.

You talk about forcing people to pay for deadbeats and you call that charity. Charity is never forced that is theft.

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-24   22:52:30 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#81. To: Vicomte13 (#2)

Insurance companies provide nothing of value.

Do you have health insurance? Insurance companies provide access to QUALITY health services at reasonable costs. Health providers just make up a lot of their costs. Insurance companies negotiate those costs to reasonable levels.

I went to the emergency room a few years ago. It mostly wasn't covered by health insurance. I was charged $1500 for a few minutes worth of routine services.

Obama has played at being a president while enjoying the perks … golf, insanely expensive vacations at tax-payer expense. He has ignored the responsibilities of the job; no plans, no budgets, no alternatives … just finger pointing; making him a complete failure as a president

no gnu taxes  posted on  2016-08-24   23:06:06 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#82. To: Vicomte13 (#68) (Edited)

We reached the end a long, long time ago here.

I used to think that it was possible to get a fair hearing here from the Right. I've been Right of Center all my life.

It isn't, and I've given up on the American Right.

Given that this is a Right Wing website, and what I have to say does nothing but result in anger and accusation, it's pointless to even try anymore. Life is too short to waste time dwelling with people who are determined to be your enemies.

The world will go on, and the Right - YOUR Right - will get crushed by it. You yourselves have chosen that it should be so, by an unyielding, unreasoning intransigence about every single thing - a marked lack of charity, and a particularly dark streak of racial prejudice that keeps rearing its head.

If Trump manages to get elected, you'll have somebody who really isn't much like you, but who at least cares about the needs of your socio-economic class (which he does, as do I).

If he doesn't, you're going to crushed by the Left, and you're going to be alone as they do it. I used to be with you enough to be willing to fight for you. But you people have spent so much time fighting with me and insulting me, about every subject where we disagree that I'm no longer willing to fight for you at all.

So many times I have seen the desire to fight - to actually bear arms and rebel - expressed on this Right Wing site. The complete inability to negotiate or compromise ultimately traps you there: you either surrender and lose everything, or you fight to the death - and because you're a dwindling minority, that means that you get the death you're willing to fight for, and your opponents get the victory.

You very desperately need moderate, level-headed people to bring you back out of the fever swamps. But you don't want us.

For my part, I'm shoving off. It's been an interesting several years. At the beginning, I felt myself very much in the mainstream here. Now, ten years on, it's clear that arteries have hardened all around, hearing has been lost, and attitudes on the hard Right have become mulish.

Enjoy each other's company. Vote for Trump and hope he wins, because if you get Hillary, it's Waterloo for you.

While I still hold out hope for the American Right, I must say that your assessment in your opus post is spot on correct. There is nothing more dangerous than a closed mind.Take care and enjoy life. I wish the very best for you ...

Gatlin  posted on  2016-08-25   4:05:03 ET  (1 image) Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#83. To: A K A Stone (#79)

It is a worthy goal to have housing for everyone but it cannot be a right.

Go read the law of land division, land reversion and debt forgiveness in the Torah.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-25   8:19:03 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#84. To: Vicomte13 (#83)

Quote it for me or chapters and verses. Thank you.

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-25   13:40:52 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#85. To: no gnu taxes, Vicomte13 (#81)

Do you have health insurance? Insurance companies provide access to QUALITY health services at reasonable costs. Health providers just make up a lot of their costs. Insurance companies negotiate those costs to reasonable levels.

Do you have health insurance that you pay for 100%? Or is it subsidized by a government or employer? The costs may be reasonable for a patient if someone else is paying the costs. Most people have subsidized insurance.

Where do you find high quality health care at reasonable costs? The U.S. costs are notorious for being the most expensive in the world.

Under the health insurance boom, prices have skyrocketed. Before health insurance, providers could not charge more than patients could afford or they had no patients. Drug companies could not price drugs beyond the price of the market. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses who provide no health care whatever.

Emergency rooms are mandated, by law, to provide care whether the patient can pay or not. The prices are jacked up for those who can pay. Those able to pay for their own care get to pay for those who do not pay. The alterative is the discontinuance of emergency services, which is also happening.

nolu chan  posted on  2016-08-25   15:03:28 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#86. To: A K A Stone (#84)

Quote it for me or chapters and verses. Thank you.

Did that for you once, in extenso, on the matter of poverty relief. Provided you chapters, verses, cross-references throughout the Bible. It took me hours to prepare that and write it out.

You ignored it completely and came right back at me with the same opinion you had before, and called me a liar again, on the same material.

So no, I'm not going to ever do that for you again. I'll put in hours of work, and you'll ignore it.

You're the Sola Scripturalist Christian - you can go look at Exodus and Leviticus and Deuteronomy and see the law of land partition, of interest and of reversion in the Jubilee repeated at least twice, and usually thrice.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-25   16:34:57 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#87. To: Vicomte13 (#86)

Im not going to waste time on your made up opinions. I'VE READ THOSE CHAPTERS AND IT DOESN'T SAY HAVING A HOME IS A RIGHT.

YOU CAN'T EVEN NAME ONE VERSE TO BACK UP YOUR CLAIM. ITS6 IN CAPS BECAUSE MY TABLET CAPS LOCK GOT HIT NOT BECAUSE IM YELLING.

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-25   17:57:40 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#88. To: Vicomte13 (#86)

I also googled your claim and nothing came up.

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-25   17:59:40 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#89. To: A K A Stone (#88)

I could take you through it, passage by passage, from the beginning.

But I did that before on the subject of poverty relief and you ignored what I did and went right back to calling me a liar.

So, why would I go do all that work on a different subject, when I already know, from past experience, that you'll ignore the work and just keep calling me a liar? What is in it for me, other than getting the opportunity to do a lot of work and get called a bunch of names again?

Nothing.

Vicomte13  posted on  2016-08-26   7:19:07 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#90. To: Vicomte13 (#89)

I believe you are mistaken. Sorry for calling you a liar. Post it or don't. I honestly think you are incorrect. If having a home is a right why did god flood the earth? Why did god destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Why doesn't it say anywhere in the bible that you have a right to not work and someone else work to provide you a home?

A K A Stone  posted on  2016-08-26   8:03:35 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#91. To: nolu chan (#85)

Do you have health insurance that you pay for 100%? Or is it subsidized by a government or employer?

For myself, it is paid for completely by my employer. For my my family, i am paying around $500 a month.

Where do you find high quality health care at reasonable costs?

I can walk into any doctor's office and get treated that day. I can get specialist's treatment within a few days. In other countries, it will take months. My statement shows how the insurance companies have negotiated down the expenses.

Emergency rooms are mandated, by law, to provide care whether the patient can pay or not. The prices are jacked up for those who can pay. Those able to pay for their own care get to pay for those who do not pay. The alterative is the discontinuance of emergency services, which is also happening.

I understand that. I also understand that the alternative will be a lot more of a reality under a government program.

Obama has played at being a president while enjoying the perks … golf, insanely expensive vacations at tax-payer expense. He has ignored the responsibilities of the job; no plans, no budgets, no alternatives … just finger pointing; making him a complete failure as a president

no gnu taxes  posted on  2016-08-26   9:34:59 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#92. To: no gnu taxes (#91)

Where do you find high quality health care at reasonable costs?

I can walk into any doctor's office and get treated that day.

But you are paying $6,000 per year for your family and your employer is paying for a policy for you. Your personal cost at the doctor's office may be minimal, but the cost of health care is by no means reasonable. Somebody is paying the freight.

I'm looking at the cost as being what the providers and insurance companies get paid, not what the individual with subsidized insurance pays.

A 100% subsidized (no cost to the insured individual) insurance plan, with no deductible, does not lower the health care costs.

Insurance does not lower costs. It drives them up. It eliminates personal responsibility. Providers strive to get as much as they can from insurance companies.

A single-payer system as in the UK could drive the price down. It eliminates all the private insurers and the costs that go with them. Price controls in many countries make prescriptions affordable. In theory, it would be great. In practice, Washington D.C. is so rife with corruption that it would likely be a disaster, akin to the VA medical system on a grand scale.

http://www.chcf.org/publications/2016/05/health-care-costs-101

US health spending reached $3.0 trillion in 2014, or $9,523 per capita, and accounted for 17.5% of gross domestic product (GDP).

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/24/health-care-costs-for-families-top-25000--triple-2001.html

Health-care costs for families top $25,000 — triple 2001

nolu chan  posted on  2016-08-26   19:11:04 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#93. To: nolu chan (#92)

I can walk into any doctor's office and get treated that day.

But you are paying $6,000 per year for your family and your employer is paying for a policy for you. Your personal cost at the doctor's office may be minimal, but the cost of health care is by no means reasonable. Somebody is paying the freight.

On any short term basis, you always lose with insurance. Insurance isn't about getting free tylenol when you have a headache. It is about getting timely and quality medical care when you have a major illness that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Why are you looking at insurance companies as the villains? Without insurance, the hospitals are doing things like charging $10 for every cotton swab they use. The insurance companies keep costs under control by negotiating a more fair rate for services without affecting the quality of care.

Obama has played at being a president while enjoying the perks … golf, insanely expensive vacations at tax-payer expense. He has ignored the responsibilities of the job; no plans, no budgets, no alternatives … just finger pointing; making him a complete failure as a president

no gnu taxes  posted on  2016-08-27   7:29:28 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#94. To: no gnu taxes (#93)

Without insurance, the hospitals are doing things like charging $10 for every cotton swab they use. The insurance companies keep costs under control by negotiating a more fair rate for services without affecting the quality of care.

Every dollar of insurance cost (profits, paperwork by anyone, admin staff by anyone, all operating costs by anyone, etc.) provides no health care but adds to the cost of health care.

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/People_with_Jobs_as_Physicians_%2F_Doctors/Salary#by_Years_Experience

The median salary of People with Jobs as Physicians / Doctors ranged from $178,009 (less than a year experience) to $205,190 (20+ years experience).

That's good, but not the cause of inflated health care costs.

In the fight for healthcare dollars, hospital MBAs compete with insurance MBAs. Insurance companies seek to maximize their profit at the cost of health care providers (and customers). Providers seek to maximize their profits at the cost of insurance companies (and patients). Providers treat and test for whatever the policy will pay for. Cotton swabs for uninsured people who do not pay, are paid for by people who do pay.

Whatever it costs providers to staff and process insurance gets added to the bill. All the cost of insurance and insurance processing is paid for by somebody. When insurance is included as an employment fringe benefit, the bean counters add it to the computation of employee cost (salary + fringe).

http://www.milliman.com/mmi/

2016 Milliman Medical Index

By Christopher S. Girod, Scott A. Weltz, Susan K. Hart | 24 May 2016

In 2016, the cost of healthcare for a typical American family of four covered by an average employer-sponsored preferred provider organization (PPO) plan is $25,826, according to the Milliman Medical Index (MMI).

Our lowest annual increase in 15 years still pushes the MMI over $25,000. The cost of care for the typical American family of four has more than tripled since its value of $8,414 in 2001. And the current level of $25,826 is just an average. Healthcare spending for any given family can range from $0 into the millions of dollars.

[...]

An average of $25,826 per year for a family of four is anything but affordable care. If it is getting paid, somebody is paying it.

nolu chan  posted on  2016-08-27   17:53:01 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#95. To: nolu chan (#94)

I guarantee you the very rich do buy health insurance. I guarantee you their accountants advise them to do so. Health insurance is about protecting your assets.

BTW, health insurance is not about medical care. It is about paying for medical care. Insurance companies negotiate the price down for medical care because it is in their interests to do so.

Obama has played at being a president while enjoying the perks … golf, insanely expensive vacations at tax-payer expense. He has ignored the responsibilities of the job; no plans, no budgets, no alternatives … just finger pointing; making him a complete failure as a president

no gnu taxes  posted on  2016-08-27   18:12:32 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#96. To: no gnu taxes (#95)

Without insurance, the hospitals are doing things like charging $10 for every cotton swab they use. The insurance companies keep costs under control by negotiating a more fair rate for services without affecting the quality of care.

Every dollar of insurance cost (profits, paperwork by anyone, admin staff by anyone, all operating costs by anyone, etc.) provides no health care but adds to the cost of health care.

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/People_with_Jobs_as_Physicians_%2F_Doctors/Salary#by_Years_Experience

The median salary of People with Jobs as Physicians / Doctors ranged from $178,009 (less than a year experience) to $205,190 (20+ years experience).

That's good, but not the cause of inflated health care costs.

In the fight for healthcare dollars, hospital MBAs compete with insurance MBAs. Insurance companies seek to maximize their profit at the cost of health care providers (and customers). Providers seek to maximize their profits at the cost of insurance companies (and patients). Providers treat and test for whatever the policy will pay for. Cotton swabs for uninsured people who do not pay, are paid for by people who do pay.

Whatever it costs providers to staff and process insurance gets added to the bill. All the cost of insurance and insurance processing is paid for by somebody. When insurance is included as an employment fringe benefit, the bean counters add it to the computation of employee cost (salary + fringe).

http://www.milliman.com/mmi/

2016 Milliman Medical Index

By Christopher S. Girod, Scott A. Weltz, Susan K. Hart | 24 May 2016

In 2016, the cost of healthcare for a typical American family of four covered by an average employer-sponsored preferred provider organization (PPO) plan is $25,826, according to the Milliman Medical Index (MMI).

Our lowest annual increase in 15 years still pushes the MMI over $25,000. The cost of care for the typical American family of four has more than tripled since its value of $8,414 in 2001. And the current level of $25,826 is just an average. Healthcare spending for any given family can range from $0 into the millions of dollars.

[...]

An average of $25,826 per year for a family of four is anything but affordable care. If it is getting paid, somebody is paying it.

nolu chan  posted on  2016-08-28   15:34:08 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


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