Obamacare

[[m'kay]]

Seems like we live in a time where gifs can substitute for wit. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you, congratulations!

[crazyperson]

For the purpose of promoting and supporting intelligent and informed discussion, I have taken the liberty to direct you to this PDF.

tl;dr

[CommanderOtto]

DANCE MY PUPPETS! DANCE UPON MY PALM LIKE THE PLAYTHINGS YOU ARE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

OMG LOL...

well, now that we are here, I need you americans to help me understand this. I have to say, i'm loving the U.S in almost every aspect. However, I have noticed that health care is a serious problem here. You know, from the outside I thought that the U.S had the best health care. It is true that the U.S has the best technology and the best hospitals but I when it comes to medical bills and health insurance you guys have a serious problem.

In Brazil, where I have lived for most of my life, if you have pain of any kind, you can do two things.
**First, if you feel it is some weird pain but is not very serious, you ask for an appointment to see a doctor. You tell the doctor you have had headaches for the past few days. The doctor asks you for a series of medical exams that cost a lot of money. The doctor finds out you have been through a lot of stress so he sends you a few pills. RESULT: the insurance company pays almost everything (not the complete medical bill but most of it).
**Or you go for the second choice when you have something more serious, but not life threatening (like hemorroids that might require a minor surgery). You stay at the hospital (not the family doctor) the whole day but the minor surgery was not needed after all. The medical bill is expensive but the health insurance company pays most of it.

Now let me tell you what has happened to us so far in Indiana....

Here in the U.S no er what kind of pain you have, health insurance companies have this "deductable" rule. The deductable seems to always be 3,000 dollars. That means, no er what happens, what kind of pain you have, you need to pay the first 3000 dollars of your medical bills before the health insurance company decides to pay. If you are the man of the house and you have a wife, and two kids, and somehow they all get sick in the same year... that means you have to pay 3000x4 before the health insurance company pays. RESULT: health insurance companies are RIPPING YOU OFF. I mean, is this normal? So now, if I have pain, that I don't consider too serious, I just don't go to the doctor??

The problem with this is that, pain doesn't have to be extreme so that something bad happens to you. What if you have many small headaches but you don't feel like going to the doctor? What if it is actually a tumor but no one ever discovers it because you never went to the doctor...just because you know that the health insurance will not pay and that will be a hit to your wallet?

Considering what I have said..

1. is this normal? Any recomendations on lowering the medical bills?

2. for the common american guy, is obamacare going to help with this in any way?

[Mandalore]

Just kill people everytime they get sick. Much simpler.

[11_Panama_]

Just kill people everytime they get sick. Much simpler.

My image of you has changed from a good player to a bad person.

[Duel of Fates]

Just kill people everytime they get sick. Much simpler.

Very Progressive of you.

[11_Panama_]

DANCE MY PUPPETS! DANCE UPON MY PALM LIKE THE PLAYTHINGS YOU ARE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

OMG LOL...

well, now that we are here, I need you americans to help me understand this. I have to say, i'm loving the U.S in almost every aspect. However, I have noticed that health care is a serious problem here. You know, from the outside I thought that the U.S had the best health care. It is true that the U.S has the best technology and the best hospitals but I when it comes to medical bills and health insurance you guys have a serious problem.

In Brazil, where I have lived for most of my life, if you have pain of any kind, you can do two things.
**First, if you feel it is some weird pain but is not very serious, you ask for an appointment to see a doctor. You tell the doctor you have had headaches for the past few days. The doctor asks you for a series of medical exams that cost a lot of money. The doctor finds out you have been through a lot of stress so he sends you a few pills. RESULT: the insurance company pays almost everything (not the complete medical bill but most of it).
**Or you go for the second choice when you have something more serious, but not life threatening (like hemorroids that might require a minor surgery). You stay at the hospital (not the family doctor) the whole day but the minor surgery was not needed after all. The medical bill is expensive but the health insurance company pays most of it.

Now let me tell you what has happened to us so far in Indiana....

Here in the U.S no er what kind of pain you have, health insurance companies have this "deductable" rule. The deductable seems to always be 3,000 dollars. That means, no er what happens, what kind of pain you have, you need to pay the first 3000 dollars of your medical bills before the health insurance company decides to pay. If you are the man of the house and you have a wife, and two kids, and somehow they all get sick in the same year... that means you have to pay 3000x4 before the health insurance company pays. RESULT: health insurance companies are RIPPING YOU OFF. I mean, is this normal? So now, if I have pain, that I don't consider too serious, I just don't go to the doctor??

The problem with this is that, pain doesn't have to be extreme so that something bad happens to you. What if you have many small headaches but you don't feel like going to the doctor? What if it is actually a tumor but no one ever discovers it because you never went to the doctor...just because you know that the health insurance will not pay and that will be a hit to your wallet?

Considering what I have said..

1. is this normal? Any recomendations on lowering the medical bills?

2. for the common american guy, is obamacare going to help with this in any way?

That deductable plan you are explaining might not exist Otto. I don't think each person has to spend $3 grand before insurance kicks in Otto. That would be $12,000 dollars spent before the insurance company forks out one dollar. I think your deductable is a flat $3 grand for the year, for ALL of you's. If you did explained it right, talk to your Dad and tell him to re-evaluate his coverage and deductable.

[kjeopardy]

Obamacare is basically getting rid of health insurance and changing it to universal coverage.

[WD-40]

Just kill people everytime they get sick. Much simpler.

Very Progressive of you.

Hail Obama Caesar...

[CommanderOtto]

That deductable plan you are explaining might not exist Otto. I don't think each person has to spend $3 grand before insurance kicks in Otto. That would be $12,000 dollars spent before the insurance company forks out one dollar. I think your deductable is a flat $3 grand for the year, for ALL of you's. If you did explained it right, talk to your Dad and tell him to re-evaluate his coverage and deductable.

Yeah you are right, I was just talking without reading and understanding the thing. And yet, that's very expensive (3k is still a hit in your wallet) and many people out there don't have that kind of money. Now I understand why there are so many laywers in commercials promessing to suit insurance companies (lol I have never seen that before). But better suit them for being bloodsucking scoundrels. All those insurance companies and mega banks (like AIG, J. P Morgan and all the others) are so dam unregulated they do whatever they want with your money.

and also, I mean, what is the big deal with Obamacare? What's so controversial about it? Only thing I know is that insurance companies from now on can't deny the service for "pre existing conditions" and that everyone from now on have to buy insurance (unless you prefer to get taxed even more). Common everyone, start talking, this subject is very interesting!!This is definitely a lot easier to talk about than religion