Speaking of utilities, our electricity rates are through the roof and climbing every year, almost twice the rates in CO.
FTS.
FTS.
Health Care Reform is Dead
- Thread starter Pesqueeb
- Start date
yes, I don’t know number off hand but I’m constantly horrified by what we pay out of pocket.
Kid went to ER recently (severe dehydration so no crazy procedures other than IV and bloodwork/misc testing) and we paid $2k after $100 copay. Had I known that I would’ve just water boarded him at home.
yeah, when my wife was briefly employed elsewhere (she works with me) we paid $300 for admittedly shitty insurance but the out of pocket didn’t sting much.
My experience in MA, which brought tons of uninsured into the system, has been nothing but increasing costs. IIRC, it was the model for the ACA.
I get the need for reform. My older brothers pancreatic cancer has bankrupted him.
It’s nuts, my last gas & electric only was $460. It sometimes reaches $600 in the winter. Just stupid! We don’t you that much power, then again during the summer my kids like to leave all the lights and TVs on when they’re not home. Cable internet $300 a month. Water every 3 month $450. Again, it sucks
this is the fundamental issue. so many people have gone uninsured for so long that there's going to be a period where costs go up because they're finally getting care for issues that had long gone neglected (see costs of preventative care vs diagnostic care) but that will ultimately stabilize.
or you know, we could stop allowing health insurance to be run as a for-profit industry. but that's some commie pinko shit or something
Did you shop around? You can't just up and take someone to the FIRST or CLOSEST ER. You need to shop around. Get the best prices for the procedures you need. Oh, you don't know WHAT procedures you'll need? Well... we can't help with that. But, you know... it's up to YOU to find the best ER to meet your needs and budget.
Those of us employed by corporations are eventually ALL going to be on shitty, HDHP's, 'cause the HSA is going to save the world! Except, of course, in the case where you actually NEED a lot of healthcare. Then... well, you're fucked. Hopefully you have a NICE big emergency fund in the bank.
It ain't just MA. And as was alluded to earlier, the ACA is really a scapegoat for increasing costs of healthcare across the board, I believe.
Yup. This type of situation is FUCKED and should never happen in a civilized nation. Because, let's face it, when you're in a situation like this, not ONLY are you going to get bankrupted, but you're going to rapidly die, too. I'd not be terribly surprised if people are actually making decisions based on $$ when faced with something horrific like this, and, IMO, they should NOT be.
No pool $300 a quarter HOA. Again, we make good money, however the cost of living in the Bay Area takes all of it. It all went off the hook after the dot.com boom
Dafuq? How much is your kWh price?? Because you say you don't use much power, but your bill is up to 600 fucking dollars a month?
Cable internet $300 a month.[/quote]
Again. WTF? You have NO internet options that are less than 300 fucking dollars a MONTH??
HOW CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE? Is your water like 50 cents per gallon or something??
@eric strt6 - can you corroborate any of this?
How much is your mortgage payment? Please include any HELOCs payments...
I wish they told you the price of admission before raping your wallet. And don't get me started about ER hospitals in network that contract physicians out of network. That shit needs to be made illegal.
Mortgage $3300, property tax $1500, insurance $237. No home equity loans.How much is your mortgage payment? Please include any HELOCs payments...
Again. WTF? You have NO internet options that are less than 300 fucking dollars a MONTH??
HOW CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE? Is your water like 50 cents per gallon or something??
[/QUOTE]
PG&E has been in a heap of trouble with the recent fires the last few years. The now have tiers of usage. This weekend we switched out all our lights to LED's hoping that will help. Our power company is on the verge of bankruptcy.
The internet includes cable TV and additional boxes, phone and home security.
After the drought a few years back they started nailing us. Never changed even though we now have a surplus. Its watering the lawns/landscape and my friggen kids taking marathon showers when my wife and I are at work. Should start to drop this next billing cycle.
Yes, went 4 towns over to a hospital I used to do work for and therefore knew they were generally very fair. ER doc is a current client and did his best to mitigate too.
Listening to NPR right now about healthcare cost in MA. Last year state paid $9k per person and state spending goes up 3% per year. Consumer costs increased 5.5%. It’s a huge issue here.
Scapegoat? Sure, but there’s shades of gray there.
Brother’s situation is fucked.
Younger mentally ill bro is equally fucked.
$800/mo meds, not working/employable for last 4 years etc.
Helping him make ends meet is likely going to fuck me over long term. Especially if a care facility comes into play.
For now, keeping him off the streets and hopefully out of prison is worth more than money to me. He didn’t cause his situation.
Living with me is out of question. He’s a mountain of a man, has kicked my 6’4 230# ass when off his meds and I can’t trust him with my family. But I love him and cant entertain the idea of abandoning him just yet.
Yes, plan to move and downsize in the next 6 years.Have you considered a smaller house??
HDHP + HSA works nicely at my marginal rate. But as a solution for Joe Sixpack it's worthless.
I am again reminded that my simple life in the foothills ain't so bad.
I wasn't counting cable/internet, don't consider those utilities even though I need 'net at home. That is actually MOAR per month than my average gas/electric by a good margin.
fucking cable company.
I wasn't counting cable/internet, don't consider those utilities even though I need 'net at home. That is actually MOAR per month than my average gas/electric by a good margin.
fucking cable company.
I was just there 2 weeks ago for family weekend. May be there in feb/march and/or april. I no longer ski because of my knees, but always down for food & beer! I've been digging on some of the Horse & Dragon beers. Lots of great restaurants in Fort Collins!
Cool. Let me know when you pass through again. We'll drink beer and argue about shitty politics!
I believe cost of living is relative. I just paid $4.10 a gallon x 15 gallons to fill up my wife's car and it was like $60, to fill my work truck its around $85 times 1-2 times a week. When I was in Fort Collins a few weeks ago, filled up my kids car for like $28 and that was for about 12-13 gallons. I think it was $2.36ish a gallon. I was doing back flips it was so cheap!Let me guess - you're only making 1/4 million a year between you and the wife?
i lived in LA right out of college. it was a good time, but glad i decided not to stay there.
Cool. Let me know when you pass through again. We'll drink beer and argue about shitty politics!
I'm down. Are you in Fort Collins or close by?
Again - how much is your kWh price? I get all this, but saying "we don't use much power" and then getting $600 gas/electric bills does not jive. Even if your kWh rate is RETARDED.
So... this is not "utility" - this is discretionary spending. I'd strongly suggest cutting the cord.
So sounds like something you have control over? Or do you just throw up your hands and claim nothing can be done? GET HOLD OF YOUR SHIT, MAN!
Brian, your budget is a great example of how there's a lot of fat to be pared if times were truly tough. That internet. Those utility bills otherwise. That house size. That you have 3 cars and complain about gas prices. That you're sending a kid to out of state university.
IIRC lots of Cali utilities have tiered pricing, and the highest tier is indeed something retarded on the order of 30 cents/kWh. But with reasonable use one shouldn't get up in those tiers, IMO.
I was actually kidding - because NOBODY should be shopping around for an ER. I mean, "Emergency" is right in the name... it would be like calling competing fire departments when your house is on fire to see who has the best price and can get to your house quickest.
"Sorry, sir - we're booked solid through Thursday. Can we have a pumper truck come by, say, around 9am on that day?"
Yeah - like our water around Denver. It seems like a reasonable way to attempt to get people to conserve. But, you know, maybe people can't be bothered, and would rather... I dunno... just bitch about how unfair it is that all this shit isn't cheaper?
Ever been to those strip mall Urgent Care places? They make the Whistler clinic look bargain basement.
From my understanding they've gone to the tier system to recoup some of their losses from people going solar. My house is not well insulated and still mostly single pane windows. However we plan to move once we get out daughter out of college in about 6 years so its not cost effective to do the upgrades.
I'm not shitting you - we have 7 *actual* ER's within a 5 mile radius of my house. How the FUCK is that even a thing? SEVEN. And that doesn't include all the podunk urgent care offices, which seem to pop up like mushrooms...
Why are you waiting until they are out of college? You should do this as soon as they GO to college...
Well if my kid got decent grades to begin with he would have been in state, in addition, he didn't qualify for WUE to help offset the costs. Yes, we are trying to cut some costs around the home at this moment.
My wife can retire with full benefits in 5 years, so we're staying put for now. Next move is out of the area.Why are you waiting until they are out of college? You should do this as soon as they GO to college...
i believe it. We have 4 in same radius, then Boston 10mi away that’s basically a hospital with some universities and John Kerry types scattered about.
Get rid of all that cable shit.
IMO, Colorado should tack on an additional $1/gal state gas tax. For policy reasons, infrastructure and public transit, primarily. But... you know, TABOR, so we'd have to vote on it, and God forbid we raise taxes.
FUCK people are stupid.
$1? Why stop there?IMO, Colorado should tack on an additional $1/gal state gas tax. For policy reasons, infrastructure and public transit, primarily. But... you know, TABOR, so we'd have to vote on it, and God forbid we raise taxes.
FUCK people are stupid.
gas at $20/gallon
i hope gas is $20/gallon before 2020, ideally by 2012. discuss.
ridemonkey.bikemag.com
I'd also make registering vehicles ONEROUSLY expensive, if I was king of Colorado. Mainly to dissuade people from moving here.$1? Why stop there?
gas at $20/gallon
i hope gas is $20/gallon before 2020, ideally by 2012. discuss.
No I'm like an hour south but assuming you'll fly in/out of DIA we can make beers work.
California taxes the crap out of our gas, that's what contributes to the high prices. Problem is, the money is supposed to go into our infrastructure, fix our roads etc. If you've ever driven on CA roads they're a joke. 6th wealthiest economy in the world and our roads are plies of shit!IMO, Colorado should tack on an additional $1/gal state gas tax. For policy reasons, infrastructure and public transit, primarily. But... you know, TABOR, so we'd have to vote on it, and God forbid we raise taxes.
FUCK people are stupid.