Why Work when You Can Get Obamacare?

[Yagents]

As we all know, this law gives incentives not to work, sit on the couch, not work overtime, not take a second job, ask to not get a raise, and suck off the system. If you play it smart, you can go for the trifecta:
medicaid, food stamps and low income housing

A New Reason Not To Work | Daily Ticker - Yahoo! Finance

 

[somarco]

Eventually when no one is working (except the 1%) we will be in deep doo-doo.

 

[houcoogster]

I would imagine compensation analysts are looking into this. For example job A. pays 42k and Job b. pays 44k which one do you take? ..... the subsidy calculators will be getting a workout.

 

[thegirlsgotmoxi]

As we all know, this law gives incentives not to work, sit on the couch, not work overtime, not take a second job, ask to not get a raise, and suck off the system. If you play it smart, you can go for the trifecta:
medicaid, food stamps and low income housing

I'm stuck about Obama Care. The downside of this is obvious. People will definitely take advantage of this (and there are people who already are taking advantage of the system as much as they can).

And then there are people like my mother who will not be allowed to be turned down for coverage anymore. She's already worked hard her entire life. She's had to go on disability within a year after she returns back to work, every time, for 4+ years. Sometimes she won't apply and just misses work because she's tired of being looked down at and accused of mooching off the system.

But most Americans have pride and a lot of it. I've traveled the entire country, spoken with a lot of people, in most every state (excluding 5). From Mobile, AL to Little Rock to El Paso, TX to Providence,RI to Sarasota, FL to Albuquerque,NM to Cour d'Alene, ID.. you get the idea.

Most people are ashamed of being on low income. And when someone points it out or immediately assumes they are sucking off the system because they have food stamps, they get angry, they say things they shouldn't.. because they are humiliated and tired of being stereotyped.

You do remember the test they did in FL recently? Where they drug tested everyone on welfare? I thought the state paid for it. This article says otherwise. Everyone was sure they'd find high drug usage.. They didn't. The number was 2.6%, below FL's average percentage for drug use (6%). The Dallas News did an article about it (I can't post links yet because I haven't made enough posts). "Texas Should Heed Florida's Lesson."

I see no reason to punish the majority of people on welfare, the people who really do need help because of a few people. I do see a need to keep the percentage of those who take advantage, down. I'd like to see that number at 0%. Who knows if that is possible.. I don't think so..

But this kind of.. attitude is not only not cool but also not helpful. Instead of expecting the worst and putting them down, why not expect people to do better?

And, I, am by no means a giant Obama fan. I did not vote for him. I stood for Rocky Anderson.. though I'm always at a cross roads between American progressives and Libertarianism. Somewhere in here there is a good middle ground, I think. I'm extremely uncomfortable with the idea of government taking over and having so much say on my personal life. And at the same time, as I read that no one can be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions? I am relieved for my mother.

The 1% doesn't work any harder than the rest of America.. They are the ones who know how to take advantage of the system, how to work around the laws, who take their money out of our economy, out of America.. Not all of them do this to be greedy, they do it for profit so they can give back more (Bill Gates is an excellent example). I get it.. but the majority of the 1% is the smartest of the bunch.. trickiest, the slickest.. not giving back as much as they should because no one gets there on their own. No one does.

And no one regulates the health care system. It could've been fine without government stepping in. It really could have but people were too greedy.. and SOMEONE has to regulate.. I wish it had been the private sector saying NO, we will not accept these business practices.. but they didn't. And now we are screwed. Screwed because people are not getting the coverage they need, even when they have worked hard and been honest.. and screwed because the government now has a bigger say in it.

So if you ask me, it is the people at the top in the private sector who coudl've changed this and didn't. Though it is all a collective effort. Everyone has their part and their share.. but we all know the one who has the money, wins.

(I'm editing this to add this. This was my initial thought response to this thread). It's true people might leave their jobs in Jan 2014 because of Obamacare. They might leave their jobs that had health coverage to opt for a better job that didn't have the coverage they needed. Now that this factor is taken out, no doubt some people will feel freedom in no longer having to stick with a job because of the benefits. Maybe they wanted a better one more suited for the interests and passions or degrees they worked hard for but it didn't have the benefits they needed.

They'd not have to worry about that now. I think that is an upside not many people have thought about. I have heard a lot of people over the years complain about sticking with a job because of the benefits when there was another they truly wanted.. but couldn't because the company didn't have the benefits they needed. This happens quite a lot.

There are all kinds of opportunity and not just the mooching kind.

 

[RayNY]

Great example in the comments: "I make 62k, my wife makes 25k, we buy our own insurance. If my wife quits work we will get 10k in Obamacare subsidy otherwise we get $0. After taxes, FICA and commutting costs and loss of subsidy her take home pay will be less than $2/hr, WHY WORK???"

I know of quite a few families where both adults work, and one makes a very low wage. A legitimate loss of 10-20k of income from a spouse ceasing their side job can put many <400%fpl. This may be a pretty common occurrence in the near future.

 

[FEproducerKen]

I'm stuck about Obama Care. The downside of this is obvious. People will definitely take advantage of this (and there are people who already are taking advantage of the system as much as they can).

And then there are people like my mother who will not be allowed to be turned down for coverage anymore. She's already worked hard her entire life. She's had to go on disability within a year after she returns back to work, every time, for 4+ years. Sometimes she won't apply and just misses work because she's tired of being looked down at and accused of mooching off the system.

But most Americans have pride and a lot of it. I've traveled the entire country, spoken with a lot of people, in most every state (excluding 5). From Mobile, AL to Little Rock to El Paso, TX to Providence,RI to Sarasota, FL to Albuquerque,NM to Cour d'Alene, ID.. you get the idea.

Most people are ashamed of being on low income. And when someone points it out or immediately assumes they are sucking off the system because they have food stamps, they get angry, they say things they shouldn't.. because they are humiliated and tired of being stereotyped.

You do remember the test they did in FL recently? Where they drug tested everyone on welfare? I thought the state paid for it. This article says otherwise. Everyone was sure they'd find high drug usage.. They didn't. The number was 2.6%, below FL's average percentage for drug use (6%). The Dallas News did an article about it (I can't post links yet because I haven't made enough posts). "Texas Should Heed Florida's Lesson."

I see no reason to punish the majority of people on welfare, the people who really do need help because of a few people. I do see a need to keep the percentage of those who take advantage, down. I'd like to see that number at 0%. Who knows if that is possible.. I don't think so..

But this kind of.. attitude is not only not cool but also not helpful. Instead of expecting the worst and putting them down, why not expect people to do better?

And, I, am by no means a giant Obama fan. I did not vote for him. I stood for Rocky Anderson.. though I'm always at a cross roads between American progressives and Libertarianism. Somewhere in here there is a good middle ground, I think. I'm extremely uncomfortable with the idea of government taking over and having so much say on my personal life. And at the same time, as I read that no one can be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions? I am relieved for my mother.

The 1% doesn't work any harder than the rest of America.. They are the ones who know how to take advantage of the system, how to work around the laws, who take their money out of our economy, out of America.. Not all of them do this to be greedy, they do it for profit so they can give back more (Bill Gates is an excellent example). I get it.. but the majority of the 1% is the smartest of the bunch.. trickiest, the slickest.. not giving back as much as they should because no one gets there on their own. No one does.

And no one regulates the health care system. It could've been fine without government stepping in. It really could have but people were too greedy.. and SOMEONE has to regulate.. I wish it had been the private sector saying NO, we will not accept these business practices.. but they didn't. And now we are screwed. Screwed because people are not getting the coverage they need, even when they have worked hard and been honest.. and screwed because the government now has a bigger say in it.

So if you ask me, it is the people at the top in the private sector who coudl've changed this and didn't. Though it is all a collective effort. Everyone has their part and their share.. but we all know the one who has the money, wins.

(I'm editing this to add this. This was my initial thought response to this thread). It's true people might leave their jobs in Jan 2014 because of Obamacare. They might leave their jobs that had health coverage to opt for a better job that didn't have the coverage they needed. Now that this factor is taken out, no doubt some people will feel freedom in no longer having to stick with a job because of the benefits. Maybe they wanted a better one more suited for the interests and passions or degrees they worked hard for but it didn't have the benefits they needed.

They'd not have to worry about that now. I think that is an upside not many people have thought about. I have heard a lot of people over the years complain about sticking with a job because of the benefits when there was another they truly wanted.. but couldn't because the company didn't have the benefits they needed. This happens quite a lot.

There are all kinds of opportunity and not just the mooching kind.

Thanks for this common sense post. It's refreshing. We don't get many unbiased comments here. Point is that the view of the real world is a lot different that what is seen through the eyes of TV talk shows with a political agenda..

 

[Ann H]

Great example in the comments: "I make 62k, my wife makes 25k, we buy our own insurance. If my wife quits work we will get 10k in Obamacare subsidy otherwise we get $0. After taxes, FICA and commutting costs and loss of subsidy her take home pay will be less than $2/hr, WHY WORK???"

I know of quite a few families where both adults work, and one makes a very low wage. A legitimate loss of 10-20k of income from a spouse ceasing their side job can put many <400%fpl. This may be a pretty common occurrence in the near future.

This situation also applies if one spouse is eligible for employer-sponsored adequate and affordable coverage. The idea of leaving that job is tempting.

 

[smokin goose]

I'm in ... Where do I sign up for those Obama benefits?!? :-)

 

[houcoogster]

I'm in ... Where do I sign up for those Obama benefits?!? :-)

Right here Sir.

Now I don't need to know where you stays
I need to know where you live... where you get mail.

What color phone would you like, I'm
out of Purple and Yellow at the moment.

 

[RayNY]

Can navigators collect commission for issuing Obamaphones? I have a friend who hangs out in front of laundromats and bodegas that take SNAP and gets paid for every Obamaphone he hands out.

Navigators should have a steady stream of eligibles...