Insurance Agent Forum

[MHart]

After seeing the video below you may think so.

YouTube - Uninsured In America

[BKrocko]

Excellent video!!! This is the type of information that libs do not want anyone to see.

[djs]

The issue with the video is it implies that if we don't pay for health insurance, the government will. People forget where the government gets its money from.... the people.

Ahh yes, England has healthcare by the government. Anyone look at what thier taxes are recently? Okay, they get August off, but the taxes are still enormous!

Dan

NATIONAL INSURANCE

National Insurance (NI) is a tax which is taken from pay for the UK's health and social security system. Your payments are known as National Insurance contributions (NICs). Most people working in the UK need to pay this: there are a few exceptions (for example, if you are from an Web Hosting, VPS and Dedicated Servers by eBoundHost country with a reciprical agreement with the UK and you continue to pay National Insurance in your home country).

In the 2007/8 tax year (for income earned between April 6th 2007 and April 5th 2008), the tax rate paid by workers was:
0% for the first £100 per week
11% on income up to £670 per week
1% on any income above £670 per week
The tax is paid each time you are paid (usually weekly or monthly). Unlike income tax, it does not matter how much you have earned in other pay periods, and the tax cannot be reclaimed (unless a mistake has been made).

[James]

UK's Tax Rate can be fully seen here, Income Tax : Directgov - Money, tax and benefits

Then you have a unseen tax, not totally against this the VAT which is at the heart of the Fair Tax being heavily promoted here, yet in UK you have income tax plus their 17.5 VAT, so if the tax rate on income is 30% you have to add nearly 17.5 or whatever you spend from your income on products. Now if you stop at the gas pump in UK, you'll pay another 50% of the high price ontop of the VAT if you want to drive.

Basically UK citizens pay roughly 50% on varying taxes for the middle class household, here if you add all taxes the tax rate I believe is figured around 30% on a average household. Now in other nations of Europe you pay more than UK, significantly more!

Ps put as another poster suggested, they get August off and a really bad medical facilities!

Originally Posted by James

and a really bad medical facilities!

Haha once again you state opinions not facts....

I'm going back to not participating in the forum.... I decided to post something. Apparently I forgot why I left......

Thanks for reminding me, James old boy.

[tommyk]

If you think it is a myth, just go by your local State Department of Human Services (or what ever they call it in your state) and see the number of people trying to get a medical card.
Even the Veterans Administration say: "Just because you do not have money for insurance or a job that provides it, we are at war and you will just have to fend for yourself." Overhead that being told yesterday at the VA clinic.
Where is President Hillary when you need her????????

[BKrocko]

Originally Posted by tommyk

If you think it is a myth, just go by your local State Department of Human Services (or what ever they call it in your state) and see the number of people trying to get a medical card.
Even the Veterans Administration say: "Just because you do not have money for insurance or a job that provides it, we are at war and you will just have to fend for yourself." Overhead that being told yesterday at the VA clinic.
Where is President Hillary when you need her????????

That's big government running the program for ya! Seems to prove the point.

[bartimus]

Unfortunately, the ignorant that believe everything they see and hear on their local/national news each night also have no idea how much they pay in payroll taxes each pay period. There is no connection to health care/higher taxes, yet. They may figure it out when it is too late.

A few congressional seat losses and Hillary as president will totally trash our economy in less that one term. It will take years to recover by the end of two terms.

[tommyk]

Do you believe that we would ever recover from that financial loss?

If the government has shut down the MA's becasue of funding...what happens when everone gets funded? Where will that money come from? Oh yea, I remember now, from the zero premium life insurance they will be selling....

[Agent Jeff]

So the real point is that the public, in effect, is already paying for a universal health care safety net but for the most part only the unworthy leeches are benefitting?

(Not necessarily my opinion by that's what the video is saying.)

[James]

Originally Posted by nate124

Haha once again you state opinions not facts....

I'm going back to not participating in the forum.... I decided to post something. Apparently I forgot why I left......

Thanks for reminding me, James old boy.

If you think that is the case, still my post was quite accurate. If you really want to feel like a king, go to England and use their medical facilities. As a tourist you get shuffled in front of all those UK citizens waiting, waiting and waiting but not you, you're a VIP and will be ushered in quickly!

[James]

Originally Posted by Agent Jeff

So the real point is that the public, in effect, is already paying for a universal health care safety net but for the most part only the unworthy leeches are benefitting?

(Not necessarily my opinion by that's what the video is saying.)

Well, I think I would agree with that. Not sure if that is the way I would put it? Well, maybe that is the way I would of liked to of said it!

[Alston]

Almost once a day I get a call from someone who I can't sell a policy to because of their health. Usually that person has just left their employer. So typically the timing is not based on a change in their health.


Often these people are completely unaware that health insurance is underwritten or that their medical issue is significant. Sometimes people cry when they learn that they are only insurable through an expensive governmental program.


I can't tell you how much I hate that aspect of my job.

Usually they can carry COBRA for 18 months or more. But COBRA is always more than the former employee had deducted from his or her paycheck and usually these people are not working. Once COBRA runs out, (in Connecticut) they may only qualify for plans offered by the Health Reinsurance Association which are even more expensive.

I suspect that a few find another job that will give them group insurance. However, many are both uninsurable and unemployable. Often their employment ended because of their medical issue.


In regards to the video:

Most, but not all, hospitals are mandated to accept patients who are in need of immediate medical care. A woman in labor will be admitted. A man who is having a heart attack will be admitted. However had either of them approached the hospital when there was no acute or emergency situation, they would not have been cared for. There is not mandate to help the woman with prenatal care or to help the man manage his hypertension absent an emergency situation.

That being said, I'm still undecided as to whether the fed should step in here. I have two fears. One is that they won't do anything. The other is that they will do the wrong thing. I think that they have done the wrong thing in New York and Massachusetts and probably in the other states where the legislature has addressed this issue.

[James]

So, you are saying that people in Connecticut, specifically in your County or any County can not go down to the Health Department and get on a low cost State/County funded Health Care? I would think they have several low cost medical plans (State and Federally funded) for those that are unemployed are people that can not get insurance.

[Alston]

Originally Posted by James

So, you are saying that people in Connecticut, specifically in your County or any County can not go down to the Health Department and get on a low cost State/County funded Health Care? I would think they have several low cost medical plans (State and Federally funded) for those that are unemployed are people that can not get insurance.

The plans that I'm aware of that cover adults have pretty strict income and asset requirements.

There is a plan called HUSKY where pre-ex isn't an issue, but it only covers children. The premium changes based on income, but upper income families can apply.

The self-employed can get an expensive one-person group policy. There is Medicaid and welfare for the indigent. There is Medicare for those who are disabled per Social Security's definition. There is the Connecticut Health Reinsurance Association for those coming off of COBRA (super expensive).

There are giant holes in the system. I don't know what is available to Joe Hardhat and Suzy Secretary after they are diagnosed with a condition that loses them their job, their medical benefits and their insurability.

I'd love to have an agent familiar with Connecticut tell me that I'm missed something.

[James]

Originally Posted by Alston

The plans that I'm aware of that cover adults have pretty strict income and asset requirements.

There is a plan called HUSKY where pre-ex isn't an issue, but it only covers children. The premium changes based on income, but upper income families can apply.

The self-employed can get an expensive one-person group policy. There is Medicaid and welfare for the indigent. There is Medicare for those who are disabled per Social Security's definition. There is the Connecticut Health Reinsurance Association for those coming off of COBRA (super expensive).

There are giant holes in the system. I don't know what is available to Joe Hardhat and Suzy Secretary after they are diagnosed with a condition that loses them their job, their medical benefits and their insurability.

I'd love to have an agent familiar with Connecticut tell me that I'm missed something.

If you really want to know, call up your Health Department and ask for some information. I'm not going to comment on this much, ye