Wal-Mart trims some U.S. employee health coverage

[NYFelon]

I agree.



Why should there be federal research to help states craft plans and policies?



Should legitimate lawsuits be limited as well? Seriously.

My daughter went to the emergency room with four out of five symptoms of the placenta separating from her uterus. The placenta had shifted blocking the fifth symptom. They patted her on the head and sat her in the corner for five and a half hours. When the doctor finally got there he immediately took the baby via cesarean section. The baby was without oxygen for at least 5 hours. He suffered serious brain damage and a saddle stroke. He was born blind and deaf with his left arm and leg pulled up tightly against his body. There are about five inches of medical paperwork documenting this. His medical expenses have been huge, from weeks in Riley neonatal ICU to four hours of therapy a week for three years so far. My daughter looked into suing the hospital for the cost of medical expenses. No house. No income. No big payoff. Just medical expenses. The lawyers wouldn't touch it. They blamed it on Indiana law.

It would seem that current Indiana law pretty much limits legitimate law suits. My grandson has been tossed out with the bathwater.

Do you feel that the law should protect incompetent health care providers?

OMG dude, that's horrible. I'm no sorry for your family's plight.

 

[IncendiaryGunner]

Didn't Walmart endores Obamacare? I vaguely remember a shareholder meeting over the endorsement...

Also, they are cutting their plan due to rising health care costs, not because of Obamacare... Seriously, Obamacare does not address the problems with our health care system in a way that will lead to significant reduced health care costs.. but it also did not bring about the ridiculous health care costs we see today... That was a market trend in motion long before 2008....

The ability to demonize legislation like Obamacare to such a degree that it is retroactively blamed for all problems in an industry is astounding. Obamacare being the go-to cause for ridiculous health care costs at this point in time is like blaming condoms for teen pregnancy.

 

[Bummer]

OMG dude, that's horrible. I'm no sorry for your family's plight.

Thanks. Not really the direction I was looking to go. But thanks. We deal with what is.

Personally, I feel sorry for him and will spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can for him. Seems it's often the truly innocent who get the nasty end of the stick.

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

Why should there be federal research to help states craft plans and policies?

Public health concerns are public policy concerns. I have no problem funding organizations like the CDC to research little things like plague, small pox, bird flu or other diseases and illnesses as a matter of public health, and pass the results of that research to states for policy implications. I would rather have a single organization rather than 50+ different organizations paying to do the same research (although in reality there are thousands of organizations doing redundant research). Such research is authorized and sanctioned under Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution.

Should legitimate lawsuits be limited as well? Seriously.

My daughter went to the emergency room with four out of five symptoms of the placenta separating from her uterus. The placenta had shifted blocking the fifth symptom. They patted her on the head and sat her in the corner for five and a half hours. When the doctor finally got there he immediately took the baby via cesarean section. The baby was without oxygen for at least 5 hours. He suffered serious brain damage and a saddle stroke. He was born blind and deaf with his left arm and leg pulled up tightly against his body. There are about five inches of medical paperwork documenting this. His medical expenses have been huge, from weeks in Riley neonatal ICU to four hours of therapy a week for three years so far. My daughter looked into suing the hospital for the cost of medical expenses. No house. No income. No big payoff. Just medical expenses. The lawyers wouldn't touch it. They blamed it on Indiana law.

It would seem that current Indiana law pretty much limits legitimate law suits. My grandson has been tossed out with the bathwater.

Do you feel that the law should protect incompetent health care providers?

I don't doubt what you say, and I in no way mean to sound callous or indifferent. What I will say is this. There is a difference between wrong and incompetent. Medical staff are not miracle workers, and sometimes they are wrong. There should be no penalty for wrong. The sanction for incompetent is a licensing issue.

Even in the worst case you mention, who is to say that incorrectable damage had not already occured by the time your daughter arrived at the hospital? Assessing blame is difficult, if not impossible, especially the closer you are to one party or the other.

Many years ago I had a similar situation, so I truly understand. But even when it happened to me I had to accept that doctors are not God and move on. I believe malpractice claims are only justified in the most aggregious cases. Board review is more appropriate in most cases, IMHO.

 

[24Carat]

Governor Dr. Otis Bowen managed to rig the Indiana medical liability laws to reward his cronies.

As far as industries drastically reducing their medical coverage contributions, they don't need to bother doing that. They just make all positions part time with no benefits. I have been finding this for two years of employment pursuits.

 

[GREEN607]

Sigh. I didn't vote for Obama. I'm not a fan of Obama's. In fact, I'm a long time Ron Paul supporter. I just asked a question.

Unfortunately, it is the vast naivety of your question, that these other posters are pointing to. Let's examine what you asked.

"Why is it Obama's fault?"

It is Obama's fault, because he has succeeded in pushing and deceiving Congress into passing a law, that says I have to buy health insurance.

No! I don't have to buy health insurance, and the federal government has no business passing a law requiring me to do so. My wife and I both have serious health issues. We carry minimal insurance... and pay cash for everything else health-related, including simple visits to our Drs' office, meds, procedures, etc. It is my business and personal decision, if I choose to do it that way. If we had a major health 'incident' (which we both have had in the last 6-7 years).... we simply take out a loan to pay off our medical bills... and pay the loan off from our budget. It still has cost us WAAAY less to do it that way, than to pay the absolutely ridiculous high insurance premiums, as would be the case if we carried a big-azz health insurance policy on both of us.

I have had two heart attacks in 8 years, and my wife has had a serious stroke. But we paid those health expenses off... honestly and diligently. That is the way good people did it for decades.

The only reason Obama wanted a national mandatory health-care law.... was to provide for the voters who got him elected to office, who were too busy spending their money on illegal drugs and Escalades and $2000 wheels for their Escalades.... to worry about health care, thus driving the cost to all of us up, every time they went to the ER claiming they were destitute and couldn't afford to pay the ER bill. That, and his "socialist agenda" for America. Obama has so far succeeded in "bailing out" huge corporations, some of which have failed and/or gone bankrupt.... while at the same time setting things up so that (like a previous poster said) those huge corporations can now make 90% of their employees positions 'part-time', thus saving the companies millions of dollars; now that they don't have to offer or even partially provide health insurance for those employees. And those same households of "working-class" folks are (each) now saddled with additional thousands of dollars of expense to purchase mandatory health insurance. The 'core' of small business owners, who are now required to help provide insurance for their small but necessary work force... are now strangled by big government regulation, and wondering if they can even stay in business... let alone make a profit and expand. And Obama accused George W of "...being in bed with the corporations." What hypocrisy!

You seem like a fairly intelligent person. After 3 years of Obama, I would think you would have seen this for yourself......

 

[John Galt]

This is not free market Capitalism, it's the end consequences of government intervention and Crony Capitalism. To fix it:

1) Open up the borders for nation-wide competition.
2) Have health insurance for catastrophic coverage only and start treating health insurance like auto and homeowners. Auto insurance doesn't pay for oil changes and homeowners doesn't pay for lawn care.
3) Get away from 3rd party payer and have the individual responsible for THEIR care. Too many people have become too insulated from the costs of THEIR healthcare.
4) Phase out Medicare/Medicaid. Those that have had money taken from them for this (Medicare) can get back that amount + reasonable interest. Open up clinics for the rest (like the VA).
5) Massive tort reform. If a doctor/hospital does screw up, then proceed accordingly, but the frivolous stuff has to end.
6) Deregulate the health equipment industry and let Sony Playstation compete with GE on a level, non-government protected playing field. How can Sony mass produce a game that detects your movements from a distance, mimics them on a big screen, has technology advanced enough that it concerned the Dept. of Defense, is simple enough that a 4th grader can use it and only cost a few hundred dollars, yet simple CatScans from GE produced machines still cost a gazillion dollars? (just one example)

6) Prepare for the worst and get to be buddies with a good doctor. Since none of these common sense changes are likely to happen, the current system will implode, it's just a matter of time.

 

[fahappy]

Wait a minute. Im sure that a company as big and as profitable as Walmart can afford to continue cover their employees under the new guidelines. Lord knows they dont pay these people a livable wage. The least they can do is make sure they are all healthy enough to be able to come to work

 

[Pyroponce]

I'm confused. How is this Obama's fault? The cost of health care was rocketing upward long before Obama gained office...

Your beloved Teleprompter-In-Chief is only interested in expanding government's control over you simple working guys...

Sigh. I didn't vote for Obama. I'm not a fan of Obama's. In fact, I'm a long time Ron Paul supporter. I just asked a question.

Unfortunately, it is the vast naivety of your question, that these other posters are pointing to. Let's examine what you asked.

"Why is it Obama's fault?"

It is Obama's fault, because he has succeeded in pushing and deceiving Congress into passing a law, that says I have to buy health insurance.

No! I don't have to buy health insurance, and the federal government has no business passing a law requiring me to do so. My wife and I both have serious health issues. We carry minimal insurance... and pay cash for everything else health-related, including simple visits to our Drs' office, meds, procedures, etc. It is my business and personal decision, if I choose to do it that way. If we had a major health 'incident' (which we both have had in the last 6-7 years).... we simply take out a loan to pay off our medical bills... and pay the loan off from our budget. It still has cost us WAAAY less to do it that way, than to pay the absolutely ridiculous high insurance premiums, as would be the case if we carried a big-azz health insurance policy on both of us.

I have had two heart attacks in 8 years, and my wife has had a serious stroke. But we paid those health expenses off... honestly and diligently. That is the way good people did it for decades.

The only reason Obama wanted a national mandatory health-care law.... was to provide for the voters who got him elected to office, who were too busy spending their money on illegal drugs and Escalades and $2000 wheels for their Escalades.... to worry about health care, thus driving the cost to all of us up, every time they went to the ER claiming they were destitute and couldn't afford to pay the ER bill. That, and his "socialist agenda" for America. Obama has so far succeeded in "bailing out" huge corporations, some of which have failed and/or gone bankrupt.... while at the same time setting things up so that (like a previous poster said) those huge corporations can now make 90% of their employees positions 'part-time', thus saving the companies millions of dollars; now that they don't have to offer or even partially provide health insurance for those employees. And those same households of "working-class" folks are (each) now saddled with additional thousands of dollars of expense to purchase mandatory health insurance. The 'core' of small business owners, who are now required to help provide insurance for their small but necessary work force... are now strangled by big government regulation, and wondering if they can even stay in business... let alone make a profit and expand. And Obama accused George W of "...being in bed with the corporations." What hypocrisy!

You seem like a fairly intelligent person. After 3 years of Obama, I would think you would have seen this for yourself......

GREEN607, you haven't answered Bummer's question to my (or I'm guessing his) satisfaction. While your and other persons' concerns about Obamacare are legitimate, they clearly don't have any bearing on Bummer's original question.

I've been working for a regional grocery store chain since the summer of 2005 when I was in high school, paying my way through college now, and I'm fortunate enough to have health insurance even as a part-time employee. Save for one year, my company every year has either raised premiums or reduced benefits for employees, and sometimes both.

There is a definite record of belt tightening these past several years which is not related to Obamacare. Blaming Obama for Walmart's recent action, without further evidence such as a Walmart executive attributing this to Obamacare, is an untenable contention and comes off as spiteful. I would be interested in seeing some more evidence.

 

[GREEN607]

GREEN607, you haven't answered Bummer's question to my (or I'm guessing his) satisfaction. While your and other persons' concerns about Obamacare are legitimate, they clearly don't have any bearing on Bummer's original question.

I've been working for a regional grocery store chain since the summer of 2005 when I was in high school, paying my way through college now, and I'm fortunate enough to have health insurance even as a part-time employee. Save for one year, my company every year has either raised premiums or reduced benefits for employees, and sometimes both.

There is a definite record of belt tightening these past several years which is not related to Obamacare. Blaming Obama for Walmart's recent action, without further evidence such as a Walmart executive attributing this to Obamacare, is an untenable contention and comes off as spiteful. I would be interested in seeing some more evidence.

A Wally-World exec wouldn't tell you the truth, anyway.

Here's a link, take it from a small business owners own words......

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...sion/174518-letter_from_a_business_owner.html

Oh, and by the way, while 'your company/employer' was "raising premiums or cutting benefits"...... other employers were cutting back on full-time employees, period. And now, many employers (like mine) have pulled the plug on providing/offering an employee group health care program, at all. Why would they do this? Simple, because the new Obama-care law says each and every adult person is required to buy health insurance..... irregardless of how. So B.O. gave the "Big Guys" a way out. I'm not saying Obama "created" the high cost of health care -or- insurance. He just made it all WORSE.....

And I don't mean to belittle you in any way, BUT if you were aware of how it all truly works..... you would understand, that if the government were going to have ANYTHING to do with health insurance (where federal law is concerned).....they should be passing laws to LIMIT how the insurance companies can operate. Here's how it works, now....

You pay monthly premiums for insurance (or you & your employer split that cost). When you have a major test, procedure, surgery, whatever...... the bill for those services is 'X' number of dollars. Your 'co-pay' amount, may be 20% or a flat fee, say $1000 annually. The insurance co. has lawyers whose only job, is to 'negotiate' a bill (down) to 'Y' number of dollars. But they are only negotiating their portion of the bill. So you end up paying a higher percentage of what the "end total" is. On top of that, every year, the medical professionals "re-set" their fees.....based on what they lost in negotiating w/ the insurance cos. The insurance cos. continue to make their huge profits, and the Drs, etc continue to make their huge profits.....and you're the scapegoat.

Instead of our elected Prez and legislators passing laws to require us to buy health insurance.... they should be passing laws requiring the insurance companies and so on, to reimburse us for the $$ we've been ripped off for decades.

 

[Bitter Clinger]

Mr. Bummer, I have added your grandson to my prayer list.


For what its worth, my health insurance premiums have gone from $600 /month to $800 /month since obamacare was passed. Before that it hadn't changed since 2006. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[Pyroponce]

A Wally-World exec wouldn't tell you the truth, anyway.

Certainly not.

Here's a link, take it from a small business owners own words......

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...sion/174518-letter_from_a_business_owner.html

I can't believe I missed that one! Consider this link, however:

Real Letter From A CEO to His Employers - Current News & Events - Forums at Chris Martenson

The letter is almost certainly a fake and not written by Mr. Crowley. That being said, it rings true. I can envision a small business owner writing such a letter.

Oh, and by the way, while 'your company/employer' was "raising premiums or cutting benefits"...... other employers were cutting back on full-time employees, period. And now, many employers (like mine) have pulled the plug on providing/offering an employee group health care program, at all. Why would they do this? Simple, because the new Obama-care law says each and every adult person is required to buy health insurance..... irregardless of how. So B.O. gave the "Big Guys" a way out. [emphasis mine] I'm not saying Obama "created" the high cost of health care -or- insurance. He just made it all WORSE.....

I can see where you're coming from. I may even agree. I do like to take my time making up my mind though, forgive me.

And I don't mean to belittle you in any way,

Not at all, we're just having a friendly discussion

BUT

I knew it! You ARE belittling me, aren't you?

if you were aware of how it all truly works..... you would understand, that if the government were going to have ANYTHING to do with health insurance (where federal law is concerned).....they should be passing laws to LIMIT how the insurance companies can operate. Here's how it works, now....

You pay monthly premiums for insurance (or you & your employer split that cost). When you have a major test, procedure, surgery, whatever...... the bill for those services is 'X' number of dollars. Your 'co-pay' amount, may be 20% or a flat fee, say $1000 annually. The insurance co. has lawyers whose only job, is to 'negotiate' a bill (down) to 'Y' number of dollars. But they are only negotiating their portion of the bill. So you end up paying a higher percentage of what the "end total" is. On top of that, every year, the medical professionals "re-set" their fees.....based on what they lost in negotiating w/ the insurance cos. The insurance cos. continue to make their huge profits, and the Drs, etc continue to make their huge profits.....and you're the scapegoat.

Instead of our elected Prez and legislators passing laws to require us to buy health insurance.... they should be passing laws requiring the insurance companies and so on, to reimburse us for the $$ we've been ripped off for decades.

I never thought of it like that. Definitely worth taking in. I only wonder where we go from here?

And this is why I like the Political forum. Abolishing it is a stupid idea

 

[KLB]

A Wally-World exec wouldn't tell you the truth, anyway.

Here's a link, take it from a small business owners own words......

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...sion/174518-letter_from_a_business_owner.html

Oh, and by the way, while 'your company/employer' was "raising premiums or cutting benefits"...... other employers were cutting back on full-time employees, period. And now, many employers (like mine) have pulled the plug on providing/offering an employee group health care program, at all. Why would they do this? Simple, because the new Obama-care law says each and every adult person is required to buy health insurance..... irregardless of how. So B.O. gave the "Big Guys" a way out. I'm not saying Obama "created" the high cost of health care -or- insurance. He just made it all WORSE.....

And I don't mean to belittle you in any way, BUT if you were aware of how it all truly works..... you would understand, that if the government were going to have ANYTHING to do with health insurance (where federal law is concerned).....they should be passing laws to LIMIT how the insurance companies can operate. Here's how it works, now....

You pay monthly premiums for insurance (or you & your employer split that cost). When you have a major test, procedure, surgery, whatever...... the bill for those services is 'X' number of dollars. Your 'co-pay' amount, may be 20% or a flat fee, say $1000 annually. The insurance co. has lawyers whose only job, is to 'negotiate' a bill (down) to 'Y' number of dollars. But they are only negotiating their portion of the bill. So you end up paying a higher percentage of what the "end total" is. On top of that, every year, the medical professionals "re-set" their fees.....based on what they lost in negotiating w/ the insurance cos. The insurance cos. continue to make their huge profits, and the Drs, etc continue to make their huge profits.....and you're the scapegoat.

Instead of our elected Prez and legislators passing laws to require us to buy health insurance.... they should be passing laws requiring the insurance companies and so on, to reimburse us for the $$ we've been ripped off for decades.

I don't know how your insurance works, but that is not how any that I have ever had works. My share of the costs is always the percentage of the discounted costs. For instance a $445 bill was discounted to $194.91. The insurance then paid $155.92 of that. I was then responsible for the remaining $38.99.

The people that get screwed are the ones that have no insurance and get charged that $445 dollars.

 

[GREEN607]

I don't know how your insurance works, but that is not how any that I have ever had works. My share of the costs is always the percentage of the discounted costs. For instance a $445 bill was discounted to $194.91. The insurance then paid $155.92 of that. I was then responsible for the remaining $38.99.

The people that get screwed are the ones that have no insurance and get charged that $445 dollars.

I'm real glad to hear that your insurance company operates that way.... and happy for you. Unfortunately, I believe their policy would be "the exception" to how most insurance companies do business. My 'former' insurance company did not negotiate on my behalf, ever. I ended up paying nearly as much (dollar amount) than they did, every time.

Also, by the time you added up the annual deductible + co-pays + monthly premiums paid for the 'coverage'..... we found it was easily cheaper for us to carry 'minimal' insurance, and pay the rest as needed.