Question about maternity leave

by katiekitten 32 Replies latest jw friends

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  VanillaMocha73

  U.S. Healthcare affordable? Um - where is this? Our insurance just went up to about $400 a month for me to cover myself and the kids. My husband covers himself (free) - thankfully as he is diabetic. And my mom - well, she has no insurance so if she gets sick she just doesn't go to the doctor. Asthma meds get paid for out of pocket. People keep thinking she should have medicare or something, but really we have tried and there is no state program for her. They have her Social Security just up over the mark where she would get health assistance.

  Imagine those whose work does not provide insurance - you just don't get sick and pray the kids never get hurt. This is the first time I have had insurance in years and feel like it is a luxury.
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  Mary

  Sammilee said: People here also pay FICA, State taxes and County taxes if applicable. People here pay more in taxes and get nothing than they even realize and to make matters worse, if they would just do the math and step aside from the brainwashing their governments have stuffed them full of, they would understand that the system they have now is far more expensive in the long run already than any single payer system would be.

  I agree Sammiliee----although we pay a shitload in taxes up here. The 14% I mentioned is what we pay on virtually everything from a pack of gum to a funeral: 7% Provincial Sales Tax + 7% Goods and Services Tax. Plus our personal income tax is really high: Once you hit $60,000 or $70,000, you're taxed at 50%, which is frigging ridiculous.

  Still, I've heard enough horror stories of Americans who either cannot afford health insurance, or those who have it but still get screwed over. Gumby was telling me that they've got health insurance from where his wife works, but they pay quite a bit in premiums each month, plus he has to pay $5,000 out of his own pocket before the insurance even kicks in and even then there's all these 'co-payments' to deal with.
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  sammielee24

  Most Americans remember when you could pay for your health care with your own cash - but they never question why, they just spout some mantra about 'no taxes, no taxes'. I'm not sure how they thing the trillions of dollars in debt they now owe thanks to Dubbya is supposed to be paid - guess what people - reality check - your taxes will go up because Bush got you so far in debt with an occupation that there will be no choice.

  Anyway, about 30 years or so ago, it was illegal in the USA to make a profit on healthcare which is why people could afford it out of their own pocket. Then along came the republicans who said - geez, I think we should make everything for profit - and they did and they brought in the insurance companies and created a system of CEO's walking off with over a million a year in bonuses while at the same time allowing the insurance companies to cherry pick who they let in. Then the government says well - we'll let those undesirables who the insurance companies can't make money off, into our government run system - but only if we want them in. So the government set really low parameters to get into their system - the insurance companies set up really high parameters to allow people in - now somewhere in the middle are all those who can't get either. Hence the figure of 50 million people without anything.

  If the country were to immediately abolish insurance companies as the primary health care tool and go back to non profit health care - then it immediately drops the costs by 40% - the cost that goes straight to administration in the health insurance industry. The Bush administration again today vetoed increased health care to veterans and has signed another bill to try to take more cash from those seniors getting social security in the way of increased deductions for health care insurance. .....sammieswife.