Even people with medical insurance in the US have to worry about hospital bills. My fiancé had to have surgery to repair a detached retina. She has full medical coverage from a major insurance company provided by her job. The insurance company did pick up the majority of the tab, but we still owe a few thousand on it, not to mention an additional two thousand just for the anesthesia.Why an additional two grand just for anesthesia?Turns out that even though the hospital where the surgery was performed was in-network, the anesthesiologist himself was not and therefore we’re totally responsible for his services.I’m fine with us carrying some of the load, despite being assured by the insurance company that the procedure would be covered, but the hospitals and doctors all want their money immediately. I actually had a billing company laugh at me when I mentioned a payment plan.Also we found out that the reason the overflow isn’t covered by the “out-of-pocket” clause, an annual limit that is the maximum you’re ever supposed to pay during the course of a year, is because there’s an in-network out-of-pocket amount and an out-of-network out-of-pocket amount.Seems that even with insurance they find a way to take all your f**king money.
znicket-If those people had the means during their lifetime to create a retirement but refused to, that was their doing and their responsibility. It is not everyone else's responsibility to care for people who didn't bother to care for themselves. Now if these are people that did not have the means throughout their life, then there are any number of existing government programs available that would assist them as well as charitable contributions from family, friends, etc. The problem is to balance this properly because if people know they will get a free ride in life and also don't need to worry about their retirement years, then there is no motivation for them to try to better themselves. With freedom and liberty also comes personal responsibility. Besides, these very same people would have had the choice to have a retirement saved for them by the government. That was the point of my comment is that people need to have the ability to make their own choice and not be forced. People having the ability to make choices rather than be forced into something is always a better deal.
I like how he says "little or no foreign language/uneducated immigrants" also, but during the clip, all of them were speaking English...which is more than so many people in the U.S. can say. Yes, you may know a few words and took a language in high school, but that's about it.I'm pretty sure they know at least one foreign language-well most of them. I'm studying abroad in Germany and everyone here knows English and another foreign language or more. I met a Swedish person who knew like 5, so yes I'm generalizing (but from experiencing Europe), but he is without maybe experiencing it.
What about my statement was incorrect?A national government is a government.A state government is a government.A local government is a government.They all suffer from the same inefficiencies, all run by people motivated by the desire to rule over others, all susceptible to the same problems.
Nit wit == TeaflaxWhat do you think the word "social" means in the term "social Democracy"???Or should I help you out: social democracyn.A political theory advocating the use of democratic means to achieve a gradual transition from capitalism to socialism.(American Heritage Dictionary)Obama definitely nailed down the stupid vote.....
vindexusApr 24, 2009
It's... it's beautiful.
scrappy1850Apr 24, 2009
the taxes
ravenpenApr 24, 2009
Even people with medical insurance in the US have to worry about hospital bills. My fiancé had to have surgery to repair a detached retina. She has full medical coverage from a major insurance company provided by her job. The insurance company did pick up the majority of the tab, but we still owe a few thousand on it, not to mention an additional two thousand just for the anesthesia.Why an additional two grand just for anesthesia?Turns out that even though the hospital where the surgery was performed was in-network, the anesthesiologist himself was not and therefore we’re totally responsible for his services.I’m fine with us carrying some of the load, despite being assured by the insurance company that the procedure would be covered, but the hospitals and doctors all want their money immediately. I actually had a billing company laugh at me when I mentioned a payment plan.Also we found out that the reason the overflow isn’t covered by the “out-of-pocket” clause, an annual limit that is the maximum you’re ever supposed to pay during the course of a year, is because there’s an in-network out-of-pocket amount and an out-of-network out-of-pocket amount.Seems that even with insurance they find a way to take all your f**king money.
hakluytbeanApr 24, 2009
"All of Western Europe is a welfare state, except Ireland."Ireland evidently IS a welfare state:<a class="user" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Republic_of_Ireland#The_welfare_state">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Republ ...</a>In any case welfare is available in the UK just by going there. The UK also pays the Republic the 'National Insurance' contributions of Irish citizens who work in the UK but then retire back home: <a class="user" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7990563.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7990563.stm</a>Or overpays, as they've apparently been doing...
pp7kApr 24, 2009
I call trolling trollerson on that one.
yeahwhatever58Apr 24, 2009
znicket-If those people had the means during their lifetime to create a retirement but refused to, that was their doing and their responsibility. It is not everyone else's responsibility to care for people who didn't bother to care for themselves. Now if these are people that did not have the means throughout their life, then there are any number of existing government programs available that would assist them as well as charitable contributions from family, friends, etc. The problem is to balance this properly because if people know they will get a free ride in life and also don't need to worry about their retirement years, then there is no motivation for them to try to better themselves. With freedom and liberty also comes personal responsibility. Besides, these very same people would have had the choice to have a retirement saved for them by the government. That was the point of my comment is that people need to have the ability to make their own choice and not be forced. People having the ability to make choices rather than be forced into something is always a better deal.
diggkebaApr 24, 2009
I like how he says "little or no foreign language/uneducated immigrants" also, but during the clip, all of them were speaking English...which is more than so many people in the U.S. can say. Yes, you may know a few words and took a language in high school, but that's about it.I'm pretty sure they know at least one foreign language-well most of them. I'm studying abroad in Germany and everyone here knows English and another foreign language or more. I met a Swedish person who knew like 5, so yes I'm generalizing (but from experiencing Europe), but he is without maybe experiencing it.
regeyaApr 25, 2009
What about my statement was incorrect?A national government is a government.A state government is a government.A local government is a government.They all suffer from the same inefficiencies, all run by people motivated by the desire to rule over others, all susceptible to the same problems.
lastvisibledogApr 27, 2009
Nit wit == TeaflaxWhat do you think the word "social" means in the term "social Democracy"???Or should I help you out: social democracyn.A political theory advocating the use of democratic means to achieve a gradual transition from capitalism to socialism.(American Heritage Dictionary)Obama definitely nailed down the stupid vote.....
danc4498May 6, 2009
Ok, so Sweden is socialism, but at the same time the most democratic country on earth?
peruvianprinzOct 23, 2009
I looked it up and I didnt find any similarities.