Political Discussion
- Thread starter David A.
- Start date
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
..............you think there are any "Boomers" going through this and saying "Well, that's just the way it is"
..............you think there are any "Boomers" going through this and saying "Well, that's just the way it is"
I'm sure there are. "Supply and Demand".
I’ve worked in the health and pharmacy insurance sector for about 7 years now and anyone who thinks there aren’t severe issues with the healthcare system in pretty much every sector is either ignorant, contrarian, or very very very lucky...and I work for a major insurer that only really does HDHPs for its employees so I get your pain
I will say though. Out of Network coverage is very rarely worth the additional cost. It doesn’t protect much if at all on surprise bills and utilization has to be massive to pay out real benefits. It’s usually a sucker’s bet unless you know why you need it or it doesn’t get to you as a major extra cost.
edit: If anyone does want help/advice on the insurance side let me know, I just don’t volunteer it since it usually not welcome
I will say though. Out of Network coverage is very rarely worth the additional cost. It doesn’t protect much if at all on surprise bills and utilization has to be massive to pay out real benefits. It’s usually a sucker’s bet unless you know why you need it or it doesn’t get to you as a major extra cost.
edit: If anyone does want help/advice on the insurance side let me know, I just don’t volunteer it since it usually not welcome
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Yup, called it.
Found the discussion about this on the other forum. And "supply and demand" came up a bunch of times for justifications to the higher energy costs.
However, what came up a lot more "this is why you always buy a fixed rate plan". And that "it's a gamble you are taking if you are on a variable rate plan".
There doesn't seem to be much discussion on greet and capitalism being bad. Just these people should of had a fixed rate plan for the year. And it's a chance they took.
Found the discussion about this on the other forum. And "supply and demand" came up a bunch of times for justifications to the higher energy costs.
However, what came up a lot more "this is why you always buy a fixed rate plan". And that "it's a gamble you are taking if you are on a variable rate plan".
There doesn't seem to be much discussion on greet and capitalism being bad. Just these people should of had a fixed rate plan for the year. And it's a chance they took.
Nee Lewman
बैस्टर्ड
A fixed rate plan is going to vary based on your provider.
Here a fixed rate plan is based on your prior year’s usage. In this kind of situation, People are gonna have stupid bills next year if they are on a fixed rate plan.
I may despise Duke Energy but they can’t raise my rates without going to the state house.
Not necessarily, in Texas like here in Massachusetts you are open to choose your energy supplier. So while it's on your electric companies bill and you pay your electric company, you are charge the rate of the supplier of your choice.
Most of these suppliers offer fixed rates for the first year and then variable rates. So who people do is switch up energy suppliers every year and lock in fixed rates and it saves them money.
I have looked into and for me it wouldn't work.
National Grid is my electric company, and their variable rate is higher in the winter and lower in the summer. I use around 10x more electricity in the summer because of the central air in my apartment. So a flat rate is more costly to me. My heat is natural gas.
If someone had electric heat here in MA, or like in Texas where your usage is probably consistent all year always swapping out for those fixed rate plans from different suppliers do save you money. Especially if you find one offering promotion pricing to switch.
You don't get stock with higher rates the next year. And if that happens you can always just switch suppliers.
Here is a good explanation of the high energy bills in Texas and how they are possible by Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins of Dallas Country
How come Texans face high energy bills? What caused it and how can Texas fix it?
The energy market scheme was designed by Texas leaders to benefit large-scale commercial companies using a lot of energy. In Texas, commercial energy shoppers can take advantage of the opportunities and wholesale purchases that small businesses and ordinary Texans can't get. For this, companies have employees / consultants who manage their energy purchases by taking advantage of price falls and covering risks.
With these companies in mind, Texas created a system that allows a wide range of shopping options, but little consumer protection. The rest of us buy energy from retail companies that operate as ′′ middlemen ". These retailers don't generate or deliver power. They offer a variety of plans to consumers. Some of these plans are ′′ fixed rate ". That means the rate you pay is fixed and doesn't change during the term of your contract. Some are ′′ variable plans ′′ and fluctuate with the market. Of those variable plans, some have a risk limit and some don't. Most consumers buy a plan without a full risk appreciation and then forget about it. Once their contract expires, companies change it to their predetermined plan. This plan may be a high fixed rate or a variable rate, but one thing they have in common is that those default plans benefit the retailer, not you.
You can check out what plan you have at http://powertochoose.org/es-es
Follow the next steps to protect yourself if you have a variable plan:
Find out the amount of your invoice so far;
If you're high, stop the ′′ automatic payment ′′ and change plan as soon as possible, preferably to a plan that allows you to change retrospectively at the beginning of the turnover cycle.
Governor
Greg Abbott
,
Public Utility Commission of Texas
and legislature should immediately investigate
Griddy
and other predatory companies charging exorbitant fees; however, they appear to have followed the scheme set by Texas to allow this to happen .. Texas should ban variable tariff plans, or at least ban the upper end of risk exposure so its tariff can't rise more than a small fraction in any turnover cycle.
This should never have happened! Elected leaders in Austin who caused it must correct and fix it so it never happens again. It's up to all of us to see them do it.
Things are not likely to change in Texas any time soon, even because of this. Because:
Many lawsuits have been filed against the electric companies in Texas already. Any many people know someone who is getting a 10k Bill.
But the lawsuits really have no legal ground to stand on sadly. There is no consumer protections or laws against price gouging. This is all 100% legal in a 100% capitalism market with no government regulation.
Those who had the money auto withdrawn from their accounts will likely never get it back. And this could only add to the issues of people not being able to make rent.
Those who get 10k bills and refuse to pay it my face getting their utilities cut and will likely either have to go through the bankruptcy process or settle it in small claims court.
Another sad thing about this whole situation in Texas that not al lot of people are talking about yet is insurance. Most peoples cut rate insurance does have comprehensive coverage that covers water damage from burst frozen pipes. And why would people ask about it and get that coverage in Texas?
Right now we are just hearing about all the water damage as things warm back up.
How come Texans face high energy bills? What caused it and how can Texas fix it?
The energy market scheme was designed by Texas leaders to benefit large-scale commercial companies using a lot of energy. In Texas, commercial energy shoppers can take advantage of the opportunities and wholesale purchases that small businesses and ordinary Texans can't get. For this, companies have employees / consultants who manage their energy purchases by taking advantage of price falls and covering risks.
With these companies in mind, Texas created a system that allows a wide range of shopping options, but little consumer protection. The rest of us buy energy from retail companies that operate as ′′ middlemen ". These retailers don't generate or deliver power. They offer a variety of plans to consumers. Some of these plans are ′′ fixed rate ". That means the rate you pay is fixed and doesn't change during the term of your contract. Some are ′′ variable plans ′′ and fluctuate with the market. Of those variable plans, some have a risk limit and some don't. Most consumers buy a plan without a full risk appreciation and then forget about it. Once their contract expires, companies change it to their predetermined plan. This plan may be a high fixed rate or a variable rate, but one thing they have in common is that those default plans benefit the retailer, not you.
You can check out what plan you have at http://powertochoose.org/es-es
Follow the next steps to protect yourself if you have a variable plan:
Find out the amount of your invoice so far;
If you're high, stop the ′′ automatic payment ′′ and change plan as soon as possible, preferably to a plan that allows you to change retrospectively at the beginning of the turnover cycle.
Governor
Greg Abbott
,
Public Utility Commission of Texas
and legislature should immediately investigate
Griddy
and other predatory companies charging exorbitant fees; however, they appear to have followed the scheme set by Texas to allow this to happen .. Texas should ban variable tariff plans, or at least ban the upper end of risk exposure so its tariff can't rise more than a small fraction in any turnover cycle.
This should never have happened! Elected leaders in Austin who caused it must correct and fix it so it never happens again. It's up to all of us to see them do it.
Things are not likely to change in Texas any time soon, even because of this. Because:
Many lawsuits have been filed against the electric companies in Texas already. Any many people know someone who is getting a 10k Bill.
But the lawsuits really have no legal ground to stand on sadly. There is no consumer protections or laws against price gouging. This is all 100% legal in a 100% capitalism market with no government regulation.
Those who had the money auto withdrawn from their accounts will likely never get it back. And this could only add to the issues of people not being able to make rent.
Those who get 10k bills and refuse to pay it my face getting their utilities cut and will likely either have to go through the bankruptcy process or settle it in small claims court.
Another sad thing about this whole situation in Texas that not al lot of people are talking about yet is insurance. Most peoples cut rate insurance does have comprehensive coverage that covers water damage from burst frozen pipes. And why would people ask about it and get that coverage in Texas?
Right now we are just hearing about all the water damage as things warm back up.
Tyr
Well-Known Member
I shudder to think what my electric bill will be next month.
yukbon
Well-Known Member
This kind of thing is unconscionable. Even if -- and that's a huge if but whatever -- you wanted to give flexibility to companies in order to attract business to TX, you could set up some sort of consumer protection for individuals.
I work for a health insurance company and our highest cost plan is still a HDHP with a $6000 deductible. What kills me is how my work keeps telling me that they want me to "take care of myself" and go see doctors, but with my awesome health insurance, it costs me $194 just to breathe the same air as my cardiologist for 15 minutes. Please tell me, where is the ROI in that?
I don't have healthcare, just the "access" to healthcare. I can't actually use healthcare to effectively treat myself, but I can use it to gain access to subpar care, that they swear is "data driven" but all I can see is their over reliance on lab tests. If it's not an obvious clinical marker, don't ask a doctor to stop and think about your condition. Besides, the admins at the top have decided that doctors only need, at most 15 minutes with their patients, and anything over that is just wasting money. I have a Master's in Public Health, and I have lost faith in our medical system because I see it driven by money instead of any sort of quality outcome.
I think every major heathcare company is doing HDHP for it's employees. My OON coverage is non-existent, but given that I already pay doctors like I don't have health insurance, it's really a very small difference. The only reason I have health insurance is for catastrophic incidences and as a way to get my foot in the door to see doctors. It's laughable to think that people *should* get yearly physicals that the insurance company will cover (thanks ACA), because how is anyone going to pay for treatment if they do find something wrong. It kills me when I'm in meetings and people are handwringing about how members don't get their annual check ups. It's above my pay rate to tell anyone that the reason these people aren't getting physicals is because they can't afford to treat whatever is wrong, so it's best to not have a diagnosis that could be considered "pre-existing". A lot of these execs don't really understand the impetuous behind health utilization of the poor, and sometimes, I just have to bite my tongue with the amount of ridiculous assumptions they come up with.
Smansmith
Member
Man, I have been reading this thread for a while and I just feel for you guys in the US - it is crazy with your healthcare! I can't believe (or I totally can) these prices for treatment/visits, etc.
[Not to be a dick, but} - last year I had a pretty big health scare and was in 'Urgent Care' in one centre, ambulance to different hospital, 1.5 days in emergency there, 4 days in private room then moved to a standard shared room (with 1 other person) for 2 more days. All medications, daily meals, CT scan, MRI, Echo-cardiogram. At the end...2 signatures and I walked out - no bills, no insurance to deal with at all....just walked away feeling lucky. I would be in so much debt living in the US - as @nolalady said, you guys are getting terrible access to healthcare (I am sure the healthcare itself is good tho).
Actually, all of the stats are conceding that we also have pretty awful healthcare itself. A study that just came out suggests that the third leading cause of all deaths in the US is medical error. And if we analyze health outcomes with other countries, the US is way behind on health outcomes too. We have the lowest life expectancy of our peers and much higher suicide rates. We pay more out of pocket and we have higher rates of obesity, lower rates of physician use (largely due to cost), the highest rates of preventable chronic conditions and the highest rate of avoidable deaths. We suck when compared to places like the UK or France.you guys are getting terrible access to healthcare (I am sure the healthcare itself is good tho).
Newsroom
Follow the Johns Hopkins Medicine newsroom for the latest updates in medicine, scientific discovery, and next generation medical education, expert sources, and media contact information.
U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019: Higher Spending, Worse Outcomes?
Americans are living shorter, unhealthier lives. Yet, the United States outspends other wealthy nations when it comes to health care, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. This analysis compares the U.S. to 10 other high-income nations on spending, outcomes, risk factors, and quality.
That's been the trend I've seen in the time I was looking for other jobs (I'm fully settled here for now).
The physical thing is a lot of window dressing. I agree. At least my job tends to offer a financial incentive to do it beyond it being free but HDHPs are only really good for healthy people (who otherwise don't need the coverage, so cheap is good and HSA contributions build up) or wealthy people who have several thousand to spare to plow into the HSA. I was fortunate that I built up my HSA over the years so when I needed the money for PT and meds last year that it wasn't a loss, but I'd never have spend the liquid funding for the PT I had if not.
Sadly, I do think insurers realize a lot of this...many just don't care or see the bottom line and that's all that matters. It's honestly truly messed up that people are justified in planning medical services or major life events over a benefit year on insurance.
MyPillow and CEO Mike Lindell hit with $1.3 billion lawsuit
Dominion Voting Systems, the election technology company that has been the focus of debunked conspiracy theories about election fraud, is suing MyPillow and its CEO Mike Lindell.
www.cnn.com
On another note, when I saw this breaking news story pop up on my phone I read it at first as Dominos.
Supreme Court denies election appeal from Pennsylvania Republicans
The Supreme Court on Monday denied an appeal from Republicans challenging a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that allowed ballots received up to three days after Election Day to be counted to accommodate challenges by the coronavirus pandemic.
www.cnn.com
No surprise here
Having recently been diagnosed with Adult Onset Type 1 diabetes, I totally understand. My A1C was insane (15.3) and now I’m on two different kinds of insulin as well as oral meds. I have to have the insulin or I can quite literally fall into a diabetic coma and die.
I got insulin samples from my doctor to get me going. When I went to fill my prescriptions, my insurance company refused to cover one of them. One vial lasts 3-4 weeks and come in 5 vial packages. The cost of just one of the insulin prescriptions (the one they refused) was $1100. The other covered one is $600.
I called my doctor and she called in the same thing as the refused insulin. Same thing different brand. Covered by insurance. I’m very fortunate. My meds cost me $30 per month and doctor visits are $60.
I have a coworker that was just diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. She is on our lowest plan. It does her no good having insurance because of the $6500 deductible before insurance kicks in. So she’s not getting treatment at all.