<p>Dstark, this is all the same as trying to figure out medicare ABDF, no? I don’t know how old folks manage their best choices.</p>
<p>I wish somewhere in the world, someone could figure out a way to make this simpler.</p>
<p>
Yes. I’ve read that now it will depend on the honor system. HAHA! [The</a> Employer Mandate: A Necessary Impossibility « Megan McArdle](<a href=“http://meganmcardle.com/2013/07/11/the-employer-mandate-a-necessary-impossibility/]The”>http://meganmcardle.com/2013/07/11/the-employer-mandate-a-necessary-impossibility/)</p>
<p>HSA? That is a subsidy, isnt it? Just want to make sure because certain posters complain about others getting subsidies and handouts. ;)</p>
<p>Somemom, similar experience. I asked a doctor how much a surgery was and he had no clue. He has been a doctor for 30 years. :)</p>
<p>Lookingforward, I have no idea how the elderly manage medicare choices. Then there are the supplemental programs…</p>
<p>I know I have ****ed away thousands listening to Blue Cross and their bs. :)</p>
<p>I thought this was an interesting article</p>
<p>
[Oklahoma</a> City hospital posts surgery prices online; creates bidding war | KFOR.com](<a href=“http://kfor.com/2013/07/08/okc-hospital-posting-surgery-prices-online/]Oklahoma”>Oklahoma City hospital posts surgery prices online; creates bidding war | KFOR.com Oklahoma City)</p>
<p>An HSA plan is a health savings account where the insured is allowed to put cash into a special account, up to, I believe, $6450 annually for a family, this money is only used for paying medical bills. One good thing, it can be used for things not covered by your plan, like dental, etc. It is not a subsidy except that HSA deposits come off your income on page 1 of the 1040, so you don’t pay tax on that money, though if you are self-employed you did pay the approximately 15% self-employment tax on it.</p>
<p>One of the links given above leads to application forms for the subsidies, there is a box to check to allow them to cross reference your tax return for renewals, somehow i think it will be more than the honor system!</p>
<p>It does feel like some one in the planning stages decided most of us should be on a government plan and there should not be high deductibles. Any one who qualifies for a subsidy would likely not remain on an outside the exchange plan, then if their income improves or the qualifiers change, they will no longer have their previously grandfathered plan available.</p>
<p>Seems to me a national plan like Medicare for all would be the best thing that ever happened to small businesses.</p>
<p>HSA is a subsidy…</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.wellsfargo.com/downloads/pdf/com/retirement-employee-benefits/hsa/TaxBeneiftsofHSAs.pdf[/url]”>https://www.wellsfargo.com/downloads/pdf/com/retirement-employee-benefits/hsa/TaxBeneiftsofHSAs.pdf</a></p>
<p>Some believe that anything that is tax advantaged is a subsidy.</p>
<p>I agree with tom, though it should be voluntary. In the end it would be cheaper and less complicated to fix what we already have in place.</p>
<p>Tom1944, I agree. </p>
<p>Do you think small business would have more trouble finding employees if healthcare wasnt tied to employment? </p>
<p>That could be a downside for small business. People free not to work. That might be bad. I talked to a former vp of a corporation once. He drove people from a bmw auto dealership to their homes after they dropped their cars off for service. </p>
<p>I asked him why are you working? Why are you driving us around?</p>
<p>He answered, “For the healthcare benefits”.</p>
<p>He did like his job. I am almost as old now as he was when I last talked to him. </p>
<p>Scary… :)</p>
<p>Of course I also agree, as very vaguely alluded to in my previous post. :)</p>
<p>But we would have far greater attempts to make a go of your own business if HC was not tied to employment. That would provide for economic growth.</p>
<p>Also it really is the only way to drive costs down. Private insurers could exist in the secondary or Medi-Gap area.</p>
<p>I want everyone to have coverage and for there to be price transparency. I really don’t even understand why this is all so complicated. </p>
<p>It’s like what happens when people get divorced and the attorneys get involved. Instead of two people just splitting it down the middle and child support being set at a reasonable rate for all involved, it becomes this complicated mess nobody else can understand.</p>
<p>I also think they need to get employers out of the health care equations. Just people buy their own insurance. If they cannot afford insurance, they go into medicare. this is so bad for kids trying to get jobs or people out of work, just a chess game of keeping everyone under 30 hours. </p>
<p>I wish they would start over. nothing complicated. People buy their own insurance. If you can’t afford it, we help you to pay. Doctors and hospitals charge a transparent rate. How complicated does this really have to be?</p>
<p>I’ve chatted from my driver at my car place too and he used to be a manager. I think that he just likes chatting with customers.</p>
<p>A health care provider I’ve visited off and on for 17 years recently left a large city hospital practice to set up her own office. She will not be affiliated with any insurance companies. Patients can pay out of pocket, or apply for reimbursement through their plans’ out of network system. However, since she does not have to deal with insurance companies, she will charge less than half the hourly rate she charged at the large practice. And I can still use my medical flex account to pay for services from her. I really think we’re going to see more of this, or we will finally go to a single-payer plan.</p>
<p>Yeah BCEagle91, I understand. I could do that job I think. I do hate to drive. That could be a problem. </p>
<p>Tom1944, I agree again. There are pluses and minues to doing what you suggest. What you propose isnt perfect. But it is a better system.</p>
<p>Poetgrl, your proposal makes sense except people dont want to give things up.</p>
<p>Something else interesting:
[Health</a> insurance marketplaces will not be required to verify consumer claims - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/health-insurance-marketplaces-will-not-be-required-to-verify-consumer-claims/2013/07/05/d2a171f4-e5ab-11e2-aef3-339619eab080_story.html]Health”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/health-insurance-marketplaces-will-not-be-required-to-verify-consumer-claims/2013/07/05/d2a171f4-e5ab-11e2-aef3-339619eab080_story.html)</p>
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<p>Completely agree.</p>
<p>My wife and I are both 60 and our health insurance premiums were going up to over $1000 per month so we increased our deductible (to $3500)and coinsurance so our premiums for 2013 work out to $8200 annually which I think is very reasonable. I hope premiums do not skyrocket. I am not sure what to expect.</p>
<p>Someone should come up with a health insurance hedge portfolio.</p>