Boehner Complains That Obamacare Tripled His Co-Pay

[SGOS]

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/boehner-complains-obamacare-tripled-co-pay-162211353--abc-news-politics.html

Among other comments by Boehner:

Boehner and his wife Debbie's monthly premium were originally $433 a month and their deductible $700. Debbie Boehner went into Medicare when she turned 65 and the speaker opted for a plan similar to his old one, which brought their premium to $800 and deductible to the $2,000 range, according to Politico.

When I retired 15 years ago, Boehner's new premium is about the same as mine was, and his deductible is much lower.  Since then, the insurance that I had has gone through the roof along with the deductible.  I would have taken his current plan over the one I had in a heartbeat.

It's not surprising to me that insurance is going to cost people more, because the rates are still controlled by the insurance companies.  But insurance for government employees, even lowly grunts, has always been better than anything I ever had, and a certain friend of mine that works for the government, never let's me forget it.  But I digress.

Boehner complaining about his government health policy doesn't get much sympathy from me.  After all if the Republicans would have worked with Democrats, they could have come up with something better.  However, I doubt that either the Republicans or the Democrats wanted something better.  Politically, it was in the Republican's best interests to do nothing and hope the Democrats hung themselves.  And it was in the Democrats best interests to blame the Republicans for Obamacare being the best they could do.

Now in fairness to the Democratic leaders, they haven't actually placed that specific blame.  It just something that voters assume, possibly even correctly.

Of course, Democrats and Republicans spending their energy on blaming the other party, rather than doing something beneficial, is nothing new.  It's the way the system is designed.

But Boehner's whining seems absurd to me.

[Jason78]

I don't get american health insurance.   Surely you just pay a premium every month and then just get whatever treatment you need whenever you need it.

[SGOS]

I don't get american health insurance.   Surely you just pay a premium every month and then just get whatever treatment you need whenever you need it.

Yes, that's more or less true for those that have insurance, but that does not mean that everyone with insurance can afford the treatment because there is so much out of pocket expense in addition to what the insurance pays.  The insurance only pays so much, and then you are on your own.  People are often wiped out from expensive treatments.  Cancer is a big one that bankrupts people.  This can be true even for those with Medicare.  I personally don't think our Medicare is even on par with insurance for the average Canadian.  In addition to Medicare, I pay for part B of Medicare each month, and for that potential catastrophic event I have additional private insurance to cover additional costs, but only up to a point.

[stromboli]

I have the best insurance that I can afford, and still wind up paying hundreds a year because of my wife's MS. It is a fucking racket. Would you believe $880 for an MRI? And after insurance, I was still out $250.

[SGOS]

I have the best insurance that I can afford, and still wind up paying hundreds a year because of my wife's MS. It is a fucking racket. Would you believe $880 for an MRI? And after insurance, I was still out $250.

And you have still have to deal with the insurance company.  On two occasions I needed major surgery, once for cancer and once for a bleeding ulcer.  I got a standard form letter saying it was a pre-existing condition and the company would not pay.  It was nothing but a bluff, just standard operating procedure.  Many people would just accept it at this point and eat the bill.  For one of those, I just sent a letter of complaint, and the company paid.  On the other one, I had to hire a lawyer, and the company paid.  People who are sick with life threatening conditions, should not have to deal with that kind of bullshit.  I could see justifying it with a letter from a doctor, but not just receiving a standard form letter denying coverage as a matter of company policy.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I guess it pays to be a veteran living in poverty so it's 100% coverage through the VA even if it takes 6 months to get an appointment.

[SGOS]

I guess it pays to be a veteran living in poverty so it's 100% coverage through the VA even if it takes 6 months to get an appointment.

I've heard lots of complaints about the VA, but some VA guys think it's great.  I'd hate to wait 6 months (is it really that long?), but actually I'm pretty envious of veterans and their VA option.  I have a couple of friends that use it all the time.  And they get their meds free too.  It literally is 100% coverage.  Nothing beats that part of it.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Things I like about the VA, cost, but sometimes waiting is ridiculous and they have the power to limit doctors decisions and treatment options. If an edict comes from the top down to not prescribe pain meds then nobody gets pain meds no matter how much pain they're in. It's not quite that severe, butclose. Also if rubes ttake power they'll cut benefits so the koch's of the world can get tax breaks.

[Shiranu]

Holy shit... I can't imagine paying more than a hundred a year (though I'm about to have to)... and he was paying 400 a month? 

Dafuq America... get your shit together.

[Hydra009]

I don't get american health insurance.   Surely you just pay a premium every month and then just get whatever treatment you need whenever you need it.

Adopt me!  Or gay marry me.  I'm fine with either. (both?)  Please, just let me stay your country!  Just until the US gets its act together.  2050 tops.

I work hard, I'm not big on religion, I love expensive cheeses, and I don't shower often.  I'm practically an European already.

[Shiranu]

Adopt me!  Or gay marry me.  I'm fine with either. (both?)  Please, just let me stay your country!  Just until the US gets its act together.  2050 tops.

I work hard, I'm not big on religion, I love expensive cheeses, and I don't shower often.  I'm practically an European already.

I'm American... :P

(Had military insurance through my dad)

[Atheon]

I thought congresscritters got free medical care.

Posted via Tapatalk on tiny smartphone keyboard. Expect typos.

[SGOS]

Holy shit... I can't imagine paying more than a hundred a year (though I'm about to have to)... and he was paying 400 a month? 

Dafuq America... get your shit together.

Congressmen get very good insurance policies.  I would guess buying his policy as an individual would cost over $1500 per month. 

What isn't clear to me from the article is why he claims to be paying anything at all.  Employers usually pay that bill as a benefit.  Although that has been changing in recent years.  Where I worked, insurance was originally bought an paid for by my employer.  When it started getting expensive, the company topped out the amount they would contribute and employees had to pay the rest out of pocket. 

Maybe That's what's happening to Boehner, and maybe that's what he calls his "copay".  I vaguely remember that government employees can pick from different plans of varying quality.  For the good ones, they may have to pay a little more out of their own pocket.

[Mermaid]

Holy shit... I can't imagine paying more than a hundred a year (though I'm about to have to)... and he was paying 400 a month? 

Dafuq America... get your shit together.

almost everyone has to pay a lot more than $100 a MONTH. You basically have free health coverage. Does that come with a deductible?

[Shiranu]

almost everyone has to pay a lot more than $100 a MONTH. You basically have free health coverage. Does that come with a deductible?

Not that I know of... when ever we got sick or injured, we went to the hospital. I don't remember us ever having to pay anything extra and my dad was in the hospital alot for skin and later lung cancer. Pretty much everyone in my family is military, so I have never really known anyone (who talks about their medical coverage) who didn't have (basically) socialized medicine.

Speaking of, the lung cancer costs all together would have cost us nearly $400,000 (with no insurance)... I just don't understand how the medical companies can get away with this. No one I know has that type of money to spend and frankly there is no reason that something that REDUCED the quality of life of the patient should also cost so much as to put their entire family on the streets.

Thankfully Obamacare is letting me stay partly on my mom's plan... but I am going to have to start paying about $75 a month it looks like :\.

I would guess buying his policy as an individual would cost over $1500 per month. 

What the fuck.