What a Surprise

[heathicus]

Now there are about 308 million Americans at this time and the U.S. debt per man, women and child stands at $45,190 (as of a few minutes ago). But if you are a taxpayer, your portion of the national debt ballons to $127,294 and that debt keeps growing.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

[joedw00]

I think that what was meant by "change" was that you'll only have change in your pocket when the changers are finished making the changes.

You will be lucky to have change in your pocket when they are done.

[pennview]

Heath, I should have posted that link myself as that is where those numbers I used came from. I just noticed that they also show the U.S. population as approaching 312 million. That 308 million figure I used was something I heard a while back.

The numbers there are really eye openers if you've never seen such information before.

[allmond2002]

I think after all is said and done, those of us that have equipment will have to probably salvage our metal and resort to the love of our hobby in the manner of Roy Underhill. It amazes me how fast he creates. I can't do a change over in the amount of time that he is already done by hand. lol

http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/

Lord help us! (leaving the politics out of it....)

[jcraigie]

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

That is a very interestng site irregardless of your political positions

[joedw00]

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

That is mind boggling. You could spend all day there and not see all the info. Thanks for the link.

[swampgator]

Dusty, I was wondering how all this effected military retirees. Again, civil service has been hit with another increase in our insurance premiums and higher deductions in our federal with holding taxes. So, this year as last, no COLA (should make Ed happy ) $30 per month more in addition to the $50 increase in our health insurance, and yes, the taxes are $30 more per month. I retired in 2003 and our health insurance premiums were $198 per month, now all the way up to $430 per month, with higher copays and higher co-insurance. Wife has MS and doctors love to have you come back when you have insurance so they can get paid on a more regular basis. Have lost much respect for the medical establishment as a whole.

Please allow me to ramble just a bit. Took the wife to the Urgent care because she was ill and her primary doctor was out of town with no back up. The nurse practitioner who saw her said, you have some flu like symptoms. So, some antibiotics and decongestants and sent her home. Three days later, the fever spiked at 6 pm, so only option left at that time of day was ER. They found out she had a kidney infection. Loaded her on morphine, antibiotics, anti-nausea med with 4 new prescriptions and advice to discard what I had just purchased on Sat. Not the only time this has happened with medical professionals. Over time, your faith in them get eroded. Oh, well, will play the game the best I can for as long as I can. Take care out there.

[cincinnati]

I get a kick out of people who complain about their health care insurance skyrocketing then ask what they pay. Was talking to a guy that was a retired auto worker just giving the Gov. heck about how expensive his insure has gotten. He was having to pay $50 a month now. Boy was he mad.
Some workers who has had good insurance with their jobs has no clue what others pay

Right now I am healthy in my 40's, zero health problems. I pay $500/month.
A friend I worked with is in her late 50's. She pays $1,400 month.

A lot of people are just looking for something affordable in health care.
I started my job 2 days out of high School. I worked hard for 24 years. I was given just about every award the company had. Walked in one day after 24 years and told the company was closing down. Boom, that was it. All benefits gone the day we walked out the door.

Here is a story that just shows how good people can get caught in a problem.
One of our managers was well known to be against any kind of Government health care. One day he was given the bad news he had Cancer. Two hours later we were told the company was closing. He was in the same boat as me. Been with the company from the start (24 years) He is on cobra insurance now but that will end soon. What is he going to do after that? No insurance co. is going to insure him. He has paid his medical insurance for years. Now when needed he will get dumped.

[fjimp]

Here is a story that just shows how good people can get caught in a problem.
One of our managers was well known to be against any kind of Government health care. One day he was given the bad news he had Cancer. Two hours later we were told the company was closing. He was in the same boat as me. Been with the company from the start (24 years) He is on cobra insurance now but that will end soon. What is he going to do after that? No insurance co. is going to insure him. He has paid his medical insurance for years. Now when needed he will get dumped.

Health Insurance Portability rules allow a person who may be unhealthy to purchase an individual health insurance policy withing 63 days of cobra benefits ending (assuming of course they we are on Cobra the full 18 months Cobra generally lasts). In some states this may be joining a state uninsured risk pool. fjimp

[dusty]

Dusty, I was wondering how all this effected military retirees. Again, civil service has been hit with another increase in our insurance premiums and higher deductions in our federal with holding taxes. So, this year as last, no COLA (should make Ed happy ) $30 per month more in addition to the $50 increase in our health insurance, and yes, the taxes are $30 more per month. I retired in 2003 and our health insurance premiums were $198 per month, now all the way up to $430 per month, with higher copays and higher co-insurance. Wife has MS and doctors love to have you come back when you have insurance so they can get paid on a more regular basis. Have lost much respect for the medical establishment as a whole.

Please allow me to ramble just a bit. Took the wife to the Urgent care because she was ill and her primary doctor was out of town with no back up. The nurse practitioner who saw her said, you have some flu like symptoms. So, some antibiotics and decongestants and sent her home. Three days later, the fever spiked at 6 pm, so only option left at that time of day was ER. They found out she had a kidney infection. Loaded her on morphine, antibiotics, anti-nausea med with 4 new prescriptions and advice to discard what I had just purchased on Sat. Not the only time this has happened with medical professionals. Over time, your faith in them get eroded. Oh, well, will play the game the best I can for as long as I can. Take care out there.

swampgator, I believe that what just happened to me has probably also happened to every other US Government employee and probably to all retirees from large companies and maybe to a lesser degree to all current employees. I have learned that my pay adjustment was because the Bush Tax Cut was allowed to expire. Yes, Congress caused/allowed this to happen and "it was not suppose to" but it happened and those of us on fixed/or low income must figure a way around it.

I have taken the attitude that I better get use to it. This is not yet the end.

With regard to medical coverage that has not yet changed. My wife and I have just completed annual exams and picked up all our prescriptions and paid a very reasonable amount. However, we also learned that the medical staff has been reduced to about 1/3 of what it has been. We will still have access but to 1/3 as many practitioners. I think that means wait times to be see will be months rather than weeks or days. As a retiree, I no longer have access to active duty specialists. I will have to seek care from civilian doctors who will accept medicare. That number is decreasing rapidly.

Yes, the changes that Obama promised are happening in real time.

Farmer, I apologize for the political aspects of this post but reality is reality.
The medical care that I thought I was to receive "free of cost" for the rest of my life after spending 22+ years on active duty has become a figment of my imagination. Couple that with the fact that my tax obligation has gone up 3% or more gives me the right to rant.

I did pick up about $300 worth of medications for the month. I guess that I should just shut up and be thankful I got those.