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April 21, 2014 06:20 AM UTC

Monday Open Thread

  • 40 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

"It is greed to do all the talking but not to want to listen at all."

–Democritus

Comments

40 thoughts on “Monday Open Thread

  1. I notice that no one, as I write this, has posted on the "15 years ago today; Columbine" thread. Somehow that seems appropriate. What can anyone actually say that means more than the photograph?

    I hope Dudley Brown is proud. His pride must somehow compensate for the fact that he will never be able to wash the blood of innocents from his hateful hands.

  2. It is out of respect for those involved in Colubine to be silent, and thoughful for those who lost loved ones that day…I have a friend, who was a Sheriff's Deputy on that day…He still suffers from the trauma of what he saw…I have friends who lost their innocence…yes, there are no words, to this day, that can bring relief from the sadness of that moment…

  3. Got my Obamacare cancellation notice in the mail today.  Thanks guys for letting me keep a plan I liked!  Big brother knows best! /sarcasm

    1. Woo-hoo!

      Now, since you're sharing, share some of the details…

      How did the ACA affect your to-be-cancelled plan? Did your plan not offer sufficient coverage? Did it have yearly or lifetime caps that weren't ACA-compliant, or something else…?

      Are they offering a replacement plan? How different is the replacement plan, both in coverage and in cost?

      Is your insurer giving you notice this far in advance for a replacement plan that won't start until January 2015? (ACA plans start on the new year, and enrollment is currently closed for ACA plans.) Or are they offering a replacement plan that meets ACA requirements but is not an ACA plan?

      1. As Columbo would say… Oh – just one more question. During ACA enrollment, did you comparison shop on the Exchange to see what you might be able to get?

        (All of this assumes that you're on an individual plan; if not, how is the ACA affecting you?)

        1. $500-$550 a month/high deductible plan.  This was after birth of latest daughter.  Not purchased through an employer. 

          Insurance company notified us it might cancel plan last year.  I got cancellation notice on door when I got back from vacation yesterday but I openened up when I got to office.  It offers a new high deductible "bronze" plan for $825 a month minimum.  Plan would start June 20th. 

          I can't shop on exchange because we can't complete the Medicaid application because wife lost wallet and needs to replace her Driver's License.  In any event, you are missing the point – I never wanted to go through the exchange/apply through medicare in first place.  I was satisfied with my plan.  

          1. Dog ate your homework, eh?  By the way, what makes you think Obamacare caused your policy to be cancelled?  I thought deficient policies had been grandfathered.  I think probably your greedy insurance company decided it could sell you the same thing for more money.

              1. Elliot–If I remember my experience correctly, you only need to apply for Medicaid if you're seeking a subsidy.  If you proceed through the exchange without a Medicaid case number, you'll be quoted non-subsidy prices.

            1. It wouldn't be a Republican "OMG OBAMACARE" Horror Story if didn't have a critical missing element, like not shopping on the exhange, and it wouldn't be a Fladenism if it weren't a disingenuous half-truth. 

          2. In order to shop on the exchange, all you need is a driver's license number, which they verify through their own databases.  You don't actually need to show them a hardcopy, although they could request it down the line. Your local DMV can either issue a new license or tell you the number. But you knew that.

            So the reality is that your political beliefs prevented you from shopping on the exchange during the first enrollment period – Lucky you, though! Because it hasn't quite been 60 days since your last child was born (or has it?) you qualify for a special enrollment period. There are all kinds of exceptions and exemptions out there, even for dyed in the wool Libertarian lawyers.

            As I recall, their customer service people are very good, and if you call them and explain your problem, they will help you.1-855-752-6749

            Unless, of course, your politics prevent you from even making that call.

             

              1. I'm sorry about the hassle – but surely the number is on some other paper somewhere. Your car insurance company should have it, for example. If not, the DMV will have it, and yes, they are a bureaucracy, but it's probably still worth an afternoon of waiting.

            1. (and I did make that call – this issue came up and they said I was SOL for now until my wife goes and gets a new DL, which can be kind of complicated for permanent residents in these situations)

            2. Now you just ruined Elliots day, right after his vacation too.  What ?  I can still enroll and get a better policy ?  Dammit !

              1. HGFP – I am well aware that I can enroll in Obamacare (I'd prefer to keep original plan, but you guys screwed that one up for me, so I'll play along with your system that I disagree with).  

                1. As for better plan, you should talk to Jessica Peck who has some VERY serious medical issues that I am not going to get into:

                  "Jessica Peck Here's a little live shot from someone (me) who has spent the last eight days in PCU (one step below ICU). My costs have gone up note than 50 percent under Obamacare but I'm expensive, right? The real problem with Obamacare is that it only further removed providers from profits in favor of feeding the hospital-insurance co cartels. Oh but what do I know? I'm just a silly little rank-and-file Republican, right? Time to cut through the partisan BS."

                  https://www.facebook.com/ElliotFladen/posts/10101032011642193?comment_id=8430168&offset=50&total_comments=94
                   

                  1. Guess what? I didn't like being denied coverage by the same insurer, due to a pre-existing condition, once my employer-paid healthcare ran out. Guess it balances out, in the end. You might have to pay more, I get to have health care. Republicans don't like it? Fuck you.

                    You haven't even checked the Exchange rate to see if your family would be getting a better deal, yet you say on Facebook:

                    Thank you Obamacare. Our premiums just went up from about $550 to $825 (cheapest option).

                    Seriously – Fuck you Obama.

                    1. If you hate poor people and don't want them to have health insurance vote Republican. If you are straight  vote Republican. If you are rich, a man, white, and Christian vote Republican. If you are not any of these these things don't let the door hit you in the ass on the the way out!

                2. EF, nobody is forcing you to buy insurance through the exchange. So long as you have insurance that meets minimum standards, you're free to buy on the non-exchange market. 

                  Here's a story: My 26-year-old son is voluntarily out of work this year while he trains to be an actuary. When he went to shop the exchange to see about a better rate, he found out that he qualified for Medicaid. Ironically, this meant he couldn't easily sign up for private insurance through the exchange. BUT, he didn't want Medicaid because he feels strongly that it's meant for the poor. So, instead, he bought insurance on the non-exchange market.

            3. As for special enrollment period, it isn't based on birth of child.  It is based on cancellation of existing policy effective 6/20/2014.  So I should have until 8/20/2014 to enroll I believe. 

          3. In the pre-Obamacare age, I never had an insurance plan, private or employer-based, that stayed the same for more than a year. Whether it was a rate increase, change in coverage, or a combination, every year was a generally worsening trend that amounted to essentially a cancellation of a previously better plan and replacement with a worse one that I was expected to buy into as a renewal. Often enough, that was literally what happened as employers shifted plans or the insurance company discontinued an offering.

            So, it's the same as it ever was. Insurance companies saw the opportunity for greater profits through offering plans through the exchanges and eliminated not only the junk plans that didn't meet minimum standards, but many others as well. Good luck with replacing the lost ID and hopefully you'll be able to get some health coverage that isn't entirely absurd.

          4. OK, EF.  This doesn't make any sense.  Have you been a victim of identify theft? Your wife will have to replace her license asap, anyway.  That hassle (and I sympathize)is  because she is a permanent resident; that has nothing directly to do with ACA. After she replaces the license, you should have plently of time before June 20th to research another plan on the ACA website. 

            I don't understand this statement:

            " In any event, you are missing the point – I never wanted to go through the exchange/apply through medicare in first place. – See more at: http://coloradopols.com/diary/57078/monday-open-thread-59#comments"

            There is no medicare on the ACA website. I realize you are talking about mediciad, but there is a big difference and you should be careful about confusing the two, even accidently.

            How could a cancellation notice be "posted on your door?"  Is the higher premium based on the birth of your daughter? When you got the possible cancellation notice last year, did the notice specifiy when the cancellation might occur?  Did it specify why? 

            We have been through the losing a wallet with SS card, as well as driver's license, which is a real pain and I certainly sympathize.  I can understand your anger. But, you have a lot to sort out before you have facts to decide what part of this hassle, if anything,  is a result of ACA.  

          5. What's the difference in plan coverage compared to your old plan? The insurance companies under Obamacare are limited in the profits they can take – so what is the insurance company giving you for your extra $300/month in fees?

            And I'll ask once again – just what is it about your old plan that doesn't qualify it under the ACA? Deductible too high? Caps?

            BTW – I know you don't want to use the Exchange because it violates your principles, but without going to the signup website I found some sample quotes… Family of four coverage in the Springs for a Silver plan starts at about the same rate as your Bronze quote. Colorado Choice is $799, Humana $735, and Kaiser $832. Other companies in the area charge more – up to $1245 for New Ventures. Bronze has to be cheaper than that…

            Finally, as someone who is losing their qualified coverage, you can sign up on the Exchange or privately on ACA plans even though open enrollment is closed.

          6. The fact that you, Elliot Fladen, have been inconvenienced and that inconvenience has been aggravated by your wife's loss of a wallet hardly lives up to the hysterical rhetoric we get from you righties painting ACA as something so sinister the repealing of it must be the GOTP's absolute highest, code red priority, more important than any other issue that has ever or will ever face the nation, worthy of any number of doomed attempts while all other pressing issues, such as tending to the nation's business as elected officials are supposed to do, are ignored.  

            If your wife lost her DL the day before you planned to fly somewhere that would be a huge pain in the ass, too. That's life. We all sometimes suffer inconveniences.  

            Going bankrupt because you have you a serious, expensive chronic condition and your insurer cut you off after decades of taking your money was a lot more than an inconvenience and that's a problem that has been better addressed by ACA than by anything your side has ever come up with. The right's totally out of wack sense of proportion on the subject could use some adjustment to say the least.

  4. If Jessica Peck was on an individual plan, she should thank her lucky stars for ACA because otherwise she would have been at risk of being denied coverage AT ALL at any price after becoming so 'expensive.' So sick of hearing the sense of entitlement from those who've enjoyed health insurance while so many hard-working people have been screwed. Cry me a river.

    1. Sorry, in reply to EF above. But while I"m at it, just have your wife's DL replaced. I mean really — it's not like you're being denied coverage for years because of a pre-existing condition or anything. Now that's a real problem — yours, not so much.

      1. Once again, a possiblilty "debunked".  When you measure the resource on a lifecycle basis, biofuels produced from corn stover emit 90-103% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline

        It's like shooting fish in a barrel.  And for the umpteenth time, ethanol isn't consuming 40% of the nations corn supply – it's extracting the starch from the kernel of the corn – and returns co-product, distillers grain, back to the livestock sector as feed.  We can argue whether we should be growing corn or not (happy to talk about the pros and cons of that), but the argument about linking ethanol production to starving babies is intellectually dishonest and has been thoroughly debunked.  Additionally, ethanol-from-corn has been capped under the federal mandate.  The growth in the biofuel supply will come from biomass waste – and we're drowing in those waste resources to the tune of 1.2 billion tons/year. 

        We don't lack resources.  We lack political will, a scenario bought-and-paid-for by you-know-who.  Stop carrying their water for them. 

        The study does, however, bring up what is a growing problem within the land grant university system: corporate sponsorship of "research" projects, designed to deliver an intended (and paid for) "outcome" by said sponsor. 

    1. Really good on ROI, where our overall ranking is #6…

      Sadly, most of the areas where we rank at the top are not highly government controlled. Pollution – air quality and water quality are largely the result of our natural resources. Economy – not something where our government spends a lot of cash – more a result of this being a good place to live. Health – largely under private control. Those were our top three "government services" categories.

      It's only when you get to our fourth-highest "service", Infrastructure, where government becomes the driving force – and we're only #17. We're #22 in Education, but likely because our graduation rate is comparatively high and we have good public universities despite the comparative lack of funding for higher education – to some extent, despite government (lack of) investment. And we drop down to 32nd for Safety. (Though to compare apples to apples, this is once again a category where "government services" are of debatable influence as most of the category score is made up of crime statistics.)

      All in all, I'm not that impressed with the "study".

      1. I agree. The methodology used in this study is really sketchy. Some criteria are mostly under private control. How is that a measure government services? Some items area affected significantly by population and density. Take public transportation as an example. However, there is no weighting or other accounting for factors such as this according to the methodology sextion.

        It does have colorful maps and cute diagrams,  though. 

        This is called critical reading or critical analysis.  You know, those things that the school systems stopped teaching to accommodate testing.

        1. This is called critical reading or critical analysis.  You know, those things that the school systems stopped teaching to accommodate testing.

          The trick is the tests need to test "critical reading and critical analysis" – then it's a win-win.

          1. Unfortunately, standardizing critical reading and analysis test questions probably won't result in quality teaching of critical thinking skills, but rather will generate extra rote teaching in the areas covered by the test. It's easier to give the students rote background that can help them through the test…

            Thinking back on my school years, the course most heavily weighted with these skills – my AP History class – had much better evaluation of critical reading and analysis during the class and teacher-created tests than did the standardized AP History test.

            I am not against standardized testing, but so many of what I consider my best classes and teachers were good because they went beyond the standard material. We're definitely selling our teachers – and our children – short by reliance on test scores for evaluation.

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