alto, you should tell us what you really think

smiling

depot

Yes they passed the law last summer banning it. It didn't even make the news until after it passed so it must have been done in complete secrecy. Slimy SOBs. The Atlanta Journal Constitution is an excellent newspaper and is usually on the ball with that kind of stuff. They aren't afraid to publish stories about politics. This is the home of Newt Gingrich and Cynthia McKinney after all. Also MLK among others.

Giving up free money that would've helped so many especially children just makes my hair catch on fire. All in the name of politics. Ridiculous fear-based politics at that.

Almost every Republican running for office had "banning Obamacare" in their platform including on most yard signs. A few made a promise to pass a law protecting our 2nd amendment rights before Obama takes those away too. Because somehow the ACA equates to losing your freedom and constitutional rights.

Nathan Deal is our illustrious ethics plagued governor. That we elected less than a year after he resigned from Congress when the results of an ethics investigation for taking bribes were about to be disclosed. He chose to resign providing the results weren't made public. He's currently under investigation for taking kickbacks such as an add-on to his house etc in addition to cold hard cash from healthcare execs. His opponent was Jason Carter, the same Jason Carter who video taped Mitt Romney's 76%? dinner party and Jimmy Carter's grandson. He barely lost to Deal but lose he did. Somehow all of the democrats were leading in the polls two weeks before the election and all managed to lose. Sam Nunn's daughter Michelle was running for Senate against a former CEO/capital whatever who bought companies chopped them up for parts and then outsourced them to China laying off thousands in the process. Sound familiar?

I'm still waiting for a callback to see if the law exempts Ga companies from the ACA mandates like pre-existing conditions. The SCHIP kills me though. That's a $35 premium dental is included and no co-pay. The only thing that would make it perfect if we qualified!

I'm learning a lot from this discussion - thank you.

I'm lucky to be in a state that was for ACA - in fact I'm pretty sure they implemented certain parts that they could even before it became law.

But......the more I think about this subject, the more I want to crawl further back into my recluse/hermit state. I'm tired of all this stuff - and as you know what I've been through the past couple years - I wish I could just not have to take any meds and not see any doctors. People lived for many years without all this. Yeah - maybe they died a couple years earlier, but to me it sounds like it might be worth it. I'm just scared of what I will feel like if I just stopped taking all my meds (10 at last count) and walked away from it all.

wow....when you all paint with such a broad brush the paint tends to splatter all over. Not all CEOs are despicable crooks......some of us even provide ALL of our employees with affordable health care.($60 per month) We do this even when new health care laws cause premiums the company pays ( not my employee's portion) to increase by 40%. Some CEOs drag their butt out bed every day take their MTX, try to get their fingers to move and whatever else needs time to get going and work 10-12 hours each day.
I know you guys are hurting.......but I to have an opinion. Very sorry if I offended anybody.

@coal

I know I know.

problem is I am not able to walk when I don't take the meds... so I could only metaphorically walk....if I woke up one day and gave it all the proverbial finger like we all fantasize about.

Depot

Depot - right you are - I know.

All I have to do is think back ~3-4 weeks when I was between the Enbrel and Humira effect. My reminder for that one is to see the walker folded up in the bathroom.

Carry on folks - I find this discussion fascinating!

Ray, I was referring specifically to the healthcare company CEOs such as United Healthcare that are paid a salary in excess of $16 million a year while cutting med coverage and co-pay assistance programs for their insured. Healthcare cutting benefits and United Healthcare specifically were the original topics.

My reference to David Perdue was stating his former job title and how he most recently made his living prior to the election. The occupation I blanked on was venture capitalist. When I said Sound familiar that was a comparison to one person in particular not the occupation/job title as a whole.

I apologize if you saw it as painting broad brush generalities against all CEOs but I tried to be as specific as possible about the companies I was referring to and why I felt the way I did about them.

@coal, I know. I get too riled up and have had to read the news instead of watch it. I'll go a couple of months and I have to give it up altogether. Hopefully someone in this house will let me know if the world is ending. But since they're watching either the Weather Channel or ESPN we might all unknowingly get hit by the asteroid. Lol

Emerald

Hit the nail right on the head. We allow it & do nothing. Waiting for someone else who usually is waiting on us. So nothing gets done. Can we do anything? I don't know but can sure try. Make those we elect explain how this can happen so easily.
Again why are we not hearing more on the big media.
My sister said the pharmacist just brought up the topic of cost hikes.
We feel powerless & that's sad.

If anything unload to those we elect.
After all they get there by votes from "we the people".
How are they protecting our best interest?
Medicine, the one thing everyone will need at one time or another.
This all makes me sick, sicker then I am that is.
No wonder we are exhausted. Fight the doctors for decent care, fight the insurance to cover our meds, fight the industry to get those meds period without breaking the bank.
Crawling under the covers sounds very appealing.
In the mean time I'm bobbing my head trying to hold my eyes open on one of my only trips out this holiday season. I need those meds just to keep my darn eyes open.
So much corruption it's sick.
Best place to start is to stop lobbying period.
No one gets any favors from the "tax payers".
Sammy

Someone in another support group with RA got her letter from United Healthcare yesterday saying Enbrel is being raised to a higher tier (but didn't say how much the co-pay was) and they would no longer accept the co-pay card program as of Jan 1. She was given a list of alternatives that they felt would suit her needs better. Cimzia was listed. So it's affecting the RA side too.

Ergh!

Not related to RA, but another instance of Express Scripts strong arming the industry.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/express-scripts-turns-abbvie-huge-125247952.html

UHC is who I have my coverage thru. Senderra Pharmacy has been handling my Enbrel. I called them after reading this post and asked if they knew anything about it. I was told they have heard rumors but have not seen anything in writing yet. I have another supply of Enbrel being sent out next week so that will at least get me through January and we will go from there. I have not received a letter from UHC yet but now waiting on it. This is so unreal! Thanks for the info though. Merry Christmas everyone. Dana

Here's yet another article about ExpressScripts dropping drugs from their formulary for next year. http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-express-scripts-presses-more-drug-savings-coverage-061924281--finance.html

I'm sure they are feeling the pressure from accounts whose prescription benefits they administer to keep prices down. It's just another example of how the whole medical care system in the US doesn't make sense.

ExpressScripts seems to be listed on one of the stock exchanges, as do the drug manufacturers listed. All are needing to make money for their shareholders at the expense of each other. The the businesses who hire Express, CVS, etc., to manage prescription benefits foot the bill, including profits to shareholders, and the patients, who this is supposed to serve, don't really have a dog in the fight anywhere.

From their perspective, Humira, Enbrel, and Remicade all look just about the same. From where we sit, the differences can be gigantic.

RayAA, if your company is managing to insure your employees and only asking them to contribute $60/month, you are both a very generous employer AND some sort of miracle worker. I don't think many companies can or will provide benefits like that any more.

Which brings me to my next rant: isn't it way, way past time to uncouple health insurance from employment? If one of Ray's people wants to start their own company, they may have a rude enough surprise when they see what their health insurance will cost to keep them from being able to make the move. For someone who ends up laid off or working for a company that closes, losing health insurance as well as a job is catastrophic, at a time when that person can least afford it.

I know there aren't any easy answers, but we have to start asking the right questions.

Altocief, we do manage to provide quality health care for my people because it's important. the company pays just under $100,000 each month and it seems to be a better retention tool than higher wages. It can be done and other companies do it but you only hear about the not so nice stories.

Ok, ACA is a Federal Law. Your State cannot outlaw it. There was an option for States To "opt in" for expanded medicare and state subsidized plans. The "Free Money" is supposed to be reduced from 90% to 10%, in I don't remember the exact time line. It wasn't very long.
I, along with another poster on this thread is also a CEO. It is sometimes an almost impossible challenge. Except for the ACA outlawing per-existing conditions, it is a disaster. here in California, the re-reimbursement rates to Doctors and Hospitals for the California ACA Coverage is so low that many, many Doctors and Hospitals will not accept it. The costs to my company for Health Insurance are staggering. I for-warned all my Employees to hang in there with our Company plan, $10 co-pay for your regular Doc appointment, $20 for a specialist. No co pay for any diagnostics, $150 total for Hospital.
I suspect I am on the other side of the political isle from most here. But, I do agree that the whole thing is so corrupt, it stinks to high He$$.
There is something you can do. Start calling your elected Representatives. Make an appointment to talk to one of there staffers. Write letters. Your personal issues make a big impact. Tell them about your problems with pain meds, the stupid new rules for Biologics. They need to know these stories, if you don't tell them, they do not know. here is the hardest part: try and be nice to the person you are speaking to. i do this alot, it can be really hard to be pleasant. Ha Ha, I remember one time in a State Legislative office one time, picturing my hands around a State Legislator's neck. I did not act on it, and I hope I won't get into trouble for saying it!
Happy Holidays!
Lynne

They did ban the law in Georgia but let me change my language a little bit. They voted to nullify the law which basically gives States rights precedence over federal law. Known as "anti-commandeering doctrine" cited in Supreme Court case Printz (&Mack) v. United States (1997) There's two other cases cited as precedent as well.

Congress can't commandeer states rights. Any monies received from the Feds will not go toward Obamacare or the Medicaid expansion. The state insurance commissioner is also prohibited from investigating ACA violations under this law. It also says no insurance exchange will be set up in the state. There were 5 prohibitions to ACA total. It passed last March. South Carolina & Missouri were attempting the same but I think MO finally backed off. I'm not sure of the status of the SC legislation.

Hope everyone is enjoying your holiday!
Emerald