en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1461164 Comments by sl0re http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment167219012 No, you missed the point. They make up bogus numbers for a bigger write off. They don't need to charge $8. In fact; no one ever pays $8. If you offer to pay your own bill you get offered the cash discount. It's no different from them putting $2000 down for a Tylenol. They do this to maximise profits / because it is in their best interest. If they were not allowed to then they'd change their strategy. The take away / point is; hospitals don't really loose 23% of their billing when you use honest numbers. This practice inflates the number 100-300%. If you go over their write offs and apply their insurance based rates, 23% would easily become 13% or less. Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:55:03 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment167219012 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment167041905 Those numbers are usually bs. They write up those invoices with the $8 Tylenols and all but then take the 'prenegotiated' insurance rates (sane numbers) when your insurance co pays the bill. When someone doesn't pay, they write off the silly la la land numbers. Mon, 27 Jun 2011 06:19:18 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment167041905 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment166996466 If we don't repeal this sucker I think there might be a US market soon for international insurance. Seriously, insurance sold outside the US and not regulated by the US government... Mon, 27 Jun 2011 02:17:44 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment166996466 http://biggovernment.com/jdunetz/2011/06/25/van-jones-is-creating-the-milli-vanilli-of-tea-parties/#IDComment166975499 We have GDP estimates of the size of our economy. We can compare that to actual and projected debt / unfunded liabilities. It's simple stuff but leftists can't handle the truth. We get this nonstop... Obama says we'd be fine by closing some loopholes and making the rich pay their share... then someone crunches the numbers and notices that if took 100% of the upper earner's income….. we'd still be running a deficit.... They just can’t deal with it… Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:36:56 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/jdunetz/2011/06/25/van-jones-is-creating-the-milli-vanilli-of-tea-parties/#IDComment166975499 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment166973007 They're right on schedule. Primary care doctors are mostly a huge waste of money. You go to them, they tell you the odds are 99% it is a common cold virus and there is nothing they can do for you (go home, drink lots of water, and you’ll be better in a couple days). If you raise hell they give you an old antibiotic as a placebo (and/or to make you go away). Even if it is not just a cold and you have a serious health problem, they tend to miss it and still tell you that. If you do have a serious issue, you tend to make your own specialist appointment or go to the hospital where it gets figured out correctly... Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:25:18 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment166973007 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment166965098 The mandate may be the lever to try to stop this law but it is not the actual problem. The healthcare industry was taken over. The government will tell insurance companies what to cover but also what they won't have to... which will increase so they can redistribute the savings to what people vote for. Which usually is stuff like more GPs and prevention programs... for people who are not ill. The sick, well, screw em. Actual care for the ill is expensive.. and more voters are well. They do this in the name of the poor but that’s just more cultural Marxism. There are other classes besides economic… such as the sick and the ill as described above. This law is evil and cruel… it will prevent you from being able to pay for medical services you want… it will hamstring innovation. It will interfere with what your doctor can tell you. It will twist the arms of hospitals into doing things the government’s way. Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:49:50 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/jerikson/2011/06/26/the-individual-mandate-bullies-americans/#IDComment166965098 http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2011/06/24/tales-of-a-failed-state-more-problems-with-californias-amazon-tax/#IDComment166412068 Just remember; when I move next door to you that I left california because I agree with you that it is out of control / run by idiots... Sat, 25 Jun 2011 07:22:43 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2011/06/24/tales-of-a-failed-state-more-problems-with-californias-amazon-tax/#IDComment166412068 http://biggovernment.com/jdunetz/2011/06/24/dnc-chair-wasserman-shultzs-desperate-attempt-to-disenfranchise-republican-voters/#IDComment166409723 Wow; so as the democrats do everything in their power to undermine border enforcement while laying the groundwork with illegal immigrants as future voters with vote buying … with our money via government services... not that any of the proceeding was in any way not obvious... but for the obvious reason that they want to disenfranchise / dilute the votes of their American citizen opponents... and now they are using this line to attack us for trying to stop them in one area of this (actual fraud / pre path to citizenship voting)... I’m not suggesting this in a Kos Kidd / Weiner / Arrrrgh Dean idiotic loudmouth way… but we really need someone to speak up and call the democrats out on this crap. They just passed a forced equality in healthcare bill taking away your right to make your own healthcare decisions (an outrage), accused us of wreaking the economy (eye roll..), and this.. Someone needs to civilly, intellectually, but forcefully push back with our arguments (i.e., paragraph #1 above)… Sat, 25 Jun 2011 07:10:38 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/jdunetz/2011/06/24/dnc-chair-wasserman-shultzs-desperate-attempt-to-disenfranchise-republican-voters/#IDComment166409723 http://biggovernment.com/publius/2011/06/01/weinergate-private-investigation-will-not-do/#IDComment158418397 The whole thing smells rope a dopey. After we all yell for an investigation for a couple weeks a staffer will come forward and say he did it as a prank / joke ... We look lame, they say how we keep trying to divert talk from serious stuff... Thu, 2 Jun 2011 04:45:43 +0000 http://biggovernment.com/publius/2011/06/01/weinergate-private-investigation-will-not-do/#IDComment158418397 http://bigjournalism.com/dloesch/2011/03/16/sound-bite-for-the-day-a-warning-to-republicans/#IDComment135482162 Man, it never changes. Goldwater had to fight the republican party establishment. Reagan had to fight them too (read his speeches from the 70s).. and then Bush I replaced him and we were back to nonconservative republicans... and here we are again... I've about had it. It is too much to fight the democrats, the left, the MSM (although they seem to be really hurting these days / almost done).... and then when we ‘win’… we have to fight the republican party too... Thu, 17 Mar 2011 04:15:45 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/dloesch/2011/03/16/sound-bite-for-the-day-a-warning-to-republicans/#IDComment135482162 http://bigjournalism.com/pjsalvatore/2011/03/16/sound-bite-for-the-day-lawrence-odonnell-bachmanns-voters-are-ignorant-because-theyre-white/#IDComment135477780 Someone hold up a mirror for that guy... Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:46:18 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/pjsalvatore/2011/03/16/sound-bite-for-the-day-lawrence-odonnell-bachmanns-voters-are-ignorant-because-theyre-white/#IDComment135477780 http://bigjournalism.com/pjsalvatore/2011/03/16/sound-bite-for-the-day-lawrence-odonnell-bachmanns-voters-are-ignorant-because-theyre-white/#IDComment135477682 Uh, no because he would never act like that. He'd play a tape of Sheila making an as* of herself (her default behavior) and point out her faults... not her race. Just today, he played a bunch of hate speech from 'Rev' Wright's 'sermons'. Hannity never implied Wright said any of it because he was ‘black’… he, rightly, implied Wright said it… because Wright is a racist. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:45:42 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/pjsalvatore/2011/03/16/sound-bite-for-the-day-lawrence-odonnell-bachmanns-voters-are-ignorant-because-theyre-white/#IDComment135477682 http://bigjournalism.com/dloesch/2011/01/11/media-pivots-to-blame-gun-laws-sloppy-reporting-punditry-ensues/#IDComment120728170 Your right. The early news articles had made claims that his weapon or clips were banned under the old 'assault rifle' rules. A: they were factually wrong. B: every time something happens that could be tied to a conservative pet peeve / policy that was not adopted... that is never mentioned*, so yes, it stuck out as punditry / opinion in the news articles. * Example: heck, anytime a young high school drop out ruins his life due to crimes and ends up in the newspaper I don't see them mentioning democrats fought tooth and nail against charter schools that might have made a difference in their education. Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:13:27 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/dloesch/2011/01/11/media-pivots-to-blame-gun-laws-sloppy-reporting-punditry-ensues/#IDComment120728170 http://bigjournalism.com/ckalin/2010/11/18/the-new-york-times-calls-70-of-oklahomans-bigots/#IDComment110960402 "The law simply says you judges can’t cite Islamic law in cases." Agreed but if people don't get what you mean; I think you’re saying people can cite any authority they want in their own contracts.. and judges can approve these contracts... provided none of the terms of the contract are not in violation of Oklahoma law. It seems to have been too fine a point for the great minds of the NYTimes to grasp. Sun, 21 Nov 2010 06:03:45 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/ckalin/2010/11/18/the-new-york-times-calls-70-of-oklahomans-bigots/#IDComment110960402 http://bigjournalism.com/jdunetz/2010/10/02/rick-sanchezs-twenty-minute-agonizing-crawl-to-career-suicide/#IDComment102067118 Claiming Jews run the world and that’s why the world sucks (and/or is against them) is classic anti Semitism. Unless it has changed, that atheist, d-bag, blow hard Ted Turner runs CNN. Not now, not ever.. Jewish. And Stewart is on the air because people want to watch him... simple concepts. Sun, 3 Oct 2010 07:14:03 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/jdunetz/2010/10/02/rick-sanchezs-twenty-minute-agonizing-crawl-to-career-suicide/#IDComment102067118 http://bigjournalism.com/jdunetz/2010/10/02/rick-sanchezs-twenty-minute-agonizing-crawl-to-career-suicide/#IDComment102066661 I don't totally agree. I live in a lefty arm pit area and open anti semitism is on the rise with 'the left' IMO. Sun, 3 Oct 2010 07:06:19 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/jdunetz/2010/10/02/rick-sanchezs-twenty-minute-agonizing-crawl-to-career-suicide/#IDComment102066661 http://bigjournalism.com/mwalsh/2010/10/02/the-enemy-within-todays-rally-on-the-mall/#IDComment102065149 Anyway, the point about the left in power being militaristic is an interesting one and it is something I've thought about. I don’t really see it as ironic. It’s more telling. Anyone extreme enough to think ‘the system’ causes wars tend to be extreme enough that they’re probably willing to use violence. Hence, many people who claim to be for ‘peace’ are pretty pro war once you scratch the surface. Actually, many violent revolutionaries claimed to be pro peace… the various revolutionary socialists (no war but the class war, once capitalism is overthrown there will be real peace, et cetera). The Nazis claimed to be pro peace (once the Jewish capitalist world conspiracy is overthrown there will be peace.. the conspiracy causes war for profits).. and I hesitate to mention it, but even the more radical and militant classical liberals, like Sam Adams, made claims that if only the monarchy were overthrown there would be peace in the Americas. It’s a sign of extremism to think your enemy causes everything bad to happen… such as war itself… Sun, 3 Oct 2010 06:42:27 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/mwalsh/2010/10/02/the-enemy-within-todays-rally-on-the-mall/#IDComment102065149 http://bigjournalism.com/mwalsh/2010/10/02/the-enemy-within-todays-rally-on-the-mall/#IDComment102065133 Ok, to hell with godwin. How did the Germans say it? One people, one nation, one fuhrer. If progressives knew anything about history they might have picked a better name. Sun, 3 Oct 2010 06:42:17 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/mwalsh/2010/10/02/the-enemy-within-todays-rally-on-the-mall/#IDComment102065133 http://bigjournalism.com/gopelka/2010/09/19/e-j-dionnes-mind-is-stuck-on-rewind-in-his-own-private-fantasyland/#IDComment99845532 Heh, yeah, the republicans have gone more extreme... right... your basic projection. Also, as the republicans have expanded their tent with the tea party (which tends to focus more on economic issues than social)... the left is back to their Stalinist tactic of calling anyone they don't like 'right wing'... even libertarians... who oppose them because they support a free market... Mon, 20 Sep 2010 02:41:34 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/gopelka/2010/09/19/e-j-dionnes-mind-is-stuck-on-rewind-in-his-own-private-fantasyland/#IDComment99845532 http://bigjournalism.com/jdunetz/2010/09/16/whats-behind-david-frums-attack-on-dinesh-dsouza-and-mr-newt/#IDComment99305176 PS Anyway, one other thing... I think this forbes article was good and helped make it all make sense for some of us (like me)... but presenting this up as a campaign issue to the general public, that is another subject. I wouldn't do so. Just campaigning against what the democrats have done (vs getting personal) is a better track... IMO... Fri, 17 Sep 2010 03:54:52 +0000 http://bigjournalism.com/jdunetz/2010/09/16/whats-behind-david-frums-attack-on-dinesh-dsouza-and-mr-newt/#IDComment99305176