I;m curious as to what people do that move to the Islands as far as health insurance goes?

There are no fines imposed here on those who don't have health insurance as this is a condition of the Affordable Health Care Act which doesn't cover the USVI.

Hey OT, but how about the folks who move to the Islands without insurance and then have a serious illness and go to the hospital? When I was in St. Thomas a couple of years ago, I went to the ER due to swelling in one of my feet and thought it could be a blood clot. They told me at the time when I tried to pay them a co-pay, that they would bill me later. Then months later when I returned to the states, I got a call from a collection agency because I owed the hospital $100.00, but never received a bill from them.

mike

That situation is unfortunately not unusual as the hospital certainly has issues (and has had them for EVER) with billing procedures. I don't know how recent it is but now there's a sign up in the ER noting that there's a fee to be paid by every patient when services are rendered.

The hospitals are struggling because they can not turn away someone who can't afford to pay. It's a huge problem in many areas in the States. Nobody has a solution.

There is a new CEO and new leadership at SRMC. They are trying their best to recover charges. If you require emergency services, don't have insurance, and don't qualify for Medical Assistance (aka Medicaid), you will be referred to financial services for a payment plan.

There is a huge problem because of the large percentage of uninsured patients. Heck, they should force the gangs to get group insurance polices. That would save a huge amount. :@)

I know a cruiser who sticks a fire sterilized knife in his knee to drain it until Medicare kicks in.

Since Obama care or the affordable care act hasn't not kicked in here. I know they expanded the medicaide program. But since they have now implemented fines for those who do not have healthcare, do folks just pay the fines? I can recall a short time ago, when in the United States, you could grab a bag and just take off and not have to worry about being fined for not doing something. Folks just don't realize just what they lost with the stroke of all those pens. If we did, there would have been an uprising that would have made the tea party look like a Sunday Picnic.

mike

I can remember when folks just packed a bag and took off and stuck the taxpayers and the insured with the medical bill that was much larger than the fine or premiums they should have been paying. I'm grateful for the pen strokes.

I'd much rather have access to healthcare than not having any at all since I'm too young for Medicare and not indigent enough for Medicaid.

Since Obama care or the affordable care act hasn't not kicked in here. I know they expanded the medicaide program. But since they have now implemented fines for those who do not have healthcare, do folks just pay the fines? I can recall a short time ago, when in the United States, you could grab a bag and just take off and not have to worry about being fined for not doing something. Folks just don't realize just what they lost with the stroke of all those pens. If we did, there would have been an uprising that would have made the tea party look like a Sunday Picnic.

mike

I can remember when folks just packed a bag and took off and stuck the taxpayers and the insured with the medical bill that was much larger than the fine or premiums they should have been paying. I'm grateful for the pen strokes.

Yes, until you realize what freedoms you just lost and you will realize it one day.

Yes, until you realize what freedoms you just lost and you will realize it one day.

How does defaulting on a hospital medical bill (which other taxpayers end up footing) equate to the defaulter losing a freedom when stricter policies are enacted to reduce the problem?:S

Since Obama care or the affordable care act hasn't not kicked in here. I know they expanded the medicaide program. But since they have now implemented fines for those who do not have healthcare, do folks just pay the fines? I can recall a short time ago, when in the United States, you could grab a bag and just take off and not have to worry about being fined for not doing something. Folks just don't realize just what they lost with the stroke of all those pens. If we did, there would have been an uprising that would have made the tea party look like a Sunday Picnic.

mike

I can remember when folks just packed a bag and took off and stuck the taxpayers and the insured with the medical bill that was much larger than the fine or premiums they should have been paying. I'm grateful for the pen strokes.

Yes, until you realize what freedoms you just lost and you will realize it one day.

Grab a bag of what? (what you been smoking?)

Yeah, health care is not something anybody needs. It's better to bankrupt your family with medical bills than to sign up for health insurance.

Health insurance not only helps with medical needs but protects your assets. You're very lucky to have access to ACA in FL.

What freedom do you speak of? The freedom to be indigent?

When the government allows hospitals to turn away patients that do not have insurance or the cash to pay for their treatment - that is when it is alright for people to choose NOT to have health insurance. If you want to change the paradigm, that is the way it should be.

Sadly, if you don't have a job with an employer that provides insurance, your options are slim for anything non-emergency related. Half, if not more, of the people you see living on the streets got there because the basics of healthcare isn't realistically affordable here. Many other have been deterred from starting small businesses because of the difficulty of obtaining private health insurance that they could afford. There are many sad stories.

Sadly, if you don't have a job with an employer that provides insurance, your options are slim for anything non-emergency related. Half, if not more, of the people you see living on the streets got there because the basics of healthcare isn't realistically affordable here. Many other have been deterred from starting small businesses because of the difficulty of obtaining private health insurance that they could afford. There are many sad stories.

Yes, it's a problem but the issue of the homeless and medical attention is a stretch where this discussion is concerned and obviously you've never worked with any indigent homeless population.

I don't know anyone here who's been "deterred from starting small businesses because of the difficulty of obtaining private health insurance that they could afford". Not even "big" small businesses have offered employee health insurance benefits for decades now and the bigger businesses who do offer it require that the employee be on board for at least six months (usually a year) before being eligible for benefits.

Myself and my family didn't have any health insurance at all for the first 10 years that we lived in the Virgin Islands. Even now, I only have health insurance because I qualify as an expat for Cigna Global, which is very affordable and flexible. Otherwise, I'd never pay the outrageous rates they ask for down here.

All I can say here is, it's a shame that people just either don't see what they lost or just don't care. Unfortunately, you won't ever get it back again. So my question to folks would be, what is the cost for your freedom and by the responses here, I would assume it would be healthcare. I have wondered how they would institute the mark of the beast and people so readily accept it, now I know.

mike

Oh mtdoramike, those are just fighting words! jk, but Spartygrad and Alana will be all over you with that mindset. They all feel the Bern. Funny how his tax plan will cost us an additional 200+ dollars per week. I really want to give another 10,400 of my earned income to those who don't work. Maybe I need some of that magic Kool-Aid to make me understand.

Good grief, "the mark of the beast"? Does I gots to get out and cinder up some poshan?

Oh mtdoramike, those are just fighting words! jk, but Spartygrad and Alana will be all over you with that mindset. They all feel the Bern. Funny how his tax plan will cost us an additional 200+ dollars per week. I really want to give another 10,400 of my earned income to those who don't work. Maybe I need some of that magic Kool-Aid to make me understand.

Not a Bernie supporter at all. Don't fret Dave. The owners of the country won't allow Bernie to be elected. You can keep your $10k/yr. I wish people were more up in arms about the corporate moochers and not people down on their luck. Even Bootstraps Paul Ryan has had a change of heart about this.

I'm not feeling the Bern but will support any democratic nominee over the present republican candidates, any day.

Oh mtdoramike, those are just fighting words! jk, but Spartygrad and Alana will be all over you with that mindset. They all feel the Bern. Funny how his tax plan will cost us an additional 200+ dollars per week. I really want to give another 10,400 of my earned income to those who don't work. Maybe I need some of that magic Kool-Aid to make me understand.

Not a Bernie supporter at all. Don't fret Dave. The owners of the country won't allow Bernie to be elected. You can keep your $10k/yr. I wish people were more up in arms about the corporate moochers and not people down on their luck. Even Bootstraps Paul Ryan has had a change of heart about this.

Glad to hear that Hillary and her cronies will let me keep the money I worked for

Maybe I can get a second helping of gruel

The Bern and the Donald ain't my 1st choices but they are signs that a portion of the electorate are pissed at the DNC/RNC

I somewhat agree with both of you. There isn't one candidate that makes me want to vote. I'm more of a moderate republican, and like the fact that trump has people riled up and out to vote and for the right reason, he's just the wrong guy to do it. Great Slogan for sure, but he's nuttier than Bernie. And unfortunately Clinton has done nothing to deserve where she is at. She was a senator in NY, didn't do a damn thing for the state expect use it as a stepping stone in her career. I agree about the corporate mooching, we need to give the power back to the people, so they can take a chance on doing something great for themselves and others. Not Bernie, Trump, Hillary or Cruz will help us with that. Make America Great Again! Unfortunately I don't see that happening anytime soon. Sorry for hijacking this thread. As Officer Barbrady says "Alright People, Move along, there's nothing to see here". 🙂

Interesting that when policy, especially economic policy, is brought up one jumps right into assuming party affiliation. It helps confirm this for me:

American Anger: It's Not The Economy

I'm still waiting to hear what specific freedoms I lost due to the ACA. Crickets on that.

I wish I could get ACA.