What would happen if we all had AFFORDABLE portable Health Benefits?

[LennStar]

I'd request you to contemplate the fact that "right wing" voting pattern has a very strong positive correlation with usage of welfare and government subsidies.

Look at the blue and red states. Which ones have more welfare recipients on average (when you include social security and medicare, which *are* welfare programs)? Which ones gives less in taxes to Feds than they get in federal expenditure?

Do you think your neighbors would be okay with that if they *really* cared about freeloading? Wouldn't they be concentrating on getting their neighbors and state residents off freeloading before they mouthed off about urban poor if they were serious about this whole freeloading business?

A month ago I read an article about a deep Republican small town where they were all totally happy that a government-subsidized store opened because the next (free market one) was 20 miles away.

I could not think of anything more Socialist than this.

[ChpBstrd]

I'd request you to contemplate the fact that "right wing" voting pattern has a very strong positive correlation with usage of welfare and government subsidies.

Look at the blue and red states. Which ones have more welfare recipients on average (when you include social security and medicare, which *are* welfare programs)? Which ones gives less in taxes to Feds than they get in federal expenditure?

Do you think your neighbors would be okay with that if they *really* cared about freeloading? Wouldn't they be concentrating on getting their neighbors and state residents off freeloading before they mouthed off about urban poor if they were serious about this whole freeloading business?

A month ago I read an article about a deep Republican small town where they were all totally happy that a government-subsidized store opened because the next (free market one) was 20 miles away.

I could not think of anything more Socialist than this.

And they drive from their (subsidized) agriculture industry job in a (bailed out automaker’s) pickup truck burning multiple gallons per trip of (subsidized) oil products with a big (made in China) American flag flapping from the truck bed, on their way to the drug store to buy opiates painkillers (marketed by government-mandated monopolists) to treat the back pain they can’t afford to get properly treated, so maybe they can tolerate the pain and work tomorrow.

All these subsidies are red-blooded American capitalism just like the founders intended, but an expansion of Medicaid would open the door to a Stalinist hell where people beg faceless bureaucracies to please treat their ... back pain... and are told there are insufficient resources or that you didn’t fill out a form right or that the condition was present before you signed the form. You can bet in such a dystopian world the Marxist regime bosses would demand forced labor in exchange for access to medical care!

[MasterStache]

I am RE'd but my spouse continues to work. We've discussed many times about when she would join me in early retirement. And every discussion ends with ensuring our kids, in particular our son who was recently diagnosed with ASD, have their own insurance before she calls it quits. We aren't worried about having enough. We are more worried about the cost and availability of quality healthcare.

I feel for you!

I am not sure if you have researched the following or not, if not please consider:
1. Research conservatorship or guardianship as appropriate for your state.
2. Use SSI/medicaid when he turns 18, for his healthcare and other expenses. There are specific rules what SSI can be used for - so be careful there.
3. Not as well known, but there are usually many local programs (at least in the blue states) that take care of them after they age out of the school system at 20. Please research into that. e.g. NY State used to be known for such programs. Perhaps you can consider moving to upstate NY if possible, to get the killer combo of low cost of living and good social programs. CA/MA/NJ are also considered good. CT (where I live) is okay.
4. Switch over to SSDI-DAC based on the Social Security credits of either you or your wife. It may be beneficial for one of you to claim social security early for this.
5. As soon as #3 happens, typically the disabled adult is pushed above SSI income limits and your medicaid benefits are jeopardized. He/she also won't be eligible for medicare for 2 years yet. There are, I think, 20 odd states where they allow you to maintain medicaid during this period. All these require very careful planning.

Thanks!. Right now we are focused on researching colleges that provide assistance for kids with high functioning autism. "My" worry was how he was going to be able to handle the outside world, in particular college, without as much parental guidance. It took a while but we found some really good support programs as well, to help him essentially learn better and more age appropriate social skills. Part of this was because my wife works at Children's Hospital, so we kind of got our foot in the door with some of those programs. He is in a much batter place now than a year ago even. Healthcare is vitally important from every aspect. So she will continue to work to keep what we have and go from there. Plus we are padding the stash, although completely unnecessary. Haha!