Questions for our American friends

[Roubignol]

Originally Posted by Brian249x

Like it or not tax cuts only work when accompanied by spending cuts. Spending cuts are not politically possible at this time. Only Korea, Ireland, Chile, and Mexico have lower tax rates than we do.

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/brief...nternationally

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...s_by_tax_rates

It is true that the wealthy pay the overwhelming amount of taxes. That seems fair to me as they receive most of the wealth. The United States government was created by the Founding Fathers to prevent the poor from seizing wealth and property from the rich. Please consult the Notes of the Constitutional Convention if you are unclear on this point.

I thought that almost everything was private in the USA.
What are your state services? Army, police, school?
And are you satisfied by your state services?

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by crinolynne

That's an amazing assertion. Can you explain how people who can't afford healthcare drive up the cost of healthcare? Really, I'd like to know because it will help me put together this portfolio on a bridge I'd like to sell to some people.

As noted by others, hospital emergency rooms are required to treat all who need care regardless of their ability to pay. They recover the cost by over charging those with insurance coverage.

Their charges are ridiculous. Some years back my coverage had lapsed when i could no longer afford to pay premiums which had tripled in price over 3 years. The original bill for the emergency room visit was over $10,000 because they had done a CAT scan. I became a charity case and paid them a few hundred dollars, which was pretty steep for a person thrown out of work after the 2007 meltdown. But really, we hear tell of $45 charges for an aspirin tablet.

I don't know if undocumented folk cost billions, because most are afraid of ICE and avoid anything that would put them on the radar. But the uninsured being at the bottom are most at risk of violence. Our county hospital has a world class trauma center, and provides millions of dollars of taxpayer funded care for victims of shootings, stabbings, beatings, accidents, and drug overdoses. But if you are going to get shot, Highland Hospital in Oakland, California is a great place to go.

[bowlinggreen]

Originally Posted by SanteeFats

How American Citizens Finance $18.5 Billion In Health Care For Unauthorized Immigrants



https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapot.../#7999fe6812c4

That's actually quite a bit.

Originally Posted by Brian249x

As noted by others, hospital emergency rooms are required to treat all who need care regardless of their ability to pay. They recover the cost by over charging those with insurance coverage.

Their charges are ridiculous. Some years back my coverage had lapsed when i could no longer afford to pay premiums which had tripled in price over 3 years. The original bill for the emergency room visit was over $10,000 because they had done a CAT scan. I became a charity case and paid them a few hundred dollars, which was pretty steep for a person thrown out of work after the 2007 meltdown. But really, we hear tell of $45 charges for an aspirin tablet.

I don't know if undocumented folk cost billions, because most are afraid of ICE and avoid anything that would put them on the radar. But the uninsured being at the bottom are most at risk of violence. Our county hospital has a world class trauma center, and provides millions of dollars of taxpayer funded care for victims of shootings, stabbings, beatings, accidents, and drug overdoses. But if you are going to get shot, Highland Hospital in Oakland, California is a great place to go.

^ There is a secret thing called the hospital "chargemaster". This computes all of those outrageous fees for simple things like doses of pills, in-room phone calls, and the like.

Having some older immediate relatives who have been hospitalized, I can affirm along with Brian some of the outrageous fees - I have seen the itemized bills.

I don't know what goes on in the hospital billing departments, but it must be something akin to "right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing" to make it all balance out. It's got to be an accounting boondoggle of nightmarish proportion.

[iFluke]

Originally Posted by bigtrain45

It's fucking glorious. Hated by billions, feared by millions, our food, our culture, our swagger, permeate the entire globe. From burgers to the blues, from jazz to pizza, from jeans to rock and roll, all the best of it is right fucking here. Sure you Brits have the Beatles, Stones, Who, and all those other great bands, but they all cut their teeth and found their inspirations from Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, etc.
So come here for a visit and bathe in it, as long as you're not from one of those shithole countries.

The world is blessed – thank you Sir.

[HugoHackenbush]

Originally Posted by bowlinggreen

That's actually quite a bit.
There is a secret thing called the hospital "chargemaster". This computes all of those outrageous fees for simple things like doses of pills, in-room phone calls, and the like.

Having some older immediate relatives who have been hospitalized, I can affirm along with Brian some of the outrageous fees - I have seen the itemized bills.

I don't know what goes on in the hospital billing departments, but it must be something akin to "right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing" to make it all balance out. It's got to be an accounting boondoggle of nightmarish proportion.

I think the main reason is if you have insurance, they're going to issue a huge bill. Essentially, they make up a number and then the insurance company reduces the amount to what they are willing to pay.

Recently I was given a script for a CT scan. My Doctor told me in advance that since it was a "new use" of the CT scan, my insurance would not cover it. He said I should call around various imaging centers and get a quote. So I did. I was quoted $75. When checking in, I double-checked and they confirmed that the charge was indeed only $75. I asked why my insurance would not cover it?

He said "probably because we'd send them a huge bill for it".

[crinolynne]

Originally Posted by Brian249x

As noted by others, hospital emergency rooms are required to treat all who need care regardless of their ability to pay. They recover the cost by over charging those with insurance coverage.

Don't think you've established casuality oops, causality. Just a somewhat dubious hypothesis. Now about this bridge, it comes with a tunnel, a two for one...

[Arturo2nd]

Originally Posted by crinolynne

Don't think you've established casuality oops, causality. Just a somewhat dubious hypothesis. Now about this bridge, it comes with a tunnel, a two for one...

Please note that I regard those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of sick and suffering human beings and their families as grossly immoral sociopaths who deserve to be gutted like a fish.

Likewise, those who seek to weaken our country by depriving the masses of education ought to receive an immediate bullet to the back of the head.

[Marcsimus]

Can any of our American friends please explain to me how the Draft system works in the NHL? Also, can they make it as plain/simple as possible please?

Thanx Muchly!

[palo5]

Originally Posted by SanteeFats

Not from what you, Mal and some others post.

Is that so?

Looking here, I think the same calories would feed a Somali family for a week, and they'd gain weight

[awboy33]

Originally Posted by Marcsimus

Can any of our American friends please explain to me how the Draft system works in the NHL? Also, can they make it as plain/simple as possible please?

Thanx Muchly!

Any player over 18 and younger than 21 is eligible for the Entry Draft. All others are designated free agents. During the Draft the position of a team is based upon the previous season's record. If a team did not make the playoffs then they go into lottery which is weighted to allow for the team with the fewest points from the previous season to have the greatest chance of getting the #1 pick. The Stanley Cup winner always picks last unless they have traded with another team to move up their draft position. For teams that made the playoffs, their position is determined by whether they won their Division or won their Conference championship.


Many teams try to play the system to get the future superstars. The best one I remember is when the Penquins made some strange personnel moves prior to the 1984 draft so they would end up with the worst record. It also looked like the Devils were doing the same thing, because both teams wanted to draft Mario Lemieux.


During an expansion year, they also have an expansion draft where the expansion team drafts players from other teams that have not been protected.


I should also add that if a team drafts a player it does not mean the player has to play for that team it just means that the team has the rights to negotiate a contract. If the team and the player can not reach agreeable terms then the player will sit out a season and can be eligible for the next draft, or the team can trade away their rights to him. The biggest time this occurred IMO was when Eric Lindros was drafted by Quebec but he had already told them he would not play for them. His rights were eventually traded to Philadelphia.