Being gainfully unemployed
I qualify for TennCare, TN's substitute for
medicaid
or medicare (can't keep the two separated.) for so-called "poor" and
low-income
uninsured. I've resisted because I'm philosophically against such
programs but my
friends and family have about convinced me to join. They keep reminding
me of how
many hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes I've paid.
TennCare's reimbursement for doctors is so low that only the worst accept
TennCare.
I'll continue paying out of pocket for GP visits and probably even
specialists when I
need them. TennCare will be sort of a catastrophic back-stop in case of
major
hospitalization and to pay for my prescriptions. The co-pay is only a
couple of bux
per script. The state also has a diabetics assistance program that I
think pays all
costs associated with the disease. I've been retired less than a year so
I'm still
figuring all this stuff out.
If you have chronic conditions then you may have to state-shop to pick out
a state
that has the best low/un-employed medical benefits. Until TN made some
reforms a
couple of years ago it looked like I was going to have to find another
state to live
in.
I was in TN when they started TennCare. The percentage of the population
getting state medical care, which is what
TN(onlywantsthepoorpeoplesvotes)Care is, quickly jumped to the highest in
the nation. I think at one time it was around 30%. Here's a few things
that was discovered. First, small employers discovered they could drop
their company offered health care and save lots of money. Heck they could
even offer more money to their employees so everyone was happy. Second, a
lot of people were coming from out of state and applying. TN is a long thin
state which means it doesn't take that long to drive into or out of it.
They discovered this when they raised the sales tax rate and a lot of
businesses near the state lines started losing money. I lived in the Ft.
Campbell/Clarksville area and I stopped buying everything in TN I could.
Very much so when a Lowe's and Tractor Supply Company were built in
Hopkinsville, KY.
Its nice when you can get someone else to pay for something. I'd like to
thank all those out there who are helping me buy my house and raise my kids
with the income tax breaks I get each year which you don't. An even bigger
thank you to all of you in GA who go above and beyond by buying lottery
tickets because you will be putting both of my kids through college with
GA's HOPE system (unless the system crashes before they get there). Now
ya'll keep it up because in a few year you'll be helping me even more, I'm
planning on starting my own business and there are a lot of nice pay less
taxes items in there.
One of these days people might wise up and demand a flat tax but I doubt it.
The majority of people out there are just too stupid to get it.
