I Called In Sick Today

[SuitedAces21 2,741]

dont you use that tone with your father.

[Napa Lite 3,281]

You're right. Especially after he just came back from getting cigarettes.

[Tiltinagain 977]

I know you're joking but the poor people that don't get insurance through their workplace and actually have to buy it through the ACA portal or pay that massive tax are the ones that are really screwed.

Except most of them qualify for massive subsidies (or would have if their states weren't red) but what do I know, not like I do these poors taxes or anything.

 

I'm not sure brvy was referring to income when he used the word "poor". I took it as he felt sorry for people that have to purchase on their own. Such as the self employed. I have several friends who are paying in the neighborhood of $1500 a month for health care.

[Napa Lite 3,281]

Then those "poor" people need better tax planning.

[Theraflu 1,047]

I pay $700 a month. Town picks up half, so the $1500 doesn't sound off.

[hank213 1,824]

Is that merkel? My eyes are bad. And I'm just now noticing the wink to putin. Nice.

 

Insurance premium increases are costing me an extra $7/month. This is unacceptable. Thanks Obama.

 

My company just rolled out a new incentive for 2017. They have 4 "health goals" which consist of things like "body type" where you should come in under a certain BMI or under a certain waist size, under a certain level on blood glucose, certain level of "bad" cholesterol etc. If you meet one of the options on all 4 as well as being tobacco free you get free premiums. I just squeaked by this year so free premiums for me. /bragpost

[Napa_Don 688]

We get a substantial "healthy living" discount (my premiums are $110/month, with the discount it would be $80ish) but in order to qualify you have to not smoke at all and take a smoking cessation class if you have admitted to smoking (me) as well as get a full blood workup from your doctor annually. I skipped the blood workup last year for a few reasons but come to find out you can still qualify for the discount this year if you got the tests and do the spring smoking class this year. And I didn't find this out until after the tests were due, so I'm screwed for this year but next year I'll get it, assuming I'm still with the company.

[Ouch-8s 5]

That gif makes me want to have a bourbon with Bush. Man that's great.

 

I assumed it was an SNL parody at first and that it was Ferrel.

[Tiltinagain 977]

I'd blow all that off for $30 a month. Your time taking care of all that is worth more than that.

 

And the best tax guy in the world can't change having to write the check for health care premiums every month.

[Napa Lite 3,281]

It might be more than $30. I just remember when the new premiums came out for 2017 that I did the math and thought a few cigars occasionally isn't worth paying this premium. The class is just some online video stuff and I already get most the tests done as is.

 

 

(And if they bought insurance off the exchange a good accountant absolutely could lower their premiums since the cost is mostly based off their estimated AGI for the year. Not to mention premiums are an above the line deduction if you're self-employed so that $1,500/month is conservatively probably closer to $800. So if they're still paying $1,500/month after maximizing all that they're rolling in it and can afford it. )

[Tiltinagain 977]

I get what you're saying Napa. All I was getting at is that tax deductions are great but they have to spend the money now/monthly and then get their deduction annually when they do their taxes. Really not trying to argue, you know a hell of a lot morabout this than I ever will, I'm just sharing conversations I've had with people affected by this.

 

Shitty morning. Had to leave the house at 6:30 am for a doctors appt at 7 am to biopsy one of the 3 abscesses I have. This after having to fast, for no apparent reason, for 12 hours so no caffeine to get me going when I got up.

 

#FirstWorldCancerPatientProblems

[Napa Lite 3,281]

I'm just trying to set people straight that have been misinformed.

 

If you qualify for subsidies on the exchange (which a family of 4 will if their AGI is less than $95,000ish) that you get upfront.

 

And if these people are paying their quarterlies like they should be only the first 3 months should have been a burden because they should figure in the cost of the premiums into their tax liability. So yeah, they're paying $1,500/month but they're also not putting $700/month aside for taxes.

 

And this is ignoring the fact that it's not like his insurance was free prior to Obamacare and I have a hard time believeing $1,500 is the cheapest plan for a single person and if it's for more than one person it's probably not even that out of line for a policy. (Mine costs $6500ish, pre Obamacare it was $5500ish but I was also in a worse plan).

 

AND ANOTHER THING...the max penalty for not having insurance is $2400 which is a hell of a lot less than $1,500x12 if they really didn't want to take part in Obamacare.

 

So, in closing...don't tell me a good accountant couldn't help lower premiums for a self employed person.

[brvheart 1,768]

My BIL, Nate, is self-employed and pre-Obamacare he was paying 350/month with a yearly family deductible of $5500. Now he pays $800 and has a family deductible of $15000. That's a lot of money for a middle-class family.

 

Also, I just want to confirm that Tilt was correct on what I was saying about "poor" people. Actual poor people get their health insurance for free.

[Napa Lite 3,281]

He should also get a better accountant.

[Ron_Mexico 4,238]

Keep plugging along Tilt

 

Strat continues to amaze with what he won't do with/for his gf. Kudos

 

Get the Samsung Essay. Live a little.

 

Napa and Hank crushing it

[Tiltinagain 977]

I'm just trying to set people straight that have been misinformed.

 

If you qualify for subsidies on the exchange (which a family of 4 will if their AGI is less than $95,000ish) that you get upfront.

 

And if these people are paying their quarterlies like they should be only the first 3 months should have been a burden because they should figure in the cost of the premiums into their tax liability. So yeah, they're paying $1,500/month but they're also not putting $700/month aside for taxes.

 

And this is ignoring the fact that it's not like his insurance was free prior to Obamacare and I have a hard time believeing $1,500 is the cheapest plan for a single person and if it's for more than one person it's probably not even that out of line for a policy. (Mine costs $6500ish, pre Obamacare it was $5500ish but I was also in a worse plan).

 

AND ANOTHER THING...the max penalty for not having insurance is $2400 which is a hell of a lot less than $1,500x12 if they really didn't want to take part in Obamacare.

 

So, in closing...don't tell me a good accountant couldn't help lower premiums for a self employed person.

 

I think you know a hell of a lot more about taxes than you do Obama care. 100% none of the people I'm talking about are paying a nickle more than they have to. They have done the research, used brokers in some cases and ultimately are paying FAR more than they used to for vastly worse coverage. Good on you that it apparently didn't affect you that way but you are wrong when it comes to the folks I'm talking about who are mostly single, or married with no dependents, and make a good living. They are the ones paying for the free plans the poor are getting.

[Tiltinagain 977]

Nice recap Ron.

[Napa_Don 688]

I think you know a hell of a lot more about taxes than you do Obama care. 100% none of the people I'm talking about are paying a nickle more than they have to. They have done the research, used brokers in some cases and ultimately are paying FAR more than they used to for vastly worse coverage. Good on you that it apparently didn't affect you that way but you are wrong when it comes to the folks I'm talking about who are mostly single, or married with no dependents, and make a good living. They are the ones paying for the free plans the poor are getting.

 

A) I never said that Obamacare didn't make insurance more expensive for people. And I'm perfectly OK with higher income people paying more so poor people can get insurance. I don't really care to argue with you on that because i can only assume you feel the opposite and I can at least see your viewpoint.

 

2) But I'm telling you...a good accountant with proper planning can you help you lower your agi which is what drives if you qualify for any subsidies on the exchange. You can not dispute that no matter what your friends are telling you. Like, take Guapo, he's said in this very thread that he makes over six figures but his AGI is in the low five figures. And I do not doubt (yes I do, I just pulled quotes for California and Washington for single males 65+ making $500k and the best coverage I could get cost $1,200/month)that they are writing a check every month to their insurance for $1,500 but they are also not writing a quarterly check to the IRS for at least $500/month (or at least they shouldn't be which a good accountant would point out to them). That is just how it works. But they probably don't think of it like that because they're not finance minded. And I know first hand that smart successful people can fail to grasp that concept because it's a constant battle explaining similar concepts to our sales guys who in turn have problems explaining the concepts to high level banking people who should know that paying $200 for product and $300 for product B and getting a $200 monthly credit is a better deal than paying $400 for C (which is just A+B packaged differently).

 

III) If they really went through all that trouble and are actually paying $1,500 they need to reevaluate everything because it took me five minutes to get covered in CA and WA for much, much less money and if you are good friends with these people you should tell them to maybe go see their accountant, if they even have one, about what they could maybe do to lower their AGI and to also tell them they should check out their state exchanges again before the deadline for enrollment closes for the year.

 

● None of this matters anyways because these people will get their wish when Obamacare is repealed and 20 million people lose their insurance and pre-existing condition rules are brought back and lifetime caps are re-instituted. (Except it's looking less and less likely that this will actually happen anytime soon but I digress)

 

So, once again, I beg you, please admit that an accountant could possibly help you lower your insurance premiums so I can stop getting worked up over this.

[Napa_Don 688]

I got myself a robovac for christmas and I am very happy with it. Coming home to the freshly vacuumed patterns in my carpet just puts me at ease.

 

Edit: Yes, I know, Strat, that $160 could have been put into an IRA but I've gone without (by my usual standards) unnecessary purchases the past few months while also making a ton of headway on my college debt and as soon as I get some money moved around my various checking accounts this week I'm going to finish paying off my car (in 2 years on a 3 year loan).

 

 

Edit Edit: Yes, I also know that paying more on my (effective rate) 4% student loans would have been the better financial move than paying off my 2% car loan but the gains to my emotional well being and my monthly cash flow by getting rid of my $300/month payment far exceed the monetary gain of making a dent, but not paying off, some college debt.

[Napa_Don 688]

I also went and got my blood drawn for further testing for the possible bone marrow donation. The nurse taking my blood was very complimentary on my willingness to donate even though I told her I'm really just hoping to buy some karma for when I inevitably get cancer or need a new organ in the future. She even sent me a thank you card in the mail. I think that's just a hospital policy thing though thanking you for using them but she also wrote in about how good of me it is to donate. No word yet on when or even if I get to donate.

[brvheart 1,768]

He should also get a better accountant.

 

You're making quite the assumption about his AGI though, no?

[Napa_Don 688]

You're making quite the assumption about his AGI though, no?

 

Well, I was mostly making a joke but for discussion sake... to say that he's not minimizing his AGI as much as possible and since you said he's middle class and is feeling the effects of paying an extra $300/month and he's presumably married with at least one child I feel OK in assuming his AGI is between 70-120k and with a little more planning or even just taking advantage of every option to him, he could lower his AGI enough to get subsidies or possibly even get a hardship exemption would hardly be *quite* the assumption.

[Tiltinagain 977]

I got myself a robovac for christmas and I am very happy with it. Coming home to the freshly vacuumed patterns in my carpet just puts me at ease.

 

Edit: Yes, I know, Strat, that $160 could have been put into an IRA but I've gone without (by my usual standards) unnecessary purchases the past few months while also making a ton of headway on my college debt and as soon as I get some money moved around my various checking accounts this week I'm going to finish paying off my car (in 2 years on a 3 year loan).

 

 

Edit Edit: Yes, I also know that paying more on my (effective rate) 4% student loans would have been the better financial move than paying off my 2% car loan but the gains to my emotional well being and my monthly cash flow by getting rid of my $300/month payment far exceed the monetary gain of making a dent, but not paying off, some college debt.

 

I'm sorry I posted on the subject, didn't mean to get you all worked up. For the record, I'm also okay with the poor or disabled getting free health care on the backs of the "rich" to some extent. (IMO, should be, like welfare, a hand up not a hand out except for in extreme cases) I think I've mentioned before that I'm receiving Medical which pays 100% of all medical and prescriptions. I have also paid taxes for over 30 years.

 

My daughters bought us an Irobot for Christmas. The thing does a remarkably good job. Only complaint if I had one is it's a little loud. If I were going to work everyday and could run it while I was gone, like you do, it would be ideal.

[brvheart 1,768]

Well, I was mostly making a joke but for discussion sake... to say that he's not minimizing his AGI as much as possible and since you said he's middle class and is feeling the effects of paying an extra $300/month and he's presumably married with at least one child I feel OK in assuming his AGI is between 70-120k and with a little more planning or even just taking advantage of every option to him, he could lower his AGI enough to get subsidies or possibly even get a hardship exemption would hardly be *quite* the assumption.

 

I'll have him call On the Spectrum Tax Prep, LLC next week to set up an appointment.

[Napa Lite 3,281]

I said a good accountant. Not me.

 

 

GOCUBSGO IF YOURE STILL HERE I HAVE SOME ACTUAL DSM ADVICE:

 

- heading east on 235 just past the 63rd st exit there's a "speed is photo enforced" warning sign...the speed camera is on the back of the next overhead sign. Talks about MLK and 31st exits. Speed limits 60. You'll get a ticket for 71+. That's the only speed camera on 235 even though there's a warning sign on 235-W just past the main mix master

 

-DSMPD also has 2 white ford explorers they use as mobile speed cams that they randomly place around the city

 

-the suburbs north of 235 occasionally have red light cameras

 

-if you've never had caseys breakfast pizza I suggest you get a slice. Also their pizza pizza is good

 

- west glen bars are mostly younger clubs or older people who wish they were young

 

- downtown has a wide selection of bars. I'm not going to say my favorite but there's types for all tastes. But we have an unofficial rule of "nothing good happens south of court (ave)" but it's really more of a heat zone around the bars in the legends building. El bait shop and the high life lounge are cool. The bars in the east village are newer. Few gay bars if that's your thing. Also a barcade and a few "foodie" type restaurants.

 

- Stay away from the east side of DSM unless you're going to Latin king, the state fair, or driving through on your way to PM. The south side is better than the east side but really no reason to go there other than the airport and blank park golf course

 

- anywhere east of MLK and above 235 is also kinda rough

 

-lumber yard is the biggest and probably nicest strip club but I'm partial to the seediness of beach girls

 

-my personal favorite past time is complaining about the hayseeds that can't park their big trucks in the parking garages and about them going under the speed limit in the right lane of 235 beavauwe yhey don't want to miss their exit that's in 5 miles