DaGoonie55

Well for my employees, we opened the H.S.A on the same day as we turned on the high deductible plan.  Your best bet would be to start putting a deposit in for every payroll.  Let's say you need $2400 a year just for easy numbers.  You could put away $200 a month tax free on your H.S.A.  If you have medical expenses prior to having funds (lets say you pay for $600 for your wifes prescription) , once you put the $200 on the H.S.A account, you can then reimburse yourself the $200, each month until you refund yourself from the H.S.A  $200 pretax can sometimes be as much as 30-40% less.  I always suggest people put as much as they can afford on the H.S.A odds are you will use it.

 

BTW, if you know you were spending $600 in prescriptions, you could do a $600 payroll deduction in month one, then drop it to $200 a month moving forward.  The $600 pre-tax will really look like $400 less in your paycheck.  You could charge your prescription, then once the money is on H.S.A. right a $600 check to pay for your drugs.

My wife takes 2 pills a day. The two pills cost 32 dollars A DAY.  I wont have any money to put into the HSA - I'll be paying the 0% coverage on her pills.  And her lab work twice a month.  And my childrens visits. Out of pocket.  There will be no HSA build up until after June.  What sacrifices will I have to make to get that far?  No cable, no internet, turn off cellphones, basically ruin my quality of life just because someone pushed an agenda that we citizens do not get any input on.

Just out of curiosity - how much did you pay before as opposed to now for your employees coverage?  And was is a PPO, HMO?

DaGoonie, you are confusing an H.S.A with a high deductible plan.

Your issues are with a high deductible plan.

An H.S.A allows you to set money aside tax free and pay for the expenses you describe under the High Deductible Plan.

So your quote that HSA's are amazing - provided you NEVER use them is incorrect, it might read High Deductible plan's are amazing - provided you NEVER use them.  An HSA if not used is poor money management.  If you have access to an  HSA you MUST use it with your high deductible plan or you will be out of pocket more money.

I agree with your correction of my statement. 

However, to be able to start an HSA - you must have a HDP.  You cannot pour money into an HSA in anticipation - you start at 0 on day one and pay out the ass.

Unless I'm not fully understanding this - my HR rep might as well be speaking Romulan - she's worthless.  Total company woman with zero attention span.

DaGoonie55, it's not as easy as having a choice, I still care to provide a good option to my employees.  With that said, your post makes no sense.  An H.S.A is a way to save money pretax - which is a good thing.  What external options are you referring to?

 

In high deductible plans, prescriptions will gang rape you unless you use all generics.

I tried to edit, my computer crashed.  I'm very, very livid about this and I'll try and make more sense.  HSA's are amazing - provided you NEVER use them.

Last year I spent just under 6000 on health care.  (All my receipts, deductibles, prescriptions etc) through my PPO Plan A. I support my wife, our two boys, and my daughter that lives with her mother.

3700 was from premiums. 

600  from doctor visits, lab work (wife has lab work every 2 weeks)

400 prescriptions

~2000 due to a minor procedure removing a lymph node and various ER trips (kids are clumbsy).

Next year, I calculate the following:  A total of 7000 - with no emergency trips, procedures, etc.

1200 premium

2500 deductible

2000 copay

@ $970 / month for my wifes prescriptions my deductible will be used up by March.  Copay will be paid out before June. Did I mention the every 2 week lab work to keep her meds up to date?  Thats 100/ month prescriptions 100 / month lab work.  200 / mo out of pocket x 6 months is another 1200.

I will have paid out the same amount by June as I did the ENTIRE year before.  And I have had no child visits, illnesses, ER trips, etc.

How is this a good thing?

External options - I was referring to the ACA or other insurance - but my ex-wife has a court order forcing me to have employer insurance (just found this out today.....) as I was trying to explore other options.

Please keep posting and explaining your situation. Some of us are noting that you're posting as a business owner with direct experience, not as some lunatic fringe right winger who's against everything the left does.

I would also point out that you have a choice as the owner.  I do not as an employee.  I have an option to go with an HSA or explore external options.

How did this get so ****ed up?

My wife's prescriptions are going to bankrupt me by June next year.

I'm at wits end trying to figure out what to do with my family.  My PPO plan A is being cancelled, the company can no longer LEGALLY offer it. (Thank you ACA) It was amazing - pricey but amazing.  Now I am lost.  I know exactly nothing about HSA's or these other plans that are offered.  I have 3 kids and a wife that I have to make a decision about PRIOR to Nov 19th.  How am I supposed to get educated in that time period? 

pacific rim -pretty cool, better than i expected. idris alba swags so hard, dude is a pimp

action scenes were amazing

This movie was just ballin.  A great homage to Japanese giant monster movies / SciFi trekky types too. 

Loved the political bs that was shown and the struggle to make stuff work around that.

The CGI was great.  You almost forget you are watching CGI, and if your surround sound is kicking - then it feels like you are floating in the sky watching giants fight.  Very cool experience.

Hopefully this is a rebirth of this genre.... I wanna see more.

Just ban him from everything.  His actions were disgraceful. 

I applaud Dana's response.

It was a good fight.  I'm a Jones fan, and honestly was feeling that Jones needed to knock Gus out to win.

Heard the card totals and all I could do was shake my head.  They watched a different fight than I did sitting at home. It's sad.

I was very impressed with Gus' ability to own the octagon.  His fighting style was wreaking havoc onJones.

Sorry to say this, but the champ won because he was the champ and is flashy - not because he won.

Can't wait for the rematch!

My only question is how much longer will he fight.

Pound for pound best fighter in the sport.  Arguably of all time.  I quit paying to watch a while ago LOL.  Noone can stop this man.

We all want to see quality fights...problem is noone can hang with him.

When I was younger, I thought he was just a punk with a mouth that would eventually get shut up.  Man, was I ever wrong.

Do your thing Floyd...just not with my money LOL

 

"We're convinced we've got the secret sauce to put this thing back together again and win championships," Stephen Jones said, per The Dallas Morning News. "We can always be better. We look for ways to be better. We do that both on the field and off the field."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000235024/article/stephen-jones-dallas-cowboys-have-the-secret-sauce

OH delusional Dallas pundits.

They think an 8-8 year is failure....well boys time to take away their shoe laces because they more than likely won't be successful.

Hail.

Watched Evil Dead and the new GI Joe Movie.

Evil Dead.  "Groovy" pretty much sums it up.  Gore, demon, chainsaw, attacks with syringes.  Epic.  Can't wait for the follow on movies.

GI Joe.  Leaps and bounds better than the first.  The dialogue wasn't riddled with cheesy "YO JOE"s every 15 seconds.  They moved tactically, which is something I appreciate.  Many key players not in this movie, which struck me as odd, but still pretty good.

Hail

Everytime I read another headline, I chuckle. This is like 1990, when Iraq's "Imperial Guard" was supposed to be so powerful. We obliterated the Imperial Guard and what was left were sitting in foxholes "begging" the US troops to capture them as their supplies had run out. NK is a joke.

A joke to us, yes. South Korea and surrounding countries will be decimated. The North Koreans have had DECADES to prepare for an offensive. Stockpiles of indirect ammunition. They have every square inch of South Korea pre-plotted with artillery. I do not think they can win a prolonged war, don't mistake what I am saying, but they will win in their own eyes - regardless of the annhilation they take in the process - because they will have inflicted casualties against those who stand in the way of communism's spread.

Actually, I'm hoping they start something.

I certainly don't. This a war we win, convincingly - but will have far greater impacts, politically, than OIF/OEF did. We must tread lightly, China is not a friend we need to piss off.

----------

NK is a joke, as a military.

But, as a terrorist with a whole hunch of hostages? They're a really serious threat.

100% agree.

Question - Will the US be held responsible (in the worlds eyes) if KJU does attack? I mean, hes pretty much let everyone know his intentions and if we do nothing....are we at fault? What are the ramifications if we are wrong, other than the obvious troop redeployment to SE Asia? I am not well versed in SE Asian politics nor events surrounding the Korean War.

---------- Post added April-4th-2013 at 06:46 AM ----------

A war with North Korea would be over in less than a week more than likely. Unfortunately' date=' they would be able to annihliate Seoul in less than an hour.

The issue is not whether the US could militarily defeat North Korea. The issue is what happens in the days before that happens.[/quote']

Also a very good point Lombardi.

I think that anyone who pretends to know exactly what North Korea is and isn't capable of is fooling themselves. .

Fair enough.

I'm glad I'm on the east coast.

We have nothing to worry about. I haven't seen any reports or stories showing any kind of long range ballistic capability. Guam probably needs a defensive grid, but from what I can tell their missiles are only good for a couple hundred miles...(Its roughly 2000 miles to Guam....4000 miles to Hawaii...West coast should be good.)

The real problem is the intel that we had that they would target US, ROK forces, and civilian targets in South Korea with artillery. 2 minutes and the entire southern peninsula is smoldering....that is what worries me.

EDIT: Just found a site: http://armscontrolcenter.org/publications/factsheets/fact_sheet_north_korea_nuclear_and_missile_programs/

The 'best' delivery system the NK currently have is good for about 2500 mi:

•Musudan-1 – intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM); range 2,500-4,00 km [6] capable of direct strikes on South Korea, Japan, and Guam putting U.S. military bases at risk[7]; variant of Nodong; surface-to-air missile (SAM) system; most advanced missile delivery system; acquired in 2007.

I lived in Seoul for three years in the 90s. I listened to the bellicose rantings of their leadership, picked up propaganda that had blown by in the streets, and watched the re-unification protests outside the gates of Yongsan. I can't really explain it, but this time around feels different. By what I'm reading, I can't tell if this is to bolster Lil' Kim's standing at home, a test for Park Guen Hye, the ROK's first female president, trying to get more food aid, or actual military action.

Yeah, this completely feels different. Before, KJI would cry and throw a tantrum and we'd smack his wrist and he'd go play in his corner. I'm not sure there's any getting through to this numbskull. A lot of people will die if he tries to take more than the world is willing to give him. Cut ties to SK, blatantly expressing an attack on the US....this guy might start something terrible.

Man what a good fight card this weekend. Rhonda is a beast and I am excited to see her grow as a fighter and mature, given that women's MMA continues to gain momentum. The Menace fight was awesome too. I was soo nervous for Machida, Hendo is a manimal and very scary given his power.

I'm so looking forward to the GSP fight. I can't stand the dude, his personality (as is on TV) just grates my nerves, but the guy is an freak in the octagon. I hope Nick is ready, fight fans need an elite showdown.

This should be GSP's tune up for Anderson.

Think they will throw him to the wolves so soon? It would be awesome to see, but I'd prefer to see Jones / Anderson. But - that may be too much awesomeness for one tv screen.

Watched Paranormal Activity 4 last night.

These went down hill after the 2nd one. The suspense was good, but didn't deliver that "OMG!" scary moment. Should have left it an independent film, hollywood has ruined the premise.

On the good side, the usage of an xbox 360 kinect has me intrigued. I'm a paranormal investigator, when I have time, and I may have to try this.

I'm at work so images don't really work - here's the movie's link : www.paranormalmovie.com/

Gunk or gumout on cleaning, kerosene will work

mineral spirits would be more effective than oil

Mineral oil...what was I thinking. See how often I don't use gas? LOL

I'll give those a try. Thanks TWA.

Blew a head gasket on my K-5. 350 w/ TBI.

I'm going to have to clean up the top end before I put it back together. (its an 87 and NO work has been done that we can see - all stock). What do you guys use to clean engine parts? We usually use gasoline, but I want to use something else as I'm older and really don't want my hands to be jacked up (again). Was thinking mineral oil or something like that, but I don't know anything about other products.

I appreciate any and all responses.

Obviously, you haven't been here long. The board always goes into a depressive fit after a loss. Worse when our star QB got injured severely.

There is a reason why I don't come here for at least 24 hours after a loss.

No, I have not been an active member long. I guess I should temper my expectations. We are human, afterall. There are threads, like this one, where most of the ones on the front page belong. Thots do not = threads.

The lack of support in our team on the OFFICIAL message board of said team is appalling. These guys fought their hearts out and played all world ball for 7 weeks. In a week where we lose a playoff game and the future of our QB is in doubt, I come in here to learn more about it and I see the most vomit inducing threads ever instead. I don't always agree with things the team / players do, but I don't see a point in 15 threads about the doom and gloom our team is destined for (in YOUR opinions). We should be stoked about the upcoming season, what moves we make, and how we stack up against the division next year. This is year ONE of our current team state. We didn't crumble down the stretch, we played amazingly. So different from our last 5 years of play. Our offense could not be stopped and our defense got the ball back in Rob's hands time after time. Stop acting like scorned children. If you don't like what I just said, then this probably applies to you.

And thank the mods for shutting down that stupid blasphemy thread.

/rant Hopefully that ding I spoke of above does not follow this post.

HTTR!

There should be an audible ding every time the mods hit the ban hammer. It would get exciting!

I don't know what's worse.

Losing to the seahags, having to go to work tomorrow, and listen to their uninformed fair weather fans or reading the sky is falling dribble in here.

May just call in sick and throw this laptop into the closet for a few days.

HTTR

.....just wow. I don't have that much skill in anything I do. Just amazing.