Friday, February 3, 2017

Obamacare Has Mold

Replace. Repair. These are the words I hear when watching my favorite home remodeling shows. Suspect wiring, bad plumbing, shoddy roofing. These are some items that a home remodeler like Mike Holmes sees in his everyday work. But what happens when a contractor builds a house with a porous foundation and it infests with mold? What if that mold has been growing for seven years and moisture has taken over the entire home? In almost all cases the best alternative is to simply level it and start the building process over.

This analogy is a perfect fit to the ongoing battle with Obamacare.

Built by a shoddy contractor in 2010 and riddled with poorly framed walls by untrained carpenters, Obamacare has survived by hiring fly by night journeymen who have come in to do patch repair jobs when necessary, and pushing off the high cost repair jobs to future dates.

The house itself looks spectacular. Shining bright above the beautiful oak table is the glittering new light fixture hanging in the dining room. The brick wainscot is an image of craftsmanship at it's finest. From the outside this is what we see. This is what we want to see. We don't want to believe that the beautiful home would ever have any defects.

However, buried between the walls where very few people ever look is a problem. Growing rapidly due to a foundation that isn't solid, is the mold of Obamacare. Seven years of moisture has completely engulfed the beautiful house and it is rotting from the inside out. The mold has spread from room to room and threatens the joists holding up the flooring and the frames of the windows. In a few spots it has shown itself through the painted walls only to be covered up by a quick touch up of paint that leaves a slight discoloration on the wall.

We don't want people to know about this issue. The mold has been in there for so long and has spread so much that a contractor simply can't come in and repair it. The foundation is so unstable and weak that it can't be patched and repaired either. 

We can look at replacing the foundation but that would come at a very high cost. And, only replacing the foundation won't eliminate the moisture that has penetrated the wood frame and created the deadly mold. To make this home right is going to require more than repairs and replacement.

It's going to require a complete tear down and new fresh start. It's going to take a full repeal. 

For all those decrying tearing down the house please have patience and hope. Because when the tear down begins rest assured, the beautiful brick you saw and the glittering new light fixture have both been removed.

The new house will be built. It will use the same brick wainscot and light fixture. Only this time the foundation will be stronger and waterproof. The wood used to build will be mold resistant. So will the insulation and drywall. This will come at a price. A price that has to be higher than what was originally spent on the first house. We can't cut corners on this. Doing so will create the same outcome we had on the first try.

There will be some changes to the house that we don't all find attractive. The view from the outside will be slightly different. Some of the finishes will have less glimmer and others will look immaculate. Normal wear and tear will occur and some repairs will be made. We might even add an addition down the road. Personally, I would prefer an outdoor space with a pool. But that may not fit the yard or be best for future resale.

It's time we all realize that building the perfect house will never happen. Some of us like a modern look while others prefer a more traditional style. We are going to have to compromise on fixtures and paint colors, countertops and flooring. Cosmetics can change. But, the one thing that must be agreed upon is making sure that the foundation is strong and dry. This is what allows us to live safely in the house.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

"If you like your plan..."

Too bad, so sad:

"Pamela Weldin’s experiences with Obamacare can be boiled down to just a few numbers.

Since the health care law’s implementation three years ago, Weldin, 60, has lost her insurance four different times
."

If that name sounds familiar, well:

"Pamela Weldon played by the rules, and for her efforts, she's outta luck:"[CoOpportunity]'s liquidation marked the third time she would lose her health insurance under Obamacare"

She's now on Plan #5, after having the metaphorical insurance rug pulled out from beneath her four times now. And she's actually an ObamaCare poster child, having been previously declined for coverage under the "old system."

But hey, let's "repeal and repair" (Whatever the heck that even means)

[Hat Tip: The Political Hat]

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

The Truth Will Out [Corrected]

Just a quick reminder that, prior to The ObamaTax, the actual decline rate in the individual health insurance market was nominal:

"Out of 1,763,000 applicants who were medically underwritten in 2008, AHIP reports that 223,000 were denied coverage"

That works out to less than 0.01%.

[ed: Ooops! As has been (correctly) pointed out in the comments, my math here was, um, off. In fact the article itself says there was about a 13% decline rate. My bad, no excuse. And Thank You to commenters for the correction!]

But hey, #Winning!

[Hat Tip: Dean Clancy]

Almost missed it: Happy Blogiversary!

Yesterday marked our 12th blogiversary, and what a ride it's been:

8,000+ posts, over 3
½ million page views, countless comments (literally, since we've switched comment hosting services several times).

And the best co-bloggers in the 'sphere:

Thank you Bob, Mike, Patrick, Kelley, Bill and Nate!!

And here's to the next dozen: L'chaim!

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Another Oustanding Customer Service experience

Now and then, we go off-topic to congratulate and thank companies which go above and beyond in servicing their customers. Sometimes, it's as simple as actually fulfilling a promise, but with alacrity and a pleasant voice. This time, it's that, plus just a really great attitude. My only regret is that I didn't write down the name of the delightful young lady who provided this amazing service.

As far back as I can remember, we've always used, and enjoyed, Pyrex brand glass measuring cups for cooking, baking, you name it. We have a decent set: 1, 2, 4 and 8 cup versions, all in regular service, all go into the dishwasher after use.

A few months ago, we noticed that the lines on the 8 cup unit had faded (which was weird), but these aren't big-ticket items, so we popped over to the local purveyor and picked up a replacement. Fast forward a few months, and this weekend we took it out to use it, only to find that the entire bottom half was missing its lines.

This was unacceptable.

So this morning, I called up the Pyrex folks to lodge a complaint.

The young lady who answered (dang it! I am so disappointed that I forgot to write down her name) could not have been more delightful, professional or helpful. She agreed that this wasn't supposed to happen "they're dishwasher safe!" and immediately offered to send a replacement. Again, this is really how things are supposed to go, but I had no receipt or proof of purchase (or damage). I've always been pleased with the product, now I'm delighted with the service.

Thanks and kudos, Pyrex!

Tale of Two DI's: Part 1

Disability Insurance cases, that is.

Case the First is a neurologist who recently (a little over a year ago) started his own practice, after having been employed by a local hospital system for years. He came to me asking about protecting his income if he became disabled, and I agreed to get some numbers for him.

His new income is significantly lower than when he worked for the hospital, but (at least) two carriers are actually willing to issue policies with benefits based on that prior income. Given that he was making north of $120,000 a year, and is now making about 60% of that, the difference is profound: $6,500 per month benefit  versus about $4,000. Of course, there's quite a premium differential, but the upside is pretty significant:

"Average Neurologist Income:  A Neurologist usually gets a wage ranging from 144000 - 216000 depending on seniority levels."

And so it came to pass that we met to review the quotes I'd gotten. He asked some interesting questions, and then wondered aloud why he should even consider buying this coverage because, after all, he'd never been disabled. Now, I could have pointed out that it was his idea to look into it, but I decided to try another tack. I asked if he'd ever had a claim on his homeowners policy. He replied that he hadn't, and so I asked him why, then, did he have homeowner's insurance? He replied - and I'm still taken aback by this - "because it's the law."

Um, what?

When I explained that no, it is not the law, but a requirement by the mortgage holder, he began arguing with me, telling me that he'd been told this was the law his whole life, and now he has to question everything I've told him.

Okey-dokey.

At that point, we agreed to close things down, and I haven't heard from him since. Which is just as well, because I really don't know whether or not I want someone like that as a client.

Oh, for grins and giggles, I asked my favorite P&C Guru which government agency he notified when he sold a homeowner's policy, and he was also bemused when I explained why I was asking.

Stay tuned for Case 2, with a very different set of circumstances, and results.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Tick, Tock (Redux)

Just a friendly reminder that folks have until midnight tomorrow (January 31) to enroll in a 2017 ObamaPlan, or else risk paying the ObamaTax. If you do miss out, remember that the bureauweenies in DC have made SEP (Special Election Period) qualification more onerous.

The more you know...