The working poor and Sanders M4A.

[krissey]

Lets follow this thru even though we know Sanders can't get it passed.

I make $11.75 an hour in a high cost state. I cannot afford monthly living expense though I live dirt poor. And I am good with that. I do not have a lot of needs or wants. Food, roof over the head, pay my bills.

Still, I am looking for ways to reduce more because my cost of living exceeds my wage. I am old. I will not be hired elsewhere at a greater paying job, increasing monthly income. I am still throwing out apps, but I do not see it happening. To reduce monthly cost I went from ACA silver at $148 a month to ACA bronze at $1.11.

I am also taking my car insurance from full coverage of $600 to liability of $385.

Everything I can do to reduce monthly expense so my wage can cover expenses. Even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner five days a week, cause food isn't that big a deal.

Every little penny is considered.

Sanders wants M4A. Think of the people without insurance, Sanders says. No. I say Sanders is thinking about the middle class. They are paying a higher cost, they are the ones Sanders wants to help because Sanders plan will cost me more in payroll tax and income tax and not be a mere $1.11 a month. That we can be sure of.

I guess I can have that peanut butter and jelly sandwich every other day.

So, when Sanders puts out a message to shame us for not backing his M4A plan because we are thinking about only ourselves instead of those without insurance, I ask him. What about me?

[HerbChestnut]

1. First $29k is exempted from taxation. So you'd pay nothing and get comprehensive insurance.

[krissey]

2. I am at 26K, I do not make enough to pay my monthly bills. I am about 300-400 a month shy, and that

is with nothing unusual coming up. 29K is nothing. Live in any blue state and 29K will barely pay the bills and that is single, one person. This is living poor, running numbers on everything bought. Not buying clothes here, getting teeth worked on their. Living poor. What it looks like. Not middle class or upper middle class Sanders is addressing.

[HerbChestnut]

3. Okay. In terms of Medicare for All, the first 29k of income is exempt from taxation.

Which means if you make less than 29k you don't have to pay taxes for M4A but you still get covered. No premiums, no deductibles, no copayments.

[krissey]

6. And i get to that magical 29K and can cover my bills and he takes that comfort from me

with payroll taxes and income taxes. Thank you so much for your empathy, consideration and thoughtful reply because as Sanders says, those of us that do not back his plan, truly are, only thinking of ourselves.

[HerbChestnut]

11. 4 cents for every dollar over 29k. You will never find a price that good on the private market.

Especially for the comprehensive coverage M4A will provide.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

5. What part of you would pay nothing and get comprehensive coverage do you not get?

And even if you somehow get slightly over $29k, your expense would still be near zero. Because the first $29k is still exempted.

And that’s for no out of pocket health, vision and dental.

[krissey]

7. Wow. You all must be well over 30k if you feel it is such a comfortable place to be.

[HerbChestnut]

10. I am slightly over 30k, and it's not a comfortable place to be. I also don't have health insurance.

I would gladly pay 4% of my income over 29k to get comprehensive health insurance. That's much cheaper than buying private insurance now.

[Garrett78]

24. Not to mention all of the ways in which society, as a whole, would benefit.

A healthier and more productive populace benefits us all. There are a lot of hidden costs with the current system.

Just like there are a lot of hidden costs in terms of our energy systems.

The problem is this is a tough sell for an exhausted, propagandized and easily distracted population. Recognizing hidden costs, or accepting short-term sacrifice for long-term gain, doesn't come naturally for most folks.

[krissey]

20. So, you are calling me a liar? You might recalculate your numbers.

I get overtime whenever I can. I can clock in 15 minutes early, and I do. I can work after my 8 if needed and I do. Ten minutes here, 20 minutes there, it accumulates. I get bonus $5 every written good review I get. I am good at that, I get them every pay period just about. 2-5.

I get points that amount to dollars if I sign people up for rewards. It gave me an extra $1,000. but then I have to declare them thru a 1099 and be taxed on them. It also pushed my income above the 25K I gave to ACA so I will probably have to throw more of my cash to cover that.

You call me a liar?

I also have an amount taken out of every paycheck that is sent to a state savings fund which makes my monthly lower but I figure over all a good thing to be building a savings.

You are really calling me a liar?

I work every schedule shift and every extra shift asked, and pump my hours as much as I can with overtime.

Liar?

[krissey]

23. 24,910. a year. 11.75 an hour, 40 hr a week, 53 weeks a year.

My calculations and explanations are perfectly right on because I do not LIE.

[Rilgin]

25. Apoligies for posting something wrong.

My calculations were indeed wrong and I apologize for any questions on your description of your situation.

My critic of your concern over M4A remains and was what caught my eye in your post that it will not cost you money. M4A is great for working poor who might be barely able to afford a bronze plan payment to an insurance company but will not be able to afford the actual doctor or medicine.

Again, my apologies for my fat fingers on my calculator and not cross-checking my math and reacting on that point other than the policy itself and solely.

[krissey]

21. Oh, and I get a $100 Christmas bonus that goes into yearly income. Maybe I have covered it all

for you.

Liar? Really?

[krissey]

4. Here is another perspective. Minimum wage is increasing in increment over the next 3 yrs by $2.25.

I am doing the best I can now, counting on that incremental increase over the next three years to COVER all my bills, using savings or retirement seeing I am old. So, I finally get it to $14 an hour, now making his 29K and he takes my minimum wage increase cost of living wage.

[HerbChestnut]

8. First 29k is exempt from taxation.

In other words, if you make $29,001 in a year, you are taxed on that $1. 4% of $1 is 4 cents. Not a bad deal.

[krissey]

13. So, I make it to 32K which is my goal to cover cost the 4% tax will be on 3000.

120 a month. Someone making 60k would pay 1240. a month. Do it have the numbers correct?

[HerbChestnut]

16. No.

4% of 3000 is $120 for the year, which breaks down to $10/month. 60k would pay $103/month.

[krissey]

19. Thank you. My bad. Yes. Gotcha.

[krissey]

15. Then there is something about income tax going up and not sure what that is about.

[HerbChestnut]

17. The 4% I keep mentioning in other comments is the...

...amount of tax on income over $29k someone would pay to help fund M4A.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

9. You apparently do understand how tax brackets work.

[MaryMagdaline]

26. Need an explanation

Currently, Medicare charges a premium. Does bernie’s plan require zero premium at certain income levels? Does Warren’s plan require zero premium at certain income levels? Yes, I could spend hours researching but if you know their plans, please explain

[HerbChestnut]

28. The M4A bill Bernie proposed will reform Medicare in many ways.

One of which would be how people pay into the program. If you make $29k or below, you pay zero in taxes and still receive full Medicare benefits, which will also be reformed under Bernie's legislation. After the $29k threshold, you will pay a 4% income tax on every $1 after the 29k. For example, if you make $29,001 in a year, you will be taxed 4 cents for the year. If you make $60k in a year, you would pay about $1,250 for the year (or $103/mo). It's a good deal.

EDIT: Also, here's a link to the full text of Bernie's bill for reference.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1129/text

[MaryMagdaline]

29. Thanks. Much appreciated

[Yavin4]

12. To be fair, Sanders also wants to raise your income to $15 / hour

So, you would be making more to start with.

[krissey]

14. Then he would tax it. Blue state already wants to do that and it is going up incrementally.

I might be able to make it by the time it gets me to $14 an hour.

[MaryMagdaline]

27. Need explanation

You support Warren who supports MFA. What is it about her plan that appeals to you vs Bernie’s Plan?

[Zolorp]

30. I have paid into Medicare for 43 years.

I am eligible for Medicare in 8 years.

If I have to pay a payroll tax for Medicare starting now, it will cost me more than my current insurance, which is similar to Medicare in total costs, my 43 years of equity into Medicare gets flushed down the Sanders shithole, and I spend the rest of my life eating rice and beans if I am lucky because of his fucking payroll tax. Also, Because his tax will eat up every penny of my retirement and my Social Security, I'll never get to actually retire, so my future is telling people "Welcome to Costco, I love you" living off rice and beans and praying I never actually get sick.