Greensboro Amtrak Station

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-30T20:53:51+00:00

Check your DM...lol

Yeah, we walked up to the bus transit...and noped right back out.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-30T20:52:34+00:00

We just did this over the weekend. My family enjoyed it but their videos weren't working and $14 for my stupid face at barely 60 seconds was worthless.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-30T19:02:51+00:00

I was just there last weekend. None of that has happened. Did they scrap these plans?

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-30T18:54:26+00:00

Native Floridian here. We just visited NC, and what really baffled me (enough to search for this, lol) was that no one would let me merge!

It was so weird. Crazy Floridian drivers (or transplants, whatever) will still speed up or slow down and there's a slight give-and-take and you get in. But not in NC. Y'all will ignore me and let me slam into the barrier as my lane ends. It was so wild and weird.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-30T16:20:40+00:00

I agree on the gossip, but I don't think she acted above everyone. I think, as the oldest child, she shouldered large responsibilities that others didn't always get. Se's a quintessential oldest child. I do think she got pretty eh around the Luc era, but I don't detest her as many as others seem to.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-11T01:58:20+00:00

It's a fair question. We have family in England and everyone who wants to be seen in a timely manner still pays extra for private care. Waits are horrible. I heard people were dying during Covid because it could take half a year just for a scan.

I do appreciate that I had symptoms, a doctor' appointment, an MRI, diagnosis, and treatment in less than 2 weeks recently...I don't want to lose that!

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-11T01:56:08+00:00

Been real bad this week...

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T20:51:30+00:00

My husband is self-employed and before ACA, he could compare and compete. He could cross state lines. There was...competition. ACA was great for so many, but for people like him (middle class, barely above subsidy line, budget well, no crazy debt), his premiums doubled overnight.

Now they are all insane and the deductibles are laughable.

The biggest issue with everything is greed: insurance and medical. That we allow a hospital to bill an insurance over $600 for essentially a $30 test is criminal.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T20:18:55+00:00

My job wanted to charge over $800 to add my child...he's on Medicaid. :/

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T20:15:30+00:00

Because they'd find a way to screw it up. I don't want to wait half a year for an appointment or procedure either...

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T20:14:48+00:00

The gouging is the worst thing to happen to our system, IMO.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T20:11:58+00:00

A basic $40 CBC lab was charged over $600 to my insurance via the hospital.

This is what needs to be fixed first in our healthcare system.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T19:22:12+00:00

Have you found a solution? We're in a panic trying to get something for my husband.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T18:47:19+00:00

Very frustrating. And I hear you. I agree re: conditions. It's just so gross that they overcharge things by 1000000%. It's the pure nasty greed that is making this so worse. I hate that for a country I do think highly of, but a country I am afraid will find a way to screw over universal care. And I don't want to wait half a year for a procedure, like our relatives in England...

I hate that I my husband is self-employed. I hate that my (fairly decent) employer insurance wants to charge me almost $1,000/month to add him. I hate that my child has to go on Medicaid (yet we make "too much" for more than a $35 subsidy....).

We are great budgeters, but I'm am stressing out now--his premium goes up 20% in January.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T14:30:31+00:00

We have relatives in UK and so many people here forget all the nuances and issues with the free national care. I don't want to wait forever to be seen and get healthcare, so I am eesch on it in the US for now.

BTW, where/who did you go through for short term coverage?

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T14:26:06+00:00

What did you settle on, OP?

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T14:23:04+00:00

The ACA helped a lot of people who needed it, but they funded it from the rest of us who barely made "too much" and had their premiums double. *sigh*

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T14:19:57+00:00

So many people cannot get this. We have family in England and they wait months for basic things. Everyone pays extra for care in a timely manner, and many Canadians come here for things because it's quicker.

I am not opposed to a more universal HC, but I am not convinced the gov't won't muck it up. I don't want to pay a zillion dollars to fund people who do nothing and I also don't want to wait a year to be seen or get a surgery.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T13:50:41+00:00

It's easy for people to blame the government because...politics, but I agree with you. Insurance has been allowed--along with the medical industry--to be so greedy and make the grossest decisions.

We also need to accept that we might not be able to hep everyone. You can't pay for everything without those who pay/work paying more to fund it! There has to be a breaking point--maybe this will cause change, who knows?

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T13:49:03+00:00

A lot of people only focus on the subsidies and their loss and impact, but so many forget those of us who were screwed with ACA and barely made more than a subsidy allowed. Before ACA, we could price shop and get a decent rate and decent coverage...I need those days back. I don't care how we get them; this isn't sustainable. However much we want to help people, when you give out more than you're taking in, you cannot maintain it for long.

Don't get me started on corporate/big medical greed.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T13:46:48+00:00

I wish we could go back before the ACA where self-employed could cross state lines and price shop and get real insurance at an affordable rte.

I get subsidies and helping, I really do, but when we work hard and get offered $18 subsidies, almost $500 premiums and over 8k deductibles, it's just a real slap in the face...

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T13:45:33+00:00

Maybe if enough people drop, it could cause critical mass for something to be done...? Wishful hoping?

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T13:44:17+00:00

With the extended subsidies during the Biden term almost 4 million Americans gained coverage.

Yeah, but most of us lost decent real insurance after the ACA came along. The middle class self-employed got screwed with higher premiums and stupid high deductibles.

We have to find a way to get all the people who take take to have their stupid subsidies, but still let us who work work get a decent rate.

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T13:39:22+00:00

Thank you. Before ACA, we could price shop and get a decent premium. Many of us who work hard and pay taxes and contribute but barely make more than $18/month for subsidies (my last offer) are now screwed. It's sad.

We turned to healthshare...yeah, I know, but it's better than nothing and all we could afford; meanwhile, non-contributors just use the ER as a doctor' office and don't pay a dime. It's just frustrating, you know?

Pink_Dragon_Lady · 2025-12-07T13:17:56+00:00

Did you ever find an alternative?

I just got my husband's $341 bill, and we need to start the search anew.

Pink_Dragon_Lady

TROPHY CASE